• The Path of the Crooked

  • Hope Street Church Mysteries Series #1
  • By: Ellery Adams
  • Narrated by: Cris Dukehart
  • Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (331 ratings)

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The Path of the Crooked  By  cover art

The Path of the Crooked

By: Ellery Adams
Narrated by: Cris Dukehart
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Publisher's summary

Cooper Lee is at a crossroads. Her boyfriend of five years just left her for another woman, she's living in an apartment above her parents' garage, and her job as a copier repairperson is feeling a little, well, repetitious. Hoping for a fresh start and a new outlook on life, she joins the Bible study group at Hope Street Church. The last thing she expects while studying the Bible is a lesson in murder.

When Brooke Hughes, the woman who first invited Cooper to Hope Street, is found murdered in her home, all signs point to her husband as the culprit. But Wesley Hughes was an elder at Hope Street Church, and the members of the Bible study are filled with disbelief that such a kind and loving man could take a life, much less his wife's. Unwilling to let an innocent man and friend be railroaded into prison, the Bible group decides to investigate on their own. As Cooper and this humorously diverse group of people - including a blind folk artist, a meteorologist with a taste for younger women, and a soft-spoken web designer who might be out to catch Cooper's eye - dig deeper into the clues, they're about to discover that finding the truth sometimes takes a leap of faith.

©2014 Jennifer Stanley (P)2016 Tantor

What listeners say about The Path of the Crooked

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Really love this series

Any additional comments?

I really enjoy this series. I first read the Hope Street Church books in Kindle version (published under the name Jennifer Stanley). I like the stories because they have a spiritual feel, but are not preachy. These are people who want to do good, but are also very human. I'm so glad this series is being released in audio. This book introduces you to the main characters, who are likable and that I can relate to. I listen to a lot of audio books, and the narrator for this one did a very good job. I highly recommend this book and the others in the series.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it!

I am a HUGE fan of the Books by the Bay series, so I was unsure how I would feel about a different series by the same author. I was so pleased! I loved the characters and the beginning of the evolution of Cooper towards the end of the book. My only complaint is that so far only books 1 and 2 of the series are available!!

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another Hit For Ellery Adams!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes! I am a huge fan of Ellery Adam's "Books By The Bay" mysteries and also her Library mystery series. So naturally, I was thrilled to check out another series that she wrote. It did not disappoint, and I would definitely recommend it someone who loves cozy mysteries!

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

The plot kept me interested the whole time, yes. You are introduced to a group of friends and they solve the crime together, and I really like that. It's reminiscent of the 'Books By The Bay" series by Ellery Adams too. This small church group has an interesting variety of characters and they rally together to get intel and solve a mystery. I like this better sometimes than just 1 main character doing all the crime solving alone. Having a cast is extremely enjoyable.

What about Cris Dukehart’s performance did you like?

I enjoyed that she gave distinct voices to all the characters. It can be hard with having so many men and women to differentiate, but I think she did a good job of that.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I don't know that any moments moved me emotionally, but I did enjoy the moment when Cooper spoke about her accident and how it changed her perspective on life. That felt like a very real moment.

Any additional comments?

Fun fact, this book was first published under a different name by a different author name as well (Jennifer Stanley), and is now being republished and renamed under the Ellery Adams moniker. Some people might be confused that this plot is so similar to another book published by Jennifer Stanley. It's the same exact author, but different pseudonyms. Recently these were republished under the name Ellery Adams so they would all be under one umbrella.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Too much Christian theme for me

I am not at all opposed to good books having a background of religious community—in fact, it often adds to the story. I don’t think it works very well in this one,

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyable read

I like a cozy mystery that entertains me without scaring me. This one fits the bill. The characters are enjoyable - the story was interesting and I find myself wanting to read the next one in the series. Excellent narration.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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I Hope More Books Will Be Added To Audible

This is a great series. The characters and plot are well developed and interesting. I look forward to the next book in this series.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Entertaining

Loved this cozy mystery! Can't wait to listen to the next story in this installment. I also liked the fact that it didn't shy away from Christian characters and included Christianity. For those who don't appreciate that and are bothered by it, there are thousands of other books that will cater to non-Christians, politically correct topics, or atheistic views, so if that's you, you may want to look elsewhere - this story is not for you. As for me, I highly enjoyed the story and the characters and I appreciate the fact that the author is able to weave a great story without having to rely on shoving sex, foul language, and politically correct characters and themes down our throats to keep us entertained. Very refreshing.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

clean and still fun

The Path of the Crooked is a clean story that was also fun to read.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

predictable but quaint

predictable, quaint, cheesy, too perfect..... disappointing after reading the other series by this author. I finished it, so must not be too bad right? lol

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Nice mystery!

I liked that this book had references to the Bilble. It is hard to find good clean books and / or mysteries to read. I recommend this book.
Ellery Adams is a very good writer.
Cris Dukeheart was easy to follow along with.

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1 person found this helpful