Today is my second post on this audiobook series blog tour and I’m excited to share with you my thoughts on the second book in the Scarlet Oaks series. Click on the banner to see the full tour schedule for both books and enjoy my fellow hosts’ posts!

Something sinister is going on at Bay Radio. Is it possible there’s a connection between the mafia-type men who show up after dark, the terrified young women they have in tow, and the ominous commune Scarlet’s sister calls home?

A troubled caller’s cryptic clues point to a man from Scarlet’s past. Could he be the key to breaking her sister Violet out of a seemingly impenetrable commune? 

Scarlet’s new boyfriend gets a crash course on the life and times of Violet, as they enter a world of shadows, sex, and secrets. With more than her own life on the line, Scarlet fights to save her sister.

Can Scarlet and friends, armed with only a harebrained scheme and spy store gadgets, solve this mystery? All roads lead back to the cryptic caller. Expose the photographer from Scarlet’s past, and the thick, scandalous web starts to unravel.

Jump on this speeding cable car with Scarlet and hold on for dear life. This fast-paced, clever mystery will have you laughing one minute and gasping the next. Spend time with the characters you’ve grown to love and make room in your heart for more. 

If you grew up reading or listening to Nancy Drew, you’ll love Scarlet Oaks. This is the second book in the Scarlet Oaks series. Continue the adventure – buy Scarlet Oaks and the Exposed Photographer today!

Be sure to read the author and narrator bios on my previous review here.

Disclaimer: I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by LW Media Group Ltd. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

This book was definitely darker than the first one, and it has some disturbing topics on girls being held against their will in a commune. While there isn’t any word on whether or not these girls are being sexually assaults in that commune or anything of that nature from what I remember, it is worth noting that this is the main plot of the story. In this case, Scarlet’s sister Violet is one of the girls in the commune, and someone tells Scarlet that she needs to save her sister. It only makes sense that there would be some sort of worry on Scarlet’s end when she hasn’t been able to contact her sister the entire time.

I also feel like this plot was a little more intense than the first novel, and it seemed like there were a lot of details to keep track of that readers would have to follow very closely in order to make sense of it all. There were times where I had to rewind the book to make sure I was understanding what was happening at the time correctly, but it still made for a great ride.

I liked this story a little better than the first because Scarlet’s friends were a lot more involved in her sleuthing. From her reconciliation with a childhood friend Mia, to the ever amazing Niles and Tom, even Scarlet’s new boyfriend James gets in the mix and it makes for a better journey. There were times where we could tell that they are amateur sleuths and some of their actions were a little discombobulated and silly, but with lives on the line, they made sure to find out everything that they needed to in order to solve this mystery.

It wasn’t just the mystery of Violet either, but Scarlet’s brother Trent was also missing as well, so there were two siblings that Scarlet had to end up saving in this novel, although from two very different situations. The way that Michaela James is able to explore the different relationships between siblings, parents-and-children, and even romantic couples was great to see, and I think it made all of the characters more relatable in the end.

I was also really glad that Prudence – Scarlet’s micro pig – was able to make some brief appearances as well! She is the absolute cutest, and I am also glad that Scarlet was able to make sure that Prudence was in the safe hands of her mom and grandfather before going on dangerous missions.