4.5 stars for Overdue (The McLaren Mysteries Book 17) #audiobook #audible #mystery #bookreview
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  • N. N. Light
    • Jul 21, 2023
    • 3 min read

4.5 stars for Overdue (The McLaren Mysteries Book 17) #audiobook #audible #mystery #bookreview



Title: Overdue (The McLaren Mysteries Book 17)

Author: Jo A. Hiestand

Narrator: Callum Hale

Genre: British Mystery


Book Blurb:


A spate of three murders in as many months has Derbyshire’s local police and populace in near panic. And there will most likely be a fourth killing in two weeks unless something happens to stop the cycle.


Former police detective Michael McLaren is that “something” that his best mate, Jamie Kydd, is counting on to end the alarming deaths. He enlists McLaren’s help to look into the events, hoping his friend can solve what, so far, has confounded the Constabulary.


Each of the three crime scenes is the same, yet different. The same types of things, but not the same specific things left with each body.


As McLaren becomes enmeshed in the hunt for the killer, his friend Melanie arrives for a planned visit. Can his days become more complicated than simultaneously playing host and unmasking a killer? They can when he’s aware that each tick of the clock brings them closer to the next planned murder. And perhaps an unplanned one thrown in for fun....


My Review:


Story Impressions –

A rash of murders has McLaren wondering if he’s overdue to solve the crimes. In this latest case, we find McLaren called in by his friend Jamie to help out the investigation. Both Jamie and McLaren are stumped by the multiple murders. McLaren works hard to unmask the killer before it’s too late.


Overdue is an intriguing mystery audiobook. The storyline is complicated and a little hard to follow. The use of the word ‘overdue’ was overdone and distracted me from the mystery plot. Did I like the audiobook? Yes, but not as well as I liked previous McLaren mysteries in audiobook format.


Narrator’s overall voice – His voice creates the imagery needed to follow along as you listen. His soothing British accent works flawlessly for this story. Does the narrator fit the characters? Callum uses different dialects for each character which is beneficial while listening. Callum also invokes emotion while hearing the mystery.

Narrator’s reading style – Callum’s reading style is the perfect rhythm.

Narrator’s impact on reading experience – Everything from his pacing to the inflection in his voice to the recreation of the characters to the emotional impact on the listener all combine to make this an outstanding performance. Narrator’s pacing – Callum’s pacing is slow in parts, fast in others, on pace with the natural ebbs and flows of the story. Audiobook flow – The flow of the audiobook is right in line with the pace of the story.

What makes this audiobook unique – What a brilliant performance by Callum. He redeems this story.

Would I recommend this audiobook – Yes, I would.


My Rating: 4.5 stars


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Author Biography:


Jo A. Hiestand grew up on regular doses of music, books, and Girl Scout camping. She gravitated toward writing in her post-high school years and finally did something sensible about it, graduating from Webster University with a BA degree in English and departmental honors. She writes two British mystery series—of which two books have garnered the prestigious N.N. Light’s Book Heaven ‘Best Mystery Novel’ two years straight. She also writes two Missouri-based mystery series that are grounded in places associated with her camping haunts. The camping is a thing of the past, for the most part, but the music stayed with her in the form of playing guitar and harpsichord, and singing in a folk group. Jo carves jack o’ lanterns badly; sings loudly; and loves barbecue sauce and ice cream (separately, not together), kilts (especially if men wear them), clouds and stormy skies, and the music of G.F. Handel. You can usually find her pulling mystery plots out of scenery—whether from photographs or the real thing.


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Reviewed by: Nancy

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