• The Unraveling of Violeta Bell

  • A Morgue Mama Mystery
  • By: C. R. Corwin
  • Narrated by: Lorna Raver
  • Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
  • 3.4 out of 5 stars (236 ratings)

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The Unraveling of Violeta Bell  By  cover art

The Unraveling of Violeta Bell

By: C. R. Corwin
Narrated by: Lorna Raver
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Publisher's summary

Maddy Sprowls, newspaper librarian for the Hannawa Herald-Union, prefers to stay in the newspaper morgue and do her job. But one Saturday, she sees four elderly women get out of a taxicab at a garage sale. She figures that those women must hire that cabby every week to drive them from garage sale to garage sale, and wouldn't that make a great feature story for the paper?

Shortly after the story runs, one of the four women, retired antiques dealer Violeta Bell, is murdered. Maddy wants no part of the investigation, but before she knows it, she's on another of her infamous snoopathons.

Was it bargains they were hunting or something else?

©2008 2008 by C.R. Corwin (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Irascible, fearless and unapologetic, Maddy is a heroine cozy fans will embrace." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about The Unraveling of Violeta Bell

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    48
  • 4 Stars
    68
  • 3 Stars
    75
  • 2 Stars
    20
  • 1 Stars
    25
Performance
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    54
  • 4 Stars
    43
  • 3 Stars
    49
  • 2 Stars
    13
  • 1 Stars
    19
Story
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    35
  • 4 Stars
    52
  • 3 Stars
    57
  • 2 Stars
    19
  • 1 Stars
    19

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book, the Best of readers

A truly enjoyable book. This was my first C. R. Corwin book, and what a surprise. She's entertaining, and keeps you guessing. I especially enjoyed the narrator, Suzanne Toren. She brings Corwin's books to life with so much animation. I will definitely be listening to the rest of her books.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Good reading

This is a great book. We listened to this on the way to Florida from Michigan. The charaters and story have some laugh out loud humorous moments and dialog. Good story. Even our 16 year old son enjoyed the story.

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5 people found this helpful

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

I want more of this series

I bought it because it was on sale and sounded worth trying; now I'm very frustrated because Audible doesn't have more of these! The story was fun and entertaining -- light compared to most of the mysteries I read and listen to, but not light on the story content. It was a great story and the narrator was perfect for the character.

So Audible, where are the rest of these??

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4 people found this helpful

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

Hummm??

It sounded like a good story but the narration is so distracting that I couldn't concentrate. I had to stop listening to it.

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3 people found this helpful

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

an appalling accent

This may or may not be a good book. The reader's accent made it impossible for me to get past the first 3 minutes. Do yourself a favor and listen first.

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2 people found this helpful

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

grumpy and negative

The narrator did a good job portraying a person that I really didn't like. The story was OK, but I won't EVER get another book about Violeta Bell.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

the unraveling of violetta bell

terrific story; wonderful narrator; wish audible had more of this author to listen too! highly recommend this book and heopefully will see more in the future!

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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

Mama Mia

This is an old fashioned mystery with a twist: our heroine. She doesn't pack, she isn't young and she does need her sleep. For me, at an age closing in on that of Mama, a plot is not sufficient to make a book a good read / listen. I like to feel I am learning something, about an occupation, a place or a period in time (or in the future) I know little or nothing about. Here, the hook is the perspective of a character who has already lived a life.

If this helps you decide, I plan to spend a credit on another Morgue Mama story.

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1 person found this helpful

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

A little fun from a savvy old gal

If you could sum up The Unraveling of Violeta Bell in three words, what would they be?

Light, fun, mystery

Who was your favorite character and why?

Violetta's brother, 'the Prince'. I can't explain why without spoilers - let's just say he gets to know the victim better after her death.

Any additional comments?

This is no great novel, but is good fun. A female protagonist in her 60s is past giving a darn about what other people think, but cares very much about getting justice for a woman she never knew.

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1 person found this helpful

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

More Corwin please! Wonderful reader.

I don't understand the negative reviews for this audible book. The heroine is cantankerous and that is her charm. I have met women like Maddie, she is the older working woman who LOVES her job and does not want to retire, just because she has reached retirement age. How refreshing to think there are women who love their work and their late in life new man. It is charmingly played by the reader who puts a lot of heart into the performances with distinct voices for each character. I have listened to hundreds of audible books (long commute) this is one of the best performances I have ever heard.

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1 person found this helpful