The Stiff in the Study

Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries, Book 2

By: Shéa MacLeod

Narrated by: Yvette Keller

Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

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

Murder, mystery and humor

I once again really enjoyed this humorous, cozy mystery in the Viola Roberts series. Viola would be such a fun friend to have but she does seem to manage to get herself (and her friend) involved in some dicey situations. This is a great murder mystery with twists, red herrings, hints of romance and lots of humor and wine. It has a great cast of characters and the narration on the audiobook is excellent, she really shows the humor in the story well. This is a fun read that will keep you guessing until the end.

The Stiff in the Study

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

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?

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!

Narration Makes It

A little slow, but the narration made it worth a listen. I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Blast

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Stiff in the Study

This is a great series! I really enjoyed the first book and this second one was equally good. The characters are great. Viola can get herself into anything, including caught up in a murder case. I love her friends also who complement her so well. The fun antics and commentary of Viola’s escapades made me laugh. The story was well written. And the narration by Yvette Keller was done well and was a great expression of the humorous tone of the story.