Relatively Risky

The Big Uneasy, Book 1

By: Pauline Baird Jones

Narrated by: Kevin Scollin

Crime-solving is a family affair - and a Family affair - in the Big Uneasy.

Nell Whitby is starting over in New Orleans, getting a publisher for her children’s book, sketching tourists in the French Quarter, and leaving the tragic death of her parents behind. When a handsome detective asks her for a date, her fresh start seems perfect...until a dangerous family secret bubbles up from the past and puts her life in jeopardy.

The oldest of 13 children, Detective Alex Baker has two goals in life: Solve murders, and avoid anyone under the age of 10. That is, until the day the quirky children's book author foils a carjacking, becomes a target for the mob, and makes his libido sit up and reconsider the whole no-kids thing. If he doesn’t protect her, she’ll be the next body to turn up in his homicide investigation.

As bullets start to fly, Nell can’t resist her sexy bodyguard or ignore her past, and Alex must protect the irresistible kid-magnet who has them both in the crosshairs.

Dive into the first installment in a series reviewers are "grinning and loving".

©2011 Pauline Baird Jones (P)2013 Kevin Scollin

Dude can’t pronounce beignets

Only at the beginning but so far the narrator has called out “bag-nets” twice.

Twists & Turns & Mayhem

Nell has settled in New Orleans with her best friend after the deaths of her parents. She's leading a simple, but satisfying life until the day she rescues an off-duty officer from a car-jacking. As unlikely as complications seem at this point, the story shortly takes one unexpected turn after another.

I enjoyed the characters and the level of suspense throughout the story. Quiet, little Nell turns out to have a lot of moxie and just the right skills and mindset when she needs them.

I didn't give this five stars. It got off to a slow start, but once it got going, it was a page-turner. The narrator has a great voice and did a good job. He mispronounced four or five words and it was distracting, but it didn't prevent me from enjoying his reading.