Review: Automatic Stay by Mark Shaiken, narrated by Jimmy Moreland
Automatic Stay is the second excellent book in the 3J Mysteries of legal thrillers by former lawyer, turned full-time author Mark Shaiken.
The story follows Kansas City lawyer Josephina Jillian Jones and her partner, Pascale, as they try to save from bankruptcy the few surviving jazz clubs in Kansas City, after a straining period brought on by the corona pandemic.
But the job is not easy at all, because someone is also running an anonymous disinformation campaign on social media that could end up putting the last nail in the coffin for these businesses, and for the entire jazz scene in the city.
The writing is very good, the story is captivating, atmospheric, immersive, moody, fast-paced, has a good rhythm, it is balanced, and comes across as extremely entertaining. I would say, just like a perfect jazz song should be.
The characters feel real and alive, Kansas City is just waking from slumber after many months of being imprisoned by the pandemic, while music professionals are looking for any chance to put food on the table after a long time with no opportunities to win their livelihood.
I love jazz, and I am usually drawn to mysteries of all forms, even legal thrillers, so I was very pleasantly surprised by the way Automatic Stay turned out. Mark Shaiken draws from his experience of practicing bankruptcy law in order to create a credible and fascinating legal thriller.
Automatic Stay is brought to life in audiobook format by ex-military broadcast journalist, Jimmy Moreland. He has the perfect voice for this kind of novel, he reads quietly, but decisively, he acts all the parts, he keeps the action going and the story flowing with enthusiasm and skill.
Thanks to his excellent performance, the over 13 hours of this audio production flew by in the most pleasant and entertaining way possible.
Automatic Stay is a must-listen for those who are on the lookout for a great legal thriller. An extra bonus if they also love jazz music or are living in Kansas City. Now, I’m really curious to listen to the first audiobook in the series and am eagerly waiting for the third one that I know is in the works. I’m really glad to have discovered this new talented author and narrator duo!
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Victor Dima
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