Breaking News: Avery Shaw Mystery Books 1-3

By: Amanda M. Lee

Narrated by: Angel Clark

Length: 19 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's Summary

Meet Avery Shaw. She's all mouth - and some skill.

As a reporter for a Southeastern Michigan newspaper, Avery finds herself in trouble at every turn. She has a list of enemies - and she's not afraid to cross them. Follow her as she crosses paths with her former boyfriend, a hot new love interest, and a family that cannot be contained - even by the law.

These are the first three books in the Avery Shaw Mystery series. They include: Who, What, Where, When, Die, If it Bleeds, it Leads, and Buried Leads.

©2011 Amanda M. Lee (P)2015 Amanda M. Lee

Good mysteries... lacking back stories

I want to like Avery Shaw... really, I do. I like that she's her own person, but the angry tirades can only go so far... things start getting redundant and there are some (minor) inconsistencies that are definitely more noticeable when you listen to three books straight in a row.

*SPOILER ALERT * I'm somewhat flummoxed about Elliot's magically becoming a private investigator with absolutely no intro or explanation in Book 2. I get adding layers to the character and needing something for the story that you hadn't realized was necessary in the previous book, but there needed to be some sort of introduction to the idea before he just announces some chick is his client... it was totally out of the blue! Have Avery walk by a window and see a flyer announcing his side job... say she hadn't heard from him in months but a story comes across the news desk involving him helping solve some minor crime... anything other than just pretending we all already knew!

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Wow where do I begin

Would you recommend Breaking News: Avery Shaw Mystery Books 1-3 to your friends? Why or why not?

I would if there was a different narrator. The narrator mispronounces many of the words. Like crochet as croquet. This makes it hard to listen to. The voices she does for the male voices are the same but also are annoying.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Angel Clark?

I would have cast just about anyone else. Seriously.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

A funny cozy mystery

Avery is 27 years old. She’s mouthy, opinionated, and bossy. She is an only child, a Star Wars junkie, a news reporter for the Monitor. Her clothing choices do not please her mother or boss, Fish. When faced with the smart thing to do or stupid, she selects the stupid. She lives in Roseville, Michigan, in a neighborhood where the residents are middle-class white people – a lot of who are racist.

Friends
Sheriff Jake Farwell and Avery had a tortured past. Yep, a romantic relationship which started in high school and ended in college. Now he is the sheriff and their jobs keep them in the same situations. Many time Avery lust for him.

Carly is her BFF. They met as sophomores in college. She is planning a wedding which has been cancelled countless times. The reasons for the cancellation centers around the drama caused by Kyle’s, her fiancé mother and Carly’s dad.

Eliot the hunky owner of the pawn shop. They met when Avery was shopping for a gun. They have the hots for each other. There is a history between him and Jake. Therefore, every time they meet there is tension. Our girl Avery is a magnet for all kinds of trouble and Eliot who listens to the police scanner, shows up at many of the crime scenes.

Tad is a former college boyfriend. He broke up with her because she was unsuitable for a politician’s wife. That was fine with her because she had to fake her organisms. He is involved with local politics and is on the county commission committee. This happens to be an event that Avery covers for the Monitor the newspaper.

Work
Fred Fish is her boss. He is stuck in the 1960s who is wary of women in the work place.
Marvin is her loyal co-worker. He is a hypochondriac, makes bad choices in women, lives and breathes news.

Family
Mom and dad are divorced. She has a relationship with her mother. The family has weekly Friday dinners at the family’s restaurant, everyone is expected to attend. Mom and daughter conversation consists of her mom disapproval of her not being married and her clothing choices. A Friday family dinner is included in each story. Many times, Avery leaves the dinner in a hurry because of the hysterical outrageous behaviors of her family.

Don is her cousin that is cop. He is like a brother to Avery.

Lexie is a cousin and is like a sister to Avery. She makes bad boyfriend choices and has anger issues.

The mysteries evolves around how Avery fumbles the investigation of her stories. Many times, she becomes part of the story, which involves with attempts on her life. Occasionally, at the crime sites when Jake, Eliot, and Avery in the same proximity, tension rises.

The narrator's male voices are awful, especially for Jake and Eliot. Disregard them and enjoy the story.

These weird dysfunctional characters and situations are featured in each story. The stories is funny, silly and enjoyable. This is a cozy mystery – enjoy it!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Too rude and crude

What disappointed you about Breaking News: Avery Shaw Mystery Books 1-3?

I enjoy series books because you find a character that you like and with each new book it feels like an old friend. Audiobooks bring that character alive. But Ms. Shaw is immature, rude and vulgar. She does not seem to like anything or anyone. The characters all act very immature ,like high school. and she confronts everyone. Sorry I chose this book(s).

What could Amanda M. Lee have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Authors fault, not Amazon

Would you listen to another book narrated by Angel Clark?

Yes, she seems to have a good range and you cannot blame her for the words.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No, nothing for me.

Any additional comments?

If I want to hear rude, offensive conversation I will watch the Republican's debate. But at the end of the day I want to listen to classy, well spoken and nice, everyday people who run into a lot of murders.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Ok

Nothing special. Avery is a bit too proud she's rude and antisocial. I realize those inner thoughts are supposed to be humorous , but they were often distracting (and not funny after the first few). But, it was an enjoyable way to listen and clean house.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

UGH!

What disappointed you about Breaking News: Avery Shaw Mystery Books 1-3?

This book is annoying on all levels. If I could give it a minus star I would. That main character just comes off as an obnoxious pain.

Would you ever listen to anything by Amanda M. Lee again?

I would not listen to anything else by this author. Can not even get thru this one. Seriously sorry I wasted my credits on this. Now I am stuck with something I will not finish.

What didn’t you like about Angel Clark’s performance?

Its not really her fault that she is reading something with nothing to recommend it.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

NO!!!!

Any additional comments?

Wish I could get my credit back.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Hooked on Phonics

Storyline pretty good. Narrator has problems with different voices, when she attempts a diiferent sound, she makes the characters sound like they have speech impediments, retarted or just graduated from Hooked on Phonics class. Except for that I enjoyed the story, but won't get the rest of series due to narrator.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A Rough Start But Give It A Chance

It’s a surprise I finished this audiobook bundle. The performance was at a much lower standard than the other novels I’ve bought from Audible before, but at the end of the novel you grow accustom to it. The first book was bad. Avery Shaw is incredibly hard to like at first, she does gain likability throughout books 2 and 3. If you enjoy cozy mysteries and have time to get through the bad first book and stick it out till the end, it does redeem itself. I would not recommend this book for those that don’t like foul language, crude content, and slightly gruesome crimes. If these do not bother you, it does end up being quite funny and enjoyable.

I love Avery

The stars are for the books not the narrator. The books actually do have mysteries even though they are easily solved. The characters are great and even though some readers find Avery hard to take I love her.

The narration is another thing. With the first book there are several mispronounced words, Jake sounds somewhat like an old man, and I'm not really sure what the deal with Eliot is. There are pauses when he speaks so it is very slow.

However, by the third book it is much better. Eliot speaks like a normal person and Jake isn't old sounding.

Overly sarcastic

I find the book to be overly sarcastic and a bit in the negative side. Generally speaking the book was good, otherwise.

Awful narration

The story is entertaining enough, along the lines of the Stephanie Plum stories but the narration is wince makingly awful so I just can’t finish it.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Cheeky Fun

If you could sum up Breaking News: Avery Shaw Mystery Books 1-3 in three words, what would they be?

Fantastic Fun and Freedom

Who was your favorite character and why?

Avery is my fav cause she is just full of crazy snarky fun. Each book you get to know more of her and her family and friends and the best thing about her is she just is Avery. She is who she is and she apologizes to no one for it.

What about Angel Clark’s performance did you like?

She voices Avery very well lol specially when shes all snarky and being herself.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The first time Avery says she is going to kick someone in her naughty place haha I really did laugh hard. Just the whole relationship between Avery and Jake and Elliot.. Oh the way Duncan cries like a girl pants when Avery zings him ahhh I would love this girl to be in my offline world. Her and I would be friends for real :D

Any additional comments?

You just gotta go for it with any Avery Shaw book there are 10 of them so far so yeah just jump. Like anything in life it takes a bit to get to know her or used to the way shes read but once that happens you will be laughing your bum off and passing the time having a good day.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful