Bombshell: A What Doesn’t Kill You World Romantic Mystery (Ava Book 1)

Pamela Fagan Hutchins
Narrator: Chante McCormick
Genre: 
Audiobooks

MYSTERY:  Single mom Ava Butler is sexy, intelligent, and unemployed. There aren’t many jobs on her small Virgin Island, so she feels lucky when a temp job opens up — only on her first day, she finds the dead body of a young woman she knew from her days at the local Catholic school. Distrustful of local law enforcement, she vows to make sure the girl is not forgotten. Meanwhile, she meets Sam, a hot African-American mainlander, even as she can't forget Colin, her best friend's brother. Plus, when her new boss offers her the chance to do a demo in New York City, which could launch her singing career, she meets up with her former flame and current TV heartthrob. Then two more girls disappear and Ava can't let it go. Soon Ava is a suspect and to clear her name, she will have to put her life on the line and deal with some hard truths about herself.

"Bombshell" lives up to its name as Ava finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer and being manipulated by the FBI. While the second half of the audiobook explodes with action, the mystery takes a backseat in the first half, which might disappoint mystery fans. Instead, the focus is on Ava's man troubles and her unwillingness to commit to a relationship. However, Ava has layers, making her an intriguing character, and she is forced to weigh what matters to her most of all.

Chanté McCormick delights with her rendering of the Caribbean English. It does take a little adjusting to catch the accent, yet it brings the setting to life. The majority of the book is in standard English. McCormick excellently performs the various characters both males and females. Her narration will charm the listener. 

Tricia Hill