See this and all of my reviews at Mystereity Reviews

Third Time's a crime is reality TV in book form! Except in Cold Case at the Castle, the drama wasn't scripted! Set at an old mansion that had operated as a boys home many years in the past, ex-cop Georgia and the nine other contestants are tasked with solving the murder of a girl who disappeared decades ago, to solve the mystery first. But when an employee at the castle is found dead, and another contestant is murdered after he was voted off the show, Georgia knows all the murders are tied together and the killer is still very close to the scene. Can she find a cold blooded killer at the Castle before she's the next victim?

This was recommended to me by a friend, who sent me a copy of the book. (Thanks, Joann!) This was the first book I've read in the Love or Money series, and I really enjoyed it. I don't care for reality shows, so I skipped over a lot of the backstabbing/partnering/cheating sort of reality tv shtick. But at the heart of it, this was an excellent plot, lots of action and suspense with plenty of misdirections and a hint of is-it-or-isn't-it-paranormal to keep you guessing. The satisfying ending tied everything up nicely, and although the book can be read as a standalone, it will definitely suck you right into the series.

I loved the crumbling old mansion setting, very well described and so vivid I felt like it was real. I eagerly followed along as the contestants combed the mansion and gardens, and I love the dumbwaiter scene (I've always wanted to do that!) Combined with the animated characters (especially Bert!) the entire story was dimensional, exciting and totally engrossing.

Overall, Third Time's a Crime is an excellent mystery, and can be read as a standalone or even an entry into the series. I definitely recommend it for cozy mystery and reality tv fans.

How come the whole issue of all the contestants who tried to cheat by looking at the results in Cheryl's office was dropped without another word? Georgia even mentioned it when she was voted off, but literally nothing ever came of it, despite them being caught on film. And don't get me started about the DNA kit.

(spoiler show)

Ugh.  Just ugh.

 

DNF.  Hated it right from the opening, but tried to give it a chance.  Made it to chapter 3 and it was already so inane that I gave up. 

 

What really pushed me over the edge was when the MC fished a paper out of the cop's back pocket because she thought it could be incriminating towards her sister.  Who does that?  And then, when the MC and the other person who found the victim left the bar to give their statements to a detective, they instead wandered over to a group of people and started whispering about what they'd found.   I couldn't imagine this would get any better so I gave up. 

 

1/2 a star and that's generous.  This was a real stinker.

 

 

 

Yappy Hour

 

Roundup Crew Mystery, #1

 

Diana Orgain

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Narrator: Caroline Shaffer
Date of Publication: November 3, 2015
Abridged or Unabridged: Unabridged
Length of Production: 8 hrs 21 mins

 

A rollicking start to a new cozy series featuring a loveable heroine and a colorful band of dog lovers who gather regularly with their pets at their local watering hole

With side-splitting humor, an irresistable cast of characters--both human and canine--and an intimate small town setting, Yappy Hour is sure to delight fans of Rita Mae Brown and Diane Kelly. Every Friday night in the idyllic seaside town of Pacific Cove, CA, the Roundup Crew, a group of dog-loving friends, meet at a neighborhood wine bar for Yappy Hour. When Rachel, the owner, mysteriously leaves town and asks her sister, Maggie (who is neither pet friendly nor business savvy), to run the bar in her absence, things get complicated fast. Maggie arrives to open up and finds a body sprawled on the floor, and even worse, an incriminating letter with Rachel’s name on it nearby. On impulse, she hides the letter from the hunky detective, Officer Brad Brooks, who’s dispatched to the scene.

When Rachel is declared the top suspect by the police, Maggie decides to investigate on her own. She reopens the bar and gets to know the members of the Roundup Crew, including chief organizer Yolanda, who never goes anywhere without her signature strappy stilettos or her Chihuahua Beepo. Maggie juggles searching for clues, trying to locate Rachel, and serving up Doggie Daiquiris, Muttguaritas and homemade Arf D’Oeuvres—until another body turns up. The Roundup Crew must step in and save the bar, and it seems the only way to do that will be to solve the mystery and turn Maggie into a dog-lover in this charming, light-hearted cozy.

This was my third Caroline Shaffer listen, though with a new series. Caroline remained a fantastic narrator, really nailing the male voices and making sure that every voice was distinct and recognizable. I don't think I would have enjoyed this series nearly as much without her as the narrator. With Caroline in the narrator role, I would check out another new to me author.

The story had good points, but the bad points overshadowed the good. The set-up for this book was smart and the clues to the killer were well placed right to the very end.  I was convinced it was someone else due to my interpretation of the clues.  Unfortunately, this may be why my mind wandered a bit while listening to the story.  In-between listening, I didn't have that must-read urge to pick it back up.

Part of this may have been because I had a hard time connecting with Maggie. There was a push for Maggie to have a love interest that felt very forced. Don't even get me started on the lame love triangle. *Blergh* They really just don't do it for me. Another problem I had with the story, was if Maggie visited so much with her uncle as a child, where were her childhood friends? The only people she seemed to know were her uncle and her sister, and the sister was missing for more than 3/4 of the book. Though her Uncle definitely fell on the plus side of the story, being such an interesting character. The story dragged in several places while explanations and info dumps occurred.

Overall, for me, this was a disappointing read. I saw a lot of potential, and there was a great narrator. The execution just fell flat. I think if the author had maybe concentrated on what Maggie was supposed to be so good at, ie the finances, and not strayed into food (multiple long explanations of meals) and drinks and art and romance and clothes, that the story could have been more focused. It almost felt like the author was trying to cram as many themes as she could into the story. Pick one or two and leave it at that. In short, too many themes spoiled the book. I gave this two disappointed stars.

Thanks to Audiobook Jukebox and Blackstone Audio for the opportunity to listen and review the book.

 

 

 

 

 

Bundle of Trouble is the first in the series ‘Maternal Instincts Mystery’. The second book is called Motherhood is Murder and the third, Formula for Murder.

We first get involved at the end of Kate’s pregnancy. She receives a phone call from the Medical Examiner’s Office. A body has been found in the bay, her brother-in-law’s possessions have been found at the end of the pier. Then she goes into labour.

I have to admit that in the beginning I wasn’t caught up in the story and wasn’t sure whether I would continue reading. I didn’t ‘feel’ the worry Kate and husband Jim were feeling as Kate was in labour. The short and simple sentences didn’t catch my imagination. However, as soon as the first death occurred I was caught up in the whirlwind of activity, the intrigue making me click the pages. In the end, I was so caught up in the action I read it in 24 hours!

The plot is very clever and fast moving and at no point did I guess who the murderer was. Every time I had a guess, I was wrong. I loved this. Alongside this, I was transported back to those first few weeks of having your first baby in your life. Having Laurie (baby) as part of the story in no way detracts from the plot. It’s just a part of Kate and Jim’s life.

I also loved the tongue-in-cheek sarcastic humour. I found this so down-to-earth and it’s an integral part of the whole.

Kate makes To Do lists (a girl after my own heart). I think this list sums up the story and the humour:

To do:
1. Find Killer
2. Figure out hideous breast pump.
3. Avoid cranky cop.
4. Send out Make birth announcements – need pink paper.
5. FIND KILLER

I would like to thank the author for sending me an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.