The Bali Mystery

Amelia Moore, Book 1

By: Linda Weaver Clarke

Narrated by: Diane Lehman

Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Amelia Moore, founder of the Moore Detective Agency, specializes in missing persons. Her cases have taken her to some very interesting places and put her in some dangerous situations, but she always solves them. With the help of Rick Bonito, her sometime partner, her business is flourishing.

When Mrs. Brody hires Amelia and Rick to find her missing brother, they find themselves in Bali, Indonesia. They are mystified about why her brother quit his job, put his home up for sale, and ran off to this mysterious and exotic island without telling a soul.

©2014 Linda Weaver Clarke (P)2015 Linda Weaver Clarke

Plenty of Excitement, Action,& Adventure

What did you love best about The Bali Mystery?

Very interesting. Great description of characters, and places. Fun and exciting story.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, this was an exciting story. Not knowing what would happen next. With Great Adventure and Action going on.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Rick is teaching Amelia self-defense. When she does something wrong, Rick has her up against the wall or pinned, then he gently kisses her. It's a little romantic and kind of funny.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Exciting Adventure, finding a missing person, on the romantic island of Bali!

Any additional comments?

Great mystery. The story really had you guessing what would happen next. It was Not a boring, predictable mystery. Much more exciting then that.

Loved it. A great new series.

Would you listen to The Bali Mystery again? Why?

I would certainly listen to The Bali Mystery again. I loved the flirtatious friendship between Amelia and Rick. A lot of their interactions were humorous and adorable. The mystery involving a missing person which brings the pair to an exotic location provides the perfect backdrop for their burgeoning romance.

Which character – as performed by Diane Lehman – was your favorite?

Rick and Amelia were great characters. Both are well written and well performed. I loved how Diane Lehman could so convincingly perform such a variety of characters from an elderly woman's voice to Rick's male voice and switching back to Amelia again.

Any additional comments?

I gave the story 4 stars instead of 5 because I thought they had quite an easy time with their actual detective work. William, the missing man, left a heap of breadcrumbs for the pair to follow which included a brochure circled with all the places he was going to visit in Bali and everything else they needed to know was detailed in a journal detailing why he had decided to disappear. Despite this I really enjoyed the suspense and mystery surrounding the people who were following and threatening Amelia.

I didn't really like the singing. I just found it a little annoying and unnecessary. It starts with Rick singing 'Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,' and continues with Amelia sporadically singing songs from the movie South Pacific, of which she is a big fan.

But these minute flaws were easily glossed over as the story simply pulled me in from the beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I listened to it in one session. The narrator does a fantastic job and this is definitely a series that I will want to follow.




I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fun cozy mystery with adventure!

Any additional comments?

The Bali Mystery by Linda Weaver Clarke is a fun cozy mystery with adventure and a hint of romance. The story centers around Amelia Moore, who is the founder of the Moore Detective Agency, which specializes in missing persons. In this story, Amelia is hired by Mrs. Brody to find her missing brother William, who traditionally talked with his sister whenever he traveled out of town for work. Amelia soon uncovers that William quit his job, put his home up for sale, and traveled to Bali, Indonesia without telling anyone. To help solve the mystery, Amelia elicits the help of Rick Bonito after she notices a pair of thugs tailing her. Amelia and Rick travel to Bali and soon solve the puzzle, all the while their once strictly professional relationship develops into a true friendship.

I really enjoyed this story, which is well plotted and well written. What I loved most is the dialog between the two main characters as it flows naturally as if the reader is listening in on their private conversation. My only complaint is that Amelia's and Rick's backstory should have been better developed. I couldn't help but think this was a continuation of a previous story in a series rather than the first one. Amelia is obviously good at her job, but how did she get into the detective business? How did Amelia's and Rick's professional relationship develop (how did it first start)?

I listened to the Audible version of this book narrated by Diane Lehman and the listening experience was very good. She had varying voices for each character and really brought the two main characters to life. I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review. Regardless, I enjoyed the Bali Mystery so much that I intend to listen to the next book in the series!

Take a Book Vacation in Bali

The Bali Mystery (Amelia Moore Detective Series ) Amelia Moore specializes in finding missing persons. Rick Bonito, her fun-loving partner, adds the sparks that these light mysteries need. The Bali Mystery offers a more unique plot than some of Linda Weaver Clarke other books. She takes the reader on a book vacation with heavy travel details. This mystery is a good read with a PG13 romance laced into the story. At times, Amelia is hard to believe, however Rick makes up for it.

A fun, clean cozy romantic mystery set in Bali!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Bali Mystery to be better than the print version?

I thoroughly enjoyed the audio edition. This is the first time I've ever listened to Diane Lehman and she delivered a professional performance. She has a clear pleasant voice which she utilized well to differentiate between the characters. Extra KUDOS to her as she sang quite convincingly more than once as both a male and a female. So... while I'm sure I would have also enjoyed the print edition, Diane's contribution enhanced the audio edition.

Would you recommend The Bali Mystery to your friends? Why or why not?

I would recommend THE BALI MYSTERY to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries. If you also enjoy traveling to exotic locales, it's a must-read! I understand that this private-eye team travels to Ireland for their next missing person case! I want to go with them!

Have you listened to any of Diane Lehman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have never listened to Diane Lehman previously so I cannot compare. I will say that I would not hesitate to pick up another book narrated by her.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Return to Bali High in this cozy romantic mystery!

Any additional comments?

THE BALI MYSTERY by Linda Weaver Clarke and narrated by Diane Lehman was a fun, clean cozy romantic mystery set mostly in Bali, Indonesia. Incorporated into the story are fascinating tips about Bali with visits to its temples, jungles, active volcanoes, shopping districts and more! There's even a primer on negotiating with Bali merchants! Readers will meet a few sweet elderly ladies and some guys in black suits who could be mistaken for the super-secret government agents in Men in Black. Fans of South Pacific will love this tale as there are many references to the famous musical included.

Loved the story and the narration was amazing!

What made the experience of listening to The Bali Mystery the most enjoyable?

I love the narration and the twists and turns. The book never lost it's flow and I didn't want to put it down.

What does Diane Lehman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Diane Lehman brought the book alive. She did a great job of all the different male and female voices and is my new favorite narrator.

Enjoyed this book!

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, humorous, and I loved the mystery. I especially liked the author's description of Bali, especially the rain forest. I almost felt that I was sitting there looking at the peaceful landscape and waterfall. I look forward to listening to more of Linda Weaver Clarke's books. Also, Diane Lehman did a great job with her narration!

I received this audio book from the author and promised to leave an honest review.

Could have been good

What did you like best about The Bali Mystery? What did you like least?

I liked how fn and light it was. It was perfect after the heavy books i'd been reading.

Would you ever listen to anything by Linda Weaver Clarke again?

No.

Did Diane Lehman do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Almost. She make the Pakistanis sound stupid, like they had some sort of disorder. And she has to work on her male voices.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

Any additional comments?

The author needs to do some research on her books before she writes it. Especially if she is writing about other cultures and religions.

great start

I really enjoyed listening to this book. The narrator was really good at all the different character voices. Also, there was singing in this book and she [the narrator] actually sang!

Amelia is a detective and Rick is her partner. I really liked the playful, teasing banter between the two of them. This was is the first book in the Amelia Moore detective series, and I can’t wait for more!

Great Cozy Mystery.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Bali Mystery to be better than the print version?

unknown

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

yes, couldn't stop the book until I was finished

Have you listened to any of Diane Lehman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Any additional comments?

The Bali Mystery is the first book in the Amelia Moore Detective Series by Linda Weaver Clarke. I really enjoyed listening to this book, and look forward to reading/listening to the next book in the series. Amelia owns her own private investigating agency. Amelia is hired by Mrs. Brody's to find her missing brother, William Amelia hires Rick to help her find William, which leads them to Bali.

I enjoyed the playfulness of Amelia and Rick bantering and their mutual attraction. I also enjoyed hearing about Bali which made me want to vacation there. This book also has bad guys following our investigators, everything you would want in a good cozy mystery. This book was narrated by Diane Lehman, who did a terrific job. Nothing worse than a narrator who is hard to listen to. I recommend this book for anyone who likes a light mystery with a touch of romance, and beautiful descriptions of the scenery.