Riley Paige Mystery Bundle

Once Gone #1 and Once Taken #2: A Riley Paige Mystery

By: Blake Pierce

Narrated by: Elaine Wise

Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

A bundle of books #1 (ONCE GONE) and #2 (ONCE TAKEN) in Blake Pierce’s Riley Paige Mystery series—a #1 bestseller with over 400 five star reviews! This bundle offers books one and two in one convenient file, with over 100,000 words of reading.

In ONCE GONE, women are turning up dead in the rural outskirts of Virginia, killed in grotesque ways, and when the FBI is called in, they are stumped. A serial killer is out there, his frequency increasing, and they know there is only one agent good enough to crack this case: Special Agent Riley Paige. Riley is on paid leave herself, recovering from her encounter with her last serial killer, and, fragile as she is, the FBI is reluctant to tap her brilliant mind. Yet Riley, needing to battle her own demons, comes on board, and her hunt leads her through the disturbing subculture of doll collectors, into the homes of broken families, and into the darkest canals of the killer’s mind. As Riley peels back the layers, she realizes she is up against a killer more twisted than she could have imagined.

In ONCE TAKEN, women are being murdered in upstate New York, their bodies found mysteriously hanging in chains. With the FBI called in, given the bizarre nature of the murders—and the lack of any clues—there is only one agent they can turn to: Special Agent Riley Paige. Riley, reeling from her last case, is reluctant to take on a new one, since she is still convinced a former serial killer is out there, stalking her. She knows, though, that her ability to enter a serial killer’s mind and her obsessive nature is what will be needed to crack this case, and she just can’t refuse—even if it will push her over the edge.

Dark psychological thrillers with heart-pounding suspense, the Riley Paige mysteries are a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

Book #3 in the series, ONCE CRAVED, is now also available.

©2016 Blake Pierce (P)2017 Blake Pierce

Why?

I bought the bundle and while I enjoy Elaine Wise's voice, it is extremely disconcerting to have an FBI/U.S. story narrated with a British accent. I keep waiting to hear about Scotland Yard or someone knackered or cheeky, Must keep reminding myself this is set in the U,S. not England.

Cliches and boring characters

i bought this book as a bundle. The only reason I finished the first in the bundle was because the narrator is outstanding. The story is poorly written with characters stumbling from situation to implausible situation. I can't believe a disgraced FBI agent gets away with shooting a door lock off a mobile home and arresting a guy with no more proof than owning certain objects key to the story. I will not be completing book #2. Yuck.

This story is English but set in America

The stories are good but they are totally British and set in America. Why? And the narrator's 'Yo sem ite' bad pronunciations of American site namrs are jarring.

Fun listen!

Some typical gaps in the story but this was a fun listen overall. Recommend it!

Engaging Story

Yes, the narrator is British and the book is set in America. But I liked the narrator very much over all. I'm not sure that I would have liked it as well with another narrator. Some parts could have been written better , but I enjoyed the story for the most part and I'd recommend it. I'll looking forward to continuing the series.

Great storyline

Had to get accustomed to the narrator, but Riley Paige is a very interesting character, I read Ella Dark first and there are many similarities. All in all a very great read.

Do not recommend

This book is very poorly written. The story hops around with no consistency. I would definitely not recommend this book.

Narrator’s Accent

The narrator was pleasant but I had a hard time connecting with the storyline taking place in the United States and being narrated with an English accent.

Why this narrator?!?!-so so bad.

Fun, Intriguing story. Really compelling. But this narrator is all wrong! And Elaine-sweetheart-if you’re going to narrate an American book-learn how to pronounce American names. Maryland?!? Yosemite?!? I mean come on! It was pathetic. And giving a backwoods Virginia hick a cockney accent is akin to Dick VanDyke speaking with a east end accent. Some things are just wrong. (Does this review age me-ya I don’t care. At least I know how to say Yosemite. And I can pick a bad cockney accent out of a line-up.)

Great book but the delivery was weird…

This book is based in the USA but the narrator is British… it was very weird to hear her accent but have the story (and the characters from what I could tell) be in Virginia and very much American. Good story line but this was a hold up!