Corruption, Greed, and Prostitution …

… in affluent, upper-class suburbia! Yeah, “Easy Innocence” gets a bit gritty … and disturbing. Talk about innocence — I must be a complete ingenue! I had no idea that some of this stuff was going on … I mean, really — voluntary, organized, upper-class teenage prostitution and pandering? Golly … when I think about my teen years … well, let us just say that things must have changed since then. However, I have listened to enough of Ms Hellmann’s audiobooks now to know that she ALWAYS knows whereof she speaks. So I am taking her word for it. The plot of “Easy Innocence” goes well beyond the teen vice angle, though. Newly-minted P.I. Georgia Davis — recently dismissed from the Chicago Police Department for thinking outside the box — is investigating an — allegedly — “Open-and-Shut” murder case, when she stumbles upon some dodgy real-estate shenanigans that lead her into more dodgy political shenanigans that … guess what? … come around full-circle, tying right back into her murder investigation. As always, Ms Hellmann writes well, creating believable characters and plot complexities that will keep you riveted. Narrator Beth Richmond has a perfectly gorgeous voice, and acting chops, to boot! She has the repertoire of voices, accents, and timing to bring this audiobook to life. I recommend “Easy Innocence” to all mystery/thriller enthusiasts.

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3 people found this helpful

Great Book!

Any additional comments?

This is a great book; this is the first book in the Georgia Davis PI series written by Libby Fischer Hellmann and narrated by Beth Richmond. When pretty, smart Sara Long is found bludgeoned to death, it's easy to blame the man with the bat. But Georgia Davis - former cop and newly-minted PI - is hired to look into the incident at the behest of the accused's sister, and what she finds hints at a much different, much darker answer.

The narrator Beth Richmond did a great job with this book. She did a great job with the different voices of each character in this book. It was very easy to listen to in one sitting and I didn’t want to stop listening until the end.

If you are looking for a great book with well-developed characters then you need to listen to this book. I am looking forward to listening to the next book by this author and narrator.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Boom.

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2 people found this helpful

wasn't engaging enough for me to finish

I was really hoping to find a new series. and I like strong female leads. I forced myself to listen to this. but couldn't even get to the end, so I gave up.

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Great read/Listen

Easy Innocence The Georgia Davis PI Series, Book 1 So many books, I re-read this book in less than a day! It is that good! I was given a book by the author, not this book, and after I discovered there was a prequel to the series I decided to read it first. I'm glad I did. This book slides right in. I'm a character reader, I get into the characters, their story, who/what they are. The author does a great job of developing Georgia quickly & thoroughly. The significant characters in her writing are developed similarly along the way. This book is in all senses of the word, a thriller. That’s it, no more spoilers from me though I can see more about this character in the future. Outstanding read! I’ve read more than thirty works from author Libby Fischer Hellmann all are well-written & enjoyable I always look forward to the next book from her. Read his books and get into a good author and some amazing characters & stories as I have. Narrator Beth Richmond’s voice was perfect for this book and added greatly to the listening enjoyment. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

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Nothing easy about this very good mystery

I really enjoyed this book, there is so much going on it keeps you hooked until the end. I will definitely be looking in to getingt the rest in the series, as I really liked it. I liked the main character and think she is a good strong character, kind, caring, tough when needed and intelligent. She actually worked out what was going on and who was responsible unlike some heroines who only put it together when facing a gun, there is also what I think will be a love interest but she isn't on of those girls that need a man.. Great start to a series.
Georgia is asked to prove the police have arrested the wrong man for a brutal murder, by the sister of the accused and she was recommended to her by one of the policemen who arrested him. The murder is set up to look like some rich kids went to far with a hazing game and one of there own died. As Georgia digs deeper she discovers it is a lot more serious than that and talking to the rich kids leads her to there rich fathers, who have there own secrets to hid. Then a school drop out is killed, are the two related? Georgia seems to think so and tries befriending the girls to get closer to the truth. Georgia is obviously on the right track when they try to set her apartment on fire but as she is following several leads, Which lead has someone nervous?
I liked the narrator and thought she did a good job with the number of voice she needed to do, to make this book so interesting.

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Better than I was expecting

It wasn’t what I expected – it was better! I thought I knew who did it, but I was wrong – and I love that about this murder mystery. The story surprised me and held my attention all the way through. I thought the story was going this direction, and it was actually headed this other direction.

Our main character Georgia is so easy to like. She’s a real person with a past, mistakes and victories, foibles, and her own sense of justice. I like that she’s willing to bend or break the rules when she feels it’s right. Her way of handling the prostitutes was great – she treated them like real people instead of passing judgement on them.

Toss in some undercover work, a few attempted murders, and some underage teens crying, then Georgia has her hands full. I do wish we had one more scene with the wrongly accused and his sister just to wrap things up in a neat bow. But that’s my only little quibble with the story. Very entertaining book. 4.75/5 stars.

The Narration: Beth Richmond has a great voice for Georgia, very believable. She captured all of Georgia’s emotions throughout the story. Richmond could use a little more voice variation as I sometimes had trouble keeping the various teen females separate. Richmond’s pacing was a bit slow but with Audible’s app I was able to speed the book up a touch just so the speech sounded normal to me. There were no technical issues with the recording. 4/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Libby Fischer Hellmann. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

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Easy Innocence

Big money and high crimes…that is the game here. How much would one need to pay to make something go away? What about to just look the other way? Hellmann has a compelling novel, one that will reel readers into the first installment and have them longing to jump into the next one by the end of it.

Georgia Davis, a former police officer suspended from the force, has taken up a new gig as a PI. She’s been hired to investigate the murder of a school girl from Chicago’s North Shore. When everything is nice and tidy, cleaned up really well and an innocent man is handed to the DA with a bow, that is Davis’ first clue that something smells fishy, like a cover up. Knowing that she won’t have the same privileges as a cop, she makes due with obtaining the information in various ways. For starters, talking to all of the girl’s friends and the families of those friends–making some enemies along the way. Once the snooping starts, things start spiraling down pretty quickly and she is able to find some loose lips. She knows that she is on to something big when someone tries to make a hit on her, but that won’t stop her from finding the truth. Can Georgia find the killer in time before an innocent man is sent to jail for life?

Hellmann has a great story, filled with animosity, determination, greed, and power. The characters are well-developed and the pace is steady with the exception of the first few chapters. Some of the characters appear to falter in personality, which is a tad contradictory. Since this review is complimenting the audiobook, Richmond’s voice relay was entertaining. Her narration is clear; however, she provides limited vocal differentiation between characters. This shouldn’t hinder the enjoyment of the novel though. If you are a readers of crime thrillers, suspense and mysteries, you may find this story to be a good fit for you. Easy Innocence is shrouded in secrets and crimes of passion encompassing both adults and children; therefore, it is advised for an audience over the age of 18.

A copy of this audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a four-star rating to Easy Innocence by Libby Fischer Hellmann.

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A view of the shadier side of suburbia.

Hellmann delves into the shady side of suburbia in Easy Innocence. This murder mystery weaves multiple complex plots in one large explosive ending. The characters are well defined and portrayed nicely by narrator, Beth Richmond.

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Great debut

This story is a little confusing in the beginning, but stick with it. It's worth it. Timing is a bit vague through much of the story and it's unclear who
some of the characters are at first, but it's all clear by the end. Georgia Davis is a great character. She's likable and realistic. She's not perfect,
but her flaws aren't just stupid contrivances -- they are a result of inexperience and believably poor judgement. Neither is she superhuman. It's also
refreshing that prostitution isn't presented in its stereotypical form.

Beth Richmond delivers an excellent performance. She's an appropriate match to voice Georgia, and her other character voices are distinct and equally well
done.

This is an exciting series debut and I look forward to more in this series.

NOTE: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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The story is full of layers

Would you listen to Easy Innocence again? Why?

Yes. I was very, very impressed, both the with the story itself, and with the quality narration performance. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. In fact, I almost always do immersive reading since I love to sometimes skip ahead of the narrator, so I had both versions of this book. It was awesome!!

What did you like best about this story?

Old family money, old family relationships, and old family power become intertwined in what Georgia suspects may be a massive coverup at all levels of legal, judicial, community leadership, and law enforcement in the town. As the investigation unfolds, it may be that this young man was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Georgia peals back each layer, going from murder, to teenage prostitution, to possible mob connections, and finally to illegal land development and government fraud. As the story unfolds, it becomes more and more obvious that Georgia is in very deep and even in fear of her life.

Which scene was your favorite?

All of the characters were wonderfully developed, the story was exciting and kept my interest from beginning to end. The story was so excellently written and performed, I purchased additional stories in this series with the same performer.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Each moment when the next level of the story was uncovered and took you down the road until the next layer was exposed. Incredible complexity.

Any additional comments?

This is an extremely talented author and I have not been disappointed with any of her stories. The narration is superb.

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