Escape to a Dead End Job

What could be better on a long commute than a mystery story audiobook? For me, not a lot. Since I have been making this commute for years I like to justify part of my listening as research, rather than strictly entertainment. My latest choice was worth passing on, so maybe this time it justified my rationale.

The book was Shop Til You Drop by Elaine Viets, read by Sarah Pesek. The book is a cosy, with an interesting set of characters, enough plot to keep your brain busy, a sympathetic main character, and quite a few surprises along the way. There is a very satisfying wrapup at the end, although this book is a first-in-series.

On the run from the legal system, our amateur sleuth, Helen Hawthorne, is forced to take a series of low-end jobs that pay cash and keep her off the grid. This gets her into some troubling situations beyod her own past, and she must extricate herself by solving crimes without law enforcement knowing who she really is, or showing up in the media as a hero. Add to all that a love life that rarely seems to gel, and you've got a fantastic combination of mystery and humor.

Sarah Pesek does a good job reading and voicing the book, although missing an expression occasionally. I haven't checked out the other audiobooks in the series yet, but I hope she reads them. 

I will stick my usual note in here that some of the content has the characters discussing body parts with slang terms, and sexual activity enters the plot but all happens out of the story flow. My point is, you may need headphones to listen with children around.

Of course I will be working my way through this series as I find time, and I think you should give it a try as well.