Expired Listings

By: D.M. Barr

Narrated by: Hollie Jackson

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

House up for sale?

When the lockbox goes on, you won't believe what these agents pull off....

Someone is "deactivating" the realtors in Rock Canyon and almost no one seems to care. Not the surviving brokers, who consider the serial killings a competitive boon; not the town's residents, who see the murders as a public service. In fact, the only person who's even somewhat alarmed is Dana Black, a kinky, sharp-witted, yet emotionally skittish realtor who has no alibi for the crimes because, during each, she was using her empty listings for games like Bondage Bingo with her sadistic lover, Dare. And yet, mysteriously, all clues are pointing her way.

Along with clearing her name and avoiding certain death at the hands of the "Realtor Retaliator", Dana has an even bigger problem: she's inadvertently become a person of interest in more ways than one to Aidan Cummings, the sexy - albeit vanilla - detective investigating the case. While his attentions are tempting, Dana is torn. Does she continue her ironically "safe" but sterile BDSM relationship with Dare or risk real intimacy with Aidan?

Sex, suspense, and satire - Expired Listings masterfully combines all three while exploring the universal need for validation and the toxic nature of revenge.

©2016 D.M. Barr (P)2016 D.M. Barr

Luxurious real-estate and murder

Would you try another book from D.M. Barr and/or Hollie Jackson?

Yes, D. M. Barr proves to be a great storyteller and Hollie Jackson does a superb job of narration. Barr creates the characters and Jackson has the ability to give characters their own distinguish voice identity makes the story even more compelling to keep listening.

Would you be willing to try another book from D.M. Barr? Why or why not?

Yes, I would read another one of her books. The characters are numerous and complicated, so complicated that one among the tribe is a killer. Who is this devious person who is taking out real-estate moguls, one at a time? Dana is the main character who periodically has blackouts where she does not know where she has been or what she has been doing. Barr has the ability to twist the characters and the story to keep the reader interested to find out "Who Dun It?"

Which scene was your favorite?

When we are told that Dana, the main character, periodically has blackouts where she does not know where she has been or what she has been doing. And when Dana finds out who her love partner really is.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes, the book would make a great Lifetime movie.

Any additional comments?

Expired Listings is a provocative account that is highly controversial, with a murder mystery woven around people with strong psychological problems. I give this book 3.5 stars because there are numerous characters that are difficult to get to know and follow. Dana's mother is recovering from a stroke. Her sister has a husband who is an extremely active player. There are several more real-estate characters that are worth getting to know. The author unravels this tale slowly, with much detail and intrigue.

Surprisingly wonderful book

When I first started listening to this book, I was really not sure whether the kinky part of the book interested me. It was very well written and and the story had so many twists and turns that you never knew who the bad guy was. The narration was great! It complimented the story and made it much more interesting. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a whodunit with a romantic kinky twist.

entertaining listening with an original plot.

A killer is targeting realtors. Dana Black, a realtor herself, has no alibis and suffers unexplained blackouts and soon finds herself a suspect in the murders. Combine that with the fact that Dana uses empty properties to meet up for sex games with her Dom, Dare, with whom she has been in an open relationship for years; add Aidan, a Scottish-born detective turned private investigator, who is no stranger to the BDSM scene either and you have a very promising and really novel idea for a sexy, suspenseful plot.

Expired Listings is impossible to classify, as a lot of genres and sub-genres are thrown into the pot. There is obviously the mystery aspect. It's almost like a cozy mystery, but then there's the BDSM setting. However, there are no explicit sex scenes. The author alludes, the scenes that are described are quite clinical rather than erotic. Some of sex games, e.g. the Bingo scene, were quite inventive, though. It is advertised as having satiric elements, and a couple of scenes did make me smile. The crazy cat lady was a nice touch. There are elements of a romantic suspense story, but I have to admit I didn't feel a lot of chemistry between the characters. There were even aspects of what I would call women's fiction with regards to the protagonist's relationship with her mother, sister, and grandmother. All of which covered quite a bit of family drama. While I felt rather disconnected from the characters and couldn't relate to any of them, I thought Dana was an intriguing protagonist with regards to her back-story and her issues. She believed she needed fear (hence the lifestyle) and was unable to have a fulfilling vanilla relationship. I thought it was quite interesting how the author connected Dana's past and her experiences to her current lifestyle and her thought processes. However, I felt Dana's issues were resolved too easily at the end. As far as the mystery element is concerned, I didn't work out who the culprit was until the reveal, so points for that. The why and how was stretching credibility a bit, though.

So overall, a bit of a mixed bag, but as a debut novel certainly not bad. It kept my attention throughout, as the pace was steady and there was a lot going on. There were frequent switches from the events in the present to providing flashbacks that revealed the protagonist's childhood and more recent past and rehashed her relationships with other characters. Apart from Aidan, nobody was really particularly likable. I would have preferred a bit more angst or suspense, and I needed to feel more emotions to rate this any higher.

Hollie Jackson's narration definitely enhanced the story for me. She was a very good fit for the protagonist's first-person perspective. I was also really impressed by her performance of voicing the male characters. Aidan's Scottish brogue was pretty good. She made all the characters sound authentic and gave them distinctive, suitable voices that made it very easy and pleasant to listen to this story. As far as the production quality is concerned, there were some instances where you could tell the recording had been stopped and restarted, but it was minor and didn't distract too badly.

Overall, an entertaining listening experience with an original plot.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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YOU WILL NEVER FORGET THIS STORY LINE

If you could sum up Expired Listings in three words, what would they be?

Shock, Amazed, Enthralled

What was one of the most memorable moments of Expired Listings?

The shock of the opening part of the story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Are Real Estate Agents really safe selling homes?????

Any additional comments?

The beginning of the story made me sit down in shock. Wow then the story flowed. There were some Kinky BDSM (Bondage, Discipline, sadism, Masochism) in the first third of the book then it spiralled wonderfully with clues to who was murdering the local Realtors one after the other after the other. Who would be next to be found murdered.

I enjoyed listening to this audio. I felt quite close to Dana the lead character I really want to help sort her out. Fast pace, intriguing and completely unpredictable definitely a must listen.

Expired Listings

I started this book a few times and am glad it stuck this time.I LOVED it!Hollie Jackson was awesome as the narrator.This is the story of a BDSM sub and her Dom.I don't want to give anything away but there are deaths of Realtors,which our main character,Dana ,is one.It is kinky ,yet not way over the top.It is fun.Give it a try...or two.I was provided this book free by the author,narrator or publisher.

Sweet and saucy

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

I recommend this book to everyone, it's light and funny as well as being a thriller.

Any additional comments?

Dana Black deals with her troubled past in a slightly unusual way but it works, or at least it did until someone started killing real estate agents in her area. Somehow she is on both the hit list and the suspect list. When her long-term kink partner can’t be relied upon she finds a friend elsewhere but will she make it out alive to see where it goes?
This is the funniest thing I’ve read in ages (I actually listened on audiobook and recommend it). Dana’s character is charming and sweet but she’s also very honest about her feelings, fears, and submissive needs. Dare adds spice to Dana’s life but when Cummings enters the stage he eclipses Dare’s emotional abilities very quickly and adds more depth to the story.
Barr had me hooked from the start with an intriguing plot, amusing protagonist, and psychological aspects. This is one of the most unusual psychological thrillers that I have ever read but I loved it.

ehh

The book was alright. Didnt grab my attention as much as i was hoping.
I was expecting more erotic scenes.

Mystery, Kink, and Bad Puns! Bravo!

What made the experience of listening to Expired Listings the most enjoyable?

Barr's story moved fast from the start. The elements of mystery and her foray into the aspects of an alternative lifestyle were woven together with wit and style that makes her a refreshing read. Barr has a gift for humor and the precision of phrasing that takes you down the rabbit hole with her characters.

Throughout the story, the mystery built, not only about the murders, but also about Dana, Barr's protagonist, and her weird family dynamic. The why's and who's were overwhelming in such a good way! Her characters are complex and interesting. Their relationships with one another are thought provoking and have just enough suspense to keep one on the edge of her seat.

Barr's easy, matter of fact knowledge about the world of BDSM is refreshingly realistic for one who has delved into that lifestyle. The world of kink that Barr describes is inviting and approachable with characters who also are real and not just part of her scenery.

I listened to this book through Audible and Hollie Jackson did a great job narrating. She has a personable voice which is very clear and easy on the ears. She was able to add personality to the characters as she portrayed them in dialogue.

Overall, I would highly recommend Expired Listings as a mystery, and also as a novel with bits of kinky eroticism, humor and a beautifully woven story with which many can relate.

What;s next, Ms. Barr?

Enjoyed this unusual book

A good bit of humor is twisted into this thriller. There is a good bit of a lot of subjects twisted into this thriller. There are bondage and more topics in this book than I ever expected, but they are done lightheartedly and they compliment the murders that are going on at the same time. It is an unusual mix, but it works. I enjoyed this book on both sides. The fun and the suspense were both well done. I listed to the book on audiobook and found it quite entertaining. The narrator did a wonderful job with the story and made it really come to life. What an intriguing mystery.

Yuck. Not a thriller or mystery

Just straight bdsm romance novel. This book was not as advertised. Wish I could unlisten to two hours of wasted time...