Matthew S. Cox has 31 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 15 narrators, with an average listener rating of 4.7★ across 8 ratings. The most-rated is The Eldritch Heart.
The Eldritch Heart
Summary
Princess Oona Talomir enjoys the little things that come with her station: a handmaiden, her lavish bedchamber, and scores of fancy dresses - the duty to win a decades-long war, not so much. Oh, did I mention assassins? Seers foretold the conflict would end by her hand. From the moment she drew her first breath, the neighboring kingdom has been trying to kill her so she could not grow powerful enough to destroy them. Fearing for his daughter’s life, the king has kept her confined to the castle grounds for most of her 16 years. With the tide of war turning against them, the burden of her crown becomes too much to bear, yet one thing lifts her spirits amid the gloom. Her servant girl, Kitlyn. Alas, in a kingdom obsessed with the god of purity, she is terrified to confess her forbidden love. When her father makes a demand she cannot abide - marry a prince to forge a military alliance - Oona panics. He is handsome and honorable, but he’s not Kitlyn. Unable to admit why she cannot obey, Oona does the only thing she can think of, and runs away. Alone and unprepared in the wilderness, she prays the gods will let Kitlyn find her - before the assassins do.
©2018 Matthew S. Cox (P)2018 Matthew S. Cox
Aliens Ate My Homework
Summary
Kelly Donovan wants to save the Earth from aliens, but her plan has a serious snag - she needs to do it before bedtime. It’s been a few weeks since the Nolmek scattered giant crystals around the world that unintentionally gave some people superpowers. They also nearly eliminated war and shared technology to solve famine, drought, and pollution, so pretty much everyone loves them. Alas, the aliens didn’t visit Earth purely out of kindness. They needed a primitive species to enslave. Kelly discovers they’re speeding up their plans, already abducting people from the super-prison right out from under the cops’ noses - the same prison her mad scientist father is stuck in. She’s desperate to protect him, but unfortunately, no one is willing to believe the Nolmek could be bad guys. Worse, they know she’s on to them. If she can’t find proof of the aliens’ plan, stop the invasion, and be in bed before nine, she faces worse than the enslavement of humanity - she’ll be grounded.
©2019 Matthew S. Cox (P)2020 Matthew S. Cox
My Dad Is a Mad Scientist
Summary
Saving the world isn’t easy. It’s even harder when you’re only nine. Kelly Donovan used to be a nobody. Well, a smart nobody. Skipping ahead a year in school made her the smallest kid in fifth grade and a target for bullies in search of an easy mark. She tried to follow her father’s advice and ignore them, but it didn’t do any good. Escaping into her favorite comic books at least helped her through the day. Who needs friends anyway? Sometimes, dreams find a way to come true, even if nobody asked them to. Aliens bombard the Earth with gigantic glowing red crystals to restore its failing magnetic field. Soon after the seemingly benevolent invasion, Kelly discovers her wildest, happiest fantasy come to life: She has superpowers, along with roughly two percent of the population. Her strong good nature leads her to adopt the heroic persona of Übergirl. However, she has one major problem.... Her dad’s turning into a mad scientist. It’s difficult to be a hero, especially when your father’s a bad guy.
©2019 Matthew S. Cox (P)2019 Matthew S. Cox
The Artist of Ruin
Summary
Sarah Wright knows she’s in for a rough week when a ghost asking for help is the least frightening thing with which she has to deal. A month after waking up as a vampire, unlife is feeling pretty sweet. Her mood swings are easing off, she’s got a decent boyfriend, and best of all, the parents let her slide on being lazy. They understand it’s a little awkward to keep a job when daylight can kill her. Oh, and the whole magical powers thing is pretty cool, too. After two weeks of quiet, her new normal blooms into a chaotic mess. Ashley’s awful luck with romance hits dangerously close to home. A simple favor for Aurélie ends with a possessed antique doll loose in the house, and worse, one random act of kindness gives Sarah something she’s never had before - a nemesis who wants to do more than kill her. She wants to utterly ruin her.
©2018 Matthew S. Cox (P)2018 Matthew S. Cox
A Nighttime of Forever
Summary
Sarah Wright woke up a few times after parties in strange places - but the morgue's a first. At 18, she's eager for a taste of independence, moving out of state to attend college. A change of scenery is extra-needed due to a bad breakup with her boyfriend, Scott. However, soon after escaping the body cooler, she makes two startling realizations: vampires are real and she is one. There's nothing quite like an untimely death to ruin plans. California's sunny beaches aren't the best place for vampires to chill, and worse, not only does she wind up stuck in Seattle, she's still living (figuratively) with her parents. They take the news surprisingly well - after all, it's better than burying her - even helping move her bedroom to the basement. A disinterested sire, distraught friends, nosy Men in Black, and awestruck younger siblings complicate her adjustment to the new normal of being an immortal still subject to her parents' rules. Being undead has its perks, but it also brings enemies. Without a copy of Fangs for Dummies, Sarah's left scrambling for answers when one such new enemy attacks her siblings and friends. If she can't figure out how to vampire, her attempt to spare her family the grief of losing her may wind up killing them.
©2017 Matthew S. Cox (P)2018 Matthew S. Cox
A Beginner's Guide to Fangs
Summary
At 18, Sarah Wright never had to cope with a death in her family before - least of all her own. Two weeks after waking up as a vampire, she’s starting to feel comfortable in her fangs. Sarah’s doing okay, if you don’t count wicked mood swings, crushing guilt, and a pervasive sense of existential dread. On the upside, her family is adjusting to the new normal of supernatural in stride, and she’s even testing the waters with a new guy. However, something’s changed with her best friend Ashley, who’s not acting at all like herself. To make matters worse, someone’s stalking Sarah. Mom copes with her daughter’s undeath by largely ignoring it, sending her on errands during the day when her powers won’t work, and she’s scared of being killed for good. Formal entry into vampire society sends her down a dangerous path, right into the middle of a war between elders - that her sire started. All Sarah wants is some semblance of a normal unlife, but she finds herself stuck between two groups of angry vampires itching to spill blood.... And they don’t care if it’s from her innocent family.
©2018 Matthew S. Cox (P)2018 Matthew S. Cox
The Cursed Crown
Summary
In the wake of a 20-year war, the people of Lucernia struggle to believe their former enemies aren’t demon-loving savages. However, that’s easy compared to the more alarming change: accepting their nation now has two queens. Many citizens in a land devoted to the God of Purity view the love between Kitlyn and Oona as unnatural, but the young women have earned guarded acceptance in the wake of their heroic deeds. Alas, unrest stirs in the shadows. Worse, Oona thinks the Talomir family line is cursed. All who have worn the crown before her have met with untimely deaths. Much work lies ahead for the new queens in helping the kingdom recover from a conflict older than its rulers. The people are restless and hurting, trust in the crown is tenuous, and the king of Evermoor demands reparations. That two women should love each other may be the last little piece to hurl the nation into rebellion. Mysterious forces attacking towns close to the border with Evermoor stoke tensions even further, threatening a relapse to war. Their crowns not even warm, Kitlyn and Oona set off to find the source of the raids and stabilize the nation...hoping to stay ahead of an ancient curse.
©2018 Matthew S. Cox (P)2019 Matthew S. Cox
Moon Master
Summary
To save a child, Samantha Moon would go to the end of the Earth - even past it to alternate dimensions. At long last, she’s learned the truth behind her vampire sire and why he turned her. But with that comes a revelation about an ancient evil that preys on innocent young witches. Turns out Sam has a unique connection to the fiend, but it might not be enough to help her find the monster. Of course, it’s not like she doesn’t have all the time in the world.... That changes when the Red Rider abducts a 10-year-old girl, intending to devour her unusually strong magic. Sam cannot bear the thought of such a young child experiencing a death so gruesome. Her need to destroy a monster who could do such things to the innocent does something she never imagined possible...for once, she and Elizabeth will work together. To make matters worse, the witch-hunter isn’t even on Earth. With precious little time remaining, Sam must track down a killer into worlds that stretch the imagination...worlds beyond belief and dreams. A little girl’s life depends on it.
©2019 J.R. Rain (P)2019 Audible, Inc.
The Drifting Gloom
Summary
Book two in the best-selling Maddy Wimsey, Witch Detective series! Magical forces don't always play nice. In fact, they can be downright evil. Life is going fairly well for Detective Maddy Wimsey. At 35, she's an accomplished detective, practicing Wiccan, has a wonderful relationship with her long-time boyfriend, and even a much-needed vacation after dealing with a cursed gem. Alas, her break doesn't last long. A creeping darkness interrupts the solace of the woods with a supernatural vendetta against her coven. Maddy had opened a particular can of worms looking into the past, and the entity has decided to make her a target. With a deadly supernatural entity on the loose, the last thing she needs is for her day job to get in the way, but a new murder case lands right in her lap at the worst possible time. A sadistic serial killer and no good leads guts Maddy's confidence. With each new victim she fails to save, her guilt grows. Duty to her coven clashes with her oath to protect the citizens. Taking time from the case to fight a supernatural war means more innocents could die, but Maddy Wimsey is no ordinary detective. Luckily, she still has a few tricks up her sleeve.
©2018 J.R. Rain (P)2019 J.R. Rain
Moon Mourning
Summary
Book two in the best-selling Samantha Moon Origins series! Coping with being attacked and left for dead isn't easy, but Samantha Moon is grateful that she survived - until she suspects she didn't. Vanishing from mirrors is only the first of a series of bizarre events that defies explanation, even to her trained investigative mind. A severe allergy to the sun, alertness at night, inability to eat food that isn't blood, and worst of all: She can't remember the last time she needed the bathroom. Of course, it's not all bad. Years have fallen off her face, her hair is perfect, her senses are honed, and (assuming she hasn't gone crazy) she can even see in the dark. It's all too much to process, so she does the only thing that makes any sense: tries to go back to work. A huge hat, shades, and half a bottle of high-test sunscreen later, she's back out inspecting properties with her partner Chad. Her first day, she suspects a HUD recipient of having undeclared income. Determined to cling to the career she worked so hard for, Sam traces the money back to small-time arms dealers selling big-time weapons. Everything seems to be routine until her sluggish reflexes get someone shot - and her husband suffers an emotional breakdown. Worse, she faces a more insidious and dangerous enemy than an apocalyptic militia group with military hardware...daytime.
©2018 J.R. Rain (P)2019 J.R. Rain
Convergence
Summary
Solstice Winters has spent most of her life halfway between normal society and the world of her magical parents. However, when getting caught between two worlds becomes more than metaphorical, being able to summon light or open locks might not be enough. Neither her love life nor her professional life are going anywhere in a hurry. Her boyfriend is successful and handsome, but she constantly has to compete with his job for affection. At 32, she works as a photojournalist for the Spiritualist, a small paper dedicated to magic and the supernatural - that most people regard as a tabloid. Desperate for that "one break", she'll do almost anything to get that big story and get into a "real" media outlet. Years of always not quite fitting in begin to make sense after an error at a particle-physics laboratory alters the dimensional alignment of the world, strengthening magic and revealing an unexpected truth to Solstice. She's not even human. In the wake of an event her boss at the paper is calling the Convergence, magical beings are appearing all over the earth. Solstice doesn't hesitate, racing to be the first to capture indisputable evidence of mythical beasts. Alas, being a magical creature herself, she soon winds up in the cross hairs of not only a three-letter government agency, but an ancient sect of mages with dark intentions. Solstice is about to discover just how powerful she really is....
©2017 J.R. Rain & Matthew S. Cox (P)2018 Tantor
Deep Silver
Summary
Book two in the best-selling Alexis Silver, Mermaid Detective series! Alexis Silver has always defied convention: In the 1920s, she tried to attend college. She also prefers to live on land, and she doesn’t really care for the taste of human flesh. Oh, by the way, she’s also a mermaid. A century of existence comes with a certain amount of boredom, but work as a private investigator in the Pacific Northwest offers a pleasant combination of access to the sea, intrigue, and helping others. When a well-to-do woman hires her to find her missing adventurer brother, Alexis feels like she’s landed straight in the middle of the sort of action movie they just don’t make anymore. The man’s trail leads all over the globe, but she suspects he’s not dead - yet. An international mining conglomerate evidently wants whatever the missing explorer has found, and they’re more than willing to kill anyone who gets in their way. Even mermaids.
©2018 J.R. Rain (P)2020 J.R. Rain
New Moon Rising
Summary
Mother, wife, federal agent...mortal. Samantha Moon hadn't always been a vampire. Once, she had been a wife and mother, happily married to her soul mate and raising two adorable kids. Once, she had been a federal agent investigating a world teeming with sophisticated scams, drugs, human trafficking, and violence. She had hippie parents and a caring sister. She had a small home with an irritatingly detached garage. She had friends, colleagues, and normalcy. That is, until she caught the eye of something evil.... But first, she has a job to do. When her HUD team of federal agents is sent in as backup on a drug raid, she spots a mysterious business card on the fridge. Later, she finds the same card during a routine inspection. Convinced the narcotics traffickers are more widespread than initially thought and are taking advantage of those in need, Sam can't let it go - even after the gang tries to send her a message written in lead. Yes, her days at the Department of Housing and Urban Development are typically boring, her worst fear a paper cut, but little does she know that she has attracted the attention of something dark and hungry. Something that's about to steal her mortal life...and change her forever.
©2017 J.R. Rain (P)2018 J.R. Rain
Division Zero
Summary
Most cops get to deal with living criminals, but Agent Kirsten Wren isn’t most cops. A gifted psionic with a troubled past, she possesses a rare combination of abilities that makes her a powerful weapon against paranormal threats. Adrift in a society that fears people like her, she feels alone in a city of millions. In 2418, rampant violence and corporate warfare have left no shortage of angry wraiths. Most are little more than fleeting shadows or eerie whispers in the darkness, but every so often, one gathers enough strength to threaten the living. A series of attacks by androids known as dolls leave the normal police baffled. Unable to explain what made the machines malfunction, they punt the case to Division Zero. Kirsten’s investigation into who - or what - is behind the random murders soon makes her a target for corporate assassins. Despite her past and the cynical city around her, she clings to the belief that no one is beyond redemption. Alas, the killer is desperate to claim as many innocent souls as possible, and one might just be hers.
©2018 Matthew S. Cox (P)2019 Matthew S. Cox
Prophet of the Badlands
Summary
For most 12-year-olds, being kidnapped is terrifying. For Althea, it’s only Tuesday. Her powers of healing make her a precious commodity in the Badlands, a place where the strong write the law in blood. For as long as she can remember, she has lived either as a possession or a goddess. Althea contents herself with captivity as long as she can help others, even those who killed to own her. After three whole months in the same village, the friendship of a young warrior makes her feel almost like a member of the tribe rather than a prisoner. Alas, raiders seize her yet again. For the first time in six years, being stolen hurts. Following a reluctant escape, she questions if she should dare risk using her powers to defend herself, and those she has come to love. Her attempt to return to the tribe leaves her lost and alone and, for the first time in her life, trying to stay free. Alas, two threats far beyond her experience to understand also hunt her. One wishes to use her for his grand scheme - and one wants to destroy her.
©2018 Matthew S. Cox (P)2019 Matthew S. Cox
The Last Family Road Trip
Summary
The universe holds various immutable constants: death, gravity, taxes...and the Wright family road trip. After a couple months as a vampire, Sarah’s mostly adjusted to her new unlife. Despite being 18 and immortal, she embraces staying at home. Her almost demise makes her quite aware that her family won’t be around forever. She only needs to keep her supernatural and normal lives separate. Yeah...that’ll happen. Every summer, Dad plans a vacation-by-car somewhere across the country. Lameness has increased each year, but Sarah blames that on growing older. She thought dying might get her out of going, but her father’s not about to let something that trivial put an end to the tradition. After renting an RV and tinting the back windows, he’s confident he can bring the whole family along. Of course, as a vampire, Sarah can’t seem to go anywhere without attracting the weird...and the deadly.
©2018 Matthew S. Cox (P)2019 Matthew S. Cox
One More Run
Summary
In August of 2021, they tried to disprove the adage that violence doesn’t solve anything — by killing everyone. No people, no problems. Fifty years later, humanity has emerged from the ashes. As if nuclear war didn’t do enough, a cruel virus followed on its heels, reducing many survivors to mindless killers. Drivers are the only link between scattered towns. Anyone with the skill to maintain a vehicle (and the balls to hit the road) can seek fortune and glory running jobs for the Roadhouse. Kevin longs to trade in his steering wheel for a Roadhouse of his own, no longer the idiot dodging bullets for a handful of coins. He’s one run away from retiring when a strange woman begs him for a ride to Harrisburg. Desperation has a way of getting a man to do stupid things, like running a package so valuable half the Wildlands will come after him. All his life, Kevin cared mostly about himself — and his car — yet this woman makes him wonder if there’s more to life than selling food, booze, and weapons to reckless fools. Her past comes calling, leaving Kevin at a fork in the road: Fulfill his dream, or let it go for something he never thought he’d want: love.
©2015, 2018 Matthew S. Cox (P)2020 Matthew S. Cox
Evergreen
Summary
Harper Cody used to worry about the SATs or a getting a new laptop for Christmas...but now, she only wants to keep her little sister alive. At 5:59 a.m. early in September, life as she knew it came to an end with a nuclear flash ninety miles away in Colorado Springs. For two months, her family sheltered in the basement of their home, surviving on whatever canned goods Dad could scavenge. Passing evacuees told of a safe haven in the mountains, but her father refused to leave. He thought their home was safe...until a gang of looters kicked in the door. Four years ago at 13, Harper won trophies for competition shooting, but killing a man pointing a gun at her is nothing like nailing targets at a range. Hesitation cost her parents’ lives. With no other options, she grabbed her little sister and ran away from the only home she’d ever known into a world she no longer recognized. The promise of safety in Evergreen gives her hope, but unless the girl voted sweetest in her class can find the nerve to kill, Harper - and her kid sister - are as good as dead.
©2018 Matthew S. Cox (P)2019 Matthew S. Cox
The World That Remains
Summary
Six months ago, Harper Cody stressed out over finding the right college. Now, she’ll be thrilled if she makes it to her 18th birthday. Unexpected nuclear war destroyed the world she knew, along with her dreams for a future. Violent thugs took away her parents and home, sending her fleeing into the ashes with her traumatized little sister. Following her best hope for survival, she chased a rumor of safety in the mountains. Evergreen, Colorado, turned out to be the shelter she’d hoped for. There, her patchwork family could make the best of the world left behind. However, their new home came with an unexpected twist. To keep her father’s shotgun and protect her sister, sweet, introverted Harper had to join the militia. Safety is relative in the aftermath of societal collapse. The mountain town may have avoided the worst of the atomic blasts, but danger still surrounds them: unstable people, starvation, cold, disease...and something or someone creeping about late at night, stalking the most vulnerable among them.
©2019 Matthew S. Cox (P)2020 Matthew S. Cox
The Devil's Eye
Summary
The new paranormal mystery series by number-one best-selling authors J. R. Rain and Matthew S. Cox! For fans of The Witch and the Gentleman, A Discovery of Witches, and Jessica Jones.... Detective Madeline Wimsey tends to stand out with her wild red hair, pentacle amulets, and offbeat methods, but she has a tool few other cops use - magic. Maddy knows the universe wants to balance itself out, so she isn't above tossing around a spell or two whenever a killer's karma needs a little nudge in the right direction. As a member of a practicing coven, she's used to strange looks, hushed whispers, and rolled eyes, but couldn't care less what people think of her. After a man turns up dead in a grisly satanic rite, her fellow detectives are quick to crack jokes. Since they can't tell a pentacle from a pentagram, Maddy's happy to get the case. She suspects the ritual to be the work of amateurs, a theory that pans out when they track down the pack of clueless high school students who made the shrine in the woods. Convinced all is not as it appears to be, Maddy asks the Goddess for a push in the right direction and learns a disturbing truth: The Devil's Eye is watching her.
©2017 J. R. Rain (P)2018 J. R. Rain