The Lipstick Murders

The Faye-Lynn Johnson Mysteries, Book 1

By: Ricky A. Corum

Narrated by: Cassandra Arnold

Chief of Police Nick Burns opens a 12-year-old cold case, and long-submerged secrets begins to surface. Detective Faye-Lynn Johnson, to whom the case is assigned, learns that this is not an isolated incident. The killer has done this before and will kill again. She must solve the biggest case of her career before the killer strikes again.

©2020 Ricky Corum (P)2023 Ricky Corum

true crime like story

this was like a true crime story enjoyed it was a very interesting and engaging listen for me narration was good

"I love you with all my heart."

.It was Faye Lynn Johnson's first day as a rookie police officer when the woman's body was found, lipstick lips painted on her left breast but she would be a detective before the case was solved ten years later. Meanwhile there were other killings and there was a vicious rapist at large. The two stories intertwine and the idea is a good one but, sadly, badly presented. Amateurish writing with a mixture of perspectives and tenses, the author seems to pursue one story at the expense of the other only remembering it again later, returning with much repitition. Characterization is plodding and flat but in neither the murder or the raping was the culprit a mystery. The sex scenes, too, we're graphic and unedifying.
Narration by Cassandra Arnold helped lift the story, give some life to otherwise flat characters but could not avoid the long repetitive passages or better restructure the story. This book badly needs a good editorial hand and then it could be made into something special.

I downloaded The Lipstick Murders as a complimentary copy from Audiobooks Unleashed. My thanks to the rights holder for making it freely available to all who wish to read it. At four and one half hours in it's present state it is too long to be enjoyable beyond the first quarter of the book but there is promise there, hidden in the messy writing.

Good Crime Mystery

If you like crime mysteries where eventually the good guys win, this is a book for you. It keeps you guessing until the very end.

Novel take on True crime

I really liked how this audio is set out. Cassandra does a great job with all the voices.
I really enjoyed the back and forth between all the different points of view.

Interesting

By the end of this I was sick and furious that so many innocent lives were extinguished by depraved minded people. I was particularly offended the someone to be trusted was committing these heinous repulsive acts. Karma is great, but why does it take so long to kick in???
It was frustrating seeing these wrongs committed without remorse and then no retribution!!! I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this and am giving an honest opinion. The narrator was okay.