Mail Order Mystery

Chance City Series, Book 1

By: Robin Deeter

Narrated by: Jay R. Smith Audio Publishing

Length: 4 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

A lady farmer and a disgraced detective - will what starts as an arrangement turn into something more?

Leigh Hawthorne, a widow and local farmer in Tucker Springs, Massachusetts, answers an unusual letter from a man out west, who wants to marry a woman with ranching expertise. Hoping to find a better life, Leigh embarks on a journey to Chance City, Oklahoma.

Fired for breaking Pinkerton rules, former detective Cyrus Decker just wants to live a quiet life as a cattle rancher. The problem is that he knows nothing about ranching - and his bank account shows it. Dogged by Chance City's sheriff to join his staff and plagued by money woes, Cy desperately needs help to turn their ranch around. He hopes that Leigh is the answer to his prayers.

Brought together by necessity, will Leigh and Cy find love, or will their attempt to find lasting happiness meet with disaster? Join the Chance City adventure as its citizens battle opposing forces and mayhem in their searches for love and a brighter future.

©2016 Robin Deeter (P)2017 Robin Deeter

Book 1

Mysteries to be solved but has to manage a ranch and have to find a way how to make it all happen. The author pulls the whole story together and gives you a happy feeling.

Great!

Well written with fantastic characters and an interesting story! Great narration!


I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. The fact that I was gifted this book had no influence over my opinion of it

What a great listen

What a delightful story with both strong male and female roles just with different strengths. Cyrus owns a small ranch but doesn’t know a thing about ranching if the ranch was left in his hands there wouldn’t be one. Leigh knows a lot about ranching but her father in law won’t give her credit for anything since her husband died. He uses her as a slave with nothing in return. She has had an enough and plans to find a way out. Cyrus decides he needs a foreman Leigh decides she wants the job they agree to get married a win win for both of them. He get a free foreman and do his job as a sheriff, she gets a place to call her own to do things as she wants everyone wins or do they?

The narrator does a great job but at times is a little slow not pausing when he needs to and pausing before he does. As you get into the audio I didn’t notice that and was taken away by a great story. Some of his female characters voices need a little work but for the most part they are very nice. His male voices are great I loved Cy voice it was very sexy and deep. I had no trouble knowing who was talking or what they were feeling. He shows great emotions from sad, to humor as needed. I found no background noises or any volume changes. If any breaks were taken I could not tell.

I loved this audio with the strong characters learning how to get along but knowing their weakness and doing what they do best. I loved the humor and do some majorly chuckling as well as the serious things. There is a little bit of everything in here from racism to robbery and everything in between. Cy has mixed blood and most people don’t like it. I liked how the author keeps the story moving with many different cases that Cy was on. It is a win for me with Leigh being able to take over and the praise she gets for a job well done. The supporting characters are wonderful some I would love to see have stories of their own. I really liked how Cy and Leigh get along from their teasing to their bricking. Leigh isn’t afraid to tell it like it is she is one very entertaining women that holds her own very well. The slow steady build up of the romance is great, the little side stories are wonderful. The twists and turns kept me hooked and very entertained. I really enjoyed this audio from start to finish.

Loved this!

Great story and characters with a fantastic narrator. Really enjoyed listening to this and look forward to listening to the next one! I received a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

Mail Order Twist

Cy, former Pinkerton agent, and Dapne are siblings trying to keep the ranch from going under with little knowledge of how to actually run a ranch. Enter Leigh, a widow and a mail-order bride who is willing to run the ranch. Neither Cy or Leigh are convinced that love will be part of the equation.

Leigh gets right to work making changes on the ranch while Cy continues with his work at the Sheriff's office. I like that this book didn't focus on one mystery to be solved as part of Cy's job, but instead Cy worked on several cases throughout the book.

I enjoyed the story and the tension between Cy and Leigh. Leigh is a strong female character who has her weaknesses, but knows what she wants and goes for it. I also enjoy a character who waits for marriage even though sparks are flying.

Jay Smith did a great job as narrator and I had no complaints with his narrating. Hoping to hear more in this series.

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

Great story!

Cyrus Decker, a fired Pinkerton detective finds himself in the middle of a murder in his hometown of Chance City, OK. He wants a "normal, ranching life" but knows nothing about ranching and cannot find anyone who is willing to marry a "half-breed", so he sends for a mail-order bride who does not care about his parentage.

Leigh Hawthorne is a widow who enjoys working her ranch but is looked down upon for doing a "man's job". Cyrus gives her the opportunity to help run his ranch and it is an offer that she cannot pass up. She still thinks about her dearly departed husband, yet desires to have the companionship of a man again, and even wonders if love can also emerge.

Can these two searching hearts come together and learn to love or will they be torn apart by murder and a sheriff who wants nothing more than to bring Cyrus back into the world of law enforcement that he left?

Robin weaves a wonderful story of family loyalty, friendship, intrigue, murder and even deals with racism. I loved the way she tells this story and I look forward to book two! Jay Smith sounded like he is jumping into the fiction story world. I look forward to how his talent and skill grows!

Note: This book is the spicy version of this story. "Love and Mystery" by Ruby Lynn is the sweet version. :)

This audible was given to me and I voluntarily give this honest review.

Wonderful

This was a very good book. Hated to get to the end but that just makes you long for the next one. Your heart goes out to the hurt that Cyrus and his family have battled through.

I didn’t get past the first chapter

Just a big bear this book has gotten really good reviews. Well not for me. I have a few reasons why I didn’t like this but the one the narrator had a weird speech pattern I couldn’t get into. It kept changing and twisting and I just didn’t like it. Number two I can’t stay in with a history book even though it’s romantic history doesn’t get his facts right. Maybe that is my fault because I love history and no more than the average person I think because other people seem to love these books when I say I know more I am just assuming that or maybe other people are better at suspending believe. The one thing I know in the 1890s they didn’t call rape sexual assault they called it being ravaged not in this book the speech sounded like something out of current day except for the mention of the Pinkertons in the date I would’ve thought this was a modern romance book. There’s a lot of other things I found fault with but I gave you an example of the most frequent and of course the narrator. A narrator can make a break a book this now raider did nothing to help in already bad book in my opinion.

OK

The narrator's voice did not seem right for this novel. It lacked the deep, slow draw associated with a western love tale. During an emotional scene, he sounded staccato and without any emotion. There is nothing WRONG with his voice particularly; it just sounds like a modern voice. I could see/hear it doing a contemporary story romance if he added some emotion during emotional scenes or a contemporary spy or history book.

As far as the writing itself, I didn't read much of a plot. The mail order bride theme is a little tired by itself; this story needed more. In addition, I wasn't convinced there was much passion between the MC's. I did think the author presented the issue of infertility with compassion having gone through it for many years myself. I finally had a wonderful son at 42 years old🤗. I also liked the presentation of the issue of racism and how it negatively affects the lives of people. Unfortunately, that is a lesson that we as a society still grapple with today.

In conclusion, there is nothing objectionable about this publication. I appreciate the fact that there is no reluctant sex (a euphemism for rape IMO), BDSM, taboo sex or any of that kind of deviant crap that many authors pass for romance these days. However at 62 years old, I still like a little more steam to hold my attention. I don't like the bedroom door slammed in my face. However, I will try for more of this writer's stories in the future because I like a good Western.

First read it, then listened to it

I am in love. Yep. It's true. I have fallen in love with this book, the characters, the town, and this author.

I started reading this book and I was so tired, I must have fallen asleep and when I did, my kindle fell right into my face. That's ok though. I took it to my place of employment the next day and sneaked to read it every chance I got.
The characters are wonderful. They are complex and you can relate to them. I liked the plot and its flow. I liked the mystery and intrigue of it. (It could have been stretched out a bit more, but hey, it was fantastic anyway).
I love that this is first in a series. That means there are lots more stories, mysteries and adventures!
Ms. Deeter, keep writing
UPDATE: I listened to this on audio. I didn't think it could be better, HOWEVER it was! The narrator was amazing!!!! He brought to life all the characters in the books. The inflections in his voice made it! Awesome! Please keep this narrator.