Doubleback

The Georgia Davis P.I. Series #2

By: Libby Fischer Hellmann

Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky

Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Little Molly Messenger is kidnapped on a sunny June morning. Three days later she's returned, apparently unharmed. Molly's mother, Chris, is so grateful to have her daughter back that she's willing to overlook the odd circumstances.

A few days later, the brakes go out on Chris's car.

An accident? Maybe. Except that it turns out that Chris, the IT manager at a large Chicago bank, may have misappropriated three million dollars. Not convinced that his daughter is safe, Molly's father hires Private Investigator Georgia Davis to follow the money and investigate Chris's death.

Doubleback, the sequel to the acclaimed Easy Innocence, reunites PI Georgia Davis with video producer Ellie Foreman. The two women track leads from Northern Wisconsin to an Arizona border town, where illegal immigrants, smuggled drugs, and an independent contractor called Delton Security come into play. Georgia and Ellie go to great lengths to find the truth, and Georgia discovers that you can cross a line, but sometimes you have to double back.

©2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Libby FIscher Hellmann (P)2016 Libby Fischer Hellmann

A Good Story With Lots Of Action

This was the first book I have listened to by Libby Fischer Hellmann. I liked her writing but didn't have the background on the main characters whom she had introduced in other books.

This book was told from the perspective of both main characters, which took some getting used to for me. Once I did get used to it, I realised that it worked well in this instance. I became interested in both Ellie and Georgia and will probably go back and listen to the other books by this author. The action was non-stop and there were many side characters, sometimes getting me confused, but everything was tied together in the end and it all made sense. All in all, it was a good book.

Eva Kaminsky is one of my favourite narrators and she was excellent in the delivery of the story

"Money can't buy happiness but it sure is a start"

I am a relative newcomer to the work of Libby Fischer Hellman so was delighted to be offered an audio copy of her book, Double back to review. And it was a delight. A private investigator is disturbed by the abduction of a little girl who is then returned without any apparent ransome demand. Then the child's mother is murdered. What first appears to be a local financial crime spirals in size to encompass far more ; and as the body count rises, Georgie, the P.I., and her friend Elly Foreman, have to face up to the question, "What happens if the defenders turn out to be the bad guys?"

The story line is fast paced and travels in directions quite unexpected, the characterisations are mostly well formed and realistic, and the whole is entertaining and easy on the reader/listener. The narrator. so important in an audio book, has a pleasant voice, nicely modulated and reads well without annoying ideosyncracies or unexpected pauses.
Recommended for anyone interested in a light but complex mystery thriller.

BOOK #1 WAS GREAT, BOOK #2 IS EVEN GREATER!

Most times when I read (or listen to) a second book or watch a second move in a series, I feel let down because its just never as good as the first. NOT IN THIS CASE... Libby Fischer Hellmann did it again by writing a book that I couldn't stop listening to. I'm so sad to see it end but wow what another GREAT MYSTERY with characters I just love. I want to be friends with Georgia and Ellie! I want to become a detective, investigate and chase after those bad guys. I feel like an inspired child that wants to be a super hero. I have recommended this series to family and friends! I'm so excited that book #3 is out on audio and I'm getting ready to purchase it right now.

“This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Boom dot com.”

Georgia & Ellie together again - thrilling!

Doubleback by Libby Fischer Hellman is the sequel to Easy Innocence, and reunites PI Georgia Davis with video producer Ellie Foreman, the heroine of Hellman’s other series. Georgia and Ellie aren’t much alike – one is a single, tough, former cop turned private investigator and the other is a divorced mom who is a commercial television producer. They aren’t even really close friends when the story starts, but they are strong, intelligent and curious and want to get to the bottom of things.

The book opens with a scene in a stalled elevator. Although interesting and tense, it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with either Georgia or Ellie. But just wait. Eight-year-old Molly Messenger is kidnapped, her mother asks Ellie for help, Ellie asks Georgia to look into it, and the story is off and running. Molly is returned unharmed, but her mother dies in an accident a few days later. Accident? From Chicago to Northern Wisconsin to an Arizona border town, Georgia and Ellie are confronted with suspicious deaths, fraudulent transactions, a paramilitary training camp, and drug and people smuggling.

Although Georgia is a fearless and dedicated investigator, she is also inexperienced and reckless enough to get in serious danger. Attempts are made on her life and she is physically battered and bruised, and may actually die trying to find out who is responsible and just how many people are involved.

This is another excellent novel by Libby Fischer Hellman. The action is believable and non-stop. The suspense is almost unbearable at times and the mystery is not easy to solve. As usual, she blends current events with an amazing knowledge of Chicago and its inner workings. There are a lot of details and the story is complicated, but Hellman makes it easy to follow and hard to put down. She shifts focus seamlessly from Georgia to Ellie and everyone in between and from location to location.

I highly recommend Doubleback. I first read it, and then received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review. It was just as thrilling and exciting the second time around. The narrator, Eva Kaminsky, fit the story perfectly and quickly became transparent because I was so focused on the action of the story. I recommend anything and everything by Libby Fischer Hellman, and hope Georgia and Ellie get together again soon.

Doubleback

“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”


Book 2 in the Georgia Davis series. We get to read about a new friendship, kidnapping , murder and a lot more going on in the background that spins this book in so many directions the listener almost gets dizzy. Next book, Please!


The narration was well done.The characters were well portrayed.

Georgia Davis faces smugglers & militia members

Videographer Elly Forman is asked by her friend Susan to help a neighbor, Chris Messenger, whose daughter has been kidnapped. Elly, knowing she doesn't have the knowledge and experience to help, calls in P.I. Georgia Davis.

And Georgia says what Elly first said: Even though they told you not to call the police, call the police. Having persuaded Chris Messenger to turn to the police, she walks away from the case.

A few days later, Molly Messenger is returned, and the police are strangely silent about how they cracked this big case so quickly. When the next thing Georgia hears about it is a panicked call for help from Chris because another executive at the bank where she's a VP has died in a car she's convinced is murder, Georgia knows there's something much stranger going on.

Georgia and Elly, separately and together, get drawn in to figuring out what that is.

Chris apparently embezzled money to cover the ransom demand for Molly before Molly was ever kidnapped, which makes no sense. As they continue to dig to find out what really happened, they discover that some very, very dangerous people are involved--and Georgia finds herself in Arizona, talking to rightwing militia as well as people smuggling undocumented workers.

Oh, and dodging bullets.

It's intricate and fast-paced, and a great beach read.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of the audiobook from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Great Narration

Doubleback. # 2. Libby Hellmann.
Fantastic audio narration by Kim...Kaminsky
Read the series a number of years ago, and thought it was a great series. To hear the audio the story was brought to life, the emotion, the description, you felt it. A gripping story and with Georgia a strong, determinded woman and carries her role well. Ellie a friend ,calls her of the kidnapping of a young girl. Full of action, suspicions death to the end.

Sit back and enjoy

I enjoyed this book. The wonderful Georgia is back and is assisted by her good friend Ellis, this means the story is told from the two characters perspectives. It does jump a bit but each chapter starts with the title of who's perspective it is so it easy to follow along. Ellie proves to be a good strong character like Georgia, adding to the fun and chaos. The book takes a number of twist sending the book off in different directions and there is plenty of action to keep you listening. There is a number of characters and I did get a bit confused keeping them all straight but I still really enjoyed the book and would recommend. I am now of to start book three.
What starts as a simple kidnapping case for Georgia takes an unexpected turn when the child is returned unharmed and seemingly with no ransom paid. The child can't talk and the mother won't, leading Georgia to believe something more was going on that even the police know about. When the mother of the child and her boss the president of the bank are both killed in separate incidences, Georgia feels she owes it to the little girl to find out what is going on, how else will she ever feel safe again? Georgia and Ellie follow the clues straight back to the bank and a money trail but everyone who knows anything is dead or missing making it that much harder to track down the men responsible. Following the money trail leads them to training camps and connections to Mexico and drug cartels. The pair are closer than they think to solving all the question the kidnapping unearthed and someone thinks they know more than they should, why else would they send mercenaries after them? Or are the mercenaries working for themselves?
The only reason the narrator got a four star was because the author changed the reader and I was expecting the same reader as book one, so having just listened to book one it tock me a while to get use to the new voice for Georgia. Other than that she did a good job and it will be interesting to see who reads book three, I can't wait.

Doubleback

Big money and high crimes…that is the game here. How much would one need to pay to make something go away? What about to just look the other way? What type of organization would have all of the right people in their pocket? Hellmann has a lot of action and some adventure in this second installment along with two main characters, Georgia Davis and Ellie Foreman from another hit series. Readers are sure to be entertained with this one.

Georgia Davis, a former police officer suspended from the force, has taken up a new gig as a PI. After the last year with the investigation of a young girl who had been murdered on the Northshore, Georgia is now getting back to a semblance of a life–until Ellie Foreman calls–with another case. Ellie, a video producer from another book series, has been introduced into this second installment and she has been roped into some pretty dicey stuff. A friend of a friend’s daughter has been kidnapped and the woman won’t go to the police for fear of never seeing her daughter again. So, Georgia rides on up to see the woman and sure enough, nothing is ever as it appears. When the girl is brought back to the house and some hefty amounts of money get moved in and out of the bank that this woman works for, Ellie suspects that something else is going on. Not really knowing what she is up against until the body count starts racking up, Georgia and Ellie find that they are in some serious trouble after an attempt on Georgia’s life. They are in it now until the very end; what cards to they have on the table to find out the truth and keep each other alive long enough to relay the information to the police.

Hellmann has a great story, filled with animosity, determination, greed, and power. The characters are well-developed, but the pace is very slow. This installment introduces another main character from a different book series which is great; however, this book goes back and forth in first person, which is a bit odd. This series is called the Georgia Davis Series, not the Georgia and Ellie Series; therefore, it was expected the introduction and the story would focus on Georgia, but have Ellie as a background character or supporting cast. Since this review is complimenting the audiobook, Kaminsky’s voice relay was entertaining. Her narration is clear and the character differentiation livens the slow pace up quite a bit. If you are a readers of crime thrillers, suspense and mysteries, you may find this story to be a good fit for you.

A copy of this audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a three-star rating to Doubleback by Libby Fischer Hellmann.

Georgia is BADA**

Wow. Doubleback weaves the drug cartel, illegal immigrants, money laundering, kidnapping, and plot twists into a captive page turner.

Georgia Davis goes above and beyond to solve a child's kidnapping case but as she delves deeper into the case she just finds more secrets and more people involved. And we get to see the badass side of Miss Davis. This installment is my favorite in the series thus far.

The narrator was fantastic. She had quite the cast to pull off too. I hope she continues to narrate future books.

Not my favourite but not bad

Ok I struggled a bit with this one. Although I love Libby’s stories for some reason I couldn’t really get into this one. I felt it started really well with the apparent suicide of a mother who’s daughter had recently been kidnapped but then in the middle it lost my interest a bit. That being said this is a good series and has not put me off the next book. I have to say that Eva Kaminsky who narrates this audiobook has an amazing voice for these book as it’s really smooth and makes me feel like I’m a sitting down listening to a friend recount a story.

Great book

I really enjoyed it. Georgia Davis is back with yet another investigation. Good plot with some unexpected twist. Good fun and easy to listen to. Narrator did a great job.

Great narration, great series!

This is the second Georgia Davis I have listened to and I have also previously read and enjoyed one book from the Ellie Foreman series so for those two ladies to team up in this instalment was brilliant and I thought the changing perspectives worked really well.
I was initially disappointed that the narrator had changed but Eva Kaminsky did a superb job and I enjoyed this one just as much as the first in the series - possibly more so. Where the first one had a more sinister and seedy feel to it, this one had more of a girl power vibe - not quite chic crime, but incredibly good fun and very easy to listen to. I also loved the plot and the financial crime entanglements.
All in all, this is fast becoming a firm favourite audio series - straight on to the next!

Very good

My 2nd listen of the series. They’re really good & im loving the strong ladies in the series.
They are straightforward but relatable and do their job with no strings.

There’s a kidnapping of a child and a few strange things going on in this story. It’s an attention keeping tale.
Very good

Georgia gets more than she bargains for.

Georgia finds herself involved in an unusual kidnapping, The child is returned unharmed but suddenly there seem to be a lot of fatal accidents happening to people connected with Molly's mother's work. As Georgia unpicks the threads and finds out more, so the danger increases.
Another good read, although not quite so good as the first in the series. Partly this is due to the switching between Georgia's and Ellie's point of view. I felt this dissipated some of the tension and flow of the story, although with so many strands it couldn't have worked with Georgia alone.
I did like Ellie and will be looking out for her in other books.
Generally this was a well written and well thought out story which was narrated with skill so that I didn't get confused with who was leading at any given time, and I have finished it in record time for me as I didn't want to stop listening.
I will definitely be looking for the next in the series. 3.5/5 stars

Great listen!

I loved this book and it was a companion on a couple of long walks and a train ride or two. Excellent storytelling, a good plot and some unexpected twists.

Georgia Davies and Doubleback

Hellmann has a real grasp of crime writing. Not having read first book in series I was somewhat confused in the beginning about the relationships unfolding with unwritten references to their past. Once I got over that and just accepted there had been a past encounter between to main characters if Georgia and Ellie I got sucked in to the storyline quickly. I could visualise every scene as Hellmann has an ability to describe in way that is filmic. I was intrigued when listening and wanted to hear more about the next twist and turn. I got slightly lost as Davis went off on her own to find out the truth of why a young child had been kidnapped under suspicious circumstances and had to concentrate on characters names to keep up . The book involves detail of financial institutions, power and drug cartels and how lives can be devastated. References to old school Chicago crime and the new demon on the streets was interestingly juxtaposed as we travelled what are obviously well trodden streets of Hellmann herself. I would particularly like to add how well it was narrated. If an audio book is not it can ruin ones enjoyment. I felt it was authentic and likely to try the first book in Georgia Davies series.

Loved it!

Would you consider the audio edition of Doubleback to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version.

What about Eva Kaminsky’s performance did you like?

Thought that her voice was perfect for the story.

Any additional comments?

Doubleback

I really loved listening to this story, it was totally my kind of book! I would liken it to the kind of book Janet Evanovich writes...a cozy mystery with strong female leads, lots of action and a bit of humour. This is my first Libby Fischer Hellman book but if undoubtedly won't be my last!

Georgia Davis is a Private Investigator, called upon by her friend Ellie Foreman when eight year old Mollie is kidnapped. Puzzlingly, Mollie is returned a few days later, unharmed and without ransom. But why was she taken, and by whom? The kidnapping is just the beginning of suspicious deaths, fraudulent transactions and drug and people smuggling.

I listened to Doubleback on audio and found it brilliant! I liked the narrator's voice, which is massively important with audiobooks. Eva Kaminsky's accent fit the story perfectly. I'm going to find Libby's other books on the back of this one, I highly recommend Doubleback, whether on audio or reading.

With many thanks to TBC and Libby Fischer Hellman for a copy of Doubleback in exchange for an honest review.

Lots of twists and turns to keep you entertained

This is the first Libby Fischer Hellmann audio book I've listened to not having heard of the author before. Although the book seemed to start quite slowly with an incident in a lift and the kidnapping of Molly Messenger, it suddenly picked up pace becoming a more complex thriller that went off in a number of different directions. As the plot developed the twists and turns kept coming and made me want to keep listening. Georgia Davis is a determined character and this came through well in the story. The audio book was well narrated at a good pace.

Great double-team work

I received a copy of this audio book in exchange for my honest review.
I enjoyed listening to this book; the narration of Eva Kaminsky works really well with the story. Although this book is more chick lit crime than the dark mystery crime novels I've been reading, it's still an engaging, interesting story that is easy to get into. The 2 main characters form a good double team which is necessary to make the most of their talents in solving crime.
All in all, it's a good book and I will check out Libby Fischer Hellmann's other novels as well.