Finding Alex

By: Helen Starbuck

Narrated by: Sebastian York, Tiffany Williams, Johnny Heller, Michael Pauley, Amy Deuchler

Length: 10 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Not Knowing Can Be Lethal

Assaulted, left for dead, and amnesic, the woman who thinks her name is Alex, may be the only surviving victim of a killer who’s targeting prostitutes and leaving their bodies without fingertips to complicate their identification. Denver Homicide Detective Blake Halloran is sure she is connected to the other killings but he can’t identify her, even with her fingertips intact. And she can’t remember anything - including the face or name of the man who tried to kill her.

With each new victim, it becomes more crucial for Alex to remember what happened to her if Blake and his partner are to solve the murders, but how do you force someone to remember? As Blake’s strong attraction to her and his need to protect her grows, so does his uneasiness about the inability to identify her, whether she’s a villain or a victim, and whether her amnesia is real.

©2020 Routt Street Press (P)2021 The Audio Flow, LLC

I found a new author to read

This was my first time reading a book from this author and I enjoyed it immensely. I am fan of Sebastian York but Tiffany Williams was new to me. Loved her performance as well as the other characters. I enjoy a good mystery with a side of romance and this one was the perfect balance.

Great Murder mystery with a little romance!

I snagged this initially because I love a good serial killer story! Then I saw it was narrated by Sebastian York and it was duet narration and I was thrilled! I’ve not read this author before but the plot was interesting and the narration great! Murder mystery fans will enjoy it as well as romantic suspense fans!

Fantastic listen!

Crime thriller with a hint of romance, my kind of story! This book hooked me in from the start, finding Alex and her struggle with her memory. Blake, the policeman who finds her, believes she may be the key to a possible serial killing, but without her memory, he can't get the answers he seeks! Suspense, slow burn romance, unpredictable circumstances, and a surprise ending that kept me on edge until it hit made this a fantastic listen. The twists and turns kept me guessing which is what I truly loved about this. It's the kind of story you can't stop listening to because you just need to know, and the whodunit is the best part! Starbuck has a thrilling story you just do not want to miss, and will leave patiently waiting for another of her amazing books!

The narrator choices for this book could not have been better. The commanding voice of Sebastian York gives us Blake. He has that comforting tone with Alex, but he is all business when it comes to the case. Tiffany Williams is a favorite female narrator of mine, and as Alex, she brings it all to the table. Uncertainty, frustration, fear, anger, love, it's all there and she if fantastic. With supporting roles by Johnny Heller, Michael Pauley, Amy Deuchler , this book is nothing short of a treat!

Excellent Crime Thriller!

Finding Alex is a gripping Romantic Suspense. The characters are well developed, and interesting. Blake, a skilled Denver Homicide Detective, is a wonderful character, intuitive, caring, and supportive. Alex is such a beautiful, strong and smart woman. She survived a serial killer who left her for dead, and amnesic. Blake rescued her, and take charge of her criminal case investigation afterward. I liked their slow burn romance. The supporting characters are intriguing, and they have an important part in this story. The storyline is intricate, and suspenseful, filled with twists and turns. The plot is well written and enthralling. The mystery unfolds at a great pace. Finding Alex is an excellent crime thriller. The cast of narrators is amazing, and brilliantly selected! Sebastian York and Tiffany Williams did an excellent job with the narration, also featuring Johnny Heller, Michael Pauley, and Amy Deuchler. Their professional acting is flawless, and very pleasant to listen to. The audio quality is impeccable. This is a fantastic team author/narrators. I enjoyed it, and I need more!

Good mystery and suspense

Finding Alex was a suspenseful murder mystery with several plot twists, some predictable, but the largest of them (IMO) I did not see coming. Overall, I enjoyed it and thought the story's pace was good, and it kept my attention. The narration was ok. I did enjoy the ladies, Tiffany and Amy, and felt they did a great job of bringing their characters to life. I also enjoyed Johnny Heller, but Sebastian York sounded bored while Michael was a bit over the top.

A sort of true crime with a dash of romance

Sebastian York leads a somewhat full cast production of this sort of true crime mystery with a little bit of romance story of an amnesiac assault victim. Mr. York’s performance was quite amazing! He nailed all the comedic and the very emotional moments. The frustrations as a homicide detective with no leads to help his victims and his heartbreak over what happened in his past, I felt it all in his performance. One of his best performance for sure! This was my first listen of Tiffany Williams and I enjoyed her performance of Alex. The supporting casts and overall production of this book were all amazing. I highly recommend!

A keep you up all night thriller

Helen Starbuck’s latest is a non-stop, action-packed romantic suspense thriller that will have listeners being tempted to keep their earbuds in from violent start to jaw-dropping finish. Her main protagonists Alex and Blake are the bomb and instantly endearing but they’re not alone as there are some outstanding costars that will also make their mark. An intense shocking straight from the headlines storyline and some heart-stopping scenes will lead a few plot dotters deducing the evil villain early but most while having suspicions will have to wait for the explosive reveal to be sure but no matter if you’re all knowing or clueless it’s the journey to discovery that’s the icing on this brainteaser. Fans of romantic suspense, Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown, Laura Griffin or this author will have a hard time putting this down.

Narration:
Sebastian York and Tiffany Williams plus 4 supporting voices really rock this audio with excellent emotional recitation at just the right times.

Brutally attacked and left for dead the woman can’t remember who she is or who did this to her. After a few days there are some foggy memories returning like she thinks her name is Alex and she may have been trying to find her sister, the one thing she does know is that she feels safe with the detective who found her so when he can’t find anywhere to put her she’s happy to be his roomy. Although being in this close proximity with the handsome cop is probably not a good idea.

After rescuing the amnesiac woman from the side of the highway something is telling Detective Blake Halloran that this attack may be connected to the murdered prostitutes case he’s working on. But keeping her safe is not working out too good when who ever tried to kill her once makes another almost successful attempt, but keeping her safe also means keeping her at his apartment and Blake isn’t sure that’s a good idea because the more he gets to know the woman who thinks her name may be Alex the more of a mystery she becomes and the more he realizes he wants her.

Tense!

Well-written and has great character development. Held my attention throughout.

Amy Deuchler and the narrators did a fantastic job.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Engaging Romantic Suspense Standalone on Audio

A mysterious woman wobbles into the road and the homicide detective driving the car takes on her case which they gradually realize is part of something bigger.

After listening to a standalone romantic suspense by the author last year that hit me emotionally and got me deeply vested into her characters, I was more than ready to dive into this latest standalone romantic suspense featuring an amnesiac woman and a police detective on the trail of a serial killer.

Blake Hallaran is still hurting from the loss of someone and he focuses on his job while holding everyone at arm’s length including the women he dates. It’s not until coming upon the bewildered woman who responds to Alex and taking on her needs and her case with his current homicide investigation that he starts to unpack his issues and start to connect. He’s something of an emotional mess at first and I liked seeing a tough guy with this sort of vulnerability.

Speaking of tough people, ‘Alex’ wakes up in the hospital, bruised, battered, and the survivor of a strangulation, it seems. She remembers nothing about herself and she is scared, but as she has encounters with Blake and others outside the hospital, it is obvious that she has lived a rough life and had to be tough to protect herself. Blake has reservations about her in an ‘is she for real or pretending- is she the victim or something more?’ way and as the reader there is some moments of skepticism, too. The attraction is easy, but the rest is more complicated and especially because of their closeness to a gritty serial of murders that need to be solved.

But, they slowly help each other through the danger and through their issues. I liked that their personal growth and relationship develops in stride with the suspense plot.

The suspense is parts predictable and also flashy reveal. I had my finger in the situation before the reveal, but there was still some good surprises for me and a feeling of suspense as Blake and Alec made their way through the story.

The main narrators were Sebastian York and Tiffany Williams. There were additional cast narrators: Johnny Heller, Michael Paulsen, and Amy Deuchler. I was familiar with Sebastian York’s fab work and a couple more. I loved how this was told like a drama since each time a specific person talks a specific cast member does the voice work. This produced a deeper connection to the story for me and never once was distracting. I thought the narrators chosen for the characters matched up well with the way they are described in the book and matched up to the tone of the writing and book style.

All in all, it was another sensational experience with a Helen Starbuck novel and I will definitely be open to more including her backlist. Those who enjoy character growth alongside an engaging romantic suspense story should definitely give this a go.

Loved Both The Narrators And The Author's Story

Det. Halloran is a man who solves mysteries and hopefully gets the bad guys. Alex is having memory issues which is why she comes in contact with our “lovable” detective. We have a mystery with suspense almost around every corner. Our author had me hooked from the moment I saw one of the narrators.

However, the author surprised me. I watch a lot of crime reality shows and this would fit in on any of them. Our narrators help me with that visual. I thought Mr. York to be the perfect voice for Det. Halloran. It brought my visuals to some of the shows I watch and the interviews with people involved in the case. Ms. Williams helps me to understand what Alex is going through and the frustration she feels at both the detective and her situation. Usually a story has secondary characters but in this case we have secondary narrators. They help to bring those secondary characters to life. It reminds me of the old-time radio shows.

Our author knows how to grab her reader’s attention. She gives both us and her characters surprises that we weren’t expecting. There were times we have to laugh and shake our head at Halloran’s expense. She also knows what’s needed in order for us to feel sorry for Alex. One thing about Alex was that she didn’t let her problems get her down. She also helps the reader at moments where you might hold your breath.

It wasn’t long before I realized that if not for a blog tour, I might not have discovered a new author – one I plan on checking out more of her audiobooks. Her book reminded me why I love the crime genre. Maybe it has even given me the incentive to read/listen to more books in this genre. Not everything has to be about romance. You may just discover a gem when you least expect it.

I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.