Fun!

Fun is... no swearing, sex, or mutilation. This is Lucile Ball being a detective. I listen to books as I fall asleep. For all the reasons that makes this a fun read also makes it a good "sleep" book. The 5 stars reflects the ability of the story to captivate my attention while sleeping. The story then graduates from a "sleep" book to a entertaining story.

The narrator detract slightly from the reading. Her voice sounded as it she was reading to fast and had to take her last breath quickly to keep the pace. In addition, you could sometimes hear her inhale or how her mount accumulates saliva and she has to swallow quickly. I picked up the narrations quirks quickly. As a "sleep" book it was not a problem. When I began to listen for the purpose of the story, it was annoying.

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love audio books

Loved it. Narration good. Could do 2 things at the same time. I'm hooked. Exciting.

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2 people found this helpful

I so saw myself in the Main Character

Loved it! Refreshing and fun. Just the way I like it. im getting the rest right now. Keep 'em commin'.

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particular brand of crazy that is wholly engaging

AudioBook Review:
Overall: 5 Narration: 5 Story: 5

I will admit that the blurb is what drew me into the story: the ability to present a murder mystery with a main character who is just “the right brand of crazy” to be funny, not too obsessed with taking herself or her reputation seriously, and wanting to help her family’s financial situation so that saving $3 on cheap toilet tissue is not the driving force to her knowing the aisles at W*****t well enough to walk them in her sleep.

Fairly recently relocated to a small town of Hudson, west of Boston and just inside the “Tech Belt” in Massachusetts, Maggie and her husband Neil ( a retired Navy SEAL) have found a modest house for they and their two sons to settle in. Decent schools, not quite strapped enough to be house-poor, the opportunity for Maggie to take on some housecleaning jobs in the little neighborhood is a perfect one for extra money. And, with the encouragement of her best friend, she decides to go for it, calling her company The Laundry Hag.

When the wife of her first client is found dead, all eyes turn to him. But, Maggie was “enjoying” one of several uncomfortable moments with this man with his fascination for torturous devices and their history, and is the alibi that proves he didn’t physically kill his wife. But, Maggie (and her best friend Sylvia) have their own ideas and a misguided sense of their own abilities and are determined to unveil the murderer themselves.

Several twists and turns, with an incredibly well-plotted story that kept the killer under wraps until the end, Maggie is delightful and clever, with a knack for seeing herself with brutally honest eyes, and finding the funny. Her relationship with her husband and son are delightfully portrayed and very real, with Neil’s acceptance of her “happy place moves” as she stands in her kitchen and just sniffs, to ground herself in the moment and release tension. These two are perfectly matched with his protective abilities and sense, and her own particular brand of crazy that is wholly engaging and utterly devoid of deception or ill will.

Secondary characters are far more than just additions: arriving with an instant impression from Maggie, and then allowed to develop and show themselves as the story continues. Her best friend Sylvia, and her immature younger brother Marty , right behind “Pee Wee Herman and Joseph Stalin” on her list of potential babysitters for her two sons Josh and Kenny. With neighbors, police and a ‘gym rat’ all rolled into the mix – the asides about the characters from Maggie’s perspective are funny and sharp, instantly presenting a visual for them. And her in-laws are perfectly dislikable and overplay their hand often where Neil is concerned. Far from creating a division, he is wonderfully supportive and protective of the woman he loves.

Narration in this audio version is provided by Suzanne Cerreta and she has a nice mix of tone and emphasis to give distinctive delivery and sound to the characters. I love the often rapid-fire witticisms from Maggie, and you are never in doubt whether she is thinking or verbalizing her bon mot of the moment. While she didn’t over-reach to present any of the male voices, each one of them had a distinct flavor and delivery, and she nailed the emotive emphasis that gives a voice a certain ménage, belligerence, protective or even adolescent edge, that enhanced the story without distracting.

It’s hard not to empathize with Maggie: everyone will find a moment in her life that is all too familiar: from lamenting a book report on a Hemingway title “it’s true alcoholics hurt more than themselves, even after death”. Maggie has several moments from laundry sorting, to battling with pantyhose and a random wiry grey hair, and even her husband knowing her mood from the casual and comfy outfit she put on. We all have moments to relate, and Jennifer L. Hart managed to bring that into the story and enhance the story in an enjoyable way. If you want a fun, funny and completely engaging cozy mystery, grab this story now.

I received an AudioBook copy of the title via AudioBook Jukebox for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

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6 people found this helpful

Skeletones in the Closet

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes,it's fun

Any additional comments?

I LOVED this book!A lady takes a job cleaning at a posh house and then there is a murder!She is sucked into the melee.It is a fun,fast read.I listened to the audio and Suzanne Caretta is WONDERFUL!I can not wait to read book 2!
I was gifted a copy for a fair review!Thank u!

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3 people found this helpful

Love Maggie!

I started the Laundry Hag series with the ‘Who Needs a Hero?’ prequel. (highly recommended, so much fun!)
So I already loved Maggie, her family, the humor and the narration before beginning this audio book.

I think Maggie is a wonderful and real main character.
I love her sense of humor, big heart, loyalty and priorities. For example, at one moment she scoffs that her work (starting her own cleaning business) was already interfering with her career (being a mom & wife). I admire she takes so much pride in taking care of her family.
I also really enjoyed other characters in the book such as Maggie’s brother and her husband, Leo & Sylvie and the kids of course. And Cooper, Maggie’s elderly cleaning partner, he was great.
The story is a lot of fun and very funny, but also has touching and serious moments.

The narration was good.
A bit slower and less self assured than the prequel, but still very enjoyable.

I got this Audio Book for free (thanks!). I'm voluntarily leaving this review.
Opinions and ratings are my own and not influenced by how I got the Audio Book.

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Funny and enjoyable

I enjoyed this story more than the prequel. The narration works really well with they story, which I found to be interesting, funny and entertaining. I am looking forward to the next installment!

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Great Start To Series

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes, very funny, well written. looking forward to next book/ great listen.

Have you listened to any of Suzanne Cerreta’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

First one I have heard but she did a great job

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Loved it!

Where does Skeletons in the Closet rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This one was one of those I could not put down after getting into it.

What did you like best about this story?

The main characters personality and the relationship between her and her husband.

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Honest Character

If you could sum up Skeletons in the Closet in three words, what would they be?

Real life mom. There are so many books about mothers that are out of touch, but this one is brilliant, funny with just the right amount of mystery!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Skeletons in the Closet?

I can't pick just one, but maybe if I had to it would be the "fight" scene that lands the main character in jail.

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

I thought that the accent would bug me, but it didn't. Quite the opposite actually. It actually made the character so much more endearing.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book really made me laugh, I could see so much of myself in her.

Any additional comments?

Great book, easy listen and fun!

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3 people found this helpful