Deadly Blessings: An Alex St. James Mystery

Alex St. James Mysteries, Book 1

By: Julie Hyzy

Narrated by: Karen Commins

It's not often that Alex St. James has a story this tantalizing fall into her lap, only to have it snatched away again. As news researcher at Midwest Focus Television in Chicago, she'd been set to interview a young Polish immigrant woman, pregnant by a Catholic priest.

When the woman is found murdered, and Alex tries to investigate, her boss abruptly reassigns her to a fluff piece, so he can give the hot murder story to the station owner's nephew. But anyone who knows Alex also knows that, like fate, she'll find a way.

Acting without authority and without assistance, she continues to investigate, making some very powerful people in the Chicago Archdiocese uneasy. Suddenly Alex finds herself in the middle of a plot so sinister and far reaching that the very next thing she might hear are her own last rites.

©2005 July Hyzy (P)2015 David N. Wilson

Critic reviews

"Julie Hyzy's riveting mystery, Deadly Blessings, launches appealing sleuth Alex St. James in a twisty, absorbing, headline-current case. First rate." (Carolyn Hart, author of the Death on Demand series)

A new character for Julie Hyzy's - love it.

I love Julie Hyzy's books. I certainly hope there are more to come with this character.

Bad Hair and Prostitution!

Narration - Karen Commins - Pretty Good. There's quite a few characters in this story and she does a pretty good job of differentiating between them all. She's a really good storyteller so the overall narration was engaging and very enjoyable.

The story is a mystery that's pretty intricate and detailed. I found that I had suspicions, but for the most part, I was mostly wrong - or if I was in the ball park, it wasn't the right park. Alex is a tough investigative reporter who is smart and has nerves of steel. I really loved her character. I also enjoyed the way the mystery was woven in several directions.

There's a bit of a catholic priest scandal so if that's not you're thing, this book isn't for you.

I'll definitely continue with this series and based on other reviews, it looks like I will look into other books from this author.

Really enjoyed it!

I received a copy of this audiobook free of charge from audiobookblast in exchange for an unbiased review

Great Story

I almost gave up on this because the beginning started off so slow. However, I'm glad I didn't. This was a very interesting story and fast paced story once the foundation was built. I have read other books by this author and also enjoyed them. I hope the next book in this series is made available in the Audible library.

Life in the Land of opportunity

It's not often that Alex St. James has a story this tantalizing fall into her lap, only to have it snatched away again. As news researcher at Midwest Focus Television in Chicago, she'd been set to interview a young Polish immigrant woman, pregnant by a Catholic priest. When the woman is found murdered, and Alex tries to investigate, her boss abruptly reassigns her to a fluff piece, so he can give the hot murder story to the station owner's nephew. But anyone who knows Alex also knows that, like fate, she'll find a way. Acting without authority and without assistance, she continues to investigate, making some very powerful people in the Chicago Archdiocese uneasy. Suddenly Alex finds herself in the middle of a plot so sinister and far reaching that the very next thing she might hear are her own last rites.
Although this book examines themes that have become popular over the last several years, it does so in interesting ways. While not a brilliant or unique book, this is a well written, well plotted and engaging mystery. The characters are nicely developed, an while there is a bit of type casting, that is alleviated by touches that give each character a definite, and believable, personality.

This is not a full out action thriller, but does demonstrate how news stories are investigated, and, when there is action, it can become intense, especially the action just preceding the climax of the book. The writing is straightforward, but the author also demonstrates sensitivity and compassion, through her characters’ thoughts and words, that enhance the story and make it a satisfying read. Perhaps her villains are a bit too simplistic, and a little too villainous, without benefit of qualms or conscience, but then, at least one of them is probably a sociopath, if not a psychopath, so even this works rather well.

The narrator did an excellently professional job, and combines a pleasant voice with excellent pacing, shaping enunciation, and can handle foreign accents extremely well.

This is a good, solid mystery, and a very enjoyable read. I give both book and narrator 4 out of 5 stars.

I received this free book in exchange for this unbiased review via the courtesy of AudioBookBlast dot com.

A new Julie Hyzy series

I love the series White House Chef by Julie Hyzy. I was gifted this audiobook with the understanding I would give an honest review. I enjoyed both the narrator and the story. I look forward to the next in this series.