Audiobook Review: THE THOUSAND DOLLAR TAN LINE

Title: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line 
Series: Veronica Mars #1

Authors: Rob Thomas, Jennifer Graham

Narrator: Kirsten Bell

Publisher: Random House Audio
Genre: Adult mystery

Time: 8 hrs, 42 min

Source: Audible (Purchased)
Rating: Loved

From Rob Thomas, the creator of groundbreaking television series and movie Veronica Mars, comes the first book in a thrilling new mystery series.

Ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She's traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case.

Now it's spring break, and college students descend on Neptune, transforming the beaches and boardwalks into a frenzied, week-long rave. When a girl disappears from a party, Veronica is called in to investigate. But this is not a simple missing person's case. The house the girl vanished from belongs to a man with serious criminal ties, and soon Veronica is plunged into a dangerous underworld of drugs and organized crime. And when a major break in the investigation has a shocking connection to Veronica's past, the case hits closer to home than she ever imagined.

Story: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line is a gripping mystery with a few shocking surprises thrown in to keep readers guessing. Veronica Mars is back, with as much snark and wit as ever, and the story picks up soon after the events of the Veronica Mars movie. In The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line, Veronica's simple case of finding a missing spring breaker soon becomes a tangled web of lies and secrets, making this story wonderfully unpredictable and exciting. 

Performance: Kristen Bell is an outstanding actress, so it shouldn't have surprised me to find she makes for a highly impressive narrator. She captures Veronica's personality with ease (obviously), while somehow managing to also evoke Mac, Keith, Wallace, and others seemingly effortlessly. Bell brings everyone to life with their own distinct tone and voice. I had to remind myself a few times that it was still only Bell speaking, and not a cast of narrators. 

Highlights: I had previously read and enjoyed the kindle version of The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line, but Bell's narration is infinitely superior to the print / ebook versions. She brings every character to life, and the story seems better suited to being heard versus read. 

Lowlights: The writing style became slightly repetitive, uneven, and a little too information heavy at certain points. I noticed this less, however, while listening to Bell's narration.

Waiting on Wednesday (130): VERONICA MARS + GLORY O'BRIEN'S HISTORY OF THE FUTURE

WOW is hosted by Breaking the Spine

VERONICA MARS

by Rob Thomas, Jennifer Graham

March 25th, 2014

The first book in an original mystery series featuring twenty-eight-year-old Veronica Mars, back in action after the events of Veronica Mars: The Movie. With the help of old friends—Logan Echolls, Mac Mackenzie, Wallace Fennel, and even Dick Casablancas—Veronica is ready to take on Neptune’s darkest cases with her trademark sass and smarts.

I'm a huge fan of the Veronica Mars TV show (and was a Kickstarter backer for the upcoming movie), so I'm definitely excited for a book series! More Veronica Mars? YES please! 

GLORY O'BRIEN'S HISTORY OF THE FUTURE

by AS King

WOULD YOU TRY TO CHANGE THE WORLD

IF YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD NO FUTURE?

Graduating from high school is a time of limitless possibilities—but not for Glory, who has no plan for what's next. Her mother committed suicide when Glory was only four years old, and she’s never stopped wondering if she will eventually go the same way...until a transformative night when she begins to experience an astonishing new power to see a person’s infinite past and future. From ancient ancestors to many generations forward, Glory is bombarded with visions—and what she sees ahead of her is terrifying.

A tyrannical new leader raises an army. Women’s rights disappear. A violent second civil war breaks out. And young girls vanish daily, sold off or interned in camps. Glory makes it her mission to record everything she sees, hoping her notes will somehow make a difference. She may not see a future for herself, but she’ll do everything in her power to make sure this one doesn’t come to pass.

I'm still new to AS King's writing (loved EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS, and am starting THE DUST OF 100 DOGS), but I'm enjoying her work so far, so I'm curious about her next novel. 

What are you waiting on?