Thirty and a Half Excuses

Rose Gardner Mystery, Book 3

By: Denise Grover Swank

Narrated by: Shannon McManus

The third book in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-selling Rose Gardner Mystery series.

One suspicious preacher in town. Thirty excuses for Rose to dig up the truth.

Life in Henryetta, Arkansas, is turned upside down with the arrival of a televangelist, but it’s the death of a little old lady on Rose’s street that catches her attention. The Henryetta police deem her death natural causes, but Rose suspects foul play, and so does an unlikely supporter - the president of the Busy Body Club, her 82-year-old neighbor Mildred.

But Rose is in the middle of opening her nursery with her sister, Violet, who’s separated from her husband, Mike, as well as stalling her boyfriend Joe’s family, rich socialites who are determined to meet her. Along with her multiple encounters with Fenton County’s new assistant DA, Mason Deveraux III, it’s just another day in the life of Rose Gardner - chaos.

©2013 Denise Grover Swank (P)2013 Denise Grover Swank

best one yet

I'm new to listening to this series. sometimes I wish the story line went a little faster, but I couldn't put this one down. I had to find out what happened. I will move on to the next book.

I'm loving these series also, great reads.

So far these are my new favorite series'. I usually listen to Jana Deleon or Janet Evanovich. If you like those then I think you may like these books as well. They aren't a bounty hunter but she seems to get into trouble like them somehow and it has a fun romance side to it as well.

Another captivating Rose adventure

The story kept me enthralled from the first word until the last. I just love Rose - the quirky, the naiveté, and the good heartedness. Like the other books in this series, this story is meticulously crafted, beautifully written, and expertly delivered. Along the way, I felt all of Rose’s feelings as she experienced them - laughing, crying, swooning, cringing, teeth gritting, angry stomping, hyperventilating, and cheering. Rose is a 24 year old women living in a nosy closed minded small town. She experiences visions that she’s compelled to share with the person she has them of. She recently started enriching and expanding her small life which used to be dictated by her recently deceased mother. She is learning to live life for the first time with friends, a boyfriend, and a new business. In this story, Rose has just opened her garden business with Violet when an elderly neighbor dies and Rose is convinced she was murdered. Rose, of course, finds herself suddenly in the middle of the intrigue and the danger. While Rose struggles with what to do, she continues to embrace her new life despite her fear all the while dealing with danger, mystery, and shocking revelations. Her boyfriend Joe, her sister Violet, Mason the ADA, and Bruce Wayne again play major secondary characters roles in this book and help the story progress and Rose’s character grow. The book has a little bit of everything - sweet moments, exciting action, danger, family drama, painful pasts, mystery, evil actors, plot twists, imperfect characters, and even a few chuckles. I cannot wait to read what happens next in Rose’s life.

Shannon McManus did a great job narrating the story and characters into life with enough change of inflection, tone and cadence to voice multiple characters fairly convincingly.

I love this series!

This has been my favorite book, so far. It may be because I’ve come to know the characters more. But, the writing and the plot make it really worth reading! At first, I wasn’t sure I liked this narrator’s voice. But, don’t let that deter you. Sometimes that will “turn you off” when starting an audio book. Keep listening! I have come to really appreciate her southern dialect and the narration is wonderful!

I like the series but….

Joe seems like a totally different person than he was in the first book. I really had trouble liking him and why does she put up with Violet?