Seniors Sleuth

Winston Wong Cozy Mystery, Book 1

By: J.J. Chow

Narrated by: Noah DeBiase

Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Winston Wong used to test video games but has left his downward-spiraling career to follow in the footsteps of Encyclopedia Brown, his favorite childhood detective. When the Pennysaver misprints his new job title, adding an extra S to his listing, Winston becomes a "seniors sleuth." He gets an easy first case, confirming the natural death of a 90-year-old man. However, under the surface of the bingo-loving senior home is a seedier world where a genuine homicide actually occurred. Winston finds himself surrounded by suspects on all sides: a slacker gamer administrator, a kind-hearted nurse, and a motley crew of eccentric residents. To validate his new career choice (and maybe win the girl), he must unravel the truth from a tangle of lies.

©2015 Jennifer J. Chow (P)2015 Jennifer J. Chow

I REALLY LIKED IT, AND WANT MORE WINSTON WONG!!!

What made the experience of listening to Seniors Sleuth the most enjoyable?

It was a very well written and narrated story...I was absorbed from chapter 1!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Winston Wong

Which scene was your favorite?

When Winston first comes to the nursing home to visit...

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!

Any additional comments?

** I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

This is a fun beginning to a cute series that I would like more of! Winston is a new Detective, he has been a video game tester and was trying to get into that business with no luck, and needs a new career...he accidentally botches his new business cards from Senior Sleuth to Seniors Sleuth..and lands a case investigating the death of an older gentlemen at a fancy senior living facility...well this case is more complex then he thought and although he meets some very interesting people this may be something he does not not want to know about...very good cozy mystery...and would love to continue this series...I recommend!!!

Interesting premise

You wouldn’t think of seniors needing a dedicated sleuth, or that a detective would particularly want to specialize in senior cases. The main character Winston Wong didn’t mean to be a senior sleuth but - in a case of life happens - a typo lands him as one.

The detective execution was not the best I’ve come across. Winston tended to bumble along and didn’t seem to really know what he was doing or have a process. He seemed to stumble along in a bit of a ‘shoot this dart and see if it sticks. Since he is starting this business as a fall back to his originally intended career path you could believe this, but he is also a fan of detective stories so I expected him to have at least basic competence, even if he is supposed to be the bumbling detective.

The rest of the book’s execution was good. Winston was likable enough (aside from his detective skills which made me want to throttle him), so in the end I was cheering him on. There was enough humour and a twist or two to help keep the story fun. The characters in the retirement home (both residents and staff) were interesting or quirky enough to keep the book entertaining, especially as a summer read. I expect Winston will grow into being a detective as the series progresses.

The narrator had a decent voice, and clear enunciation. The reading pace was a bit slow for me, with some pauses between sentences. This was easily fixed by listening at faster speed though.

Overall, it’s an interesting start to a series that I think will get better as Winston grows into his detective role.

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com."

Enjoyed

Good intriguing plot, enjoy these quirky characters, and what they are into. Good flowing plots, and good narration. Given audio for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

Slow from beginning to end

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It filled some time, it was slow and needs some help to make it more interesting.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

That anyone would hire someone with no credentials from an ad in a paper, even though they were the criminals. The book was just about as suspenseful as a Hardy Boys book and all the mystery books, including the one used in the book, written for kids.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Noah DeBiase?

Maybe, I wasn't impressed.

Was Seniors Sleuth worth the listening time?

It filled some time.

Average would be a stretch

I thought it would be an interesting listen for the two of us on a road trip. instead, it took multiple short trips to finish it; and I'm not sure it was worth all that effort.

Winston is cool

If you could sum up Seniors Sleuth in three words, what would they be?

Charming, engaging, and technical.
The story, main character, and the narrator charm the socks right off of you, keeping you engaged in the story and invested in the characters. Dealing with nursing homes and medical supplies and conditions involves a lot of technical details that lost me a couple of times.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

A murder mystery naturally keeps you guessing. There were plenty of suspects and motives introduced here, and on more than one occasion we think we figured it out!

What does Noah DeBiase bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Noah had a tough job with the plethora of characters in this book. From the Asian main character to nursing home residents to whiny granddaughter, he sold it. At times I wished he brought more warmth to the story, but this wasn't the emotionally gripping story that I'm used to listening to.

Any additional comments?

Seniors Sleuth is a charming cozy mystery, clean and easy-to-listen to with a tiny smack of romance, a full range of characters, and a happy ending.
This audiobook was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn't for me

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would probably recommend this book to my younger friends. At times this book felt like it was meant for a much younger audience.

If you’ve listened to books by J.J. Chow before, how does this one compare?

I have not listened to JJ Chow before.

What aspect of Noah DeBiase’s performance would you have changed?

Maybe I would've liked his performance much better if this had been a different book. I would definitely listen to another of his performances instead of write him off because this book wasn't for me.

Could you see Seniors Sleuth being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

The only series I could see this being made into would be for a younger audience to watch maybe on Saturday mornings or after school type show.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.

Fun cosy mystery

This is a fun cozy mystery about a middle-aged game tester turned sleuth. The characters were interesting and a little eccentric. I enjoyed listening to this story; the narrator, Noah DeBiase, was good.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Audiobookblast for an honest review.

Deadly Assisted Living

If you could sum up Seniors Sleuth in three words, what would they be?

Deadly Assisted Living

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

It kept my attention though not at edge of my seat.

Which character – as performed by Noah DeBiase – was your favorite?

The hero Winston. He is a kind easy going fellow.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Deadly Assisted Living

Any additional comments?

Winston is starting a new career. He had been a video game tester. Now he advertises himself as a senior sleuth, however the ad is misprinted as a senior's sleuth. His first case is the investigation of a 90 year old assistant living resident. In the investigation an innocent is framed. The actual killer and the motive will surprise you,

This was a likable family rated cozy mystery.


“I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot come”

So fun!

I loved this book! It was one of my first cozy mysteries! I couldn't have picked a better one for it! I had several laugh-out-loud moments. It was so fun and Noah DeBiase did such a wonderful job with narration! Couldn't get enough!