Earns 5+/5 Egos & Pranks...Engaging & Entertaining!

Pearl Hewitt is back with her superb narration for the final installment in H.Y. Hanna’s delightfully entertaining Barefoot Sleuth Mystery series. In “Bikinis and Murder,” Sunset Palms Beach Resort is hosting a bevy of bikini-clad beauties vying to be the next face, or body, for Bronzed Babe Sunscreen’s new ad campaign, and of course, in true “cozy” style, it is plagued with egos, rumors, pranks, and a dead contestant! This book continues Hanna’s signature well-developed mystery and rich characters, and also concludes the series with a more than satisfying wrap up of the loose ends concerning Ellie’s future and whether or not the hunky doctor will have a place. And Pearl’s narration makes listening quite a delight as she uses her voice talent to portray the British and American dialects, age, gender, tone, and personalities. Pearl is able to perform the seriousness of murder along with the humor, including the proper squawk and meow, breathing life into H.Y. Hanna’s witty dialogue. I loved it!

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Next level antifeminism. Brace Yourselves.

A damsel in distress who only ever waits to be passively kissed by a lukewarm man who is abusive whenever she dares speak up finds feminism tedious!! Spoiler alert!! How long can someone squeeze the same formula : unaware shy beauty + doesn't know her place in the world + graciously highlights beauty of others + tolerates overbearing capricious overbearing mother even though she tried to keep her away from her true love for 8 years + uninhibited older woman mentor + B & E suspect's house + dashing but conflicted saviour shows up at opportune moment + Ms Proper always waits to be kissed like a dog waiting for a treat, then has mind blown by kiss and the previous abuse is forgiven = high book sales about a doormat. In this instalment the added element of aggressive antifeminism of pitting women against each other by comparing their measurements, going into so much physical description of flawlessness (is there anyone with short fat legs in that world?) and having Ms Proper complain about the inconvenience of feminist activists before taking abuse from her boyfriend who essentially tells her to shut up, shows some next level self-hatred and self-sabotage. Add to that the inane feminist movement denialism when the alleged activist character claims that "there was never any bra-burning" and that "this was supposedly something that men invented to make fun of us" as if men have a claim on feminism..🤯 However, the improper character of the impetuous and crazy elderly mentor is somehow described as feminist thus successfully correlating feminism with the loss of mental acuity... Like I said; This is some next level sheep 🐏!! Bah!! I fully expect her next book to be about moonlanding denialism😵

Weak ending to a decent series

This title really disappointed me. I had read the first 3 and enjoyed them. Light, refreshing, sweet. Certainly some stereotyping that I was willing to overlook.This last one however became anti-feminist really fast. The ending also felt a bit rushed and made far more out of a relationship than clearly existed. I am truly let down that a book written by a women primarily focused on women with a large women target audience would portray feminism and women's rights so negatively. This is the first time I have read this author and I was planning on checking out more titles but not after this one.

Very Intriguing! Awesome Book!

Loved the twists and turns in this series. Can't wait for the next release. Must Read!

Well written and original!

This 4th entry in the "Barefoot Sleuth" series is an entertaining read, perfect for anyone who needs a mini-vacation! H. Y. Hanna's gift for description helped me picture the inviting sunny Florida setting perfectly, and made me sad that this series is apparently coming to an end.
Pearl Hewitt's reading is a pleasure to listen to; she gives each character a unique voice that really brings them to life. Her ability to switch accents continues to amaze me.
The characters are well drawn, and like real people do, they grow and change as time goes on. It was interesting to see how Ellie, likeable, enthusiastic, intrepid, but somewhat naive, has matured since book one, and I enjoyed the way the relationships between the various characters developed and evolved as well (particularly Ellie's relationship with Blake!) Quirky Aunt Olive, as well as Mojito the cat, and Hemingway the parrot, added some great humorous moments.
H. Y. Hanna's books always have great settings, intriguing characters, a little romance, lots of laughs, and a mystery that keeps me guessing, but they are ALWAYS
well written and completely original!
Just a few instances of adult language and sexual references are the reason I give this cozy mystery 4 stars instead of 5. Other than that, it was a lot of fun to listen to.
I received a free copy of Bikinis and Murder in exchange for my honest review.

Each story gets better!!

This story was the best of this series by far!!! The featherd fellow
is more enjoyable and seems smarter and more settled down
Of course that adorable precious kitten shows his feelings and feline intelligence above all involved! I Love them All !!
Thank you H. Y. for All your stories ! I enjoy and love every series.
Im longing for more " Garden" stories. I would love tohear more of Oren!!!! He makes my heart happy beyond words !!
Pearl Hewitt.... What more can be said?!! She is The Best, Most Gifted Narrater I have ever heard !!! Not another one like her !! If she could narrate more books...I would never get anything done!
I have " The Secret Garden " narrated by her. I listen to parts of it every nigh ! What a talented gift !! Thank you !!

Great Ending for the series

loved it. another great writer/ narrator project. so many paths available if she decides to return to this couple. I love the stories set in England, but it was nice to read one at here in the states. Florida is truly that beautiful, I hope ellie at least returns to see her aunt once in a while. thank you H Y Hannah.

Another great story

I've really been enjoying this series. It's not the norm for the author but it's definitely a hit!
Ellie found herself in the middle of yet another murder while on holiday with her fabulously eccentric Aunt. This time it was a bikini contest gone bad. I never guessed the murderer and loved how Hanna had me guessing the whole time.
I was excited to read this book to see how it would end since Ellie is on vacation during the series. I love that she left it open to continue this series in different ways and hope she does. It was a great escape for a few hours.
*Disclaimer*
I was given this copy for free. The above review is my own opinion.

LOVE THE BAREFOOT SLEUTH MYSTERIES!

I really enjoy this author and her characters especially the eccentric old ladies and the pesky pets. Also,I like the narrator.She does the books justice.