I really wanted to enjoy this book and fire a lot of it I did. I was on the edge of my seat at times. However, the ending was contrived and made the entire push and pull of of the novel a waste of time. If the author had been as thorough in creating the storyline as they had with the characters, it would have been excellent, but the plot took too many 190 degree turns. I understand when IA book brings you full circle but this one made too many circles except when the plot was driven completely by chance. The narration was excellent though.

This book was probably not exactly for me.

I wanted to plunge into a book that I typically didn’t go for, so seeing it was available I chose the audio in netgalley. The narrator did well… buttttt the story just didn’t pull me in how I wanted it to. I did finish it but had to replay it a few times just to get into it again.

Sunni investigates someone she believed was the reason for her friend Lou’s death. She develops a plan or a “heist” to seek revenge and gets people together to basically carry out her plan. Basically, she’s like this female “boss” that everyone listens to which, why, is beyond me. All the people she works with are super shady and all in all it was an OKAY read but it didn’t like... push me off the edge of my seat to grab it.

Again, the book was well written, all information provided was easy to follow, but it was a slow read for me and I’m one that typically goes for a super-fast paced one. I also love shorter chapters and I felt some of these chapters really drug out.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/168584458-sammy-reads

I really wanted to enjoy this and thought the audiobook narrator was phenomenal, but the book felt all over the place and I found it really hard to get into the characters or fully understand the plot and motivations. Thank you for the ALC.

So first I would like to thank NetGalley for this listen. However, I was utterly disappointed. The story dragged on and felt like a sitcom that was on the brink of getting cancelled. While the story had a decent plot, the writing lacked some vivid details to pull me in. I also kept thinking the book description really didn’t mesh with the story. The narrator was strong, so that’s a plus!

Was archived before I could review it... It's a shame because I missed the downloading deadline by like one day or so... I thought the book had been remove right after I picked I up. Very disappointed that the site doesn't send some sort of an urgent reminder. There's an idea for future devolpment.

First off, thank you netgalley for a copy of this book.

I am so sad to say I did not like this book. I just don't think the setting matched with the synopsis. For example, and maybe I missed it entirely, but what references did this book embody of the 50's? And to me the entire premise was two enemies vying for the ultimate title and it just didn't come together to make sense for me. And just what was that ending!?!?

Overall, I just did not vibe with this book which was such a disappointment as I love these types of mysteries.

This one was not for me. Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this book. I will be on the look out for more from Mealey, but this is not my cuppa.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sunni's escapades and will look to read other books by author Noel Mealey. Set in Australia too so a bonus! Love the Aussi narrator so much. Many thanks to NetGalley for the book.

Stylish, fast-paced Australian historical crime fiction. Veteran novelist Mealy creates the post-WWII atmosphere with keen observations of how the former prostitutes, ambitious small-time criminals, gangland muscle, small town miners, and a few regular folk manage their daily lives and hopes. In one particularly sharp observation Sunni notices that a man’s suit looks like he got it from the Red Cross, and the European immigrant backgrounds of some characters provides context for the time and environment. Indigenous Aboriginal people and their struggle for survival and self-determination aren’t part of the criminal or civilian world of this novel. Sunni is a former call girl keenly aware of the need to support herself. She operates a pub for a clientele consisting mostly of mining workers, one of whom is a gay man with a tenacious capacity for survival and Sunni’s friend. Sunni herself is blunt, sarcastic, and subject to romantic fancies no matter how often she scolds herself for her attraction to a physically beautiful, morally numb, traumatized young criminal. Sunni’s knowledge of the criminal scene around horse racing blends with her desire to control the next chapter of her life, and she develops a heist plan and gathers a team of criminals to help her pull it off. Given the sexism of the period, this would be challenging in either reality or fiction, but the author’s historical knowledge and great skill in the crime genre makes the escapade believable. Sunni herself wryly notes that neither the police (she’s on a first-name basis with some of them) nor the male leaders of the criminal underworld will initially suspect her; how could a woman be intelligent to plan a big cash and jewelry heist? But another woman would be more suspicious, and Sunni soon learns how cautious she must be. One woman, the ruthless Kitty Belluci (guessing at the spelling as I received the audiobook version), may be one of the only people that tough, sardonic Sunni truly fears. Their impending showdown adds to the already high tension in this novel. This is a fast-paced and compelling read, and the audiobook is fantastic. Readers will eagerly look forward to the next novel in this series.

WARNINGS: physical violence

I unfortunately DNF’d this audiobook at 25%. It seems like this story has really solid bones and all the potential to be great but for some reason I just kept finding myself completely confused and unable to properly follow the story. There were a lot of names thrown around and I was having trouble figuring out when the scene changed, who was talking and when things were taking place. It is possible that I may have enjoyed this more just physically reading it instead of listening to the audiobook. I am not sure if my dilemma was due to the audiobook itself or the actual writing style of the story. The narrator was great and the author does seem talented but unfortunately this story just wasn’t for me.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an eArc in exchange for an honest review*

Audiobook Title: The Seduction of Sunni Sinclair
Author: Noel Mealey
Genre: Mystery, Romance
Format: 🎧
Audiobook Narrator: Fiona Press
Publisher: Interactive Publications Pty Ltd
Pub Date was: March 15. 2024
Star Rating: 3.2 Stars
Pages: 308
Our protagonist Sunni Sinclair was a well-known escort in Sydney for twelve years. She outwitted the criminal underworld with a heist in Sydney.
In 1954 she managed to escape her boss Kitty Balushi. Sunni finds her way to small mining town of Dudley, where she runs the pub.

However, one of Kitty’s enforcers shows up in town looking for a room, and then is found dead from drowning at Stockton Beach, Sunni is sure it wasn’t an accident
Sunni certainly is an interesting character. I like that she felt us knowing she and Kitty weren’t done yet!
Audiobook narrator Fiona Press did a fabulous job performing Sunni as well as the mean and nasty characters.

I am one of those readers who had two books going on at the same time. A book I read in my comfy reading chair and an audiobook that I listen to in the car, or while I do my morning and evening exercises or sometimes a carry around while I am doing household shores. I have a lot of books on my TBR shelf but I didn’t have any audiobooks so I picked this as it was available. It turned out better than okay which was a nice surprise for me as I really wasn’t positive what I was getting myself into.
Additionally, I like that this audiobook included info about the author as well as the Acknowledgements. Something I always like to read and usually isn’t available in audiobook.

About the Author: Noel Mealey has traveled extensively through rural Australia, working in the construction industry. He was inspired to write by his father, who spun his outback yarns under the stars on hot summer nights in central Queensland. Having retired from business, Noel now lives in Brisbane with his wife Therese.

Want to thank NetGalley and Interactive Publications Pty Ltd a member of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks for granting me this audio Galley.
Publishing Release Date was March 15, 2023.

This is a thrilling read with love, romance, compassion, companionship and plenty of tension set in a realistic 1950s Australia. Mealey created characters that are complex, flawed and relatable with their personal journeys compelling.

Covering everything from resisting social boundaries, breaking free from traditional contraints, righting wrongs to vigilante justice, this makes for an interesting read.

Thank you very much to Netgalley, Interactive Publications Pty Ltd / Glass House Books and author Noel Mealey for this fantastic ARC.

This book was a good audiobook. The story was fun and the accent made it exciting. It was hard to follow at times though (might be a product of the audio). But overall, the author does a good job capturing the characters in a way that makes you like an unreliable narrator.

I found the story rather difficult to follow at times and was often confused. I don’t know if that was due to the narrator (I sometimes struggle with the Aussie accent) or due to the writing.

I normally get tired of too much detail but thought the details here made the story; especially the history included and the scenery.

Not my favorite and I likely won't read this author again.

3.5 stars for this listen.
I really enjoyed the story. However, I did find it hard to follow at times. I don’t know if that was because of the narrator or the writer though. I thought the characters were well developed and I enjoyed the scenery and the history included in the story.
Sunni Sinclair used to be a famous escort, but now she’s cleaned up her act and running a pub. Or has she? I don’t want to give too much away, but read this one. It’s very well done!
This was a fun book and I would totally recommend it to others.

Sunni Sinclair, escort turned gangster, plans and executes a heist. This book was entertaining!

Many thanks to Net Galley and Interactive Publications Pty Ltd for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I just cannot focus on this book.
I had to keep re-listening over and over to the first few chapters.
I chose the book based on title and description. The main character was flat and boring, nothing like described.

The narrator was pleasant to listen to.

Was so bored I DNF’d at 35%

Thank you for letting me listen.

The Seduction of Sunni Sinclair demonstrates a great knowledge/understanding of the setting and situations of this 1954 based tale, but I found myself having to pause on several occasions to figure out whose voice/story was being related at the time, which is unusual, but I can't quite pinpoint why, so I just think that if, like me, you don't have a preference for reading format, I would have got more enjoyment from the story by reading rather than listening,

The Seduction of Sunni Sinclair by Noel Mealey is a fantastic novel and set in Australia in 1954, in a rural mining town, it could not be further from the usual settings I read about but I was absolutely invested. Reading the book was fantastic and the audiobook read by Fiona Press is brilliant!

Historically arm candy as an escort, Sunni Sinclair is out for sweet retribution as she decides to embark on a heist of her own. A razor sharp intellect and strength of character, balking against social norms, this is a heroine who you will love (and at times be frustrated by) as she turns gender roles on their heads and flips the script on the male-dominated criminal underworld

Mealey is a blinding author, there is so much in this book to follow, to guess about, to reflect on and ultimately enjoy. The pace is perfect, the charaters are relatable as much as they are disliked and the plotline is inspired. A great read

Thank you very much to Netgalley, Interactive Publications Pty Ltd / Glass House Books, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles, the author Noel Mealey for this fantastic ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own