Death and the Redheaded Woman by Loretta Ross

May 15th, 2017 Kimberly Review 45 Comments

15th May
Death and the Redheaded Woman by Loretta Ross
Death and the Redheaded Woman
by Loretta Ross
Series: An Auction Block Mystery #1
Narrator: Amanda Ronconi
Length: 7 hours and 19 minutes
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Narration: 4.5 cups

Next Up for Auction: Murder.

When auctioneer Wren Morgan begins cataloging the contents of the Campbell mansion, she's unprepared to find something that can't be appraised - a dead man. After the body turns out to be a criminal with ties to a recent jewel heist, Wren comes face-to-face with Death Bogart. A private eye and part-time bounty hunter, Death is searching for the stolen jewels needed to convict a murderer.

Death finds a friend and willing ally in Wren, but they aren't the only ones searching for treasure. Two ruthless men are also on the hunt, and they will do anything to eliminate the competition. To survive, Death and Wren must solve two mysteries spanning a century and a half and outwit a pair of cold-blooded killers.

MURDERMYSTERY SUSPENSE ROMANCE Small-town

DEATH AND THE REDHEADED WOMAN by Loretta Ross is the first audio in the Auction Block Mystery series. I was in the mood for a cozy and read a review of a second book in the series and decided to begin them. I am so glad that I did. Refreshing, suspenseful and full of surprises.

Some tales lend themselves perfectly to audio and DEATH AND THE REDHEADED WOMAN narrated by the lovely Amanda Ronconi was just such a story. I devoured all seven hours and nineteen minutes of this in a single day. I laughed, swooned and was caught up in the search for hidden treasure.

Wren Morgan is cataloging the Campell estate when she discovers a naked dead man. Death Bogart a former Marine, recently discharged after suffering injuries in Afganasitain. Recover has left him divorced, broke and beginning a new career.  He possesses both a private-eye and bounty hunter license and has taken on his first case. Death is looking for stolen jewels to catch a murderer, and it leads him to the Campbell mansion.

Wren and Death (gads I love his name, pronounced Deeth) end up working together. Things get complicated between them. Things like kisses and break-ins.

I loved the cast of characters particularly Wren and Death. Wren is bright and sweet. She is the total girl next store. The one who makes you soup when your sick and water your plants.  She was level-headed, often said what she thought and tried to salvage things. Death was scrumptious, clever and quite the detective. I honestly expected Wren to be the one to pick up clues and solve things, but Death is the total package.

The mystery was clever and kept me guessing until almost the very end. It felt plausible, and I liked that both mysteries were solved. Ross did a great job creating suspense and suspicion with plenty of evil villains to loathe and point fingers at.

The romance was light, with a smidgeon of heat and plenty of laughter. Their connection and interactions felt genuine and had me smiling.

Secondary characters and the town all added to the tale from progress with the storyline to humor. Ross gave us a real sense of the town and people allowing the reader to take part in the story.

This was my first experience with narrator Amanda Ronconi, and I found her to be delightful to the ears. She handled both male and female voices seamlessly and captured Wren and Death.

DEATH AND THE REDHEADED WOMAN was delightful from beginning to end. I am looking forward to seeing more of this couple. If you’re looking for a light, humorous, sweet cozy mystery look no further.

Death and the Redheaded Woman by Loretta Ross was an addictive listen from beginning to end. Share on X
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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45 Responses to “Death and the Redheaded Woman by Loretta Ross”

  1. Lark

    I’m so glad you enjoyed this one! I really loved it, and the sequels are pretty good, too. But I’ll have to check out the audio, since I read all of them as eARCs.

  2. Angie

    I have never read a cozy mystery before, but this one does sound good. I really enjoy Amanda Ronconi’s narration, too. She does great with Molly Harper’s books.

    Great review!

  3. Angela

    Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed this one! They are so easy to devour. Ronconi has to be one of my favorite female narrators–she does an amazing job with the Molly Harper books as well.

  4. Trish

    Oh this sounds like such a fun read, and I love that it kept you guessing too. I need to read more cosy mysteries, I love that mix of light-hearted humour and then the intrigue of working it all out.

  5. Sophia Rose

    I’ve just awakened to cozies this year after reading Lola and Angela’s reviews. This was one I put on the list. Yay, so glad it was great for you, too.

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I read them years and years ago and decided to try this. I have finished the first two books and I am now waiting for the third on audio.

  7. Katherine

    This is one of my favorite cozy series so I’m so glad to see you enjoyed this one! Isn’t Death a great name! Though I do think I’d like it even more if I listened to it. It’s a little hard to correct myself when I’m reading it. I’ll have to do a reread on audio! The narrator sounds great.

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I am loving them on audio. I listened to book two and will share next week (?) Now I am watching and waiting for the third.

  8. Laura Thomas

    Being a cozy addict, I had to see how you felt about this one, KIm. That series and book title and the cover grabbed me right away. Sounds like another for my shelf!

  9. Michele

    This sounds so good! I love what you say about the characters, and I agree about that name — how cool! Wonderful review, my friend *adds it to the TBR*

  11. Angela Adams

    Not only does the premise sound good, but the lead characters seem very interesting. Thanks for the post!

  12. Heidi

    I adore a good cozy every now and then to cleanse the palate. This one sounds delightful. I will see if my library has the audio!

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I hope they do. The first three books are available. I have listened to the first two and I am now waiting on the audio release of book three.

  13. Tyler H. Jolley

    If it kept you guessing until the end, I KNOW this was a carefully crafted plot. You, my friend, are not an easy one to fool. I’m excited about this series. Thanks for sharing.

  16. czai

    ahhh, I haven’t read a cozy mystery in months! This sounds like the usual light yet suspenseful cozy mystery. I’d have to keep this one in mind. Great review!

  18. Nick

    This sounds like a fun and clever book, Kim! I’m glad you had fun listening to the audiobook! 🙂
    Great review!

  19. Nadene

    This story sounds awesome. What a unique name for a character. I am glad youe enjoyed it,

  20. Silvia

    I’ve always been curious to try a cozy mystery novel, and there’s a character named Death here? Well, that certainly sparked my curiosity even more! Thanks for reviewing this 😀

  21. cindy

    I love the sound of this cozy and a character named Death is perfect! Wren sounds like a great character for a cozy. I am going to put this on my to read list. Great review and thanks for bringing this to my attention!

  22. Geybie's Book Blog

    I’ve never read a book with a character named Death. Haha.. so cool.
    Anyway, awesome review, Kim. It sounds so good. Glad that you loved it.