Audiobook Review: The Mystery of the Curiosities (Snow & Winter #2) by C.S. Poe

Life has been pretty great for Sebastian Snow. The Emporium is thriving and his relationship with NYPD homicide detective, Calvin Winter, is everything he’s ever wanted. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, Sebastian’s only cause for concern is whether Calvin should be taken on a romantic date. It’s only when an unknown assailant smashes the Emporium’s window and leaves a peculiar note behind, that all plans get pushed aside in favor of another mystery.

Sebastian is quickly swept up in a series of grisly yet seemingly unrelated murders. The only connection tying the deaths together are curiosities from the lost museum of P.T. Barnum. Despite Calvin’s attempts to keep Sebastian out of the investigation, someone is forcing his hand, and it becomes apparent that the entire charade exists for Sebastian to solve. With each clue that’ll bring him closer to the killer, he’s led deeper into Calvin’s official cases.

It’s more than just Sebastian’s livelihood and relationship on the line—it’s his very life.

Listening Length: 7 hours and 15 minutes
Narrator: Derrick McClain

I’m a big fan of this series and my love boils down to the MC’s, namely one Detective Calvin Winter. And I do love me some Sebastian too, I really do. But Calvin is the one that took the spotlight for me in this installment. We learned more about his past and it wasn’t surprising, but it was heartbreaking. What Calvin had been through had been alluded to in book 1, but in Mysteries it became more personal and I had even more respect for him the more I learned.

The series is really a lot of fun and I liked the mystery in this one muchly. I love Sebastian’s dad and the secondary characters add the flair and some comic relief in amongst Sebastian’s shenanigans. And he does get up to the shenanigans. You kinda have to suspend belief a bit as there is now way Sebastian would get away with his meddling (he is the Scooby Doo definition of ‘meddling kids’) but you have to let that go and enjoy the ride. There is no doubt the man has the smarts and background to crack the codes, but like I said, not a real life thing.

I love the relationship that’s building between Calvin and Sebastian though. It’s not easy and the meddling shenanigans don’t make it any easier, but it’s obvious they love each other and are willing to be honest in order to move their bond forward.

Sebastian’s dry sense of humor and somewhat socially oblivious nature are very charming. I think the narrator did a good job of capturing the obliviousness well and while it took me a bit to warm up to his take on Sebastian’s humor, I did get there. I think I got more of the humor when I read the book versus when I listened, but I got more of Calvin when I listened versus when I read. A pretty decent trade-off if I do say so myself.

**a copy of this audiobook was provided for an honest review**