Audiobook Review – Prawn of the Dead

Prawn of the Dead Series: Lemon Layne Mystery #1
by Dakota Cassidy
Narrator: Hollie Jackson
Published by Tantor Audio on March 16, 2017
Genres: Adult Cozy Mystery
Length: 5 hours and 33 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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Fig Harbor, Washington home to amateur sleuth Lemon Layne, the best Sherlock Holmes wannabe west of the Mississippi!

USA Today bestselling cozy mystery author Dakota Cassidy serves up conspiracy, suspects, bedlam, and murder in Prawn of the Dead, Book 1 in A Lemon Layne Mystery series.

Prawn of the Dead is sure to keep you guessing from start to finish as you and Lemon follow the trail of a murderer.

"My name is Lemon Layne, and if asked to describe myself, like maybe on a dating site (which is never gonna happen), I'd have to go with best convenience store/barbecue joint owner in the Pacific Northwest. I live in the tiny tourist town of Fig Harbor, Washington with my adorably neurotic best friend, Coco Belinski, my a-little-left- of-center (read totally out there) mom, May, and my troublemaking pet monkey, Jessica Fletcher.

Oh, and last but certainly not least, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool amateur sleuth. Yep. I'm literally incapable of resisting a good mystery. No matter how great or small, I love to stick my nose into...er, help solve a crime. From the mysterious disappearance of Ho Hos in my store, to a lost piece of jewelry, I'm always ready to put on my Sherlock Holmes cap (I really do have one. Got it when I was eight).

When I find my mother's ex-boyfriend murdered in our convenience store bathroom with a piece of his skull missing, and my mom's a suspect in a murder investigation, my mystery solving goes from zero to a hundred. To really make matters worse, the town's local conspiracy theorist and official doomsday prepper, Cappie somehow finds out the victim isn't just missing a piece of his skull--he's missing a piece of his brain!

And that's when off the wall Cappie starts spreading word the zombie apocalypse has officially arrived in our tiny burg. Total chaos ensues and I have to pick my way through everything from weekend warrior zombie hunters to medical mysteries in order to catch a killer!"

This contemporary cozy mystery has it all, from the local doomsday prepper to an out of control pet monkey, a mother who would drive a saint to drink, and of course a dead body in the bathroom. Prawn of the Dead is a laugh-out-loud thrill ride that will keep you guessing from start to finish.

4 Stars for Prawn of the Dead.

I was drawn to this book because of the title and cover, and this turned out to be a fun cozy mystery. Fig Harbor, Washington is a small coastal community, perfect for a quick getaway from Seattle. Lemon Layne lives in Fig Harbor with her mother and runs the local gas station/convenience store/barbecue joint. Thanks to her father, Lemon has always had an interest in solving crimes, which is evident with her pet monkey Jessica Fletcher (named after the beloved TV character from Murder She Wrote). When Lemon discovers her mother’s ex-boyfriend dead in the gas station restroom, her mother becomes a prime suspect. To clear her mother’s name Lemon goes into detective mode. And true to cozy mysteries formula Lemon buries her nose where she’s not wanted and uncovers clues in the unlikely (and illegal) ways. Along for the ride is Lemon’s best friends Coco, who happens to work at the coroner’s office, and Justice, a Fig Harbor cop. With friends in the right places, it is no wonder Lemon gets drawn to solving the mystery. Thanks to Cappy, the local conspiracy theorist and doomsday prepper, the murder becomes a social media hit and the town is filled with his followers. With zombie hunters lurking the town there are hilarious scenes that I thought were creative and entertaining. Lemon has her hands full in solving the mystery and clearing her mother’s name.

Prawn of the Dead was a fun read. I loved the author’s sense of humor and I was laughing a long with the story. Fig Harbor is filled with quirky townspeople and I thought it was a great mix of suspects. It was just enough suspects to make it easy to keep track and keep guessing on who the murderer was. Hollie Jackson narrates the audiobook and I thought her performance was good. But I did feel the voice of Coco was irritating, it came across too snobby. Despite this one voice I thought Ms. Jackson narrated the story well and brought excitement to the story.

Prawn of the Dead is a great start to a new series. This was a quick read and a great way to add a little fun and mystery to your day.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2018 Audiobook Challenge

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