Center Stage: Magnolia Steele Mystery, Book 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Denise Grover Swank (Author), Elise Arsenault (Narrator), Tantor Audio (Publisher)

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Ten years ago Magnolia Steele fled Franklin, Tennessee, after an incident that left her with hazy memories and a horror of the place where she had been born and bred. Though her abrupt departure destroyed most of her treasured relationships, she vowed never to return...until she has no choice. When Magnolia's breakout acting role in a Broadway musical ends in disgrace, there's only one place she can go. She finds herself on her momma's porch, suitcase in hand.

Drama follows Magnolia around like a long-lost friend. She reluctantly agrees to help her momma's catering company at a party for a country music star, only to find herself face-to-face with a sleazy music agent from her past. After a very public spat, Magnolia finds not only him dead but herself center stage in the police's investigation. Now she must scramble to prove her innocence, relying on the help of acquaintances old and new.

But the longer Magnolia stays in Franklin, the more she remembers about the big bad incident that chased her away. The past might not be finished with her yet, and what she doesn't remember could be her biggest danger.

Listening Length

10 hours and 30 minutes
Author

Denise Grover Swank
Narrator

Elise Arsenault
Audible release date

December 27, 2015
Language

English
Publisher

Tantor Audio
ASIN

B01GW45P4I
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	10 hours and 30 minutes
Author	Denise Grover Swank
Narrator	Elise Arsenault
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	December 27, 2015
Publisher	Tantor Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B01GW45P4I
Best Sellers Rank	#87,795 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #2,654 in Women Sleuth Mysteries #6,692 in Suspense (Audible Books & Originals) #14,988 in Women Sleuths (Books)

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

1,632 global ratings

5 star		66%
4 star		20%
3 star		8%
2 star		3%
1 star		3%

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Top reviews from the United States

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R.H. McCort

Magnolia Steel, We don’t hide from our problems we take ‘em head on

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 26, 2016

Verified Purchase

I discovered author Denise Grover Swank with Rose Gardner, the Wedding Pact, and Bachelor Brotherhood series. I have never read anything by Ms. Swank that didn’t grab me, pull me and leave me wanting more. This series, Magnolia Steele is right there with the above.
Magnolia Steele ran away from Franklin, Tennessee ten years ago, leaving her Mother Lila and Brother Roy because of her Father Brian going missing and something that occurred on graduation night. Magnolia entered the world of theatre in New York City. After many ups and down she is preparing for her opening night in a new Broadway musical called Fireflies at Dawn, produced by her boyfriend Griff.
Nothing at all could have prepared Magnolia for just before the curtain going up she catches her boyfriend Griff in a compromising position with her under study. Getting into a brawl with the understudy catches Magnolia on YouTube with her breasts hanging out.
Disgraced and fired Magnolia doesn’t know what else to do but head home. Finding her standing with two suitcases on her mother’s front porch, Magnolia has no idea what to do or where to start to rebuild her life. I like the reference about the “steel front door.” Which was a memory from her father telling her that no one can break thru the door, she will be safe.
Her first night in town her mother’s catering company is preparing for a big party at a country music star, Luke Powell. There are so many things Magnolia has missed since leaving town, her Mom’s catering company is now occupying a nice downtown storefront, and she has two vans and employees to help her, along with her best friend Tilly.
After getting to the catering site, Magnolia who is called “Maggie” by her friends is introduced to Colt, a womanizer and bartender and all around helper for her Mom’s company. Maggie really has trust issues and it takes a lot for her to trust Colt and eventually Detective Brady Bennett.
The evening is going along fine till Luke Powell asks Maggie to come to his office and Maggie upon entering discovered the dead body of a sleazy music agent, Max Goodwin. As Maggie proclaims her innocent, Detectives Timothy Holden and Ray Murphy are positive Maggie was guilty.
Being center stage in the investigation of Max’s murder was very upsetting to Maggie along with her sister-in-law Belinda look for clues to find to prove Maggie’s innocence.
In a second story line the longer Magnolia stays in Franklin, she begins to let the suppressed thoughts of the experience of graduation night, where something horrible happened to her in the woods behind her house.
One of the things that I like about the book is how Ms. Swank captured Magnolia with entering into a character to be able to deal when the anxiety and stress overcomes her. The strength of Lila and how to interact with the friends she left behind when running away all add to the suspense of the story.
Have already started Book 2, Act 2, its just as great as book 1

11 people found this helpful

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DONNA S Duggins

Good murder mystery

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 4, 2022

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Love the case and the woman set up to take the fall. One mystery solved unfortunately another one still to solve. Going home means facing an ongoing murder from 10 years prior.

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Nocturnus

In Disgrace

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 29, 2022

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This series must be read in order. This is the first book. I can't wait to read "Second Act"!

Magnolia is licking her wounds when she skunks back home to her mother's. She has lost everything and is now an internet scandal. Broadway has rejected her. Will coming home be the right thing? Can she ever escape her troubles? Will she ever remember what sent her running in the first place?

***This series is suitable for young adult through adult readers who enjoy quirky heroines with flaws and spunk in their mystery novels :)

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Tiffany

Southern charm

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 21, 2019

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This novel is a real treat. It sort of reminds me of Denise’s Darling Investigations series. There’s the element of Magnolia returning home in a state of disgrace out of necessity (much like Summer Darling), and the element of something haunting and hazy from the past (which was the case for Summer’s cousin). If you liked the Summer Darling books, you’ll probably really like this as well.

I like the author’s development of the characters. Even the foes in the story felt believable and deliberate to the plot line. Two major things are happening in Center Stage; the first is that Magnolia experienced something 10 years ago that she can’t remember (which is the reason she ran away from everything and hasn’t been back home until now), and the second is that there’s been a murder in present time and Magnolia is a prime suspect.

This novel is comprised of a host of characters we don’t know if we can fully trust, mysterious text messages from a blocked number to Magnolia’s cell, and a ragtag team (Magnolia, her momma, her mom’s best friend, lovable sister-in-law, and her former high school nemesis/current defense attorney) working together to try and clear Magnolia’s name.

I saw other reviews that said this novel leaves off on a cliffhanger. It does in a sense, but I felt like enough progress had been made in the story (like Magnolia remembering most of what happened 10 years ago) for me to not feel cheated. I don’t mind purchasing the others in the series (assuming I enjoy the second novel as much as I enjoyed this one). It also helps for me that all of the novels are out now, so I don’t have to wait for answers, as long as I’m willing to purchase the full series. At $5 a book, with the first one being free, that doesn’t seem like an unreasonable investment to me.

9 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Perkins

Very well written, fast-paced story

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 9, 2019

Verified Purchase

Magnolia Steele is an actress who, after a very public humiliation on stage, has been left with no alternative but to return to the home she mysteriously ran away from 10 years previously. Her sudden, unexplained departure left her friends and family not just broken-hearted but also embittered, with only a very small handful of people, mostly new acquaintances, wanting to have anything to do with her. When a sleazy, sexist theatrical agent, whose advances Magnolia has seen off (rather painfully for him) in the past, is found dead, poor Magnolia is in the frame for his murder. Whilst I enjoyed the book, it became very frustrating waiting for the full story to be revealed. There's a bit too much of Magnolia stubbornly refusing to let her guard down. OK, so she's tough and sees allowing people to see her softer side as a weakness but there are times when you just want to shake her and tell her not to be so dumb. When you do finally discover why she left in such a hurry, you can't help wondering if her mother, hard-faced as she is, would really not have seen that this was more than just a stroppy teenager behaving badly. I also wasn't convinced that her best friend would have held such a huge grudge just because Magnolia left suddenly. Upset yes, puzzled yes but so hurt she refused to ever speak to her again? Not much of a friend if that's the case! Even with all that, I might still have given the full 5 stars if the ending hadn't been such an obvious device to get you to buy the next book. Nothing can be more irritating and for me, lazy, than an author manipulating their readers in this hard-headed way. Solving the murder with, to quote an old writing saying, one mighty bound was a complete let down and to compound that by leaving so many loose ends dangling was a step too far for me. What a pity because it is well-written, the characters are well-drawn and the emotions pull you in. Shame about the ending.

2 people found this helpful

avid reader

Good until the ending

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 23, 2020

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Riveting story, and quite a page-turner, but ... There are many threads left hanging at the end, clearly in the hope that having got this far you'll shell out for the next in the series. Disappointing that the author feels the need to stoop to this device to keep her readers.

2 people found this helpful

Sinéad

Absolute page turner! I was captured from the very first page

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 15, 2016

Verified Purchase

It's safe to say that Denise Grover Swank is my go-to author when I just need a quality book. I purchase her books without even needing to look at the description anymore. She's just THAT good.
Her Rose Gardner series reignited my love of reading, and I will be forever thankful for that!
I have devoured and throughly enjoyed every single series she has written - I'm seriously addicted! - I expected a lot from this new book but what I got was even more! It's safe to say Center Stage is my favourite book, and that was a tall order to fill.
I can't wait for the new book!

7 people found this helpful

Tracey

Yet another great series from DGS

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 21, 2021

Verified Purchase

I was very sceptical of starting this series due to being a massive Rose and Carly fan but I had nothing to fear.
Magnolia is a strong heroin so while I did guess the murderer in this book, I am excited to read more of her story.
Will definitely recommend and already downloaded the next novel in this series.

Zoe

Really Liked

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 12, 2018

Verified Purchase

I actually really liked this book. I’ve only read one other by the author and I wasn’t a fan. I tried this on a whim and I loved it. I wasn’t sure on Magnolia to begin with but she really grew on me. I liked the other characters, especially Colt and Brady. Looking forward to the follow up book when I get to it if it’s written anything like this one. I’ve got unanswered questions from this book, and I hope to have it wrapped up in the future books. I kind of guessed the whodunnit in this one but it wasn’t very obvious.

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Center Stage: Magnolia Steele Mystery, Book 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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