The Stiff in the Study

Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries, Book 2

By: Shéa MacLeod

Narrated by: Yvette Keller

Viola Roberts is at it again! The sleepy seaside town of Astoria, Oregon is the last place you'd expect to find a dead body. That is until the director of the local museum turns up dead in the study and Viola's friend, Portia, is accused of the crime. Viola ignores her looming deadline and bout of writer's block and sets out with her best friend, Cheryl, to solve the murder. From starting riots at local dive bars to breaking into crime scenes, Viola will stop at nothing to prove Portia innocent even if it means putting herself in the cross-hairs of the killer.

©2016 Shéa MacLeod (P)2017 Shéa MacLeod

A Return to Scooby Type Mysteries

This book calls itself a cozy mystery. I call it a return to nostalgia. I was looking for a great dane throughout the book. An amateur detective with a group of friends gets stuck in the middle of a mystery. From the description of the main character I was seeing in my mind's eye "Velma Dinkley" the entire time.

The narrator's voice is soft and intellectual, and seemed almost as if this book was written for the voice itself. It reminded me of Velma Dinkley (Scooby Doo) or the voice they use for the Nancy Drew Video games of which my sister is a connoisseur. Thus my brain kept expecting a "Jinkies" (Velma) or an "I'm on the case!" (Nancy).

I'm hoping to get my hands on the next installment, if only to hear that voice again and go seeking for the words that my brain keeps crying out to hear. Also, there usually comes a point when amateur detectives are accepted (usually grudgingly) by the police. I want to see if or when or how long it takes with this series.

stiff was just what this victim was . . . in life

Viola's back. She brings her nose of the truth and protecting her friends. This too was another quick mystery that almost get Ms. Roberts killed, yet again. I still feel like Yvetter Keller does a fab job with the narration. She has it in the bag. Her voice matches the cozy mystery vibe. The story gives you a glimpse at Viola her writing or lack of writing her new book, her boyfriend or not, her friends, her life at home, the detectives without a clue, and much more.

Fun story

Simple and enjoyable. I'm not too worried about inconsistencies or re-use of phrases and words, therefore I found it fun to follow along with the narrator's smooth and energetic voice.

The Stiff in the Study

The Story: 4 stars
Viola Roberts is back, and once again finds herself caught up with murder investigation - this time in the bid to clear her friend Portia's name.Viola always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when there are dead bodies concerned, and there is never a dull moment that is for sure. This was a great little clean cozy mystery that you can get lost in for a few hours. I loved how Lucas - Viola's sort-of love interest from book one is still on the scene and how he gets roped into the situations along with her BFF Cheryl.

I noticed though that there were a couple of loose ends that remain unresolved -the black SUV for one, and again there was a moment when Viola has spoken to Portia who said she wishes she had killed The Louse and later when Viola visits Portia in jail, they have the same conversation all over again as if it never happened the first time. Maybe this a quirk that Shéa MacLeod has, whilst it does't impact majorly on the story, it certainly is memorable to the reader/listener that we have a sense of déjà vu....

The Narration: 5 stars
I am so glad that Yvette Keller is back and narrating this book, she is just perfect for these characters. Again she brings them to life and injects the realness of the situations that Viola gets herself into with humor.

overall - 5 stars

Why can't the police investigate?

Yvetter Keller does a great job with the narration. Her voice lends great depth to the characters which were smart and funny.

Our amateur sleuth is romance writer that has a bad case of writer’s block. Her BFF is accused of murder and the police do not seem interested in solving the crime, just closing it.

I found the story to be entertaining but I was having a hard time believing the sleuth was a writer.

The sticking points for me were: Why didn’t the police analyze the wine glass & get prints from it & DNA from the lipstick?

Great Fast Paced Mystery

Viola Roberts has come across another murder she must solve. This time her friend hs been charged with the murder. Time for Viola to find the murderer. I really like Viola, she's fun and sassy. The other characters are likeable as well. I always listen to a book while I workout, these books make the time fun and goes by quick. I plan to finish this series and I hope others enjoy them like I do.

Very Enjoyable

I received the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Some spoilers.

I quite enjoyed this book. The characters were funny, and smart, and the author kept me guessing until the very end.

The main character, Viola, is a romance writer who gets caught up in a murder. Her friend is accused of the murder and Viola is determined to prove she had nothing to do with it. Add a cop who Viola does not think is doing his job correctly and mayhem and mystery ensue.

One thing that I noticed that was off about the plot line was the author missed wrapping up a few loose ends .... the black SUV (which the reader can assume was the murderer's, so not a real big problem; and the wine glasses. Viola followed up on the wine glasses as the basis of her investigation, but the police didn't seem to even make note of them, no comments regarding DNA or prints .... and maybe this was deliberate to keep the reader guessing, but I was expecting something to be made of the wine glasses beside the information Viola turned up. Ie. the police looking into the prints on the wine glasses. It just made it seem that the police were not looking for other suspects, when that could have been used as a hint that maybe Viola's friend wasn't the one in the study. (Even if a comment was made that the police knew the DNA didn't match but the wine glasses really didn't prove anything.)

However, I really enjoyed the book, I found it well done and humorous.

Fun and enjoyable

I wonder if Viola Roberts is taking applications for more friends because I want to apply! I do love a heroine that understands the importance of wine and food. She is also just a lot of fun to be around.

In this book, Viola is out to prove her BFF is innocent of murder. Her methodology is both ridiculously simple and ingenious – things that always work when trying to solve a crime in a small town because there are always secrets and someone always knows something; it’s just a matter of how you go about obtaining that information.

Viola’s detection methods at times hamper official police efforts but what’s a woman to do when they choose to treat her as an annoyance? And in my eyes, it’s Viola that seems to be doing the better job.

The mystery is ultimately solved in a believable manner. A couple of loose ends remain unresolved but nothing to hamper the credibility of the story.

Yvette Keller does a great job with the audio; Viola, her friends, the exasperated detective and other characters are narrated very well. I was engaged from the start all the way to the end.

Fun Cozy Mystery!

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

I have listened to some other books with Yvette Keller's narration and this one is just as good. She does a lovely job and brings personality to the characters.

Any additional comments?

This is the 2nd book in the Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries but it can stand alone. I found this story to be just as much fun as the first. Viola Roberts is a historic mystery writer whose friend is arrested for the murder of her lecherous boss. The bumbling police force cannot be trusted, so it is up to Viola to prove her friend is innocent. There are many interesting characters, some who are hilarious. I suspected a few of the characters, but I guessed wrong! I look forward to the rest of the series!

The Stiff in the Study

This was a fun story. Yvette has a way that keeps you interested in the story