3.5 stars. I picked it up under the mistaken impression that it was a cozy, but it doesn't quite fit under the category. There's a lot more blatant se3.5 stars. I picked it up under the mistaken impression that it was a cozy, but it doesn't quite fit under the category. There's a lot more blatant sexual tension (and almost-action) between Chrissy and Rivera, for one thing. But I enjoyed it all the same; Unzipped is hilarious and a great way to while away a few hours. As for the comparisons to Stephanie Plum, I found little resemblance to the Plum books other than a slight similarity in general tone and style. It's far from a rip-off, and I for one breathed a sigh of relief when I discovered that I won't have to grit my teeth through any crazy antics, because Chrissy is nothing like Stephanie (who's a walking disaster).
Chrissy is the definition of a bumbling amateur sleuth, and a very reluctant one at that - she has no interest in the death of Andrew Bombstad and wouldn't even think to try her hand at investigating if Detective Jack Rivera didn't seem set on her as the murderer! I liked Chrissy; she seemed like someone I might actually know and be friends with. Despite being an academic, she's actually a little slow on the uptake. She's also a bit of a coward, and funnily enough that's probably my favourite trait of hers. I don't seek realism in my choices of reading material, but all the same I always feel a little tickled when I find a character with traits so realistic. I almost laughed out loud at her driving back and forth and chickening out multiple times when her situation became desperate enough for her to consider breaking into Bombstad's house. She did seem a bit useless as a psychologist, though, and at times her behaviour doesn't reflect well on the profession. I personally don't mind, but I hope Greiman wasn't intending for it to be flattering!
I liked Chrissy's developing romance with Jack Rivera, and hopefully (probably) we'll see a great deal more of it in the second book. The downside of using first person here is that we see Rivera playing "bad cop" with Chrissy and treating her pretty rudely for the first half of the novel, but Chrissy makes no other observations (his tone of voice, his expression, actions, etc.), so it wasn't until the romance developed that we realize that Rivera's not so bad after all. It's probably the first time I've found the hero so irritating to begin with, but the tension later is worth it.
The mystery is what drives the story, and it functioned well enough as the driving force despite not being particularly gripping (I was only concerned with Chrissy's quest to prove her innocence and was never really interested in finding out who the killer was). The sudden flood of clues towards the end and the murderer's big reveal and his reasons for killing was a little forced, but by then you're involved enough in the rest of the story not to care.
Despite my initial irritation at the rather silly, airy-fairy opening to the book, it got much better once you get past the first two chapters and theDespite my initial irritation at the rather silly, airy-fairy opening to the book, it got much better once you get past the first two chapters and the real mystery begins to unfold.
My favourite part of the book is probably how "nerdy" is the new cool in The Givenchy Cocde. Mel is a maths genius and puzzle/code-cracking extraordinaire, the last hobbies you'd think she'd possess, considering her obsession with brand-name shoes and all things fashionable. And her "nerdy" interests are exactly what gets her out of each sticky situation in this book, where she has to out think her would-be killer. This kind of tickled me.
The addition of Matthew Stryker as the hunky protector pushed this right back into the cozy mystery category, unfortunately, and the romance is typical. Still, I enjoyed it enough on the whole to pick up the next book in the series, which is far more than I had expected when I first picked this up!...more
Pauline Sokol is a (supposedly) smart nurse holding numerous degrees, who decides one day that she's had eCute, but mindless fluff. Take with caution.
Pauline Sokol is a (supposedly) smart nurse holding numerous degrees, who decides one day that she's had enough of nursing and wants to try something else with a bit more excitement. She gets thrown head first into investigating by a friend, and finds out it's just a tad more than she can handle. In comes your typical sexy expert sleuth who saves her more times than you can count and puts up with her idiocy like no other can.
In other words, your everyday "cozy mystery" featuring an amateur female sleuth. There are some cute and funny moments and it makes a nice, quick read where you can keep your brain turned off, but prepare to get irritated by Pauline, who doesn't seem to have a single intelligent thought in her head. Is this woman horny 24/7?! Every single scene with her and Jagger features a Pauline who can't even walks straight, let alone think straight, and although it might be an understandable reaction to "a walking orgasm" like Jagger at first, she continues this throughout the book and never actually gets over it. Good lord.
Thankfully she's not as hopeless as Stephanie Plum and certainly not as indecisive....more
Great fun! I was wary of the psychic aspect, but it was done well, without coming across as too silly, unbelievable, or preachy. The mystery was also Great fun! I was wary of the psychic aspect, but it was done well, without coming across as too silly, unbelievable, or preachy. The mystery was also gripping and felt very realistic; it was really interesting to see how Abby used her abilities to help track down the murderer. ...more
An amusing read, though at times it tries overly hard to be funny and falls flat. Lack of clarity of expression is what brings the author down; some iAn amusing read, though at times it tries overly hard to be funny and falls flat. Lack of clarity of expression is what brings the author down; some incidents would be a lot funnier if I didn't have to re-read it several times in order to understand what McLynn was trying to say. A very light-hearted read, this is perfect for a quick flip through when you have an hour or two to spare. Leo is an endearing anti-heroine that will draw you in straight away, though I wouldn't expect much in the actual cases that she's investigating. Her relationship with Andy and other people around her is the main focus....more
Plot is the typical paranormal romance fare, though it moves fast and stays light-hearted the entire way, whiFun brain-fluff. Nothing unique, but fun.
Plot is the typical paranormal romance fare, though it moves fast and stays light-hearted the entire way, which is nice. The side characters were fairly likeable, though I thought there wasn't enough depth to Betsy and Sinclair. Sinclair seems vaguely schizo sometimes; one moment he's a complete stoic ass, the next, he's throwing "darling" and "sweetheart" at Betsy. Just a little confusing. Betsy herself is also barely tolerable; she doesn't get on your nerves directly, but you can tell there isn't enough in her head for you to take her all that seriously. The side characters are the ones that made the book. That aside, great fun to read, and I'll be catching more of these....more
Not as good as the second one (yes, read it out of order by accident), since it was more background material.
Betsy seemed to plough through situationsNot as good as the second one (yes, read it out of order by accident), since it was more background material.
Betsy seemed to plough through situations like a bulldozer; never stopping for a breath, never a chance to recollect and figure out what's been going on so far. The book moves at an exhausting pace, and if you don't read carefully enough, you'll find yourself at the end, still wondering about the details. It also seems a little unbelievable that EVERYONE around her would take it so well in stride; assuming Marc was nuts and Jessica and her mother were just unique personalities, I still find it difficult that her stepmother and father would've just taken it like they did. Personally, if someone came into my house, put my jewellery in the grinder and pulled the handle off my fridge while claiming they're a supervamp, I'd call the mental asylum.
The end was pretty badly done, I'm afraid. It went from a crazy episode where Sinclair was seen with his "sheep", to Betsy being taken to Nostro's hideout and nearly killed, straight to the death of Nostro and Sinclair & Betsy's little bonding episode - all in the space of a couple of pages. Wtf? You blink, and you've missed something already. Not to mention the part where Betsy could hear Sinclair's thoughts was so cliche and lacking in grammatical structure that it was laughable. He might not have been very coherent at the time, but typing Sinclair's thoughts in full capitals, with words like, "OH OH OH ELIZABETH MY DARLING OH"? (It's a shame I cannot remember the exact page number, but... its' there.) Honestly. He's known her for less than week, hardly enough time to call her darling and fall in love with her!
All in all, this book was fairly unsatisfying. Unless you're desperate to know the background details (which isn't really necessary, as most of them are briefly mentioned in the second book), I'd advise readers to just skip this one and move onto the second. There are fun moments here, but it's mostly a confusing jumble....more
The "murder mystery" part took more of a backdrop; most of the novel is more about Skye's personal life and relationship with the people arGreat read.
The "murder mystery" part took more of a backdrop; most of the novel is more about Skye's personal life and relationship with the people around town. Swanson mixes in the mystery aspect very nicely, and it's nice to see a heroine who isn't model-thin, with a top job and hunk (the town doctor, chief of police, etc.) who's constantly trailing around, getting her out of hot water and pining after her. I was both surprised and amused when I found out Simon is a coroner.
The plot itself was nothing unusual; it's set in a small town where everyone knows each other, there's an external force that threatens the peace and balance, and strange events happening that all seem to be linked to each other. Avid mystery fans would probably be disappointed in the lack of sleuthing and challenging clues in this novel; as previously said, it's more about her life in Scumble River than anything else. Great mind fluff, though, and definitely worth a read if you're bored and have a bit of spare time....more
A fun read, filled with engaging characters and enough mystery to satisfy any fans of the genre.
Annabelle, Richard and Kate make an unstoppable, crimeA fun read, filled with engaging characters and enough mystery to satisfy any fans of the genre.
Annabelle, Richard and Kate make an unstoppable, crime-solving trio, and the hot water that they're constantly in keeps the reader on their toes. Leatrice, Annabelle's nosey neighbour, also adds to the quirky fun in this novel. Girls will love the descriptions of all the disastrous weddings and frightening mothers-of-the-bride that is described here; many might even have experienced one or two of those. It's a real shame that Detective Reese didn't get to play a bigger role, however. I would've liked to see a little more development between him and Annabelle, beyond the few exchanges they had and one or two hints dropped by Durham that they're interested in each other. Perhaps the next book?
Definitely worth a try! I'm off to find the next installment....more
A waste of time; there are far better amateur detective novels out there. As a fan of this genre, all I was looking for in this book is a bit of lightA waste of time; there are far better amateur detective novels out there. As a fan of this genre, all I was looking for in this book is a bit of light fun, an interesting case, and engaging characters. This book failed to deliver on all points.
Abby Knight is the typical stubborn heroine with a supposed knack for solving mysteries. She's also very pretty, and has a tall, dark, hunky boyfriend (we're told this repeatedly). The above is probably standard for these amateur detective/light romance novels, and while I've liked many a similar heroine in the past, I found myself taking an instant dislike to Abby. Instead of being smart, tough, or simply with a talent for getting herself into the right positions and discovering the right clues, Abby stumbles from scene to scene. The "stubborn as a mule" characteristic isn't cute or at all admirable here. Because the Urban brothers pranked her at the beginning, she is instantly biased against them and pretty much decides, with no basis, that they ARE the murderers of Sybil Blount. She stubbornly ignores the possibility that it might have been someone else, and twists whatever leads she finds to fit her preferred suspects. This doesn't just apply to the Urbans, but also to Eli Cotton, her friend Delilah, and so on. Abby repeatedly forms certain opinions, and then insists on them, and says it's "instinct." I felt like smacking her upside the head.
Marco, the hot, hunky boyfriend, is pretty 2D. He's there to make Abby Knight an enviable heroine (she has a hot boyfriend, she's pretty, has a decent job, etc.) and to fish her out of hot water. By the time I reached the end of the book, I lost count of how many times Collins described how seriously hot, hunky and Italian-American he is, plus how much they have the hots for each other and wish to get horizontal. We get the point!
The case is flimsy at best, and the "leads" are just thrown in to make the reader feel like the leads are getting somewhere with solving it. It's all entirely too convenient. Abby and Marco finds tapes that the police missed, they get witness statements that the police haven't even heard of, their friends manage to unearth people's secrets that miraculously form the backdrop to the murder. The whole story is conveniently constructed thus, with no real deductive work (not correctly, anyway) done by Abby, and yet she still manages to stumble onto the truth at the end. The story and the murderer is handed to her on a silver plate, with no reasoning whatsoever.
It was a tiring book to read, and I regret not dropping it when I found the writing clunky and overdescriptive at the beginning. Fans of the amateur detective genre who would like to read about intelligent heroines and equally hunky boyfriends that aren't described a million times throughout the course of the book should perhaps consider work by Heather Webber, Victoria Laurie, Laura Durham, and a number of others. It'll definitely be better than this....more
Great fun! Not the preppy fashion spree I was expecting to read; Lacey is classy, and knows how to dress for the occasion, without repeated mention ofGreat fun! Not the preppy fashion spree I was expecting to read; Lacey is classy, and knows how to dress for the occasion, without repeated mention of hot pumps and mini-skirts. I was surprised at how interesting the book turned out to be, with just enough mystery and (reluctant) detective work by Lacey for the mystery fan in me. Looking forward to tracking down other books in the series....more
Another great Abby Cooper book! Just as exciting as the first, with that element of danger and real mystery that sets it apart from some of the other Another great Abby Cooper book! Just as exciting as the first, with that element of danger and real mystery that sets it apart from some of the other amateur detective novels, where the heroine seems to waltz elegantly around all potentially dangerous situations. The only unfortunate part is Abby's tendency to preach when she's explaining her abilities. The scenes where she deals with clients, or calls on her "people", is also very formulaic. It all sounds very much the same.
Nice to see Abby and Dutch's relationship moving along, however, and some of the other side characters being developed more (I absolutely adore Milo). Can't wait to read the fourth installment....more
Quite a fun read; I'm really enjoying all these amateur detective novels featuring sassy wedding planners! Particularly when they have a little romancQuite a fun read; I'm really enjoying all these amateur detective novels featuring sassy wedding planners! Particularly when they have a little romance of their own, as well (though Aaron is a bit of a disappointment in this one, for a first time reader of the Carnegie Kincaid series). Probably the most interesting about this story was watching the way it all played out in the end, and seeing how the characters fit in....more
A delightful read. "Cooks Overboard" is entertaining and really brings the reader on an adventure along with its main characters. Never a dull moment.A delightful read. "Cooks Overboard" is entertaining and really brings the reader on an adventure along with its main characters. Never a dull moment.
Angie Amalfi is charming and so is her boyfriend, Paavo. The brief moments where the perspective changes to Paavo's may be slightly confusing (it's difficult to tell when they suddenly switch halfway through the chapter), but it also offers a bit of an insight into his thoughts on Angie and what's going on around them, something which really helps the reader like and understand Paavo, usually silent and difficult to read.
Fans who're looking for some romance with their mystery/adventure will enjoy this one, although I'd call this more of an adventure novel than a mystery. There's really not all that much mystery in it; it's pretty heavily focused on the main characters and their actions....more
The highlight of these Angie Amalfi books, for me, has always been the combination of adventure and romance. Paavo and Angie are incredibly sweet and The highlight of these Angie Amalfi books, for me, has always been the combination of adventure and romance. Paavo and Angie are incredibly sweet and gooey, which is a nice change from heroines who seem to get a new boyfriend in every book. The "mystery" in the subtitle is rather misleading, I think; although there's a bit of a detective/crime/mystery element, they cover her journeys back and forth rather than any real attempt to "catch the killer."
That aside, Da Vinci Cook was a bit of a disappointment for me, in comparison to some of the previous Angie books. She has always been a lovely character, albeit headstrong with a tendency to act before thinking, but this has been the first time when I wanted to smack her upside the head for complete idiocy. Anyone in the world who possess a single ounce of common sense would realize that if you skip the country after being named a suspect, you're going to get majorly screwed. I fail to understand how two young women like Angie and Caterina would not process that in their heads.
The "mystery" itself was utterly confusing, and it reduced the fun of playing detective and trying to figure it out before the characters did. It was all a mush of troubles that Angie and Cat repeatedly found themselves in, and we never got a sense that they were getting any head way on apprehending the killer, but Paavo somehow pulls it off without an explanation that actually makes sense.
Joanne Pence's "Angie" series is quite a fun read, but this one was disappointing. Interested readers should try some of the other ones....more
Absolutely dull! Only read this borefest if you're having trouble falling asleep.
Annie is supposed to be a smart, sensible girl with a knack for solviAbsolutely dull! Only read this borefest if you're having trouble falling asleep.
Annie is supposed to be a smart, sensible girl with a knack for solving mysteries, but all I can see is a spineless girl who has trouble saying "no" to anyone being caught up in a host of incidents, which she tries to counter by doing absolutely stupid things. Honestly, what kind of sensible girl would try and help her friend by attempting to break into someone's house to find evidence?! Annie stumbles back and forth, and the only reason why she's able to "solve" anything is because the author threw the blatant clues there for her to stumble over.
Aside from that, her friend Eve is a blonde dimwit, her boyfriend is possessive and positively embarrassing, and the cooking classes are just plain boring. The murderer can also be guessed a million years before it is revealed, which defeats the point of reading this already dull and uninspired book. Avoid....more
A fun amateur detective/adventure romp, recommended for readers who can stomach a rather 2D heroine, contrived plot elements, and a 'mystery' that isnA fun amateur detective/adventure romp, recommended for readers who can stomach a rather 2D heroine, contrived plot elements, and a 'mystery' that isn't all that mysterious. Not intellectually challenging or unique (sticks with what's been done before, in fact), but not a bad read before bed. Maddie's quite "blonde" and it makes for some pretty funny situations where she completely embarrasses herself. She's not entirely stupid, though, and her spunky, never-give-up attitude is likeable, although you can't help but wish she had a little more in her brain other than shoes, pregnancy and her missing boyfriend. Ramirez plays the typical hunky detective who tries his best to keep the heroine out of hot water. Cliches aside, they make a nice pair, and I wouldn't mind grabbing the next book to see what happens. ...more
Great read! I must say I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. For someone who's used to stumbling across badly written and dull amGreat read! I must say I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. For someone who's used to stumbling across badly written and dull amateur detective series, Blondes Have More Felons made a refreshing change.
It incorporates the stereotypical aspects of a female amateur detective novel (though December's technically a lawyer, she gets up to similar mischief), but somehow, Alesia Holliday manages to make it fun to read. December is tall, blonde and pretty, and there's the typical sexy P.I/all-round handyman, Jake Brody, hanging around just waiting to rescue her, but unlike other heroines, December doesn't cave the minute he pushes her buttons; she holds her own! What an idea. This, however, is what makes their scenes interesting and page-turning.
December's tough without being overly so, and she's also intelligent. Her verbal battles with crazy clients are probably the most laugh-out-loud parts of the book. I can't stress how much I love a heroine that can stand up for herself, not even using some kind of martial arts, and beat her opponent verbally and intellectually. Her crew at the office is also very endearing, quirky characters.
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