A Roost and Arrest

I’ll admit: I rolled my eyes at the ‘farm-to-crime’ premise at first. But *A Roost and Arrest* won me over in Chapter 2, when Leona used a cartons of eggs as both a bribe *and* a weapon. That’s the kind of inventive, grounded chaos that makes this audiobook stand out. Avis writes small-town dynamics with a journalist’s eye—every character, from the festival committee busybody to the suspiciously cheerful vet, feels like someone you’ve met at a county fair. The mystery itself is cleverly plotted, with red herrings that don’t feel cheap (looking at you, missing prize rooster) and a reveal that hinges on *actual* agricultural knowledge. Refreshing! Now, the narration: Kitty Hendrix is a revelation. She avoids the trap of making Leona sound *too* folksy, instead giving her a dry, self-aware edge that sells the humor. The male voices are distinct without veering into caricature, and her timing during the festival scenes—where gossip and suspicion swirl like cotton candy in a breeze—is impeccable. My only gripe? The romance subplot occasionally slows the momentum, with a few exchanges that feel more *Hallmark* than *hardboiled*. And while the ending ties up neatly, a secondary character’s sudden confession stretched credibility *just* enough to pull me out of the story. Still, these are quibbles. For an audiobook that’s equal parts charming and sharp, with a narrator who makes you *want* to listen at 1.25x speed? This is a winner. Just don’t blame me if you start side-eyeing your local farmers’ market after." "tags": [ "small-town whodunit with humor