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Sunday, September 13, 2015

90) Third Degree by Maggie Barbieri

The Blurb :

On her way to meet her boyfriend’s parents, college professor Alison Bergeron stops by a coffee shop to steel her resolve. It’s a big event. Not only is it the first time she’s met NYPD detective Bobby Crawford’s entire family, but it’s coming on the heels of a wedding proposal that she has left unanswered so far.

Then, as she steps into the shop, a brawl breaks out that ends in the death of Carter Wilmott, a merciless and loathed local blogger. The case couldn’t be any simpler, and Alison witnessed the whole thing, but when Wilmott’s car explodes in the aftermath, what looked to be a crime of passion becomes something far more complicated and maybe even premeditate.

My Thoughts :

When I started reading this cozy series I really liked it.  However as the series progresses I find it all to be a little Meh.  I am sure that if I was actually reading a physical copy then I would give up within a few chapters.  As it is I am pulled in by the audio version and can't help but keep listening despite the flaws and annoyances.
Allison is a nice enough character but the author really doesn't seem to like her very much.  This time around she is thrown into the middle of a fight, has to deal with seeing a man die and then things just spiral from there on.  How Allison manages to get up in the morning is beyond me and her support system isn't really the best one going either.  Her one best friend is always doing the wrong thing and her other best friend is, in this book, not very supportive at all.

The plot wasn't bad, the sleuthing was so so but the whole romantic relationship and the other over the top stuff really made this one drag.  While I like a little drama, Allison seems to just make her own and then make it even worse without really trying.  It is frustrating to see her make the wrong decisions and get involved in things that are of no concern of hers.  Yes cozies are amateur sleuths but Allison is just nosy.

The audio version is well worth listening to but I have to admit it isn't the best production.  I find myself concentrating on the loud breathes the narrator takes and I sometimes wonder about her pronunciation.  It could be my British vs American dialect but I listen to mainly American read books and nothing has stood out as much as it has with this series.

All in all this is an ok series.  It started off better and is gradually getting very bleh.  However I have come this far and will continue to finish the series and listen to the next couple of installments and see what happens to Allison and how it all ends.  Well worth checking out if you would like to see The Mindy Project become a mystery series.




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