Playing with Matches: A Riley Drake Mystery, Book 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Julie Hyzy (Author), Angel Clark (Narrator), Crossroad Press (Publisher)

4.2 214 ratings

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Tough and tenacious, Riley Drake is a first-class private eye who runs background checks for a dating service on the side. She has zero interest in helping billionaire John Stratton clear his name so the man can resume dating again. The handsome widower would be quite the catch - if it weren't for the fact that he probably murdered his wife.

Stratton's woes are only part of Riley's problems. Other clients - a TV celebrity with sexual-perception issues, a Trump-like entrepreneur with an embarrassing fetish, and a worshipful drug-addict trying to go straight - keep her running through the streets of Chicago, ready to take down anyone who gets in her way.

Riley is determined to uncover all their secrets, even though she knows that playing with matches means you sometimes get burned.

Listening Length

9 hours and 45 minutes
Author

Julie Hyzy
Narrator

Angel Clark
Audible release date

April 22 2016
Language

English
Publisher

Crossroad Press
ASIN

B0727ZLG14
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	9 hours and 45 minutes
Author	Julie Hyzy
Narrator	Angel Clark
Audible.ca Release Date	April 22 2016
Publisher	Crossroad Press
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B0727ZLG14

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5

214 global ratings

5 star		44%
4 star		38%
3 star		13%
2 star		3%
1 star		3%

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Top review from Canada

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Sherri C

Great mystery read!

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on February 18, 2019

Verified Purchase

I read this because of how much I enjoyed Hyzy's other series. This one is a bit different, in that it is set in Chicago, not a small town. But the author makes good use of the setting, and you don't feel like it is set in a generic 'bit city', but a real place.
The characters are great, varied and 3-dimensional. The focus of the book is the lead character Riley and the mystery.
And it is a neat mix of urban jungle and cozy mystery. Highly recommended!

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

BigAl

Playing With Matches

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 18, 2011

Verified Purchase

It seems to me that the main character in a series has to be likeable, so readers will come back for future books. In a thriller or mystery series, the lead character is usually competent at their job - really beyond competent, sometimes almost too good. What makes them relatable are their flaws; how they react in those real life situations where they aren't perfect or show a little nervousness.

Riley Drake can take care of herself - that's made clear by the end of the first chapter - but she does have a few chinks in her armor that make her human. When dealing with her ex-husband and his new girlfriend, we find she's not as cold as she'd like us to believe. She has an empathetic side, which shows in her dealings with a character who has a drug problem and another with offbeat sexual tastes. She's prone to slipping up just enough to require a quick trip to the hospital, but is likely to check herself out before her doctor thinks she's ready. It all adds up to a quirky, likeable character.

You can't have a mystery without a plot, either, and "Playing With Matches" has a good one. If you've read many mysteries, you'll know most are built around a selection from some basic building blocks, with each story's uniqueness coming from setting and characters. Hyzy has built a solid foundation for her series with Riley Drake and her unique profession, and an interesting cast of secondary characters. "Playing With Matches" was a great introduction to Riley. I'm eager to read the next in the series.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **

ELFlash

More Hyzy Please!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 9, 2012

Verified Purchase

I've read all of the Manor House Mysteries and all of the White House Chef Mysteries by Hyzy and loved all! This was my first foray into Hyzy's not so cozy writing, and I loved it equally. Predictably it is...less cozy. But the writing is still Hyzy, the characters are still unique and awesome (even more so on the uniqueness scale compared to her cozy writing), and the plot is still edge-of-your-seat intensity until the very end (again factually more intense than the cozies)!

I love Riley Drake as a character and definitely want to read more books with her. I love the concept of a dating service having a private investigator on the staff, which is what Riley is. The only thing I could ask for in future books is more romance for our heroine. A flirtation began with one character but he was barely in the book at all, and I can't tell if this will develop into anything.

Lucky for me there are still some Hyzy books I haven't read, and I can't wait. Please keep writing, Julie or N.C. Hyzy - doesn't matter to me which name she writes under as long as the books keep flowing!

6 people found this helpful

Michael A. Black

Riley Drake Really Rocks!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 2, 2011

Verified Purchase

Playing With Matches features a cool, kick-ass new heroine who strides through this well crafted mystery with the aplomb of a seasoned pro. Riley Drake is the kind of person you want on your side, and the mystery itself is first rate. The characters are so real they almost jump off the page and grab you by the throat. The plotting is so good it's reminiscent of vintage Ross MacDonald or Sue Grafton. You'll be held spellbound by the intricate web of deceit and pulling for Riley to uncover the lies and get to the truth. N.C. Hyzy is a welcome new addition to the mystery and PI genre, and to get a book of this quality for the price is a steal. Don't miss this one if you like a good, well written mystery with a heroine reminiscent of V. I. Warshawski or Kinsey Milhone.

10 people found this helpful

Dru Love

A New PI is in Town

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 26, 2011

Verified Purchase

What a read! Riley is asked to solve the murder of John Stratton's wife and everything points to him until Riley starts digging deeper than the other private investigators. When Riley gets too close, her life is threatened. This action-filled story kept my interest as it had me stumped throughout most of the story. I was riveted to the story because there were too many secrets that needed to be exposed and boy when they were exposed, it was like "wow." This was a great read and I hope to see more of Riley and her friends.

7 people found this helpful

Aeleina

Good Cozy Mystery

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 4, 2016

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed Hyzy's White House Chef series, but not the Grace books. I decided to give this new series a try and it is good.
This first book was almost all mystery with very little romance. It kept me reading and guessing till nearly the end. The beginnings of a romance were laid out so now I must read the next one to see how/if it develops.

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Playing with Matches: A Riley Drake Mystery, Book 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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