Double Whammy

A Davis Way Crime Caper, Book 1

By: Gretchen Archer

Narrated by: Amber Benson

Length: 10 hrs

Publisher's Summary

"Funny & wonderful & human. It gets the Stephanie Plum seal of approval." (Janet Evanovich)

Davis Way thinks she's hit the jackpot when she lands a job as the fifth wheel on an elite security team at the fabulous Bellissimo Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. But once there, she runs straight into her ex-ex-husband, a rigged slot machine, her evil twin, and a trail of dead bodies. Davis learns the truth, and it does not set her free - in fact, it lands her in the pokey. 

Buried under a mistaken identity, her hot streak runs cold until her landlord, Bradley Cole, steps in. Make that her landlord, lawyer, and love interest. With his help, Davis must win this high-stakes game before her luck runs out.

©2018 Gretchen Archer (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

Love completing the set with the same reader

I love this book series. There are two versions of this book and I have both. The reader in the series changed after the first book. Both read the story well but it is nice to have the same voices in your ear for the many characters in this series. I highly recommend these books to anyone who wants an enjoyable romp in the casino world with Davis. They are entertaining and I laugh out load every time I listen to one of them. I have been through the entire series 3 times and I can't wait for the next installment.

Perfect start to a great series!

Gretchen Archer has created an entertaining series that keeps you completely involved in the story. Having it finally available narrated by the wonderful Amber Benson is the cherry on top of an already great story. Do yourself a favor and start this series-you’ll be hooked!

Maybe worth another try!

Someone suggested that if I like Jana DeLeon's Miss Fortune series or the Shelby Nichols series by Colleen Helme, then I would like the Davis Way Crime Caper series. Well, I adore the Miss Fortune and Shelby Nichols cozy mysteries, so I gave Davis Way (yes, that is the name of the protagonist) a try. I enjoyed the book but it's not as good as the other two series. However, it does have potential. This is my first exposure to narrator Amber Benson. She's outstanding.

new narrator please

I hope they get a new narrator I don't think this one is good for the story, there's something about her performance and delivery I find really irritating and she ruins the book for me.

Totally enjoyable cozy mystery

(As posted in GoodReads)
I'm in the middle of reading a classic (Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky), a well-known book (Watership Down) and a horror book (Doctor Sleep by Stephen King). They are all on hold because, although I really have a great desire to read them and them getting a good experience (well, Watership Down has come into question because, it REALLY appears to be more of a children's story and less gripping), I needed something that was just FUN for a while! Davis Way Crime Capers to the rescue! Cozy mysteries, in general, when their well done provide mentally and emotionally light atmosphere which I required, and Davis Way fit perfectly!
_Double Whammy_had me laughing and, although I was concerned about individual characters and situations, I can truly say that I really enjoyed the breathing room and the cast of people with which I was provided! And although it was "lighthearted", it was NOT obvious. I didn't come off thinking "well I just wasted some time!" Instead, I thought "what a delightful way to address, "questionable" circumstances and conditions." And the good people were good, the evil people were evil, and the unknowns were definitely mixed!

Amusing

While not as laugh out loud funny as Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels, which many have compared this series to, Double Whammy features an fun collection of oddball characters and delivers an amusing and complex story. I love casino stories, especially if they feature some kind of caper or con going on (check out James Swain's spectacular Billy Cunningham series!) and I love humor so I knew I'd probably enjoy this one, and I wasn't disappointed. I've already picked up the next few books on my kindle.

Narrator ruined it

The author is funny but the narrator ruined it for me. Her tone of “I can’t be bothered to do this” really drains on you and takes away from any enjoyment of the story. Everything she says is said in the exact same tone. Someone could be in danger or having sex and she will say it as if she’s describing her breakfast. Shame she is the narrator for all the other books.

A fun listen

Double Whammy is an enjoyable listen. It's a fun mystery and I'll be purchasing the next one in the series. I love the use of descriptive names of people, like "no hair" and "teeth". The narrator did an excellent job. I would recommend.

Dead boring.

This story was compared to something Evanovich or Deleon would have written- and it doesn't even come close. In fairness, it could have been that the narrator's voice and delivery has all the charm of a youtube video with a computer generated voice. The noise just goes on and on and suddenly, you realize you missed something that was supposed to be dryly funny. I listened to the first half and finally just jumped to the last 3 chapters to find out what the ending was like. It was just too tedious. There were also too many improbabilities. Davis Way is supposed to be a good Southern woman in full possession of the knowledge of right or wrong- she was a Sheriff's deputy/daughter and has significant education. Yet, she sub-leased a man's apartment and proceeded to wear his clothes, drink his expensive booze, etc. She's nosey but doesn't find the washer/dryer? It doesn't give the story quirkiness, it makes it irritating. I won't be reading/listening to other stories by this author, and nothing by this narrator, ever.

lighthearted mystery with dry humor

Davis Way is hired by the executive assistant to a casino conglomerate president. Her uncanny likeness to the president's wife is a big factor for her hiring and leads to a series of unfortunate events, deep trouble and danger. Davis deals with a few ongoing family issues, for example what kind of Mother would withhold information from her daughter like a severe seafood allergy and act like it's no big deal?!?!
I liked the story and the characters. I prefer this type of whodunit mystery without graphic violence and with humor mixed in as I use Audible for bedtime stories. The style Reminds me of Jana Deleon's Miss Fortune mysteries, Jennifer Crusie or Janet Evanovich.
Some of the writing didn't flow smoothly, like switching from present to past or from Davis' thinking to actuality, I backed up several times to clearly understand what was happening. I look forward to more of this series