Secrets That Kill

A Shelby Nichols Adventure, Volume 4

By: Colleen Helme

Narrated by: Wendy Tremont King

Playing a high-stakes poker game should be easy for a mind-reader. But living to talk about it is another matter.

Delivering a letter for a mob boss shouldn’t be dangerous.

But nothing ever goes as planned for Shelby Nichols.

Pulled into the clutches of a rival crime organization, Shelby uncovers information that leads her on a path toward death. The more she discovers, the worse it gets.

Too late, she realizes that some secrets are meant to be kept...and others...can get her killed.

USA Today and Wall Street Journal best-selling author Colleen Helme offers a clever mix of mystery, laugh-out-loud humor, and pause-resisting adventure in the highly acclaimed Shelby Nichols Adventure Series.

©2013 Colleen Helme (P)2014 Colleen Helme

Doctor's Notes Review

Any additional comments?

Once again we see Shelby back in her element and doing what she does best and I loved every minute of it. The narrator for this one makes Shelby come to life and I love what she does with her. She really gets all her quirks and makes her just what I had envisioned for her. This time around we catch Shelby relaxing on vacation and as she is finishing it up Uncle Joey asks for a favor. I think we all know by now that his favors are never anything little and soon Shelby finds herself in the middle of another mystery like always. I think I loved this book more than the previous books because we really got to see Shelby and Ramos work together. These two set off an adventure that can only be done as they know how.



I think as these books go on we see Shelby become a stronger character and she really learns how to make her gift work for her. I love seeing how creative she gets with hiding her abilities and making people question what she can do. This time around Ramos convinces Shelby to help him take down the guy who he thinks killed his brother but he soon learns more than he expected to know about that situation. I loved that this time around we got to learn who Ramos was and where he came from. This book really lets us see into his world and get to know him has a character and figure out what makes him tick. I loved seeing him tell Shelby more about what makes him Ramos in a nutshell. I know that nothing will come out of it but Shelby and Ramos really have some amazing chemistry and I would have loved to see them together as a couple but Shelby loves her hubby too much and Ramos respects that. I think that is another reason why I love Ramos for who he is. Shelby soon has to play a game of poker with the guy that Ramos is trying to take down and of course that is where the fun starts. It was so funny listening to Shelby try to figure out how to play the game and to outsmart her opponent at the same time.

Overall this was another great installment in this series and one that really let us learn more about Ramos as a person. You got to see where he came from and what he gave up to become who he is now. The narrator did a good job with his voice and making him sound completely different from the other characters. She does a great job of making all the characters have their own personalities and making them all unique and with their own quirks. I have fallen for these characters and can’t wait to see where the author will take them next. I would highly recommend this one to others especially those that love a good mystery read.

Perfect blend of action mystery and mind reading!

Who would believe that a family vacation and a simple favor could end up in a life or death battle and a murder? With Shelby Nichols involved? I would!

This, the next installment in the Shelby Nichols adventures from acclaimed author Colleen Helme is another non-stop action roller coaster ride that will keep you coming back for more. I would recommend this book to anyone without hesitation, it is not to be missed. I think Colleen Helme has the potential of being another modern day Agatha Christie.

Usually, I am in real trouble with a Shelby Nichols book (for exceeding my reading budget, and losing sleep!) and this audio book is no exception. As I have been travelling for a living for over four years, normally I need good books to keep me company on long airplane flights. With Secrets That Kill, I was looking for some more long flights, just so I could spend more time listening to the book!

Wendy Tremont King has now established herself as the quintessential Shelby Nichols. In fact, Wendy's voice is SO Shelby at this point that if I heard another actor I would say, "That's not Shelby!" The power and finesse of Ms. King is her understated realism. When she does Ramos's voice, or Uncle Joey's voice, you get the downplayed shift to a deeper more masculine voice, but more importantly you get the menace, the coldness, and the intonations that come with the different personalities. In a narrated audio book, I believe that there must be a symphony between the writer and the narrator. If the voices are not real and believable, the listener's attention could wander. With Wendy King and the Shelby Nichols Adventures, Wendy IS Shelby, and the depth and breadth of Wendy's capabilities makes this audio book incredibly real to the listener. I classify this as "not to be missed".

There is a new element in this 4th book in the Shelby Nichols Adventure series: Romance. When a favor to drop off a letter for Uncle Joey goes murderously wrong, Shelby is stuck in Orlando with Ramos. Well, not exactly stuck, but wanting to help him. The temperature climbs to the boiling point between these two. Can Shelby's love and loyalty for husband Chris win out?

This story delves deep into Ramos's past, and we get a lot of back story for him, but the sizzle between Shelby and Ramos goes off the scale. Yes, the book is still PG rated and this audio story is suitable for tweens and teens as well as mature audiences. You really don't want to miss this one.

In the way that Helme brings out the nuances and details of her characters, in her wonderful chain of consciousness style, in the interaction between Ramos and Shelby, this book is a knock it out of the park slam dunk home run of a novel, without doubt Helme's best to date.

So the good news is, this is a fabulous 5 star addition to the collection, and the bad news is like the chicken and the pig scenario, I find myself committed. Which means that like the ham and eggs, I am very definitely not the involved hen, I am the committed pig - to the series. If Helme pens it, if King narrates it, I'm all in. I'll buy it.

Want something great to listen to on your summer holidays? need a distraction? Need that great new book while driving to keep you focused? Secrets That Kill is the audio book you need.

Fun read/ narration.... Not so much

This was fun and light read for summer. I'd recommend it to all, although women more so. I liked the action with the humor.
I didn't like Ramos being so much like Janet Evanovich's character ,Ranger. Both characters calling her "babe" in their low husky voices. The narrator is annoying. She made Shelby sound 15 years old with the ditsy higher pitched voice. When she tried to speak for the men, they all sounded the same. Drawn out voices & the same accents. I wish the narrators would simply read and not try to emulate any characters.

Truly Enjoyable

Would you consider the audio edition of Secrets That Kill to be better than the print version?

I did not read the printed version.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Secrets That Kill?

Shelby singing Alejandro and getting caught by Ramos! Funny, LOL!

Which scene was your favorite?

Ramos kissing Shelby's palm of her hand. So glad Shelby did not cheat on her husband but is real in the fact that she is attracted to Ramos.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Ramos's family story was sad, but no tears.

Any additional comments?

I drive 2.5 hours from Baltimore Airport to Delaware 2x/week, listening to this series makes the drive fly by....Truly Enjoyable!

Don't keep this book a secret

I really enjoyed this book. It was great to find out a bit more about Ramos as he is such a great character and you are never sure what is going to happen when he is around. I also like the tension and teasing between him and the main character Shelby as she puts her mind reading skills to good use and learns a few secrets.
Shelby and her family are on holiday and only have to worry about enjoying themselves, well if she didn't have to deliver a letter for uncle Joey, a holiday might have been nice. In true Shelby style things don't go to plan and she is questioned by the police about a dead body. Calling out for help when she is followed to the airport and the rest of the family are on the way home, Ramos comes running to the aid but brings his own baggage, as he has a troubled past with the state of Florida. It's not long before the two of them are breaking laws and facing gun toting bad guys, in this action packed story.
Wendy is an excellent narrator and a good choice for Shelby and the gang. I can't wait to start the next book.

The series keeps getting better!

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

I have already recommend this book along with the other 3 in the series I have read. It is a clean and enjoyed read. I loved that I could be thrilled but the story and then turn around and recommend it to my 14 year old niece.

Any additional comments?

I was so excited about the character development in this book. I can't wait for get a hold of book 5 in the Shelby Nichols Adventures.

Wow! Love Shelby Nichols!

This is my third listening of this book and series. Each listening is as good as the first. This book is fun, full of action and adventure. What I love about this book is that you get more of a look into Ramos and his past.
I love this series and I can tell you every book in this series is brilliant and fun. Colleen Helme is one of my all time favourite authors. This cozy myself series is full of mystery, adventure and laughs. Love it.

Ramos, Ramos, RAMOS!!

I love this series, but please, please...ditch the husband and get something going with Ramos! That's the most exciting part of the storyline.

LOVED IT!!!

I'd have to say that this has been one of my very favorites in the series so far!!!! How can you not shiver when Ramos calls Shelby, "Babe"!!! And having more time together...WOW! What a predicament, but love all these characters so much! only Shelby could go to Disney World And still end up in a mess!!! lol. Wendy Tremont King does a super job narrating. I'll never stop loving this series!!❤❤❤

New Setting with Lots of Fun

My Initial Reaction...
I was really stuck between a 3.5 and a 4.5 when I first finished Secrets That Kill. It's a BIG range, but there was one element that was fairly dominant in this story that I didn't like. At the same time, I LOVED the action and setting. In the end I landed on the middle with 4 stars.

The Narration...
Wendy Tremont King continues to be a pretty good narrator with Secrets That Kill. A few Hispanic accents popped up again and she really doesn't know what to do with them. I find it funny, though, and it doesn't actually hurt the reading for me. Otherwise, she's a solid voice for Shelby the MC.

The Characters...
I really love Shelby's personality and it continued strong in Secrets That Kill. As always it's her obsessive need to help everyone that gets her into trouble - she's just TOO good for her own good sometimes. The one thing that really bothered me in Secrets That Kill was the way she entertained thoughts about Ramos. It felt really out of character for Shelby - even though she always pushed those feelings away because she knew that she loved Chris, it just didn't jive with the Shelby I know. I know that it's perfectly natural to admire someone attractive and when they get thrown together as much as Shelby and Ramos did in Secrets That Kill it's probably bound to come up a bit more. But it went a bit further than felt right to me for Shelby.

I think I also really missed the family element in Secrets That Kill. You get some phone conversations with Chris, but none with the kids. I guess after seeing Chris come so far in the last book, I wanted more of that -- Chris and Shelby together and against it all -- but got Shelby flying more solo than ever before.

I did really enjoy that we got to know Ramos so much better in Secrets That Kill -- I've always liked him as a character and it was really great to get his back story. And even though it threw me for a loop, I have to admit that if it weren't something that felt out of character for Shelby - I DID like the little bit of awkwardness and tension between her and Carlos (which is why I'm still giving this 4 stars, rather than knocking it all the way down to 3.5).

The Story...
The story for Secrets That Kill was particularly strong. It kicks off with Shelby getting ready to head home from the family's vacation in Florida - but first she has to make a delivery for Uncle Joey. And in a spectacularly Shelby fashion it get WAY out of control. Before you know it, her life's in danger and she's playing high stakes poker (and with a mind reading ability, that's super cool!). The element of being on vacation - but without her bags - really gave this a fresh feel for the series, nothing felt too familiar - which could easily happen at this point in the series. I did miss some of the mystery elements - this didn't really seem to have one honestly - but the adventure was tons of fun and Shelby continues to keep everyone - including me - on their toes.

Concluding Sentiments...
I've come to love this series and I'm eagerly anticipating the release of the next book to audio later this month.

I received this book for free from Audiobook Jukebox in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.