Candace realized that if she didn’t break free, she’d be dead.
Allison Brenan
The Sorority Murder
Format:
Audiobook
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Lucas Vega is obsessed with the death of Candace Swain, who left a sorority party one night and never came back. Her body was found after two weeks, but the case has grown cold. Three years later while interning at the Medical Examiner’s, Lucas discovers new information, but the police are not interested.
Lucas knows he has several credible pieces of the puzzle. He just isn’t sure how they fit together. So he creates a podcast to revisit Candace’s last hours. Then he encourages listeners to crowdsource what they remember and invites guest lecturer Regan Merritt, a former US marshal, to come on and share her expertise.
New tips come in that convince Lucas and Regan they are onto something. Then shockingly one of the podcast callers turns up dead. Another hints at Candace’s secret life…a much darker picture than Lucas imagined—and one that implicates other sorority sisters. Regan uses her own resources to bolster their theory and learns that Lucas is hiding his own secret. The pressure is on to solve the murder, but first Lucas must come clean about his real motives in pursuing this podcast—before the killer silences him forever.
Point of view:
3rd Person.
Rellim’s Thoughts:
This was my first book by Brennan and I truly enjoyed it. Part amateur sleuth, part police procedural, part capturing the perpetrator – the Law & Order fan in me really connected with the writing.
Somewhat of a disclaimer, I don’t actually like podcasts (I’ve just never been able to get into them) and was a little worried I wouldn’t click with that aspect. However, Brennan used it as an intriguing catalyst that led to a full scale investigation and vehicle for sharing information in a unique way. It really worked for me.
I also enjoyed the dynamic of a personally invested college student partnered with a newly retired US Marshal. Lucas & Regan made a very complimentary team despite or maybe because of all their differences.
While the perpetrator was evident fairly quickly in the story – the point wasn’t as much whodunnit at that point as it was actually having the proof to back up what was superficially evident. Lots of twists and turns kept the pacing pretty enjoyable.
Narration:
I actually chose this book because Amy McFadden posted about it on her Facebook page earlier this year. I always love how she can expertly portray a variety of characters: any gender, age, and all the emotions. Such a great listen!
About the author:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Allison Brennan believes life is too short to be bored, so she had five children and writes three books a year. Reviewers have called her “a master of suspense” and RT Book Reviews said her books are “mesmerizing” and “complex.” She’s been nominated for multiple awards, including the Thriller, RWA’s Best Romantic Suspense (five times), and twice won the Daphne du Maurier award. She lives in Arizona with her family and assorted pets.
You can connect with Allison Brennan here:
About the narrator:
From Amy McFadden’s website: I live in Michigan and even in the dead of winter I love to laugh so much that I never have to do situps. Truthfully, I probably wouldn’t do situps anyway, but hey, laughter is the best medicine, so I must be SUPER healthy, right?
I’m an actress now, and I used to be a 2nd grade teacher. I loved that part of my life, but after doing it for a bunch of years, I was ready to move on to the next version of me. They’re not really very different versions-teachers and actresses both reach out and engage people through stories. I’m NOT a morning person, but waking up to tell stories makes mornings better-than-tolerable.
I love books and the Muppets and smart people and kind people (not necessarily in that order) and sleeping and chocolate and coffee and writers and learning and Oreo cookies and a bunch of other stuff-but I’m starting to make myself gag on all this love.
I hate a bunch of stuff, too, but who cares about that junk? It’s probably the same stuff you hate, so I won’t bore you. Except I REALLY hate listening to people eat bananas.
You can connect with Amy McFadden here:
My Favorite Quotes
Vicky had forgotten all about the argument between Candace and Taylor. It was the last time anyone saw Candace alive. – The Sorority Murder by @Allison_Brennan #Audiobook narrated by @amymcnarrator #Mystery #Suspense #Thriller
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I loved her too much to push her to stay and didn’t love her enough to follow wherever she went. – The Sorority Murder by @Allison_Brennan #Audiobook narrated by @amymcnarrator #Mystery #Suspense #Thriller
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Once upon a time, they’d been best friends. – The Sorority Murder by @Allison_Brennan #Audiobook narrated by @amymcnarrator #Mystery #Suspense #Thriller
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Candace realized that if she didn’t break free, she’d be dead. – The Sorority Murder by @Allison_Brennan #Audiobook narrated by @amymcnarrator #Mystery #Suspense #Thriller
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Rellim Reads 