Bogged Down

A Vashon Island Mystery

By: Charlotte Stuart

Narrated by: Harley Jane Kozak

An ancient bog hidden away in a forest is the perfect backdrop for murder....

Bogged Down is a mystery set on Vashon Island, a place that has been described as Mayberry-meets-Burning Man. Lavender (Lew) Lewis moved there because it's only a 20-minute ferry ride from Seattle, yet light years away in tempo and character. She grew up on a commune in Alaska, joined the army at 17, does woods parkour for exercise, and HR investigations to earn a living. Life in her waterfront cabin with her two food-obsessed cats is predictable and stress-free. Until she leads a tour group into an ancient bog on the island and discovers a body.

©2020 Charlotte Stuart (P)2021 Charlotte Stuart

Bogged Down

This was a really good book.During a tour if the bog on Vashon Island,a hand is seen,sticking out of the loam. Lavendar,the tour guide,gets involved with helping the police from the start.I really enjoyed it!Harley Jane Kozak was a terrific narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.' 

Nature vs. Development

Bogged Down by Charlotte Stuart is a very enjoyable cozy mystery in an usual setting. Lavender (Lew) Lewis is giving a tour of the ancient bog on Vashon Island when the group finds a hand sticking up from the water. The victim is a staunch advocate for wildlife on the island, and had enemies. Lew gets pulled into investigating and finds herself in tough situations that she easily navigates. The narration by Harley Jane Kozak is wonderful. She brings the characters and story to life. I received a free audiobook code for my honest review.

Clever mystery- perfectly narrated

The story’s twists and turns are very plausible & move the rhythm from one adventure to another. The different forms of humor are wonderfully conveyed by the narrator. I felt that I got to know each character’s distinct personality through the text and the narrator’s speech patterns - they are so “right on.”

Delightful glimpse into island life

Lavender (Lew) Lewis is a heck of an armchair detective. Fearless, she gets herself involved in situations that raised my hackles and even caused me to break a sweat once or twice. "Don't do it, Lew!" I kept thinking--but she didn't stop. A corporate HR consultant by day and an intrepid defender of the environment at night and on the weekends, Lew has an interesting background that gives her some 'detective chops' other middle-aged amateur detectives don't have. She does 'woods parkour' instead of walks in the forest, and grew up in an Alaskan commune, which seems to have given her an aversion to physical closeness. But that doesn't mean she doesn't care! And oh, she's good with guns. When a friend dies in the local bog--a protected part of Vashon Island--she is determined to find out who the culprit is and has to wade through a lot of local 'muck' to do it. Stuart fills the pages with details that intrigue and delight and Harley Jane Kozak, the narrator, has a friendly and welcoming voice that made it easy to return to the story. This would be a great book for a car trip!

Fun mystery!

Fun mystery with great characters. Would love to to continue the series.
I received a free copy and left my honest review

good mystery

This was a good mystery. The narration was excellent and the voices were distinct for each person with no irritating ones. The story kept my interest all the way to the end.
I was given this free audiobook copy at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Well done

island-life, law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, nature-preservation, animal-welfare*****

I think I used to work with an incarnation of Lavender (Lew) Lewis who was raised in a commune, is an Afghanistan vet, HR investigator, Parkour enthusiast and very logical/resourceful. Which is by way of saying that the choice of Harley Jane Kozak to be narrator is spot on!
The mystery is and expanded locked room because it takes place on an island which is a glorified small town and requires ferry, boat, or air transport to access. Internal politics makes the suspect pool somewhat manageable and there are no in-between cops (only dumb, self-important, or competent but unimaginative). Great characters and a really good whodunit.
I won this audiobook in a giveaway. Yay me!

Not worth it.

This premise sounded great. Just didn’t deliver. Reader was awful. You couldn’t tell who was speaking; all characters sound the same. Don’t waste your credit. It’s probably better if you get the book to read.