The Slime Mold Murder

By: Ellen King Rice

Narrated by: Jonathan Summers

Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

A Winner of the 2020 IPPY Gold Medal for best regional fiction, Ellen King Rice is back with a fourth biological adventure set in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, this time, exploring the fascinating world of the Myxogastria slime molds.

At 19, Dylan’s brilliant mind is an asset as he struggles with severe ADHD and deteriorating living conditions. He’s one semester away from completing his college degree in ecology, but he’s out of cash, out of soap, and about to be evicted.

A post-pandemic opportunity to survey a rural property sounds like a lifeline. The owner of a creepy faux-chateau is ready to pay a handsome wage for a list of species found on the property. Dylan can’t believe his good luck. He’s about to be paid to wander in the woods. How hard can it be to make a plant list?

Dylan’s contract is threatened when a body is found in the woods. Dylan seeks the reason for the death, but his lightning-fast mind is constantly undermined by his poor executive functioning. He can discourse eloquently on the significance of Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, but he can’t find his wallet. He longs to adopt an orphaned West Highland terrier, but he’s not sure he’d remember to feed a dog. He certainly can’t afford a bag of dog kibble, much less the repairs needed on his vintage Honda.

How can Dylan’s intuitive grasp of ecology and the complex life cycles of the Myxogastria help to expose a killer? And how does he protect his friends and a small, confused dog from those who eagerly embrace violence?

Ellen King Rice is a wildlife biologist who explores the woods while wearing leg braces. Her slow pace has provided opportunities to learn about the Northwest’s small and cryptic species. Her vivid adventures shine a spotlight on the richness found on the forest floor, augmented by crisp illustrations from Olympia artist, Duncan Sheffels. This award-winning pair have been charming woodland lovers since 2016.

©2021 Ellen King Rice (P)2022 Ellen King Rice

A plus

Great science and love the struggle the hero has with his ADHD and high IQ.
The audio performance was very good and enthusiastic about the characters.
A plus

Fun and Quirky

I loved the audible version of this book. I learned some biology, got introduced to some very interesting characters and found out about the Northwest from a totally different perspective!

Enjoyable read

I really enjoyed this book. It's not my usual genre, but I am glad that I branched out. The story is fun and well-written; the characters are developed and real. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the story to life and creating individual voices. I definitely recommend this book.

Slime molds rule!

This is a great read. Love the weaving of botany and biology with fictional mystery. Characters are believable and likable. Plot hangs together.

so far ... ch 2 in audiobook...i may get printbook

I think maybe I'll finish it up just reading it.
If the narrator were just sitting across the table like a family member reading it to me, it would be fine.
But It's clear that they aren't a professional voice actor. It's a localized West Coast dialect not quite like Southern CA, where the words kind of blend together in places and the vowels are all like 'bruh.' They make a spectacular effort and they are really trying to make it a good reading. So A for effort! really! Its not easy!
This text requires someone who is completely comfortable with these taxonomies and scientific names. I guess I'm not quite sure what they are saying, because I don't think they're confident with what they're saying.
I had to go backward a few times to make sure that I was listening to something scientific rather than a run-together everyday phrase. Maybe it's just because I'm an old gal from Dakota.
Also I'm not sure they read the banter with the right tone.
Plus I'd really love to see the illustrations that are mentioned in many of the reviews. :)

Too early to tell about the storyline.

CONT...

Much improved . I think I just needed to get used to a new narrator . Ive been reading a long series witb same narrator. :)

Such an original idea. And I am learning a lot.