Telling Lies

A Sam Mason Mystery, Book 1

By: L. A. Dobbs

Narrated by: Rudy Sanda

Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

The small police force of White Rock, New Hampshire is still reeling from the death of Officer Tyler Richardson when they are called to the scene of the accidental drowning of an out-of-town camper. But Chief Sam Mason and Sergeant Jody Harris soon discover the drowning was no accident. Someone murdered Lynn Palmer and staged the scene to make it look that way.

With a pool of suspects who aren't telling the truth and a corrupt mayor who wants the case solved yesterday, Sam and Jo follow a puzzling trail of clues with a surprise ending. And when a stray dog points them in the right direction, Sam discovers the killer is closer than he thought.

Just when Sam and Jo think they can rest after having solved Lynn's murder, a shocking discovery proves that sometimes even those you trust can be telling lies.

©2017 Leighann Dobbs Publishing (P)2017 Tantor

More of a Cozy Mystery

This has lots of potential, but it's not quite there yet. The characters are likable and genuine for the most part, but they aren't as fleshed out as I prefer. Then again, this book isn't as long as most mysteries either. The dog is cute and adds quite a bit to the story. But I'll admit I assumed she was a trained K-9, not a stray. (Please don't call me "stray-phobic" for assuming more of her.)

The basic storyline is good, but again, it just felt like the soup was a little thin. I want more substance. Less repetitiveness would also be great. There were several times the story backtracked on itself for no particular reason. One example of this was the concept that the dog would probably be euthanized in a shelter. The characters had one conversation about it, then had a nearly identical conversation a couple of chapters later.

I don't mean to be bashing this story. It was cute, and clean- much like a cozy mystery. Readers who prefer shorter stories will appreciate the fact that this audiobook is a little over 5 hours long. Be prepared to change the speed of the playback, though. For my ears, it was a little slow, which can make a great book seem dull.

So, if you're a fan of cozy mysteries, novellas, clean stories, and especially books with dogs in them, you'll probably enjoy this book. I'm looking forward to seeing more from this author. I think the bones are good, I just want more meat on them.

A good who done it story

It kept me guessing until the end. A bunch of friends and colleagues go camping, when one of them ends up dead. Was it one of them, or someone in the town? And who is keeping secrets from who? Although a bit far fetched, I loved Lucy the extra smart dog in the story too.

Really enjoyed this book.

I really liked the characters and the small town feel in this book. Looking forward to more.

Cute story

Overall, not a bad listen. The only thing, I don’t know if it’s a New England thing but the cadence of the narrator almost made me turn it off. Finishing was a struggle.

Great dog!

Really enjoyed Lucy and her intelligence and looking forward to seeing how her character develops.

Interesting

The characters were interesting enough to make me want to get the next in the series (I want to know what Lucy, the dog, knows about the mayor!), but the narrator was kinda boring. I can't decide if I liked the book, or if it was more like a Scooby-and-the-gang story (which is not a compliment).

Not so much

I feel like is more suited for middle schoolers. I can’t decide if it’s the story itself or the narrator. It has so much potential, but I couldn’t go on to the next book.

Sam Mason

A Great new story! I like Sam and his crew and especially Lucy. I listened to this book while working today and even worked late so I could finish it!!
note:My rating, PG.
Great cozy mystery!

Little more than Monotone.

I had to listen to this at 1.2x the speed. The performer was slow and lacked inflection. The story was ok, but the end was a gathering of all the suspects… kind of ending. And a cliffhanger to boot. It was not satisfying.

Enjoyed

It kept me awake most of the night. Really enjoyed it till the end and wanted it to continue. Will buy the next one !