Rocky Road and Revenge (Cambria Clyne Mysteries Book 2)

MYSTERY:  Cambria Clyne is a property manager for an apartment complex with an important inspection coming up, and things are going wrong! There is an unexpected fire in the lobby, and an urn filled with ashes from a dead body gets left in the apartment storage closet. Cambria’s best friend, actress Amy Magnolia, is implicated in the murder of another actress, and Cambria’s boyfriend, Chase Cruller, is one of the detectives investigating this crime. Bodies start piling up, and Cambria keeps ‘helping.’ Between the various characters at the apartment complex and the ones she meets while investigating, there are plenty of personas competing for the reader’s attention. Some of these peripheral characters are rendered superficially, making it a challenge to remember them. Nevertheless, some lighthearted moments of fun pop up within this audiobook.

Cambria is dating Chase, but is still attracted to her daughter’s father, Tom. She is somewhat conflicted over this, but mostly remains loyal to Chase. The conflicts within and between the main protagonists in this audiobook are sometimes murky, and other times clear, as the listener is led in one direction, then in a totally different direction. The world-building and the Los Angeles locale are believable, yet the story does not always flow as smoothly as one hopes for. Random actions occur frequently, and sometimes it just seems rather busy within the narrative. It’s hard to fathom anyone being that unlucky in such a short span of time. However, it does create a funny story!

Emily Wilson does a credible job of keeping most of the voices of the many characters distinct from each other. The recording is well-done and there aren’t any noticeable technical glitches or extraneous noises that are discernible within the production. Ms. Wilson is consistent in her speaking speed and style, and there aren’t any noticeable mispronunciations.

Carey Sullivan