The Deadly Art of Deception

A Caribou King Mystery

By: Linda Crowder

Narrated by: Michelle Babb

Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Only two seasons matter in Coho Bay, Alaska - cruise ship and winter. Caribou King, owner of The Broken Antler Gallery, is hip-deep in tourists when her old college pal Taylor shows up asking for refuge, saying she has no place else to go. Cara is cautious; Taylor was the wife of one of Alaska's most renowned artists, Jonathan Snow, who was mauled to death by a bear the previous year. Why would his widow want to return to the location of her tragic loss? Something about Taylor's story just doesn't ring true.

Of course, she may not be the only liar in town. Taylor's former father-in-law accuses her of killing his son in front of a diner full of people, except he may have had a stronger motive. A handsome boat captain seems to fancy both Cara and Taylor and can't make up his mind between them, or between lying and telling the truth. And the local constable mistrusts everyone, but may have a reason to be mistrusted himself. Will Cara help her old friend Taylor, or will doing so get her into a heap of trouble? When a headless body is discovered in the bay, Cara wonders just who she can trust in this tiny town.

©2016 Cozy Cat Press (P)2017 Linda Crowder

Wow! A must read!

I received this book for free in exchange for a unbiased review. This is my first book by Linda Crowder that I have listened to. I throughly enjoyed it! She is now part of my favorite authors. This is the first book in the Caribou King Mystery series.
The story is filled with edge-of-your-seat twists and turns and keeps you guessing right up to the end. Even the most dedicated investigator will have trouble in figuring out the perpetrator in this entertaining whodunit. It is very well written with intriguing and well constructed characters. You can clearly visualize the picturesque small town in Alaska.
The book is narrated by Michelle Babb. She is expressive and transmitted the characters' emotions in a powerful way.
The Deadly Art of Deception is highly recommend.

Great story!

This is a great mystery in the series. The author does a great job setting the scene so you feel like you actually see the town. Great narrator also

I received a free copy and left my honest review

Loved this cozy mystery

*Disclaimer: I was given a code to receive this audiobook for free, however I did not promise any reviews. This book was genuinely so good that I wanted to review it.

Reading (this book made me want to get my self a blanket and a mug of hot coco and pretend that I was in Alaska instead of Sunny Florida. I loved this book, it is exactly the kind of Cozy mystery that I love. I loved the characters and how the author took the time to develop them. The twist at the end I did not see coming, although I figured out who the bad guy was pretty quickly. However the way the author developed the bad guy was ingenious.

Also the narrator is perfect for this series, she keeps the audience engaged and entertained.

Will definitely continue to read this series.

A pleasant surprise!

I decided to listen to this book after I saw an opportunity to do so for free with a credit from the narrator. First of all, all my interactions with her were lovely, and I got the books without a hitch.

Second, even though I don’t usually go for mysteries, I really enjoyed this book! The setting in a rural, tourist town at the end of the season in Alaska was cozy enough to make me want to visit somewhere like it in the future. The main character is relatable and her relationships with the supporting cast feel very believable with time spent exploring family dynamics and the close-knit community in the small town.

The story was slow to start with, but towards the middle of the book I was hooked. Once I got to that point, I found myself thinking about the book constantly until I was able to finish it.

The narration was pleasant to listen to. I feel the narrator did a good job bringing the characters to life with slight changes to her voice. She also did a good job keeping my interest in descriptive parts of the story where I sometimes tune things out.

The one thing I didn’t really enjoy was really a personal preference on my part. There were some elements of romance that involved the protagonist that seemed superfluous to me. I am not one for romantic subplots in general, so that may just be me. For others who don’t like romance, it’s not too prevalent. It’s sprinkled throughout the novel, but it did not overwhelm the story at all. Definitely still worth the listen!

Jenny's review

What did you love best about The Deadly Art of Deception?
Not knowing who to trust.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Deadly Art of Deception?
When Cara catches Mel singing in the kitchen .

Which character – as performed by Michelle Babb – was your favorite?
Caribou King

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
When Mel and Bent tell Cara they are expecting their first baby!

Any additional comments?
What a crazy story of lies, deceit, and many a rabbit trail that the author takes you on! I listened through a couple of times just to take in everything. Very much worth the read and the listen.
Michelle Babb does an amazing job giving the characters a voice all their own and makes the story all the more enjoyable.
I love the heroines name, "Caribou King", who is an art dealer in Coho Bay, Alaska and who seems to be the only one that doesn't know what's going on. Her friend Taylor has come back to Alaska unexpectedly as well as needing a place to stay while she is mourning the one year anniversary of her husband's death, famous painter Jonathan Snow, at least that's what Cara thinks. All seems fine until Taylor is confronted by her father in-law Jack Lennon, Cara and Taylor start being followed by mysterious people and stories don't add up. Then a friends body is found by a local fisherman in the bay and everyone is scared. Things are a mess and Cara is determined to figure things out and the only sheriff, a mystery himself, tries to keep his town safe from a killer. Can tragedy be averted or will the killer get another victim?

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

Great Cozy Mystery!

This was my first Linda Crowder's book, and won't be my last. This is the first book in the A Caribou King Mystery Series, a cozy mystery. Caribou (Cara) is such a wonderful character. The storyline is filled with mystery, secrets, and twists and turns. The supporting characters are intriguing. Michelle Babb did a fantastic job with the narration. I enjoyed it. Looking forward to listen to The Deadly Art of Love and Murder, the next book in the Series.

The Deadly Art of Deception

This was a GREAT clean mystery that kept me guessing what was going on!

Anyone that likes clean cozy mysteries would enjoy this book!

Cozy Mystery

I’m not big on mystery, but had this given to me for free. And I really enjoyed it. The setting and characters were great. Was a pleasant listen while I did my chores and walked the dogs. Going to grab book 2 and continue following Caribou King.

What a great mystery

This is a great start to a series. I was immediately drawn in by the storyline. As all of the people in the town that are involved in the mystery seem keep changing their story or keeping information secret the story keeps twisting and turning. I stayed glued to the story never knowing (like Caribou) who to trust and who to suspect as being involved with the new murder and everything else that has been happening around Coho Bay since Taylor’s arrival.

Great story !! Twisted like a pretzel!!

This is a very good book. I had to install it on my cell phone so I had the option to read and listen at any time available. I think this is one of the fastest read books in my library. It will remain in the library waiting for future reads. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone!

Michelle babb is astounding in her narratin, grabing ahold and not letting up until the end..