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Blue Smoke and Murder Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,521 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Jill Breck was just doing her job as a river guide when she saved the life of Lane Faroe, son of two of St. Kilda Consulting's premier operators. But when a string of ominous events—including a mysterious fire that kills her great-aunt and a furor in the Western art world raised by a dozen Breck family paintings—culminates in a threat to her life, Jill reluctantly calls in a favor.
Zach Balfour works part-time as a consultant for St. Kilda. His expertise is gathering and analyzing information from unlikely and often dangerous sources. Though he's got the skills to be a highly effective bodyguard, being a bullet catcher isn't his preferred way to spend time.
Protecting Jill will take him into familiar territory—among a strange, savagely competitive bunch of collectors who'll do anything to stay at the top. But Jill is in deeper waters than she's ever known; as she soon discovers, the perils of running wild rivers are tame compared with the hidden dangers in the high-stakes game of art collecting.
From the cozy rooms of the Breck homestead cabin to the cold multimillion-dollar galleries of the Western art circuit, Zach and Jill must race against time to unmask a ruthless killer hidden in a blue smoke of money, threats, lies, and death. . . .
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"First book I ever read from this author. I really enjoyed it. One I didn't want to put down because I was anxious to see what was going to happen next! It has short chapters and I always like short chapters!! I recommend this book! It was a gift. Thank you Carolyn!"
— Joyce (4 out of 5 stars)
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“A combination of action, intrigue, and sexual tension results in superb romantic suspense. Narrator Carol Monda delivers a confident performance as the independent Jill Breck…Monda’s husky rendering of operative Zach Balfour adds to his masculine strength while keeping his tone caring and protective.”
— AudioFile -
“Lowell provides intriguing insight into the lucrative and fiercely competitive world of art collecting, where strokes of the brush can lead to brushes with death.”
— Booklist
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
Blue Smoke and Murder Listener Reviews
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" Great book...the pages seemed to fly by! "
— Tanya, 2/16/2014 -
" Interesting info on world of art sales and auctions. Very negative toward the "Mormon West" as it was referred to several times and Mormon culture in general, which rubbed me the wrong way. "
— Lois, 2/3/2014 -
" Summer action-adventure reading between more intense books I read recently. "
— Carola, 1/11/2014 -
" A quick, fun read with an interesting twist. "
— Veronica, 12/28/2013 -
" This was a new author for me so wasn't sure what I was going to find. I liked her style of writing and the story kept me interested. I found myself letting the house work go so that I could finish this book...didn't want to put it down to even go to bed at night. "
— Ivy, 12/20/2013 -
" I really, really liked this book. Now I want to read the others in the St. Kilda Consulting series. "
— Martha, 12/16/2013 -
" This was a very exciting book. Loved the chase and figuring out the mystery surrounding the artwork. "
— Darlis, 12/11/2013 -
" Fun fluffy thriller about the art collector/auction world. Plot was predictable but the details about this part of the world, western art, and the collector/auction world made it really interesting. "
— Joanne, 12/8/2013 -
" Fast paced, pulse pounding, intriguing, a good read. Really held your attention to the very end. I have a whole new perspective to Western Art. "
— Terasa, 12/3/2013 -
" Makes me want to read other books in the set. The title of the book becomes clear as the characters work to solve a murder and attempted murder revolving around stolen/newly discovered fine artwork. "
— Dale, 10/26/2013 -
" Woman trying to figure out the truth of her Great-aunt's death and legacy. Girl power in the Mormon West. "
— Jeanne, 10/25/2013 -
" Run of the mill Lowell. nothing new. "
— Jean, 10/9/2013 -
" Mystery, intrigue & murder in the art world. I enjoy romantic suspense when it's well written, as this one was. "
— Grandma, 9/23/2013 -
" A good mystery read of western art. "
— Kim, 7/5/2013 -
" This was the first time I read anything by this author, and I was very pleased. It held my attention from the very beginning. I also learned a lot about the "art world" and how avid some of the collectors are. She created very strong characters. I will definitely read other books she writes. "
— Edie, 12/3/2012 -
" Another page-turner from Elizabeth Lowell in the St. Kilda consulting series. This one includes "big art", and the forces in the Fine Art world driving behaviour and prices. I enjoyed this element of the book. "
— PastAllReason, 8/3/2012 -
" Fun! Really liked the western art angle. "
— Becky, 6/6/2012 -
" Jill and Zach seemed to connect instantly, which I enjoyed. They seemed to respect each other for their individual abilities and seemed to make good partners. "
— Therese, 4/30/2012 -
" Liked the art angles; liked that the good guys had the upper hand for the most part; liked the characters okay. The feminist aspect of the story struck me as a little too blatant and stereotyped to be really powerful, and the questions raised there weren't resolved well enough for me. "
— Sarah, 3/19/2012 -
" I must have missed the first 3 books. "
— Mylinda, 1/3/2012 -
" The book was good. However, the first books introducing St. Kilda were much better. This book wasn't up to Ms. Lowell's ususal standard. "
— Mary, 9/22/2011 -
" Like the story, but I had a hard time getting into the story. "
— Sandra, 1/21/2011 -
" This was my first Elizabeth Lowell book. It couldn't put it down and finished it in record time. "
— Brian, 1/8/2011 -
" Two fairly graphic sex scenes. Good story that takes you into the art world and some of it's really bad points. The story keeps you interested to find out how Jill is going to get out of the trouble that 12 paintings have caused her! "
— Carol, 11/17/2010 -
" It was a decent quick read. I would not relegate it to the level of great literature, but it was entertaining enough. "
— Nancy, 11/7/2010 -
" Always enjoy her books "
— Deanna, 10/24/2010 -
" Mystery, intrigue & murder in the art world. I enjoy romantic suspense when it's well written, as this one was. "
— Grandma, 8/8/2010 -
" Good romantic suspense and the perfect book for a hot summer day. "
— Dorothy, 6/29/2010 -
" Cheap thrills. Predictable dialogue, predictable plot. "
— Jami, 4/18/2010 -
" Great book...the pages seemed to fly by! "
— Tanya, 4/11/2010 -
" Woman trying to figure out the truth of her Great-aunt's death and legacy. Girl power in the Mormon West. "
— Jeanne, 3/27/2010 -
" Run of the mill Lowell. nothing new. "
— Jean, 3/13/2010 -
" well paced mystery... desert background and lots of art "
— Mary, 1/23/2010
About Elizabeth Lowell
Elizabeth Lowell’s acclaimed suspense novels include the New York Times bestsellers Blue Smoke and Murder, Innocent as Sin, The Wrong Hostage, Always Time to Die, The Color of Death, Die in Plain Sight, Running Scared, and Moving Target, as well as four books featuring the Donovan family: Amber Beach, Jade Island, Pearl Cove, and Midnight in Ruby Bayou. She has more than thirty million books in print. She lives in Arizona and Seattle, Washington, with her husband, with whom she writes mystery novels under a pseudonym.
About Carol Monda
Carol Monda is an Earphones Award–winning narrator and accomplished voice-over artist. She is also an award-winning actor known for her work in Out of Season, After You Left, and The Gentlemen.