The Wrong Side of Murder

A Nikki Bryant Cozy Mystery, Book 2

De: Lauren Carr

Narrado por: Anita Alger

Duración: 7 h y 41 m

Resumen del Editor

Nikki Bryant’s Next Case Takes Her to the Wrong Side of Murder.

One spring morning, Jodi Gibbons got up and went to school as she did every day. Her young life went sideways though when the police found that her mother had been brutally killed during the night.

Twenty years later, many in Pine Grove believe Jodi got away with murder. After all, how could she have possibly slept through her mother’s violent death in the very next room?

After decades of silence, Jodi accepts investigative journalist Nikki Bryant’s invitation to tell her side of the story. However, before the interview can take place, someone silences Jodi permanently.

Now it is up to Nikki Bryant and her friends to uncover the secret that Jodi Gibbons has been protecting—a secret someone believes it is worth killing to keep from being revealed.

©2022 Terri Lynn Zaleski (P)2022 Terri Lynn Zaleski

Carr never disappoints

The Wrong Side of Murder is another fun, flirty, and fast story that satisfies. Though it's the second in the Nikki Bryant Cozy Mystery series from Lauren Carr, it stands-alone very well by telling enough background to inform and pique interest in reading the first installment, Killer Deadline.

In this installment, the relationship between main character Nikki and her beau (and stepbrother! the scandal!) Ryan is well-established as is Nikki's career in Pine Grove. She's proven herself a competent investigative journalist who not only has the instinct for a story, but she's smart, confident, creative, and assertive enough to get to the root -- and the truth -- of the problems. But Nikki's not perfect, and Carr does a great job of giving her quirks that make her real and relatable. (I may also be in denial that I forget names and make fashion faux pas -- or faux paws, in Nikki's case!) These quirks, along with the return of Elmo, the canine social media influencer, add some levity in a multi-layered plot that gets pretty gruesome at times.

"You're not hearing this from me..."

About that gruesomeness -- while the murders aren't explained in graphic detail, there is no doubt about the violence of them, and the details are repeated, which for me pushes the boundaries of a typical cozy mystery. So sensitive readers be warned.

ABOUT THE NARRATION: Anita Alger is back and even better in her second book. She performs a variety of characters (from crotchety crusty men to snobby socialite women) and keeps them unique -- no small feat given the huge cast of characters. I am still in the early Goldilocks stage, as I find regular speed a bit slow and 1.25x a bit fast. (I really wish Audible would take a cue from other platforms and allow listeners more latitude.) Nonetheless, her pacing is steady and her diction perfect. Solid narration.

Carr never disappoints in having seemingly separate sub-plots threading around each other and ultimately coming together to weave a complex and cohesive mystery. All loose ends are neatly tied, and the denouement leaves readers content that the baddies have gotten their comeuppance, and all is at least temporarily well in the world. I look forward to the next installment.

I love this series!

I love this series! In a unique manner, author Laura Carr brings cold cases into her cozy mysteries. Of course, when Nikki starts poking, murder happens as people squirm at the truth unraveling before them!
Nikki's adorable, "ugly," famous dog, Elmo, doesn't seem as involved in this case or novel as with the first. Of course he's busy getting people's gardens beautiful. Where can I get a pup like him?!
It's the same narrator from book one, which is a big thing for me when I listen to books in a series back to back because I like the consistency in the characters. The narrator once again does a fantastic job.
I was given an audio copy by the author but was not required to provide a positive review. These thoughts and opinions are my own. I rate it 5 stars.

funny, light, fun mystery

Like the first book in the Nikki Bryant Cozy Mystery series, The Wrong Side of Murder our girl is back in her hometown of Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, after many years away, running the family radio station. She has reconnected with the boy who got away, Ryan, who now runs the state crime lab, so he is both hot and smart.

But Nikki is obsessed with finding the answers to a cold case -- Jodi's mother was murdered, and the cops had her as their only suspect. Nobody believed that she hadn't heard anything -- she was in the home! Nikki is determined to find the killer, and after talking to Jodi she feels a connection because of her own experience.

As in the first book, we get the joy of an adorable and silly dog, named Elmo. It would be hard to call a book a cozy mystery without a beloved four legged family member

If you like your mysteries on the light side, and often handled with loads of humor and a bit of romance, then this book will be right up your alley. Sit down, laugh and enjoy a quick escape.

Like in book one, the narration was spot on!

Enjoyed it!

I enjoy sinking into a fun mystery now and then, and Lauren Carr’s cozies are some of my favorites. I enjoyed book 1 (Killer Deadline) in the Nikki Bryant Cozy Mystery series and this one, The Wrong Side of Murder (book 2) is just as entertaining.

Listening to the audiobook gives it a little different feel than reading the book yet brings just as much delight. The narrator, Anita Alger, has a clear and pleasant voice and her tone and inflection are smooth and easy to listen to.

Nikki is a keen, strong woman with lots of personality and Ryan is a great support for her. I like their unique relationship. You would think a murder mystery would be a dark downer, but the author manages to make it quite heartening. It’s unique in that Nikki is seeking to prove someone’s innocence (rather than guilt) as well as seeking out the guilty party.

I am so glad I sneak some new genres in now and then because reading these Nikki Bryant mysteries is loads of fun. I love the characters, can visualize the scenes with ease, enjoy visiting Pine Grove, and love when a mystery is far from predictable.

Disclosure: #CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book.

Nikki is back and this is one interesting mystery

The Wrong Side of Murder
A Nikki Bryant Cozy Mystery #2
By Lauren Carr
Narrated by Anita Alger

Nikki Bryant and Elmo are back and the cold case that is about to capture Nikki's attention involved a classmate who was tried and convicted in the court of public opinion of her mother's murder.

Jodi Gibbons never saw her mother's murderer brought to justice because Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, found Jodi guilty when she became the victim of gossip and rumor. Twenty years have passed a chance meeting finds Nikki looking to right the wrongs of the past and give Jodi a chance to bring her side before the listening and viewing public. And with any luck, the true killer will be found. But someone wants Jodi to be silent on the subject. But with Nikki on the case, she's not about to let the killers away with another murder and have an innocent woman again take the blame.

But could Nikki be seeing something that isn't there? She's going to put her award-winning investigative skills to the test. And if she gets a little help along the way from friends, family, and her significant other, all the better to get to the long-hidden past. And Elmo is available when not putting his other talents to use.

This is the second book in the Nikki Bryant series, and it is an engaging read, just as Killer Deadline was, though I did miss Nikki's interactions with @nerdyguy. And like almost everyone who's met Elmo, I've become a fan of this distinct, unique, and highly intelligent dog who just happens to be a social media sensation, and with good reason. So if you are looking for a new cozy mystery to enjoy, give Nikki, Elmo, and the Bryant clan a place on your TBR list. You won't be sorry. This is a fun, mostly lighthearted murder mystery (murder being the non-lighthearted moment btw), with a dog you'll adore. The audio is well-presented, and the story is well-paced (and if you want it a little different, you can adjust the playback speed. And at under 8 hours a perfect commute companion.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion ~ All thoughts expressed are my own.