Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Prose and Cons
    Prose and Cons
    Prose and Cons
    Audiobook7 hours

    Prose and Cons

    Written by Amanda Flower

    Narrated by Rachel Dulude

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    In Cascade Springs, New York, Violet Waverly and her grandma, Daisy, are the proprietors of Charming Books, where the power of the written word is positively enchanting . . .

    October in Cascade Springs means tourists are pouring in for the annual Food and Wine Festival, and Daisy hopes to draw those crowds to the store. She asks Violet and the local writing group, the Red Inkers, to give a reading of the works of Edgar Allan Poe on the shop's front porch to entertain the revelers. Everyone eagerly agrees.

    Yet their enthusiasm is soon extinguished when Violet discovers one of the writers dead in the shop moments before the event. After the shop magically tells Violet she'll need to rely on Poe's works to solve the murder, she enlists the help of her trusty tuxedo cat, Emerson, and the shop's crow, Faulkner. But they must act fast before someone else's heart beats nevermore . . .
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateDec 6, 2016
    ISBN9781515970408
    Prose and Cons
    Author

    Amanda Flower

    Amanda Flower is an Agatha Award-nominated mystery author (Maid of Murder), who first caught the writing bug in elementary school. She is also the author of Andi Unexpected, the Andi Boggs series, Appleseed Creek and the India Hayes series. When she’s not writing, she works as a librarian at Ursuline College near her hometown of Tallmadge, Ohio. Visit her online at www.amandaflower.com and www.isabellaalan.com.

    More audiobooks from Amanda Flower

    Related to Prose and Cons

    Titles in the series (5)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    General Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Penny

      Jul 2, 2020

      Penny
      6 min read

    • Article

      Lineal Gaps

      Apr 6, 2021

      Lineal Gaps
      15 min read

    • Article

      Advent ANGEL

      Nov 8, 2023

      Advent ANGEL
      6 min read

    • Article

      Heave’s Whisky

      Feb 27, 2024

      Heave’s Whisky
      7 min read

    • Article

      How Postcards From My Mother Helped Me Survive Childhood

      Mar 3, 2017

      For years, my mother wrote to me every day. I’d been sent away to boarding school and for the first weeks was forbidden to call home­. I was eleven. This was just before mobile phones came beeping and clicking into the lives of everyday people. I di

      4 min read

    • Article

      A Year in Reading: Melissa Lozada-Oliva

      Dec 17, 2021

      I'm always on my way to writing or on my way to reading. These are the big loves of my life but I'm also interested in what pulls me away from them. The post A Year in Reading: Melissa Lozada-Oliva appeared first on The Millions.

      12 min read

    • Article

      Six Sonnets

      Jan 1, 2021

      Goldenrod, I could say, you know, everybody wants somethingfrom me, but, well, everybody wants something and nobody wantsnothing from me, goldenrod, towhead, beast. Goldenrod, you packthe meadows like gold-plated sardines. I have heart palpitationsbu

      3 min read

    • Article

      Cricket League

      Jan 1, 2022

      It was an unusual birthday. Colorful banners blanketed the backyard. Kids chased each other through the grass. Adults talked. It all went downhill from there. My little sister was turning five. On her birthday cake, painted in frosting, was a fat, pi

      7 min read

    • Article

      Blackberries

      Apr 5, 2023

      Blackberries
      24 min read

    • Article

      The Ruins

      Aug 5, 2021

      The Ruins
      6 min read

    • Article

      For The LOVE Of BOOKS

      Sep 1, 2019

      Houshang Moradi Kermani is one of Iran’s most famous writers. This story is from The Tales of Majid, a collection of stories about a boy named Majid who is raised by his grandmother, Bibi, in the rural Iran of sixty years ago. MASH ASSADOLLAH WAS th

      7 min read

    • Article

      Amanda Prowse

      Jul 1, 2021

      ‘Waiting To Begin, my current book, is Bessie’s story and focuses on two days in her life. On her sixteenth birthday, she is looking forward to a golden future. This day is set against the glorious backdrop of the 1980s where neon leg warmers and dan

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Mr Darcy MYSTERY

      Nov 23, 2022

      The Mr Darcy MYSTERY
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Purple Tote

      Oct 28, 2021

      The Purple Tote
      3 min read

    • Article

      Ashleigh Bryant Phillips

      Jun 10, 2020

      Ashleigh Bryant Phillips
      6 min read

    • Article

      Merry Christmas, Mum

      Oct 25, 2022

      Merry Christmas, Mum
      4 min read

    • Article

      Read

      Oct 2, 2020

      Read
      2 min read

    • Article

      A PRECIOUS Moment In Time

      Jun 17, 2019

      There’s something about Lambrook Hall that always draws me back and I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been here. I don’t really care if it’s hundreds, to be honest. I can’t resist it. I’m in the dining room again now. Not the ballroom or the lib

      6 min read

    • Article

      The Joy of BOOKS

      Apr 8, 2020

      The Joy of BOOKS
      7 min read

    • Article

      How Sandra Cisneros Found Space To Be 'Barefoot' And 'Rude'

      Jul 27, 2021

      On the latest episode of Code Switch, Cisneros talks about why she became obsessed with houses, what it was like to finally buy one, and—spoiler alert—what it felt like to fall out of love with it.

      7 min read

    • Article

      Ann Beattie

      Sep 15, 2017

      I’d started to visit Olivia more often because it was obvious she was lonely. The ALS lady who’d been moved to Hopkins had been Aunt Olivia’s closest friend, leaving aside Merton Hillstead, who actually went home. Even the friendly paperboy who somet

      23 min read

    • Article

      The Show Boy

      Oct 9, 2019

      The Show Boy
      9 min read

    • Article

      Making A Mark

      Jun 19, 2019

      Making A Mark
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Postmenopausal Fairy Tale

      Feb 4, 2019

      The Postmenopausal Fairy Tale
      9 min read

    • Article

      The Family Plot

      May 7, 2020

      The Family Plot
      10 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Prose and Cons

    4/5

    107 ratings18 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      It kept your attention. I did not want to put the book down
    • 4/5
      Who can resist a magical bookshop, a tuxedo kitty, a Poe-quoting crow, and a murder mystery? Not me! And I dove right into this second book in the series.The mystery is challenging and plays fair with the reader. Mostly I read it for the characters, as is so often true of cozy mysteries. The twist of the paranormal is what gives this series the edge to keep my interest. Well, and Magical Bookstore!Read the first book in the series and enjoy these cozy mysteries. I've already bought book three.
    • 4/5
      I wavered between 3.5 and 4 stars for this one, but ultimately, I enjoyed reading it, so 4 stars it is. Amanda Flower is a pseudonym for an author that wrote an Amish series under another name, Isabella Alan, which I started off really liking and ended up being totally fed up with after 4 books. The best part of the series was the protagonists attraction to an Amish man who was, of course, impossible to have. Beyond that, the plotting and characters just ended up being irritating. But so far, there's none of that nonsense here; I like the characters, especially the front-running love interest, the sheriff, David Rainwater. I like the story setup too, with the tree growing through the middle of the bookshop, the crow, the cat and the mystical properties of the nearby spring that brings the bookshop to life. I love that the bookshop throws books at people. Seriously, that might be my favourite part of the whole series. What I do NOT like is the similarity in spinelessness between Violet in this series, and whoever the protagonist was in the Amish series. I don't admire waffling women (or men), and Violet more than just waffles - or should I say she does less than waffles? - she just doesn't do anything in terms of steering her own life. The author has setup a love triangle of sorts (why? because we hate them!) and Violet doesn't even want one of the men - a childhood sweetheart - but rather than just tell him to bugger off, she neither does nor says anything. If she doesn't grow a spine, it'll ruin this series. The mystery plotting was... ok. I didn't see the murderer at all, but I'm not sure you could say this was written to be a fair play mystery either. The first in the series touched on Native American mythology, and I love that the author made the sheriff, one of the romantic interests, a Seneca. I'd have liked a bit more of that in this book. In general - it has potential. Make that MC someone worth admiring instead of a noodly, passive aggressive character that lets men push her around, and the author will be onto a solid cozy series that could be a lot of fun.
    • 3/5
      I really enjoyed this book, love the idea that the book chooses the reader. Another plus for this book in the series is that the featured book another classic is by Poe. Two Poe classics The Fall of the House of Usher and The Raven help Violet solve the case. Wish I could visit "Charmed Books" IRL.
    • 4/5
      Once again Violet stumbles over a body. This time it is a Red Inker who is to read during the Poe-try Reading during the Wine and Food Festival in Cascade Springs. Violet feels it is up to her to solve the murder so a friend won't be arrested on circumstantial evidence. David Rainwater keeps telling her to mind her own business but she doesn't listen and harm comes to her. Now there are more questions than answers in Violet's life and in the murder and secrets are revealed.I am enjoying this series. I like Violet and adore Emerson. That is one cat who has a mind of his own. I am also enjoying the triangle of Violet, David, and Nathan. I know which way I want that to go. The recurring characters are great and a few new ones are introduced. The mystery was good. I, once again, did not figure it out until it was spelled out for me at the end! I look forward to more in this series.
    • 2/5
      Violet returned home after years away to help her grandmother Daisy run the book shop they own, with a magical tree growing right in the center of it. For the most part, she's settled in as the new caretaker of the tree, and is enjoying being home again. Now that October has come around and the Halloween season is near, the writers' group - the Red Inkers - are having a reading of Edgar Allan Poe's works for locals and tourists alike, and all are going to be dressed in period costumes. However, when one of the writers uses Violet's apartment to change into her costume, she never returns. Violet goes looking for her, and finds her on the stairs, dead. After notifying police chief David Rainwater - who happens to be a member of the group and close at hand - Violet does her best to keep everyone calm and right there, since they will need to be questioned. But it also becomes apparent that the woman was murdered, and now they have to find out who hated her enough to want her dead...if only Violet can stay alive long enough for Chief Rainwater to find the culprit...This is the second book in the series and I really wanted to like it as much as the first, especially since I adore Edgar Allan Poe's writings. However, it fell flat for me. For one, I am honestly worn out with the protagonist dating the police chief, and I was really hoping she'd tend to go in another jdirection (no spoiler there; it's obvious from the beginning she's attracted to the man). Oh, well. Just another series with the MC dating a police officer. No novelty, no loss. Especially since she leads on the ex-boyfriend, who thinks he has a chance with her. Secondly, Violet has a chance to find out more about her past but it was missed - as if the author wanted to introduce a new character but wasn't sure how to fit that person into the mix and so decided to have them effectively be in a "drive by" situation - you're there and then you're not. It would have been very interesting to see where it was going; but perhaps in later books this will be remedied.Then, after reading further, it didn't make any sense why the dead woman was in this group of writers, and I'm not saying more than that, but if you read the book you will understand why I do. Also, I didn't feel that the reason she was murdered made any sense at all. It seemed a weak excuse to me. Plus, the murderer disappeared until nearly the end of the book, so we really didn't have any clues to go on. But in the end, this wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't anything that kept me intrigued enough to go on, and it took me a few tries to finish it, which isn't like me since I can usually read a book a day. All in all, I may or may not continue this series, but if it trends in the direction it's going, probably not, which is a pity since I do enjoy this author.
    • 4/5
      I've read several of Amanda's books and love her. They have a sense of humor by adding in Emerson as the side kick.
    • 5/5
      Prose and Cons by Amanda FlowerBook #2: Magical Bookshop Mystery SeriesSource: PurchaseRating: 4½/5 stars“I wished Grandma Daisy were with me. My grandmother should be with me committing a felony. That’s what family was all about, wasn’t it?”In a town the size and temperament of Cascade Springs there really shouldn’t be as much menace and mayhem as there is, but as you can see above, there are at least a few felonies still occurring and Violet Waverly would really appreciate some help! In this instance, Daisy sure could use some help figuring out who killed the least liked person in all of Cascade Springs.Wait, what? Indeed, Violet has got to figure out who whacked Cascade Springs most disliked human if only to prove her friend, and the sweetest human on earth, Sadie, didn’t do the deed. Unfortunately, literally every piece of evidence both physical and circumstantial point right at sweet Sadie. To make matters far, far worse the bookstore isn’t being very forthcoming with the clues to help Violet put the pieces together and the true killer behind bars. The only thing the bookstore will tell her is that the answer can be found in the grim works of Edgar Allan Poe. Oh, and Faulkner keeps yelling “Nevermore!” just to drive the point home. As Violet begins digging and diving into the life of the victim, she finds evidence to completely support her status as the most reviled human in the village and evidence of a secret life that blows the whole case wide open and causes everyone to see her in an entirely different light. For some, that light is a whole new shade of hatred and for others, a level of love and adoration that is generally reserved for super heroes. To say Violet (and everyone else) is confused doesn’t even come close. The only bright side, the whole secret life business has given Violet a whole host of people with motive to kill. As before, Violet must balance her sleuthing with a plethora of other activities including serving as the new Caretaker to the bookstore, finishing her dissertation, corralling her naughty little cat, Emerson, and juggling the attention of two clearly interested men. Thankfully, Emerson and his unexplainable tendency to lead Violet to exactly where she needs to be, when she needs to be there and the prodding magic of the bookstore keeps Violet on track, keeps her priorities in order, and keeps her just a step ahead of the law. That last bit is especially helpful when she is committing a felony or two. The Bottom Line: What a fun and crazy ride this one turned out to be! First and foremost, Violet has committed herself to life in Cascade Springs and she has committed herself to be the Caretaker. Next up is the commitment of Faulkner and Emerson to Violet and her sleuthing ways. These two beasties have to be my favorite characters and they bring so much to this series and certainly always help Violet and Grandma Daisy. Finally, I am always glad to have an author surprise me and this time through, I was surprised by the identity of the big bad and I am thrilled to know that can still happen ? In truth, I am quite smitten with this series, it’s ridiculously awesome characters, clever plots, inclusion of animals, and the tie in to truly excellent literature. I look forward to a long and continuously fresh and exciting run of this series.
    • 4/5
      Autumn has come to Cascade Springs and with it the Food and Wine Festival. To draw customers in to Charming Books, Violet and her grandmother Daisy plan a poetry with the local writers group, the Red Inkers, dressed in period costumes for the 19th century representing different characters or authors. When one of the writers is late appearing, Violet goes to find her and discovers her body at the body of the stairs, neck broken. The ensuing investigation has the Red Inkers squarely in the forefront trying to aid Violet in finding the murderer.The characters are really developing well, and the setting with the magical tree assisting in supplying clues is fantastic!
    • 5/5
      In the small town of Cascade Springs is a magical bookstore. It is where the book picks the reader or the purchaser. There is a crow named Faulkner who quotes from books, and a tuxedo cat named Emerson. Daisy has owned the store for years, but has recently called her granddaughter Violet home. Daisy is getting older and the store needs a new "caretaker". All this is explained in the first book in the series and it was such a good story, I recommend you read it if you have not already.

      October in Cascade Springs means time for the annual Food and Wine Festival. Tourists are in town and Violet and her grandmother Daisy are trying to get them to visit Charming Books, by hosting a poetry reading by the local writers group, The Red-Inkers. All is going well and she is happy with the turnout until one of the writers has not come out of the store. When she is found dead at the bottom of the stairs with a broken neck it appears to be an accident, but the coroner finds otherwise. Once again with the help of the books and the animals, Violet is on the case.

      Violet is not shy about her investigating, but she is not pushy either. She is smart and figures out puzzles and clues easily. She is gradually meeting people in town, making friends and working to feel comfortable in Cascade Springs after her bolt from town 12 years earlier. The other main characters, Daisy, Detective David Rainwater and their neighbour Sasha are getting more fleshed out as this series continues. Violet still seems to have an attraction to David and I am still hoping this will become a more serious relationship. There is a bit of a love triangle with the mayor Nathan, pursuing her, but she does not seem to be reciprocating his feelings. The mystery was well written. The method of death, the various suspects, the clues and red herrings are all well done and the story moved quickly. I kept changing my mind about the culprit every time there was a new clue or interview and the reveal of the culprit surprised me. Once again, I enjoyed my visit to Cascade Springs and look forward to another book in this series. Amanda Flowers has become one of my favourite cozy mystery writers and has other series that I can read until another Cascade Springs story comes out.
    • 4/5
      I loved my return trip to Cascade Springs, NY and the magical bookstore Charming Books! The cooler temps and cozy mystery Prose And Cons made my morning walks a treat. Author Amanda Flower has certainly created a charming setting, fun and quirky characters, and a real puzzler with Prose And Cons. I love a mystery that keeps me guessing, and this one’s ending was a complete surprise. I never suspected whodunit! In addition to the mysterious goings on in the village, Violet discovers long-held family secrets. Main character, Violet, is an intelligent and intrepid sleuth, who is assisted by her houdini-feline Emerson, and an insistent bookshop that literally throws the clues at her. There’s also a hunky chief of police I am cheering on for a future romance for Violet. And for fans of literary-themed cozies, Prose And Cons cleverly combines classic literature and clues to the murder. The first person narrative is complemented by the reader of this audiobook — I felt I was in the midst of the action. Prose And Cons is the second book in the Magical Bookshop Mystery series and can be read as a standalone, but you really need to start at the beginning. Book 3 releases in a few months — I can’t wait to find out what Violet faces next.Recommended.Audience: adults.(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine.)
    • 4/5
      A follow up to Crime and Poetry, Violet & Daisy again find themselves embroiled in another murder mystery centered around their magical bookstore. When one of the local writers group members drops dead during a Poe-try reading, all leads point to the least plausible suspect and our 2 bookstore sleuths are again off to prove innocence while finding the true guilty. Emerson the cat and Faulkner the crow, along with the essential birch tree are all on hand to help. Meddling with police procedure (and one certain chief's affections) Violet sets herself up for many a madcap adventure and she follows leads laid out by the books on her shelves and her cat's wayward ways. The characters are even more endearing than the first book and I'm sad to have to wait for another look into their lives. Hoping for a romantic conclusion and finality to just where Violet will plant her forever roots.
    • 4/5
      When one of the Red Inkers dies under mysterious circumstances, and it begins to look like murder, Violet is thrust into the thick of it. Another Red Inker is a person of interest in the death, and Violet is sure she is being framed. Violet stirs up some emotions as well as putting herself in danger in her quest to find the truth. Violet’s life is further complicated by a secret that is exposed and by the attentions of two prominent citizens. Interesting characters and a complex plot combined with a magical setting makes for great entertainment in this well written tale.
    • 4/5
      Nice to read but a bit to heavy on the heart problem side.
      The discovery of the culprit was a bit to rashed, seemed like the author disperately wanted to close the book but had some problems
    • 5/5
      Loved this book, LOVE this series! PROSE AND CONS continues the story of Violet Waverly as the caretaker of a magical bookstore in Upstate New York. Charming Books is an amazing shop where the books choose you, the customer. The story also uses the books from its shelves to help Violet solve mysteries, or at least nudge her in the right direction. In this case, it was all about Edgar Allan Poe, whom I adore. ♥The mystery is intriguing and twisty, and the setting - a chilly Autumn festival - was perfect. Plus, a little paranormal and Poe! I enjoyed the Gothic atmosphere the elements created. I highly recommend this series, and look forward to more.Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyed this second in the Magical Bookshop Mystery series about the quirky characters (both animate and inanimate) that inhabit the little town of Cascade Springs, New York, near Niagara Falls. Violet Waverly and her eccentric grandmother Daisy run Charming Books, something of a character in its own right since the books fly off the shelves to select the person who should own them. Emerson the cat, and Faulkner the crow add another dimension to the story with antics that are not only pleasant asides, but fit seamlessly into the story line and mystery murder that needs solving in each book. Add an old boyfriend, now town mayor, a new potential love interest in the handsome chief of police whose native American heritage plays into the story, and a few quirky friends, and you have a tale that is sure to charm cozy mystery fans of all ages.
    • 5/5
      Another enjoyable chapter is the story of Violet, her grandma Daisy, and Charming Books which they run together. On the night of a poetry reading, one of the participants turns up dead. It is up to Violet to really find out what happened and to make sure they can't hurt anyone else.I enjoy seeing how the characters interact with each other and how Violet's cat Emerson seems to be everywhere at once including places that will give Violet her next clue. I also liked how Violet worked on sorting out her relationship issues and how having one of her suitors vie for her helped her out with some of the problems the bookshop faced as a result of the death. This is a real page turner as it has twist and turns as Violet unravels the truth and finds out that everyone is not who they say they are.
    • 5/5
      Prose and Cons by Amanda Flowers is the second book in A Magical Bookshop Mystery series. Violet Waverly is the new Caretaker and co-owner of Charming Books in Cascade Springs, New York. Violet’s grandmother, Daisy is her partner and is teaching her how to be the Caretaker. Violet and Grandma Daisy are getting ready for the Cascade Springs Food and Wine Festival. They will be doing a Poe-try (reading the works of Edgar Allen Poe) with the speakers (the Red Inkers) in costume. On the day of the reading, things are going well. Violet goes searching for the next speaker, Anastasia Faber. Anastasia had asked to change in Violet’s apartment. Violet is not a fan of the fellow Red Inker (writing group that meets at Charming Books one night a week). Violet enters the kitchen and prepares to go up the backstairs but Anastasia is blocking the way. Anastasia is on the floor at the bottom of the narrow stairs (they used to be the servant’s stairs) and her body is at a weird (meaning very bad) angle. Violet quickly gets Police Chief David Rainwater (to whom Violet is attracted to). Anastasia was not well-liked in the village (that’s an understatement), because she was very rude and condescending. Unfortunately, Sadie had an incident with Anastasia the previous night which escalates her to the top of the suspect list. Violet will not let her friend get railroaded for a crime that she did not commit. Plus, Violet needs to clear the name of Charming Books (Anastasia did fall down their stairs). Violet sets out to find out more about Anastasia (she was very private). It turns out that Anastasia was hiding a big secret. She was also digging up dirt on the Red Inker members. The clues that Violet is receiving from the books are cryptic. Violet’s sleuthing skills are put to the test in Prose and Cons!Prose and Cons was a delightful and magical novel! I enjoyed every minute of it (and you know I rarely say this). I like the engaging (colorful and quirky) characters (including the pets), the beautiful setting, and the unique bookshop. Prose and Cons is the second books in A Magical Bookshop Mystery series, but it can be read alone. Amanda Flower gives the reader all the information needed to enjoy the book (but I highly recommend reading Crime and Poetry). The novel is easy to read and has a good pace. The mystery is complex and utilizes an atypical method of killing. I give Prose and Cons 5 out of 5 stars (I loved it). Prose and Cons will make you laugh and smile. I believe the killers identity will catch many readers by surprise. I especially liked the magical aspects of the book (the flying books). I certainly hope there will be many more books in A Magical Bookshop Mystery series.