Reviewed by Roberta
TITLE: Detective Fox and the Christmas Caper
SERIES: Dick and the Sidekick, Book 1
NARRATOR: Gary Furlong
AUTHOR: Isobel Starling
PUBLISHER: Isobel Starling
LENGTH: 3 hrs and 56 mins
RELEASE DATE: Nov 20, 2017
BLURB:
Every good Dick needs a sidekick….
Actor Tom Lewis’ world came crashing down when a honey trap and tabloid exposé outed him and put pay to his flourishing career. The housewives’ favorite was most well-known for his role as Detective Fox in the quaint British series, Malmesbury Murders. But after the media speculation about his sexuality, the show is in hiatus, and Tom hasn’t worked six months.
Now things are getting serious; money is running out, and Tom needs a job desperately. So when his agent offers him a seasonal acting job, he reluctantly agrees… and takes on the role of Santa for a top London department store. This decision changes Tom’s luck.
When Tom overhears two unidentified store workers discussing a job to get a little Christmas bonus, he realizes the job is of the illegal sort. Now, Tom could call the police, but then again, wouldn’t it be great for his flagging career if Detective Fox saved the day?
So Fox is on the case, and as every good Dick needs a sidekick, Tom decides a sexy young elf named Eli Mason will fit the role, in more ways than one.
Note: This is an M/M romantic comedy with gay sexual content.
REVIEW:
I have to say that when I picked this audiobook, I wasn’t really expecting much…just a quick listen with maybe some good holiday cheer. I was pleasantly surprised that I quite enjoyed this cute story.
Tom is this guy whose life has been upended and the popular series that he is on is now in a semi-permanent hiatus…Tom’s life is out of control and he NEEDS some income coming in. Tom’s agent gets him this job as “Santa” and the pay is good…really…Tom’s got no choice. Tom really wants to get back into doing his show and when he overhears two men talking about committing a crime…well, he figures that if he can figure out who is going to do the crime and how and when it’s going to take place, well…then the producers will be more than happy to take him back.
Eli is a RADA-trained actor who has been performing for years and he’s hoping to get this gig to help during the holidays. Eli had left his home years earlier when his folks stated that they didin’t like the life that he’d chosen and they all pretty much decided to be done with each other. However, Eli has made a friend/brother in JJ and they are just about the cutest brothers I’ve seen in awhile. Eli is the great character as he’s still young and has that enthusiasm for life and knows what he wants to do with his life.
I have to say that this was more of a fun, light-hearted mystery/suspense story. I actually have to say that it was more mystery/suspense with a bit of romance in it and that was the very best way to go. I enjoyed listening to this story on my commute to work and at work. It wasn’t very long and it really had me giggling out loud and getting funny looks from co-workers. I’ve read some of Isobel’s other works (Shatterproof Bond) and I enjoyed them as well. So, I was interested to see what this work would be like. I was pleasantly surprised with just how much fun I had listening to this story.
I have to say that the very best part for me was “The Chase”. OH MY LANTA….That had me walking away from my desk as I was laughing so hard.
This is a great listen and if you want something that is sweet and light-hearted and fun…this is for you.
NARRATION REVIEW:
I have to say that this is the first book that I’ve heard narrated by Gary Furlong and it won’t be the last one. I really enjoyed the smooth voice and the way he made each character come alive. The distinctions in the different voices was very well done. Gary helped make you “see” for lack of a better term the world he was in and I was really along for the ride. Job very well done. I intend to listen to his other works.
RATING: 
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