Audiobook Review: With a Kiss We Die by L.R. Dorn
With a Kiss We Die
Author: L.R. Dorn
Narrator: Full Cast Narration
Published: July 11, 2023
Audiobook: 9 hours 29 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: July 5-11, 2026
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
Two college lovers suspected of a brutal double homicide enlist a podcasting crime journalist to proclaim their innocence in this psychologically riveting and compulsively enjoyable novel of love, lies, and murder, perfect for fans of The Lady Vanishes podcast and I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.
I’m Ryanna Raines. And welcome to “The Raines Report.”
Ryanna Raines is the host of a popular true-crime podcast. Her specialty is investigative journalism, her style is truth-seeking moxie, and with millions of listeners along for the ride, her star is rising. But when an intriguing message is left on her tip-line, the reporter is pulled into the most challenging case of her career.
The mangled bodies of a husband and wife have been discovered in their multi-million-dollar estate in Southern California. The prime suspects are their twenty-two-year-old son and his girlfriend, two college theater students who are now facing arrest and indictment. In a surprising move, they only want to speak with Ryanna, offering exclusive interviews in exchange for her help getting their side of the story told.
Instead of a badge or a weapon, Ryanna carries her voice recorder onto the battlefield of the high-profile murder investigation. Through a series of interviews, Ryanna examines her subjects from multiple angles and diverse points of view, breaking past the walls of “he said, she said” to pierce at a dark and horrible truth.
Written in the style of a true-crime podcast, With a Kiss We Die is a heart-racing mystery and thought-provoking tale about love and secrets that unfolds episode by episode as it hurtles towards an explosive conclusion. L. R. Dorn has crafted a suspenseful examination of our cultural obsession with true crime, the complicated moral obligations between journalists and their subjects, and the often-deadly line between performance and deceit.
Jessica’s Review:
This is a book that is meant to be listened to! I can’t imagine reading it after listening to the audiobook. If you enjoy true crime podcasts/ documentaries then you will enjoy this! And I have been on a Netflix true crime documentary kick lately. I’ve been watching so many of those that it is interfering with my reading of physical/kindle books, but I am seemingly addicted to them right now. Thanks to The Crash I have fallen down this rabbit hole!
In With a Kiss We Die, we have a college couple Jordan and Victoria who are accused of brutally murdering Jordan’s parents. They then went to a resort in Mexico. Arrest is seemingly imminent and they contact popular podcaster Ryanna Raines to give their side of the story before their silence happens. They want to give their side in a unique way: Podcast interviews as the story seemingly unfolds in real time. Ryanna agrees and finds herself in a unique situation and as she uncovers more as the case progresses, things are not as they seem! And yes, there are Romeo and Juliet references including the title throughout the novel.
This is my first novel by duo L.R. Dorn and I really enjoyed it. The audiobook enhanced the story 1000%. We have a full cast of narrators which includes a couple of my favorites: January LaVoy and Thérèse Plummer. This novel definitely has a unique premise with what is becoming a more popular subgenre of thriller/crime novels dealing with podcasts. As our world constantly evolves, so do our stories that we love to read or listen to!
Blog Tour: Audiobook Review of Witch Hunt by BD Spargo
Today I am taking part in the Audible blog tour for Witch Hunt, the second novel in the DCI Liam Doyle series! I really hope that Spargo can bring us the next novel soon!
Book Description:
Murder, witchcraft, and a race against time – welcome to Pendle Hill.
A young woman is found brutally murdered and mutilated at the foot of Pendle Hill and the local police are in no doubt who the killer is. Newly released from a psychiatric unit, Will Perkins has delusions that the victim is a witch. When DCI Liam Doyle and his team are brought in to investigate, the suspect is already in custody and the case apparently wrapped up. Except for one key detail – evidence.
Is it really possible the origins to this murder lie in Pendle’s infamous past?
Recently returned to work, DS Anna Morgan is battling her own demons. The physical wounds from her last case have healed, but the psychological trauma still haunts her. When another body turns up the investigation is blown wide open and Doyle has to face up to the horrifying possibility that he could have prevented this killing.
Can Doyle overcome his own doubts and track down the killer before they strike again? Will Morgan be able to conquer her fear before it destroys her?
Set in and around Lancashire’s legendary Pendle Hill, Witch Hunt is a gripping British crime thriller with dark humour and a nail-biting climax. This fast-paced novel, the second in the series featuring DCI Doyle and DS Morgan, will have listeners on the edge of their seats.
If you have enjoyed books by authors such as Val McDermid, MW Craven, JD Kirk and Alex Smith, you won’t want to miss Witch Hunt.
Witch Hunt
Series: DCI Liam Doyle #2
Author: BD Spargo
Narrator: Aubrey Parsons
Audio Published: March 27, 2026
Audiobook: 10 hours
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: May 20-28, 2026
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Jessica’s Review:
Witch Hunt is the second in the DCI Liam Doyle series. I enjoyed the first, Cut Short, and was excited to have the opportunity to listen to and review the second. Witch Hunt picks up just a few months after the events from Cut Short and I was ready to return back to these characters. I was especially wanting to see what was going to happen with DS Anna Morgan after the events of the previous novel. Though not necessary, I highly recommend reading Cut Short so you know the background of all the characters. These characters are all very lifelike and likeable: They come off as real people: Imperfections and all!
A little background if you are an American like me and not familiar with the area of Pendle Hill in England: It has an infamous ‘witchy’ history like Salem, Massachusetts: There were witch trials there in 1612. I would like to research and learn more about the area and then listen to this novel again. Not knowing about the history, I feel I did not get out as much as I could have if I had known more.
A young woman is found at Pendle Hill and she was brutally murdered. Doyal and his team are brought in despite the local police already having a young man in custody for the murder. A young man who was recently released from a psychiatric unit and believes whole heartedly that the victim was a witch. Later, another body is discovered and widens the case and mystery as to who the killer is.
Like Cut Short, Witch Hunt is a fast-paced novel that doesn’t let up even towards the end. This series is enjoyable with the dark British humor of these detectives. (But of course police will have a dark humor with what they deal with everyday!) I would love to listen to another in the series soon. BD Spargo has created characters I enjoy and I want to know what happens with them next! Can we just have more of Dr. Gupta in future novels? She is my favorite of all the characters!
Readers/ listeners, please prepare yourself for some gruesome crimes, and the details are not left out. I was very glad that Aubrey Parsons returned as narrator. He is DCI Liam Doyle for this listener!
I am very happy to have been on the blog tour for both novels in the DCI Liam Doyle series and hope Spargo doesn’t make us wait long for book three!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Audible US
About the Author:
Fast approaching fifty; without enough money for a sports car, BD Spargo decided to express his mid-life crises by turning to crime …
Thankfully for pretty much everyone this meant writing crime fiction rather than anything more nefarious. Originally from London, he spent his early career working in television and theatre including on the Ruth Rendall Mysteries broadcast on ITV.
A life changing accident necessitated retraining and a change of direction going on to work in mental health services. This culminated in ten years managing a groundbreaking forensic psychiatric service. He now lives in Lancashire with his family and is getting acclimatised to the rain.
Contact BD:
Website
Bluesky
X @BDSpargo
Instagram @BDSpargo
Blog Tour: Audiobook Review of Cut Short by BD Spargo
Today I am helping end the blog tour for Cut Short by BD Spargo. This is a debut novel crime thriller/police procedural and the second in the series is also available now!
Book Description:
Detectives can’t bury their mistakes, murderers can.
DCI Liam Doyle is haunted by the demons from his past and the challenges of the present: a broken marriage, a tarnished reputation, and a troubled young son who needs him. He’s newly moved out of south London – and out of his comfort zone.
When a murdered woman is found at a Lancashire beauty spot in his new patch. Doyle is tasked with finding her killer, along with his new detective sergeant, Anna Morgan.
As the investigation progresses, it becomes clear that things are not as they seem. A clever killer has created a complex web of deceit and is always one step ahead of Doyle … and the bodies are mounting up. Is the past the key to unlocking the present? When the stakes get higher, Doyle’s need to find the killer becomes personal and the detective is plunged into a desperate race against time. Will Doyle succeed before he has another dead body on his conscience?
Played out across the rugged Lancashire landscape, Cut Short is a gripping crime thriller layered with plot twists and sprinkled with humour. This fast-paced novel, the first in a series featuring DCI Liam Doyle, will have readers on the edge of their seats.
If you have enjoyed books by authors such as Ian Rankin, Stuart MacBride, JD Kirk and Alex Smith, you won’t want to miss Cut Short.
Cut Short
Series: DCI Liam Doyle #1
Author: BD Spargo
Narrator: Aubrey Parsons
Audio Published: February 6, 2026
Audiobook: 9 hours 43 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: March 8-14, 2026
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Jessica’s Review:
Cut Short is a gritty crime thriller/police procedural taking place ‘across the pond’ in Lancashire, England. I enjoyed this one and the fact that this is a debut novel is impressive! Cut Short takes place in present day with flashbacks to 1996 and 1999. Animal lovers be on the lookout for the deaths of two animals: I’ll first mention there is a death of a rabbit, which is just a minor two sentences. A larger warning in regards to beginning of the novel as we have a very brutal murder of a dog. It is necessary to the story and I was prepared for an animal death but wasn’t expecting what we got.
As this is the first novel in the series, we meet DCI Liam Doyle and he is just starting his job in a new location and what a start: a body! And things are just not what they seem. We also meet many more characters which a reader may or may not like. I like DS Anna Morgan and adore Pathologist Doctor Vedhika Gupta! Gupta is my favorite character! We get to know these characters along with Doyle and we get to see into his past and personal life, which is far from perfect. These characters all came off as ‘real’ to me.
As the case grows and more is discovered; the reader goes along with Doyle to work to solve the case. The story speeds up and I was really wanting to know how it was going to end! Cut Short is a fast paced novel that you don’t really want to put down and stop listening. The narrator Aubrey Parsons did a great job! He became DCI Doyle for me.
In addition to the grittiness of the story, we also get some humor in the novel to lighten the mood at times. I was surprised to find myself laughing at times with the humor. Now remember, this is a British author, so we have British humor!
Fortunately, the second in the series is available now in kindle and paperback. I’m optimistic that the second will be available on audio soon!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Audible US
Amazon UK
Audible UK
About the Author:
Fast approaching fifty; without enough money for a sports car, BD Spargo decided to express his mid-life crises by turning to crime …
Thankfully for pretty much everyone this meant writing crime fiction rather than anything more nefarious. Originally from London, he spent his early career working in television and theatre including on the Ruth Rendall Mysteries broadcast on ITV.
A life changing accident necessitated retraining and a change of direction going on to work in mental health services. This culminated in ten years managing a groundbreaking forensic psychiatric service. He now lives in Lancashire with his family and is getting acclimatised to the rain.
Contact BD:
Website
Bluesky
X @BDSpargo
Instagram @BDSpargo
See the whole blog tour:
