Scarlet Oaks and the Banished Witness

Scarlet Oaks Cozy Mystery Series, Book 3

By: Michaela James

Narrated by: Kimberly M. Wetherell

Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Scarlet receives another cryptic message during her late night call-in show. The man believes she’s responsible for his friend’s disappearance. Scarlet dismisses the accusation until she learns the missing girl and James’ sister, Amy, have a connection. Cedar Acres, the beautiful and tranquil care facility Amy calls home is also the last place the missing young woman was seen.

When James is denied access to his sister, the group of amateur sleuths find an alternative form of entry. Tom and Scarlet go undercover as patients in the hope of finding out what’s really going on at this mysterious facility.

Where is Amy? What happened to the missing girl and will Tom and Scarlet’s true identity be discovered?

With the aid of quirky aliases, spy gadgets, and bloodhounds, Scarlet and friends discover Cedar Acres is far from what it appears.

One thing is certain, there’s a murderer in their midst, and Scarlet’s running out of time. Can she solve the two young women’s disappearance before she becomes the killer’s next victim?

If you enjoy pause-resisting suspense and smart, feisty heroines, you’ll love Scarlet Oaks!

This is the third book in the Scarlet Oaks series. Continue the adventure - buy Scarlet Oaks and the Banished Witness today!

©2019 Michaela James (P)2020 Michaela James

Great mystery!

Great mystery! Good continuation of the series but would work as a stand alone also. I thought it was over twice and it sucked me back in with other twists and turns!

I received a free copy and left my honest review

Book 3 in great series

Are you a fan of quirky characters? How about mysteries you can't decipher in the first three chapters. Well I have a great read for you. This is book three in the Scarlet Oaks series but it can be read as a stand-alone book. I have read the other two books and they do add a little to the storyline plus I highly recommend them because they are wonderful. Kimberly M. Wetherell is the narrator of this book as well as the other two books. Kimberly does a wonderful job bringing the written word to life. I was gifted this audiobook by the author but this review is all my own words.

Enjoyable end?

I’m unsure if this is the last S. Oaks book but it was a decent wrap up if it is. The story was entertaining, the narration is decent but the differentiations are very slight. This authors writing style is long winded and I get impatient listening when you can see where the storyline is going. This book did a better job than the second (on par with the first) with twists you don’t necessarily see coming.

Overall enjoyable; parents there is some mild language.


—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Scarlet Oaks

Michaela James has a panache for writing quirky characters that are endearing. I so enjoy Scarlet Oaks and her friends and her pet pig. The imagery in the book is fantastic. I can envision so much. This cozy mystery kept me guessing, which I love. The Cedar Acres care facility was the perfect backdrop for this book. The spy gadgets were a plus too. The suspense and humor were well balanced. Kimberly M. Wetherell was great bringing the characters to life. She gave them distinguishable voices, so I knew who was speaking. This book is both a standalone listen and part of a series.

Mystery Inc.

Scarlett Oaks and her friends foils the bad guys again. I can't forget about her little pig cutie Prudence who is always so much fu . This book offers intrigue, drama murder and love. I must admit just when I think I had it all figured out twist and turns took me in a new direction. The book is well written with quirky characters ad a amazing storyline to match. I am in love with this series. I received this book at my request and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

This series just gets better and better...........

Scarlet Oaks and the Banished Witness is the third book in this fun cozy mystery series. Although the mystery can easily stand on it's own, I think listeners will get the most enjoyment if they listen to the books in order. So many of the secondary characters and their relationships with each other and Scarlet continue to evolve from book to book. As with any cozy mystery, it is this character development that makes the Scarlet Oaks series so enjoyable. In her third outing into the amateur sleuth game, Scarlet and her compatriots take their investigation to a whole new level. I would actually describe their investigation as professional, given the many tentacled undercover operations involved. James has a great talent for finding the perfect balance between crazy, hilarious antics versus truly scary encounters and situations for the entire crew. I also thought she handled the issue of mental health and depression with finesse; she didn't downplay the seriousness of these conditions, but she added some lighter dialogue to fit with the cozy nature of the story. I highly recommend Scarlet Oaks and the Banished Witness as well as the entire series to any and all mystery fans.

Kimberly M Wetherell narrates all the books in the series, and she is the perfect fit for Scarlet's bright, bubbly personality. Even with the high number of secondary characters, Wetherell always adds something unique to each, so the narration is very easy to follow. Her performance is flawless, and she takes an already entertaining story and makes it even more fun as an audiobook.

I received a copy of this audiobook at my request in exchange for this honest review.