Reluctant family law attorney Jamie Quinn is loving life–and why wouldn’t she? Her boyfriend Kip is back from Australia, her long-lost dad finally has his visa and she’s about to start her dream job at an art foundation. But it all falls apart when Jamie is accused of stealing priceless art from a rare book collection. If she can’t find out who framed her, she can kiss her dream job good-bye–and her law license too. Meanwhile, Kip has problems of his own. Now an environmental activist, he uncovers a deadly secret–one that just might get him killed. Jamie’s in trouble, Kip’s in danger, and Duke Broussard has gone AWOL. How could Jamie’s favorite P.I. abandon her at a time like this?

Available on Amazon.

My Review

I have listened to several of Barbara Venkataraman’s books. I like her sense of humor and enjoy listening to her books. Malice in Miami was no exception.

The writing flows well and there are several different stories going on at the same time. Jamie has been offered a job with the Andrea Lowenthal Art Fund. Of course, she still has some cases at her law firm that have to be finished up, and one of them turns out not to have a quick or easy outcome. There is a murder but it comes pretty late in the story and is quickly solved.

Jamie’s boyfriend Kip is finally back but he’s still gone a lot. This guy can not sit still! Jamie must truly love him because she seems okay with him being gone. He starts working with an environmental group and they end up with some interesting (and dangerous) findings.

Duke is Jamie’s go to PI and is a good friend. I didn’t think I’d like him when he was introduced in the first book but he’s a good guy and a good friend. He has turned out to be my favorite character. Barbara Venkataraman describes him perfectly: “That was Duke. A dash of debauchery and a pinch of chivalry marinated in tequila and rolled into one good time Charlie.”

I definitely recommend this book but I would have enjoyed it more if I’d read it rather than listened to it. The narrator is okay and she does very well with the different voices. I would have liked a little more animation when she was narrating though.

Malice in Miami one of those books that leaves you with a good feeling. It is part of a series but does stand on its own.

About the Author

Award-winning author Barbara Venkataraman is an attorney and mediator specializing in family law. Her works include: “The Fight for Magicallus”, a children’s fantasy; “If you’d Just Listened to Me in the First Place”, a humorous short story; and two books of humorous essays: “I’m Not Talking about You, Of Course,” and “A Trip to the Hardware Store & Other Calamities,” which are part of an ongoing series entitled “Quirky Essays for Quirky People.” 

Her Jamie Quinn cozy mystery series includes: “Death by Didgeridoo”, “The Case of the Killer Divorce”, “Peril in the Park”, “Engaged in Danger” and, just released, “Jeopardy in July.”  All of her books are available on Amazon Kindle.