Barbara Venkataraman

Book #1 - Death by Didgeridoo - 4 out of 5 stars
This book was a good introduction to the series. It's fairly short, almost more of a novella than a novel, but it moved along at a steady pace and gave us a good introduction to the main characters of the series.

So far, I really enjoy the characters. Jamie's great and reminds me a lot of myself. Duke is over-the-top but in a totally believable, realistic way and I love him. All of the main characters seem to be well-developed. They're perhaps not complex yet, but that's mostly because we're just now meeting them. I imagine the more books there are in the series, the more we'll see them develop.

All in all, it's a good start to the series!


Book #2 - The Case of the Killer Divorce - 3.5 out of 5 stars
I didn't enjoy this second book as much as I did the first. I felt like the pace was almost too fast. It was hard for me to keep up with what was going on. This is another shorter book, more of a novella than a novel.

It's not a horrible book. The mystery plot line is interesting and so is the sub-plot of Jamie trying to find her father. However, I'm glad this one was sandwiched in between two much better stories. If this was the only story I had read of the series, I may not have continued with it.

However, the sub-plot of Jamie trying to find her father is important to the overall story arc, so I do recommend that you read this book, even tho' it's not as good as the first or third.


Book #3 - Peril in the Park - 4.5 out of 5 stars
In my opinion, this is the best out of all three books. It feels as though Ms. Venkataraman has finally found the "groove" and the writing is flowing more smoothly. This book was more a full-length novel instead of the shorter novella length of the first two.

In this book, we see lots of the interpersonal relationships between the main characters grow and change. The mystery is fascinating and while I had some idea of the villain before the end of the book, I wasn't certain until it was revealed.

I really enjoyed this third book and I'm looking forward to the fourth in the series, which I have on my Kindle, but it may be some time before I can get to it. June and July are already pretty full with books to read for review. :)

*** Many thanks to Barbara Venkataraman for providing me with an e-copy of these books. I was not compensated for my review. All opinions and conclusions are my own. ***

… (más)

Book #1 - Death by Didgeridoo - 4 out of 5 stars
This book was a good introduction to the series. It's fairly short, almost more of a novella than a novel, but it moved along at a steady pace and gave us a good introduction to the main characters of the series.

So far, I really enjoy the characters. Jamie's great and reminds me a lot of myself. Duke is over-the-top but in a totally believable, realistic way and I love him. All of the main characters seem to be well-developed. They're perhaps not complex yet, but that's mostly because we're just now meeting them. I imagine the more books there are in the series, the more we'll see them develop.

All in all, it's a good start to the series!


Book #2 - The Case of the Killer Divorce - 3.5 out of 5 stars
I didn't enjoy this second book as much as I did the first. I felt like the pace was almost too fast. It was hard for me to keep up with what was going on. This is another shorter book, more of a novella than a novel.

It's not a horrible book. The mystery plot line is interesting and so is the sub-plot of Jamie trying to find her father. However, I'm glad this one was sandwiched in between two much better stories. If this was the only story I had read of the series, I may not have continued with it.

However, the sub-plot of Jamie trying to find her father is important to the overall story arc, so I do recommend that you read this book, even tho' it's not as good as the first or third.


Book #3 - Peril in the Park - 4.5 out of 5 stars
In my opinion, this is the best out of all three books. It feels as though Ms. Venkataraman has finally found the "groove" and the writing is flowing more smoothly. This book was more a full-length novel instead of the shorter novella length of the first two.

In this book, we see lots of the interpersonal relationships between the main characters grow and change. The mystery is fascinating and while I had some idea of the villain before the end of the book, I wasn't certain until it was revealed.

I really enjoyed this third book and I'm looking forward to the fourth in the series, which I have on my Kindle, but it may be some time before I can get to it. June and July are already pretty full with books to read for review. :)

*** Many thanks to Barbara Venkataraman for providing me with an e-copy of these books. I was not compensated for my review. All opinions and conclusions are my own. ***

… (más)

Only talented, versatile author Barbara Venkataraman (and fabulous narrator Carrie Lee Martz) could put so much fun and wit into a 42-minute audiobook. ‘If You’d Just Listened to Me in the First Place’ is so funny, Ella Boudreaux crazily charming, every word so perfectly chosen. All of which made this story perfect for my daily walk: grins became chuckles which turned into guffaws and belly laughs. The perfect thing to make you start your day with a smile.

Ella is one of those people you see talking to someone near you in the grocery store, and you’re kind of afraid to make eye contact, because you are pretty sure that once she starts talking she won’t stop. Ella has a lot to say, just ask her, has lots of opinions, whether you ask her for them or not, and she’s not afraid to share. She says she’s not a negative person, and it’s true, she’s not, but she comes with a lot of warnings and cautions and absolutely no filter on what she tells you. Ella may be a real nagger, but really, who among us hasn’t thought at some time, “If you had only listened to me in the first place . . . . ”

Good thing Ella’s not a negative person because she’s been through almost every job imaginable, culminating in her current job, the job to beat all jobs: cleaning barnacles. Somehow she’s always gotten sidetracked on the job and it just doesn’t work out. But even when it doesn’t, she finds the bright side and some little snippet to take away. And she shares those snippets with us, as well as delightful little glimpses into her talking to and talking about husband Charlie and why that barnacle-cleaning job might have been the best one of all.

Everything Venkataraman writes is supremely readable, engaging, and deceptively thoughtful. The accents, the comical scenes, the you-are-there feeling you get with every single thing this author writes just brighten your day. So my recommendation is that you read every single thing this author writes. I was given an audio copy of ‘If You’d Just Listened to Me in the First Place’ from the author. Absolutely delightful. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.… (más)