Dirty Harriet: Volume 1

By: Miriam Auerbach

Narrated by: Karen Commins

Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's Summary

Book one of the Dirty Harriet mysteries

Goodbye mansion, hello Hog. This former Boca Babe is now a Biker Babe with a rap sheet and a license to track down bad guys and solve crimes. Go ahead. Make her day.

Harriet "Dirty Harriet" Horowitz had it all. Money. Plastic surgery. Servants. Then her husband raised his fist one time too many, and she shot and killed him. Now, she lives in the South Florida swamps, rides a Harley, and owns a private eye agency. Her best friend - the only friend who makes sense anymore - is an alligator named Lana.

Then the Contessa von Phul, a woman from Harriet's society days, hires Harriet to investigate the death of a Mayan immigrant worker. With her assistant Lupe - an eccentric civil servant - and a .44 Magnum, Dirty Harriet hits the mean streets of Boca Raton to dig for clues. What won't she do to uncover the truth? Her search for answers forces her to return to her old world of Boca Babes and McMansions. When she discovers scandal after scandal, will she be able to escape Boca with her life - yet again?

Dirty Harriet, Miriam Auerbach's debut mystery novel, won a Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award. Miriam can only assume that this is because the heroine kills her husband on page one. In a parallel universe, Miriam is known as Miriam Potocky, professor of social work at Florida International University in Miami. She lives in South Florida with her husband and their multicultural canines, a Welsh Corgi and a Brussels Griffon.

©2006 Miriam Auerbach (P)2013 Bell Bridge Books

Fun like a Stephanie Plum Novel!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I just finished the audio version of Dirty Harriet: Volume 1 (Dirty Harriet Mystery Series) by Miriam Auerbach and narrated by Karen Commins. I couldn't stop listening to it! It's very entertaining and definitely a good piece of "brain candy" (think chocolate for the brain).

The story starts with Harriet telling us about how she killed her abusive and drug addicted husband at a wedding with a .44 gun. Before doing so, she remarked in front of 500 wedding guests, Clint Eastwood style, "Go ahead. Make my day." Thus, she's been fondly referred to as "Dirty Harriet" ever since. It doesn't hurt that she's now in the Private Investigation business and legally carries a gun.

The story itself involves a mystery surrounding an illegal immigrant who was murdered over a year ago. An elderly rich widow hires Harriet to investigate the unsolved murder. The mystery had me guessing until about the time Harriet figured it out herself, which was a big plus for me. But, what I enjoyed most was Harriet's sense of humor and internal thought process. She's a "real" person, who enjoys riding and working on her motorcycle, despite having lived for more than 10 years in a McMansion.

Karen's narration is as real as Harriet is. I was totally engrossed and imagined that I was listening to Harriet's thoughts and snarky comments, rather than listening to a reader's narration of a book. I'd listen to another one of her renditions any day!

In short, Dirty Harriett is a great story to take you away from a very average and normal (dull) life. Thank you for the escape, Karen (and Miriam)!

Great start to the series

I didn't get the books in order of publication so I've already heard one. I enjoyed this book as much as the other. Again, I love this author/narrator combo. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Good Story and Narration

How fitting for Harriet at a wedding in self defense got rid of her abusing, drug habit husband, the life of rich in Boca, to moving and name change. Then when a case showing problems with illegals found her back in her old stomping grounds, as a PI . Now known as a touch chick called dirty Harriet
Given ARC audio for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

Go ahead make my day

I enjoyed this book it is sassy and feisty just how I think a female private investigator should be. The mystery was good and did keep you guessing, although I had come to suspect the killer. There was a section of the book I really wish I hadn't been listening to with my mother in the room, it is clean (no sex) just a medical exam to which she ask me "What are you listening to?" Other than I enjoyed it, I liked the characters and the way she talked to the crocodile, it really gave you a sense of living somewhere very different. What with Boca babes, mansions and swamps you get the feeling there is a whole other world out there. Off to start the next book.
Harriet has just been asked to investigate her first homicide case, something very different to her normal job of busting up fraudsters. An immigrant has been killed, she had just worked here way out of the tomatoes picking fields into working as a maid in a mansion but nobody cares she is dead. Except an old friend from Harriets past, Contessa von Phil asks her to look into it. Slipping back into high heels and make up is a lot harder than you think and this might just be a job for Dirty Harriet rather than Boca babe. The immigrant women are afraid to talk, the men won't talk and for the elite talking to Harriet is beneath them. Can Harriet find out is going on or is there more than a language barrier in the way?
I have heard a few audio books by this narrator and have enjoyed them every time because she puts in a good performance.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request from audiobooksunleashed and have voluntarily left this review.