Caffeinated Reviewer

I was looking for a good murder-mystery thriller for the Fraterfest Readathon when Twenty-Three by Murray McDonald came across my desk. Narrated by Elizabeth Wiley, this clever tale hooked me from the onset and kept me listening into the wee hours.

When Kay Miller arrived as the newly appointed Deputy Sheriff of Vinalhaven Island, she couldn't have anticipated the chaos that would turn the tranquil island into the murder capital of America.

It's down to Kay, the newest member of Knox County Sheriff's Department, assisted by Maine State Detectives Abercrombie and Winters, to uncover the shocking events behind the murders and bring those responsible to justice.

As the story twists and turns to its stunning conclusion, nobody could have anticipated the final outcome in this action-packed, murder mystery thriller.

Kay Miller travels by ferry to her new job as a deputy sheriff. The quaint tourist destination of Vinalhaven Island will be her new home and she is looking forward to life on the island. Kay’s quiet island job quickly becomes complicated by a series of seemingly unrelated murders. She is soon joined by Maine State Detectives Abercrombie and Winters. The tale that unfolds was well honed with plenty of twists.

Kay is troubled and a little quirky. Her professional record is impressive, but her SUV is loaded with criminal procedure text books and she needs two bottles of wine each evening to sleep. I loved Detective Abercrombie “Fitch” and his backstory was heartbreaking. Winters took longer to warm up to, but he was redeemed in the end.

This is a well-crafted murder mystery thriller that slowly built into something more diabolical and kept me guessing. The murders, it seems, are connected and the more the three investigate, the more intense things got. I won’t say more for fear of spoilers, but you won’t be disappointed.

Twists, turns, dark revelations and a side dish of romance made for an engaging tale. Elizabeth Wiley narrates and does a wonderful job of reading this tale. From her tone to her pacing, she enhanced the tale.

Loved the reveal on the title and the ending. I will definitely look for more mysteries from this author. Fans of well-done murder mysteries will want to listen to this clever tale.

Amazon* | Audible

*Available in Kindle Unlimited

About Murray McDonald

Murray McDonald is the author of numerous action thrillers, including Twenty Three, The God Complex, Divide & Conquer, and Captive-in-Chief.

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About Elizabeth Wiley

AudioFile Earphones Award winner Elizabeth Wiley is a seasoned actor, dialect coach, theater professor, and dedicated narrator. In addition to her growing portfolio of audiobooks, her voice can be heard in The Idea of America, Colonial Williamsburg's virtual learning curriculum; in Paul Meier's e-textbook Speaking Shakespeare; and modeling U.S.-English on one of the world's top language learning products.

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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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