Caffeinated Reviewer

Narrated by Joel Richards, Investigation, Mediation, Vindication by Chris Tullbane is the first audio in the Many Travails of John Smith, a PI who inadvertently finds himself in the middle of the supernatural world because of an advert. Humor, suspense, and mystery await you.

The stakes are real. The mediator isn't.

"Investigation, Mediation, Vindication." That's how the Yellow Pages ad starts, and if it sounds like the sort of thing a drunk teenager might come up with . . . well, you'd only be wrong about the teenager part. John Smith owns San Diego's smallest private investigation firm, but he doesn't know the first thing about mediation. Or vindication.

On the other side of town, vampire Lucia Borghesi is having a terrible century. Stripped of her throne and banished from Italy, she's now somehow found herself in a dispute with the local demigod of nightmares and terror. And to top it all off, the long-time city mediator has been assassinated and her second-in-command just hired a human to fill that role.

If he wants to survive, John will need to prove his value to Lucia and her people while keeping that demigod from sucking San Diego into an unnamed hell dimension. And he'll have to work fast, because his beloved Corolla is parked curbside in Logan Heights, like an open invitation to the neighborhood's graffiti enthusiasts.

John Smith, a private investigator in San Diego, places an ad in the Yellow Pages, that says, “Investigation, Mediation, Vindication.” When vampire Lucia Borghesi finds herself in a dispute with a local demigod of nightmares and terror, a mediator is required. Unfortunately, their regular mediator has been assassinated, so a human mediator will have to do. John finds himself not only a target but smack-dab in the middle of a supernatural squabble.

The tale that unfolds has snark, suspense and magical Nintendo remotes. John Smith knows nothing about mediation and vindication, but he’s just finished a PI course. He lives at home, doesn’t have a girlfriend and Comicon is ruined when he is attacked outside.

I enjoyed the world building as we learned about the supernatural world alongside John. There is a romantic thread which falls in the slow burn category and I’m curious to see how it develops.

John is a such a fun character. I imagined him as John Black, a nerdy gamer who’s slightly overweight and still lives with his parent’s house. Juliette is a snarky vampire who refers to John as “little bird.” There is a full cast of characters, but all are unique and easily identifiable like Lord Beel, who calls himself Bill and is a seven-foot asparagus with a drawn maker mouth and carrot nose!

Joel Richards brings voice to John Smith and this cast of characters enhances the snark, suspense, and developing relationships.

The perspective is all John and filled with culture references wrapped in mystery, suspense and snark. I cannot wait to listen to the next one.

Amazon | Audible

About Chris Tullbane

Chris Tullbane began as a gleam in someone’s eye, but birth and childhood were quick to follow. He’s been fortunate enough to live in Spain, Germany, and all over the United States of America, and is busy planning a tour of the distilleries of Scotland. He currently lives in Nevada with his angelic wife and ever-expanding whisky collection and occasionally ventures outside to peer upwards, mutter to himself about ‘day stars’, and then scurry back into the house. Chris is the author of two series; The Murder of Crows and The Many Travails of John Smith, as well as a collection of novelettes and stand-alone novels, Stories from a Post-Break World, which are set in the world of The Murder of Crows.

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About Joel Richards

Joel Richards was the kid who did crazy things just to have a good story to tell afterward. On deciding to make his affection his profession, he received a BFA in acting and a BA in English from the University of Utah, and later an MA in oral storytelling from East Tennessee State University. He has narrated over 150 audiobooks (fiction and nonfiction) and continues to tell his original stories to live audiences.

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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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