Mystery on the Bayou

Amelia Moore Detective Series, Book 6

By: Linda Weaver Clarke

Narrated by: Diane Lehman

Length: 4 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Amelia Moore, the founder of the Moore Detective Agency, specializes in missing persons. With the help of her partner, Rick Bonito, the business is flourishing.

While at the beach, Amelia is approached by a woman who is concerned about the son she gave up for adoption 16 years ago. Millie has been having nightmares that make her fear he is in danger. She petitioned the court to view the sealed records but was refused. Will Amelia and Rick be able to convince the courts to help them? If her son is in danger, will they get there in time?

©2015 Linda Weaver Clarke (P)2016 Linda Weaver Clarke

Great Mystery

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this story. The narrator did a an excellent job telling the story. This is nice clean mystery filled read. The characters are very interesting an developed nicely. The story has some great twists an turns that will keep you guessing. There is romance also but it is a kept clean and sweet so it's good for any age to read. If your looking for a mystery filled romance with some pretty good action scenes then this is the book for you. I highly recommend this book for everybody.

A romantic cozy mystery crawling with alligators!

If you could sum up Mystery on the Bayou in three words, what would they be?

Romantic Cozy Mystery. However, there's so much more to the book than that! Besides the engaging romantic suspense, Linda has a knack for educating as she entertains. An easy-to-illustrate example is how Linda incorporates self-defense tips via Rick’s tutoring of Amelia in the art. I also greatly enjoy the life lessons that are shared in each of the books. In Mystery on the Bayou, Amelia and Rick have many heart-to-heart endearing talks that are good to keep in mind.

Finally, I would be remiss if I neglected to mention that, in this story, the couple’s client has Marfan’s Syndrome. The client also suspects that her missing son is afflicted with the disorder – hence the need to find him forthwith. The author’s notes bring home why affording attention to the disorder is important to her.:
“My grandson has Marfan’s Syndrome. We found out when he was only four years old. My daughter was devastated, but she has learned to deal with it and is teaching him to be careful when he plays. Children, who have this disorder and don’t know they have it, don’t live long. The reason why is because they need special medication for their heart and need to learn what they can and cannot do. To learn more, visit www. Marfan.org/about/signs. Those who take care of themselves can live a long happy life.”

I can attest that Amelia’s Parmesan Asparagus recipe which is shared within this book is delectable! You won’t want to miss it!

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character in this series is Rick followed by Amelia. He's strong, loyal, smart and just the perfect partner for Amelia.

What about Diane Lehman’s performance did you like?

Diane Lehman, Linda's talented narrator, demonstrates her mettle once again. She has capably voiced the series from the very beginning. Her voice is clear and easy to understand. She consistently differentiates between the characters and articulates them realistically. In this book, she sings multiple favorite songs and aces numerous accents. I’ve enjoyed every one of Diane’s performances and Mystery of the Bayou provides the perfect showcase for Diane’s proficiency and style! There is no doubt that that listening to this series has increased my enjoyment of the books.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed and cried. I held my breath. I swooned at the sweetness and the strength of the couple's relationship. I marveled at Diane Lehman's performance. I inhaled the life lessons that were rendered in the telling of the story. So, yes, I had extreme reactions to this book.

Any additional comments?

Fans of the series will savor catching up with the agency's partners, Amelia Moore and Rick Bonito, as they work their latest case; and as they sweetly explore their deepening feelings for each other along with completing items on each of their amusing bucket lists. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that Amelia's and Rick's relationship had greatly progressed since the last book. In previous books, readers have been treated to memorable sojourns in Bali, Ireland, Mexico, the American West, northern Arizona and southern Utah.

As this story opens, Amelia can't turn down a mother's request to find her son - even though the couple are on their honeymoon. So, motivated by the urgency of their new case, our intrepid couple leaves the glorious Florida beach where they had been honeymooning to travel to the bayous of Louisiana. Once there, they are quickly drawn into a murder mystery in a land crawling with alligators.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Mystery on the Bayou and recommend the series to anyone who enjoys sweet and clean romantic cozy mysteries.

My favorite of the series!

This cozy is my favorite so far of the series! Located in New Orleans, we get a flavor of all the sights, smells and tastes only Louisiana can bring to us. Throw in a mystery for Amelia and Rick to solve and it's magic. Amelia is hired to find a 16 year old son that was put up for adoption at birth. The birth mother has a disease called Marfan's which is imperative for the child to know. Amelia and Rick set out to find the boy. The two hit many roadblocks, but as the great investigators they are, they never give up. Clarke has crafted this couple in such a way, you cannot help but love them. Between the two, there is a definite respect for their abilities, and their love for each other is evident. I love how Rick pushes Amelia's boundaries, always giving her the confidence to learn new things and keep improving. He is not only a great husband, but wonderful mentor. These two will always persist and find the answers, and this interesting case kept me on the edge waiting to see the outcome.

Diane Lehman continues to be Rick and Amelia to me, I love her voices and consistency between the books. It makes listening a pleasure when the same narrator completes a series, and she is perfect for this one!

An Interesting Twist with Interesting Facts

Any additional comments?

I particularly enjoyed the twist in this mystery. Rick and Amelia actually get hired twice to find the same person. They overcome difficult obstacles all along the way. I also found the facts in relation to the medical condition in the story very interesting (with the author's note at the end that her grandson actually has the condition!) I have enjoyed getting to know the characters over the course of the series. The relationship and interactions between Rick and Amelia are genuine. I find that I laugh with them and appreciate their support of each other. Where one is weak, the other is strong, and that goes back and forth between the two. Diane Lehman provides a good smooth pace to the story with differing voices for the characters. Thanks Linda Clarke for another good clean mystery!

Another case!

This book really hits close to home for me. Last year my twin brothers Aorta detached from his heart. He was tested and they found that he a Loeys-Dietz Syndrome which is genetic and closely related to Marfan. We also found out that one of his sons has it and can now no longer play sports. So, I can understand the urgency the biological mother feels to inform her son might have this disorder. This case takes Amelia and Rick to Louisiana to find Tom, since it’s a closed adoption it takes some time to get their foot in the door. When they finally do get to talk to the adoptive parents, they find out that Tom has ran away or something worse. As always when Linda Weaver Clark takes us to some other location we learn about the culture, things to do and of course the cuisine! I enjoy the playful banter between Amelia and Rick, the performance of the narrator makes it even better because she adds the right amount of inflection into her voice. I think Diane Lehman is my new favorite narrator.

Mystery on the Bayou

Linda Weaver Clarke
Mystery on the Bayou

This is the 6th book of the series. The mysteries in this series take you on an adventure that takes you away to a different world. This read has a very unique story that had twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't stop listening to this Audio. The Narrator and The Author done a fantastic job. I definitely recommend.
Shauna Joesten

Mystery on the Bayou

What a captivating tale! Once again Clarke has combined romance with mystery in such a manner that she left me completely enchanted. The plot unfolded in a unique manner that kept me guessing. I also really enjoyed the sightseeing and food exploration that the main characters engaged in during their downtime. It really brought the locale to life for me.

This story also walks the perfect line between being part of a series and being a standalone. She provides just enough background information that readers new to the series can easily jump into the story here, but not so much as to bore returning readers.

As a whole, this was a fun and heartwarming tale that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Entertaining read

This series is so adorable. The mysteries are intriguing every time. I especially enjoyed the scene where the main characters were learning self defense tactics. So playful and light. The narrator was excellent. She can even sing!! Can't wait for more

Romance and mystery in a nice, clean book

This is the 6th sweet and romantic cozy mystery from the Amelia Moore Detective Agency series, which takes place after Amelia and Rick get married and are on their honeymoon (the previous books in the series show the development of their relationship). At times, the romance is a little "syrupy", but I enjoy this mystery series - I like the descriptions of food (Rick loves trying new food and food that is particular to the region that he is visiting, and he always tries to get Amelia to be adventurous and try it). In this book, I learned a little bit about Marfan Syndrome, a rare and potentially life-threatening genetic disease. The new client may have passed this disease to her son that she gave up in a closed adoption, and tasks the Amelia Moore Detective Agency with finding him so that he can be warned and checked out by a doctor, so that he doesn't unknowingly put himself at risk. Overall, this is a nice, clean mystery with great descriptions of the places the characters visit.

Great Cozy Mystery Series!

This is the 6th book in the Amelia Moore Detective Series but it stands alone. In this book, Amelia and Rick are hired to find a boy given up 16 years ago for adoption. He may have a potentially life threatening disease inherited from his birth mother. However, the case leads them to trying to solve a murder! Along the way, Amelia and Rick discover the charm and the culture of the south including wildlife and new cuisine and each other. This is a fun series. I was gifted a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.