Dead in the Alley

Murder in the North Country

By: Sharon Michalove

Narrated by: Andrew Eiden, Stella Hunter

Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Where do you turn when you’ve lost it all?

When Bay Bishop’s husband was found in the alley behind their Northern Michigan restaurant, she lost not only the partner in her dreams of establishing the best fine-dining establishment in the area, but the man she thought was the love of her life. Then, she finds out how he had betrayed her. Now, she’s a suspect.

The detective who shows up on her doorstep turns out to be the high-school boyfriend who broke her heart. Faced with uncomfortable truths and new beginnings, Bay must chart a course to prove her innocence and create a new future, as she also tries to unravel a family secret that may give her the key to who she really is.

The story features a a twisty mystery set in a small city in Northern Michigan on the shores of Lake Michigan in wine and cherry growing country, a charming inn, plenty of food, a former bike racer hero, and a lovable Portuguese Water Dog.

Sharon Michalove writes mystery and romantic suspense, and is the author of At First Sight and At the Crossroads in the Global Security Unlimited series. Dead in the Alley is her first traditional mystery.

©2022 Sharon Michalove (P)2023 Sharon Michalove

Great narration, lackluster story

I really finished this audiobook and felt quite the conundrum. I think Dead in the Alley could have been a 5- star listen but it was a bit longer than I felt was necessary. It was just longer than I feel was necessary. I’ve never read or listened to Sharon D. Michalove previously. She isn’t a bad writer at all. The writing itself was pretty good. The story just felt unnecessary long with a lot of characters. I felt like we didn’t get deep character development. Everyone was fairly basic and a bit flat. It felt like there was several storylines happening. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fairly simple concept and I had the culprit picked out a quarter of a way through. I feel like all I’m saying is the bad. It really wasn’t a bad story, it’s was just a surface level story. Which is why I feel like it took me so long to get through.

I think the narration was my favorite part of the entire story. To be real, I’m not sure I would have finished without the great narration. Stella Hunter and Andrew Eiden were able to add a bit of personality to the characters that I felt was lacking in the story. I do what to add that the story starts out with some good mystery and a bit of suspense. Instead of compounding on that is seems to just go in to many directions. I believe it could easily be re-edited and firmed up a bit more, given some deeper characters.

#AudiblyAddicted

Doug and Bay

Doug and Bay
Ok here we have crime and mystery, family drama, many suspects, and a 2nd chance at love story. I really enjoyed this one. Doug and Bay have a past history but she is married so that is out, until one day….someone is Dead in the Alley. So many secrets here. Great story and I recommend it. Narration was on point! Sisters Spotlight 💕
#Audiblyaddicted

Mystery Thriller

Dead in the Alley, narrated by Andrew Eiden and Stella Hunter, hooked me right from the start! This romantic thriller is set in a small town, and the narrators bring the story to life with their unique voices. Bay Bishop, the restaurant owner, and Detective Greg Musgrave, her old high school sweetheart, make for one intense duo as they try to solve a murder case and deal with their complicated feelings for each other. The suspenseful plot had me on the edge of my seat, with unexpected twists that kept me guessing. The characters were well-drawn, thanks to Eiden and Hunter's incredible performances. Plus, the audiobook touched on family dynamics and personal struggles, adding depth to the story. And that ending! It caught me off guard and left me hungry for more. Overall, this well-crafted romantic thriller was a total hit for me. I highly recommend checking out the audiobook if you're into suspenseful stories with engaging characters and a small-town vibe. You won't be disappointed!

Secrets.... all the secrets...

Sharon Micahlove captivated me back in 2022 with At First Sight and when I saw she was doing a romantic thriller I knew I had to get my hands on it. Her type of storytelling is so unique that from the moment the story starts you are entranced by not only the words but the characters. Dead in the Alley left me holding my breath until the very end and I never would have guessed the secrets to be revealed...

A second chance romance amongst murder and mayhem is where we find Bay. After her husband is brutally murdered, she just wants to know why. When truths start to come out, she is second guessing why she even wanted the answers in the first place because her husband isn't exactly the man, she thought he was.

Enter Greg, Bay's ex, and a detective for the narcotics unit. He can't believe Bay would have anything to do with her husband's death, but it has been years since he has seen her and even though people can change, he doesn't believe she could have changed that much.

Events keep putting Bay in Greg's past and both still feel the spark that once was there before Greg made choices that ended them. Can these two lost souls find one another amidst a murder investigation or are the traumas of past and present to strong?

Andrew Eiden and Stella Hunter brought these characters to life and after hearing their telling of this story they will always be Bay and Greg to me. Greg was protective even before things started to progress between him and Bay and Andrew captivated that. Stella is just a one woman show in all her of narrations and the emotions she can convey always continue to pull me in.

Sharon Micahlove gave us a balancing act of romance and heart stopping suspense. I hope we see more stories from this little town she created because there is so much more to be told...

What happens when your husband is murdered?

We always hear the spouse is the number one suspect. So Bay’s obviously on the cop’s radar. But she didn’t do it. And she soon discovers her husband had a whole other life she knew nothing about. As things unfold around her, she has only her best friend and her ex-boyfriend to turn to. Greg’s also a cop, so there’s that layer of complication.

Also, Bay has her family to contend with. As someone with a contentious relationship with her own kin, I felt tremendous empathy. When Bay discovers the ultimate secret, things truly go sideways.

The mystery was good, the interpersonal relationships were fascinating, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I especially loved the narrators. Stella Hunter was just the perfect Bay and I adored Andrew Eiden as Greg. I’ve enjoyed both of them in the past, and hope to listen to them again in the future. As well as more stories from Ms. Michalove. Can’t wait.

Intriguing mystery, good second chance romance

This was an intriguing murder mystery/romantic suspense novel with some interesting twist and turns. The mystery itself goes in a somewhat unexpected direction, and there is definitely some misdirection and manipulation happening. The second chance romance (which I really read as more of a secondary plot to the murder mystery) was really good as well.

I listened to the audiobook for this book, and the narration was very well done. Dual narration, and the narrators did a great job of bringing real voices to these characters that really worked. It’s a good listen, if you’re an audiobook person.

Good Mystery/Romance

While this author's writing style is a little hard for me to follow sometimes, the audio really made this a wonderful story. Stella Hunter & Andrew Eiden did a fantastic job of bring life to this mystery/second chance romance. This book is more focused to the mystery aspect, but the second chance romance is sort of a side character.

This story follows the death of Bay's husband, who was found dead in the alley behind their restaurant. While the investigation is ongoing, many secrets come to light regarding the life of her husband. Turns out, he was a man she hardly knew at all. Which was hard for Bay because they had been together for 10 years. One of the detectives on the case is none other than Bay's ex-boyfriend from almost 20 years ago. They didn't end on the best of terms and with Bay being a suspect in her husband's death, their reunion isn't an easy one.

Bay learns many truths during this story, but the one constant is Greg. He is there to help her in any way she will let him. This story kept me guessing right up to the very end which made it even more enjoyable.

Engaging mystery with wonderful performances!

~*~ Audiobook Review ~*~ This mystery engaged me right away with the carefully placed clues throughout the story. As plot lines unfurl more potential suspects are revealed and new mysteries further complicate the problems Bay must face. Her world has imploded, not the least of which is the boy who broke her heart is now back in the picture. This adds fuel to the dumpster fire. She has no choice but to give up or find her strength and move forward. This is more subtle than in-your-face thriller. Solid 4 stars, really enjoyed the mystery!

Stella Hunter and Andrew Eiden are wonderful performers! They did a wonderful job with all of the complex characters, from the corrupt to the broken to the women in survival mode and men trying to build a business and make up for mistakes. I loved every moment of their narration! 5-star performances, always!

Loved the narrators!

A second chance love that has been rekindled after Bay's husband is brutally murdered.

The narrators, Andrew Eiden and Stella Hunter were fantastic. I really enjoyed the duo narrated audiobook. I felt like both narrators portrayed the characters very well. Their voices are very engaging and I was hooked from the beginning.
It's very clear to the listener that the feelings between Bay and Greg were still there. There's a bit of history between the two. While there's not a lot of time between the mourning period and when Bay's feelings begin to appear, I think that what Bay discovers about her husband may have helped her move on.
The mystery was interesting and I had a blast trying to figure out who was the mastermind of it all.

Special thanks to Audibly Addicted for the gifted audiobook.