Agnes Hopper Shakes Up Sweetbriar

A Senior Cozy Mystery Novel

De: Carol Heilman

Narrado por: Beverly Ann Astley

Summer's steamy haze coats North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, but feisty Agnes Marie Hopper discovers the heat isn't the only thing causing her blood to boil. After a kitchen fire destroys her home, Agnes moves in with her daughter, Betty Jo. Three months later they come to an understanding: neither can tolerate living with the other. So on a sultry August morning, Betty Jo drives Agnes and her few belongings to Sweetbriar Manor, a local retirement home and former house of ill repute.

With no intention of staying, Agnes devises a scheme to sneak out of the Manor and find another place to live. Before she can make her exit, she runs into her best friend from high school, along with some other quirky characters. With a nose for trouble, Agnes learns some of the residents are being robbed, over-medicated, and denied basic cable and Internet access. Armed with nothing more than 71 years of common sense and a knack for pushing people's buttons, Agnes sets out to expose the unscrupulous administrator, protect her new friends, and restore Sweetbriar Manor's reputation as a rewarding and enriching lifestyle. But the real moment of truth comes when Agnes is forced to choose between her feisty self-reliance and the self-sacrifice that comes from caring for others.

©2015 Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas (P)2015 Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas

Wonderful!

Worth your time to read or listen. Sweet and funny. I listened on audible - chairing

Cute story, bad narration

I enjoyed reading more than listening to this book. The story was cute, the characters well developed and unique. However, the narrator was annoying. Her Southern accent was authentic and believable, but the inflection rose at the end of almost every sentence. Often, the other characters' voices sounded like she was reading from a script. I hate to give poor ratings, but I found that I couldn't enjoy the narration because of this. I gave an overall three star rating because the book itself was a nice story.

Lovely story with wonderfully vivid characters

I loved all of the characters with their quirks. The story was entertaining, and full of vivid descriptions that made the story come alive.

Worst Narrator Ever

I love quirky little books about southern women, but this was drudgery. The story isn't bad - the narrator is horrible. I just don't understand how this matchup was ever made. It took me about three times as long as it should have to get through this book.

Accent too much for me!

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

This may be an excellent book but I was unable to listen to it. The accent was just too much!