15 Minutes

A Maizie Albright Star Detective Mystery

By: Larissa Reinhart

Narrated by: Joan Dukore

Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's Summary

She played a detective on TV, but now that her life depends on it, can Maizie Albright play a detective for real?

For fans of romantic comedy mysteries like Meg Cabot's Size 12 Is Not Fat and Stephanie Bond's Body Movers, The Wall Street Journal best-selling author Larissa Reinhart brings her listeners the first in the Maizie Albright Star Detective series, Hot Mystery Reviews’ "Top 10 Mysteries for Book Clubs".

”Child star and hilarious hot mess Maizie Albright trades Hollywood for the backwoods of Georgia and pure delight ensues. Maizie's my new favorite escape from reality.” (Gretchen Archer, USA Today best-selling author of the Davis Way Crime Caper series)

Three Teen Choice Awards, one Emmy nomination, and several Maxim covers later, Maizie Albright was an ex-teen star, stuck in reality show hell, and standing before a California judge. She has one chance for a new life: return home to Black Pine, Georgia, and get a job that has nothing to do with show business. So why not become a private detective - the person she played during the happiest days of her life?

Maybe because...

First: She's got 10 days to get and keep the job. 

Second: She has to convince the only private investigator in town to hire her. 

Third: She lost the client's wife on the first day. (And the woman may be dead…) 

Fourth: She just might be falling in love with her new boss. And she just might have lost him his business. 

But what has she got to lose, other than imprisonment, her dignity, and possibly, her life?

Start the Wall Street Journal best-selling series and download 15 Minutes today! 

"Sassy, sexy, and fun, 15 Minutes is hours of enjoyment." (Phoebe Fox, author of the Breakup Doctor series)

©2017 Larissa Reinhart (P)2020 Larissa Reinhart

Where is Sarah??

Wonderfully written and performed! I loved the plot twist! It was funny through out but also kept my interest with the mystery of who actually did what. I highly recommend listening to and or reading this book!!

Fun listen

Listening to Maizie Albright's antics in this book was fun. Maizie trying to get a job for a Private Detective Agency. Her mom is wanting other things for her daughter.

You will not be disappointed listening to this book. I am providing my review. I was provided a copy.

Clueless FUN

Maizie is a washed up Hollywood Valley Girl and a clueless detective wannabe. However, she is also hilarious with she self-dialogs and as she overthinks her "every move is carefully planned." With an equally low IQ group of friends, her grumpy new boss (and semi-love interest), and sheer perseverance, can she survive until the case is "solve-d!?!" Sorry for the Inspector Clouseau references but I had to go there, and if you read/listen you'll get it too.

Story 3/5. Performance 4/5 stars

Narrated by Joan Dukore

Summary:
Maizie Albright, former child star, fading celebrity hot mess is trying to get her life back together.

Additional Comments:
- The publisher’s summary is banking heavily on the author’s previous success and comments from others to carry the story instead of telling the reader about the story.
- Story’s okay.
- It had a nice amount of action for a cozy mystery.
- Lots of innuendo but still falls on the “keeps it clean” side of things.
- I didn’t sense one bit of chemistry between Maizie and her boss. Felt like the romance angle was thrown in because it’s expected in this kind of story.
- Maizie’s mother is super manipulative by design. While that makes her a great character, it also makes her very, very annoying.
- The main character’s a hot mess. She’s supposed to be. At one point, I remember thinking that if the air in this girl’s head was helium, you could float a large house.
- The mystery to solve is kind of interesting. A woman disappears, but does her dirtbag husband have anything to do with it?
- Goes on a lot of little side trails. I liked her father and his other family. Good characterization there.
- Performance was handled well.

Conclusion:
It’s a fluffy mystery. Good escapism. If you like reality TV shows and cozies, this is likely gonna be highly satisfying for you.

*I received a free copy. I’ve freely chosen to review it. All thoughts are my own.

Fun and Mystery

Author Larissa Reinhart creates an interesting character in the title role. Maizie Albright (Spayberry) started as an actress playing a teenage detective. In her role, she thinks out of the box and solves cases. She is a star who has issues, and multiple therapists advising her on failings.

Celebrity lives tend to beat to a different drum. Those who feed off the fame of the successful always show their unscrupulous sides. It is impossible to understand what portions of their media appearances are fabricated to further their career versus the actual person. Mazie attended and graduated college with a criminal justice degree.

When the actress's former boyfriend is sentenced to jail for illegal activities, the judge offers Mazie an alternative solution. This young woman's option is to leave LA and return to her hometown of Black Pine, Georgia, plus she must get a job with proof via a paycheck. She decides to take advantage of her degree. She moves in with her father and uses her last name of Spayberry to worm her way into a job with a Private Investigator, Nash, of Nash Security Solutions. No one takes Mazie seriously as a real detective.

Nash, Mazie, and Mr. Waverly are developed with very distinct roles and characterizations. The supporting cast is easy to keep track of. The dialogue is uncomplicated and easy to follow, though in some areas feels repetitive. The tug of war on Mazie by her mom and manager to bring her back to Hollywood creates some good tension. Finding Mr. Waverly's wife but losing her threatens to undermine Mazie's desire for independence and freedom of choice. The story has highs and lows, with humor placed at suitable intervals in a somewhat obvious storyline.

Joan Dukore's narration was good, with only a few minor issues with some words and tone. Also, she provides a good rendition of the characters versus the narration with appropriate emphasis on the story's humorous sides. It is a lighthearted young adult cozy mystery and a fun start to a new series.

There were no issues with the production or quality of this audiobook.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-bias, honest review.

So fun

This was a fun listen. I fell in love with Maizie and all the residents of Black Pine. I was on the edge of my seat trying to guess "Who Dunnit?".

If you love a fun mystery I highly recommend.

The Narrator was great.

Great mystery!

Great mystery with a surprise ending! Def want to read more in this series. I am loving these characters and can’t wait to see what happens next!

I received a free copy and left my honest review

Similar story

About a child actress who ages out and becomes a detective. Then again space novels have similar stories about space. Well done and enjoyable.

Enjoyable Light Read

I received this book for free. I am voluntarily posting this review and any opinions expressed herein are my own.

I am actually somewhere between a 3 and 3 1/2 stars. Parts of this story, I really enjoyed and parts started to grate on me a bit as the book continued. There is some really fun humor and the romantic tension was enjoyable. The premise of a former child star returning back to her hometown to become a PI is a great concept. I really enjoyed the tension between Maizie and her momager - who doesn't want to leave Hollywood behind. What began to bother me about this book was the constant high fashion references and when Maizie declares herself separate from her TV detective character and wanting to leave it all behind but yet, she seemed to almost constantly be asking herself what would her TV detective character do in a situation - it just became a bit one note. Overall, it was an enjoyable light read.

The narrator, Joan Dukore, did a good job in a very light-hearted narration.

A new, fun celebrity cozy mystery!

15 Minutes is a new series by Larissa Reinhart and it was a fun, enjoyable book. I switched between the ebook and the audiobook which was even more enjoyable. It took me a couple of chapters to get into the storyline. But I really liked the characters. Maizey Albright is an actress who got into trouble in Hollywood and was ordered to live with her dad and find a job. Her mother is her manager. Maizie has played a teen detective and now wants to train to become a detective. She shows up for an interview at Nash Security Solutions and ends up getting involved in a case. I liked Rhonda, Tiffany, and Lemar. Maizie's character improves although she constantly refers to her screen characters. The end is intriguing but not too surprising, although I only guessed part of it. This book was fun, light, and enjoyable. I received the audiobook from the author for an honest review.

Such a fun listen. No way serious

This was just such a laugh so over the top it was unbelievable. Think lifestyles of the rich and famous meets murder and money loss. What a story on designer clothes - I am really going to let my older teenage daughter listen to this as she would love it as well.

Not serious by a long shot but so enjoyable.

mystery

A mystery story of a missing person, and later missing funds.
I found the references to designer clothes a bit overdone, but understand why
Enjoyed the story

A Real 'Must Read" from Larissa Reinhart

How could I leave anything less than a rave review for this title? It would be nothing short of rude, and totally untrue!

I listened to 15 Minutes in Audio format, and I'm so glad that I did. Joan Dukore's narration brought to life an already brilliant story. To begin with, I was intrigued by the write-up and wondered how the character of Maisy Albright would fare as a real-life private investigator outside of the bright lights of fame that she had become used to in her acting career. Would she rise up, or would she fall? Take my advice, read it and find out. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Very Enjoyable Read

This first book in the Maizie Albright series bodes well for future releases, it is amusing with zany characters voiced well by Joan Dukore. Some of the situations Maizie gets into are unbelievable as are her methods of getting out of them. Having a loaded naval flare gun stuck down the back of her $500 pair of jeans which gets tangled up in her thong is just one example of the hilarious episodes which has you laughing out loud. Although this book is classed as a romance it is not too soppy and I very much enjoyed it and look forward to listening to more books about this crazy character.
This audiobook was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

This is not a 15 minute wonder

I really enjoyed this book. I got the audio book because I recognised the cover and thought I must have read it. I was wrong I didn't remember it at all and it is probably sat on my kindle waiting to be read. Big mistake because I loved it. If I had know it was going to be this much fun I would have read it ages a go. Oh well at least I got it on audio. I loved the whole plot,a child star that plays a detective on tv trying to make it in the real world. The mystery was good even though I had worked out what was going on it was still fun getting there with the characters, who were like able if a bit quirky. Some of the situations she found her self in were humorous and most of the time caught on camera as the paparazzi followed her everywhere. I hope there is more books in the series to come because I think it will be fun to see how the characters develop as they work more closely together.
Maizie has just ten days to prove that she can be a detective and not just play one on tv. Life isn't like it is on tv, you don't have a script to follow or the director shouting cut when it gets to hard and Maizie is learning it the hard way. First she turns up for a job interview and Nash has no clue why she is there and when he does relent and gives her a chance she gets her nose broken and loses the women she is meant to be following. As if that wasn't bad enough but her controlling mother wants her back on the tv show the judge ordered her to stay away from or she faces going to jail. Can she solve the case and find the missing woman with a camera crew and her mother following her every move and getting in the way? Every move she makes has a habit of ending up gossip for celebrity magazines but can she use that to her advantage and get reluctant witnesses to talk to her? She might just have to because the missing women's husband is going to sue and run Nash out of business for letting his wife get kidnapped while he was watching her.
I liked the narrator as she used a variety of voices for the characters and was bubbly and entertaining In the telling.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request from audiobooksunleashed and have voluntarily left this review.