Body and Soul Food

Books and Biscuits Mystery Series, Book 1

By: Abby Collette

Narrated by: L. Malaika Cooper

In this must-listen new mystery series, fraternal twins Keaton and Koby will pull double duty when they take down a killer while preparing to open their new bookstore and soul-food cafe, Books & Biscuits.

When Koby Hill and Keaton Rutledge were orphaned at age two, they were separated, but their unbreakable connection lingered. Years later, they reunite and decide to make up for lost time and capitalize on their shared interests by opening up a well-stocked bookstore and cozy soul-food cafe in the quaint Pacific Northwest town of Timber Lake. But this new chapter of their lives could end on a cliffhanger after Koby's foster brother is found murdered.

The murder, which occurred in public between light-rail stops, seems impossible for the police to solve. But as Keaton and Koby know, two heads are always better than one, especially when it comes to mysteries. With just a week to go before the grand opening of their new cafe, the twins will use their revitalized connection with each other to make sure this is the killer's final page.

©2021 Shondra C. Longino (P)2021 Tantor

I liked it

I pretty much enjoyed this book. the audio as well. I did not enjoy the ending of it. it just felt a little flat. I will read the other books of the series because now I'm curious to what happened to the other characters.

Enjoyable Characters

I enjoyed the characters and would have enjoyed the story but the narration made it difficult. It was monotone and you can tell the narrator was holding their nose to do some voices. I often listen to books while at work but in order to move through this series I will have to buy the book and read it myself.

The name of their store

I would spend every dime I have in Books and Biscuits!! I wish someone would open 1 near me.

The characters

A good cozy mystery with unique characters. You'll also enjoy the recipes at the end!

Such a Great Cozy Read, but the narration...

This is an absolutely perfect little mystery novel. I love it! Rich, interesting characters, a great plot. But the narration made it terribly difficult to follow. The narrator has a wonderful, soothing voice, so she should be perfect for a story like this. The problem is her tonal inflection was off so much in the story. Moments which were written as narrative, she would read as if it were in 1st person from a character with excitement. Other times she would inflect questioning when the sentence was a statement. It was as if she didn't read or do a run through prior to recording this. It made the listening experience terrible as you can't just drift off and listen to this on a drive. I found myself constantly rewinding to capture the intentnof what was just read. It was very frustrating. I'm excited for the second installment in this series, and while it is the same narrator, I hope she improved with this one, or I may have to read that one manually. The story itself is a gem and I hope many more are written.