#CrimeTime by Jeneva Rose & Drew Pyne @jenevarosebooks #DrewPyne @SimonAudio @librofm

the setup…
Nadiya is a bestselling crime writer using the pseudonym D. G. Williams who was living alone and working at home in a three unit townhouse with her adorable bulldog Winston. That was until she discovered half brother Chase Garcia on a DNA website. After they connected, he moved in from Miami, broke and jobless but an insanely aspiring TikTok star. Chase knows no boundaries when it comes to his posts so when they secretly witness a burglary in progress at the upstairs unit, he films it all, including some later damning behavior. Despite Nadiya’s demand that he not post the video, Chase does it anyway and overnight it goes viral. Nadiya knows they’re in danger though Chase is consumed with his TikTok account and continues feeding his “#Chasers” more content, creating a series of episodes for #CrimeTime.

the heart of the story…
The core of the story has mystery, danger and thriller elements and structure but it’s bundled up in a campy presentation. If you don’t take it too seriously, you’ll enjoy this romp and the sometimes cheesy dialogue. It pokes serious fun at the world of TikTok influencers and the lengths some are willing to go to gain followers and infamy. Chase is immature but charming in his own way, balanced out by his much more serious and pragmatic older sister Nadiya. Things get really dangerous when the tables are turned on them and they are forced to flee to a safe hideout. It would be spoilerish to tell you more!

the narration…
This is a full cast production, complete with sound effects. I felt like I was listening to a stage production and it was so much fun! The main voices for Nadiya, Chase and a later revealed character were perfectly crafted, too.

the bottom line…
I had such a good time with this story, even when Chase’s naïveté and singular focus on his #Chasers drove me nuts. The twists, campiness and full cast narration combined to make this a most entertaining listening experience. Try it…and enjoy the ride!

Book Info

• Release Date: December 22, 2023
• Narrators: Full Cast, including Abelardo Campuzano & Jennifer Damiano
• Audio Length: 3 hours, 37 minutes
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio Originals

Listen to a Sample!

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(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)