Murder on Potrero Hill

A Peyton Brooks' Mystery, Book 1

By: M. L. Hamilton

Narrated by: Kelley Hazen

Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's Summary

Peyton knows the first suspect is always the husband, but Jake Ryder isn't acting like a typical suspect. Jake truly loved his wife. So what went wrong? Stepping into the circle of the social elite, Peyton finds that things work differently when you're at the top. And Jake Ryder seems to be caught in the epicenter. Ultimately, Peyton finds that you never know what darkness lurks in the human mind and that some will murder to keep that darkness hidden.

©2012 ML Hamilton (P)2013 ML Hamilton

Great Fast Pace Listen!

I loved this book! I could not stop listening to it from the moment I started it. I loved the twists and turns this book had along with some of the characters. The author wrote great imagery and suspense in this book. The narrator was able to perform so many distinguishable character voices it was easy to hear who was speaking. I loved the emotions, the tension and the suspense she added to the story. I will definitely be listening to more books by this talented author and narrator. I loved the fact that this book was a standalone listen and part of a series. I requested this audiobook and have voluntarily written the review.

love the references to hometown SF

An exciting story with a perfect ending. you can connect with the main characters easily.

Loved it, didn't have it all figured out at first.

I hate it when you figure out the entire plot by chapter 5. this one kept me guessing for a long time.

WOW what a great read

This story keeps you listening. Hard to put down or should I say sleep. The police are sure they have their man, and do everything to make his life hell. I was not expecting such a good read, the narrator did a great job, you could always tell who was talking by the change in her voice, Hope you enjoy as much as I did. Need to change title to Murders on Potrero Hill

An Awesome Listen

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the narrator and found it very entertaining and thought provoking. Imagine coming home from work and finding your young wife lying of the bathroom floor, in that instances your entire world changes. Peyton and Macro are given the case that should be quick and easy. This is actually the first book in this series and is full of suspense and action. Following a long as the main characters try to untangle all the facts to get to the truth is amazing. This combination of author and narrator creates pure enjoyment. I'm looking forward to the next book.

It's not always the husband...

That's the second Peyton Brooks' Mystery that I've listened to (the first one being the prequel to the series) and I liked it a lot - like really a lot:) It's gripping, intriguing, it makes you want to smack the stupid policemen in the head to make them realize they're mistaken, and it makes you keep your fingers crossed for Peyton to finally find the real killer... In one word - it's unputdownable.
The plot is quite simple in general: Jake finds his unconscious wife in their bathroom, she's taken to hospital and dies there, seemingly from natural causes, due to a genetic disorder. What's worse, right then and there he finds out she was pregnant. But why didn't she tell him? And then the police enters the scene, as not everything is as it seemed to be - and for the police it's the husband who is the obvious suspect. This is where we get really annoyed with Peyton and Marco - why aren't they looking for other suspects? Why have they decided right from the start it must have been the husband? Why are they trying to destroy Jake's life without even officially charging him with anything?
I liked Peyton and Marco in the prequel and I have to admit I was initially disappointed with them acting like proverbial dumbass policemen who take the obvious clues and just want to quickly close the case without going deeper into the matters. But luckily for me, M. L. Hamilton knows how to write a good crime story, and very soon both Peyton and Marco turn out to be their old selves - inquisitive, following their hunches, meticulously trying to tie all loose ends.
Also, I liked the dual perspective of the narration (it reminded me a lot of "The Fugitive") with the simultaneous investigations led by the police (Peyton and Marco) and by the suspect himself (Jake). It added dynamics to the story.

As for Ms Hazen's interpretation:
I had a problem with Marco's and Stan's voices in the prequel (they were too unnatural there) but this time they are spot on. I can believe now that Marco is every woman's dream:) And I definitely prefer Ms Hazen's interpretation of this book to some of her other narrations - I know she is really good at differentiating voices but sometimes they might end up sounding unnatural, like too low- or too high-pitched. I think with this book she nailed it - she was able to bring all characters to life and give them distinctive qualities without really changing her own voice so much. Thanks to it the whole book sounds natural and flows smoothly. I just think she's perfect here.

Kept me interested

Even though it was HUGELY predicable ... I really enjoyed the story and finished the book fairly quickly. I would recommend if you don't mind that you've figured it out for the most part pretty early in the story.

Peyton Brooks is kind of mean!

Made listening to it a bit difficult at times! Overall goiod story! Will try others.

Excellent audio version

Would you listen to Murder on Potrero Hill again? Why?

Not sure, because of the fact that it is a mystery story. I like following the story to figure out who did it and now I know what happened. f it were a different genre of book, probably yes.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Sometimes, because I wanted to know if my suspicions were right.

What about Kelley Hazen and StorytellerProductions ’s performance did you like?

I enjoyed the tone given to the narration. It reminded me of an old fashioned detective movie in black and white. Her portrayal of the characters also makes the book more compelling, it keeps you interested and wanting to know what will happen next.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

I thought some legal aspects were not completely believable, but still found the story enjoyable. I admire how Kelley Hazen creates such a distinct personality for each character and adjusts the rhythm and tone of her voice depending on the situation. You can tell she is a pro. I especially enjoyed how she narrated the scene in which the husband finds his wife lying on the bathroom floor.

BRILLIANT

can't wait for the next one - cops, friends, weirdos, murder - what else can I say.

A Fantastic Series!

What a strong start to an incredible series! The ML Hamilton and Kelley Hazen (author and narrator respectively) team is stellar, as usual. The Marco-Peyton investigative team is fantastic to experience in action as well. More importantly, the way the story is woven together and the clues disseminated to the reader leaves one guessing as to the possible outcomes. Clues and suggestions are added in and discarded in such a way as to keep the plot rolling. I do not what to write any more because I do not want to accidentally spoil the experience but I will say this: The reader is taken on a journey with the protagonists as they learn and practice their trade.

This is not my first Peyton Brooks book, I have heard a few books, out of order. It has changed the way I experience the series and, as such, I recommend starting from the beginning. It is totally worth it!

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.