Like I don’t have enough to read with stacks of books clogging my floor space, I go trolling through Amazon ebooks and get special offers from some author websites for $0.99 specials for full length books. I’m a book junkie and have a habit to feed, so ………….. well, I’m weak.
There are upsides to ebooks, some not even available in print, and there are downsides. One of those downsides of self publishing is things like ‘Set in the World Of ………….’, take your pick of popular series. The ones that I read we’re set in Sinful, LA, in the world of Jana DeLeon’s entertaining Miss Fortune series. Thing is, some of the ‘tribute’ stories are more fan-fic than professional writing. A couple were good.
I also discovered another humorous mystery series – you know me and my love of humorous mysteries – set in Scottsdale, AZ, a place I grew to know well thanks to many long business trips out that way. And I finally started getting through the Housewife Assassin books as well, and I’m about half way through – but some DTB’s came and demanded my attention.
But ebooks are the topic for this post, so here we go!
BA Trimmer introduces Laura Black, a PI who works for a semi-sleazy but very successful lawyer, Lenny Shapiro, in Scottsdale. I Reviewed Scottsdale Sizzle in a prior post, then read these two, completely out of the order in which they were written, but we’ll just ignore that for the moment.
We have the same cast of characters as Scottsdale Sizzle in Scottsdale Heat and Scottsdale Squeeze. We do, however, get to know exactly how Laura got involved with Max and Tough Tony, the local mob boss. Both books were well done with interesting characters, decent plots with Scottsdale Heat (Book 1) is Laura’s first case. Here she looks for the missing son of one of Scottsdale’s wealthiest socialites and ends up entangled in an improbable hunt for bag switched by Alex (the grandson) in a resort owned by Tough Tony. While the series events is almost laughably unlikely, it’s still a good, fun, fast read.
Scottsdale Squeeze (Book 2) tells the story of how Jackie Wade, she has a brief cameo in book 1, came to own Saguaro Sky resort and is another convoluted tale that once again puts Laura in contact with Tough Tony and the handsome and all too tempting Max – whom she again does a huge favor for.
This series is billed as a humorous romantic mystery, and it is fun, but not the laugh out loud kind that Jana DeLeon delivers. The plots seem to be getting better with each book. Scottsdale Heat gets a B- (3.7*) from me and Scottsdale Squeeze gets a B- (3.9*). A suggested read in ebook for any fan of Christine Craig’s books, or Jana DeLeon. More fun than most boring and predictable cozies.
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Amazon’s Kindle deal had books 1-3 of the Gotcha Detective series for a great low price so I figured OK, I can do this. Now remember, I really disliked book 6, Electile Dysfunction. Buy the early ones was a leap of faith, but worth it. These are far better than her more recent books with the annoying and pointless changes on POV chapter to chapter, which drives me nuts and adds NOTHING to the overall quality of the story, but still rather lame overall.
Mimi Cappruo is supposedly for Secret Service and protected the First Lady, something a junior member of the SS would never do. Still, that’s her background – and yet she barfs at a dead body? Worse, as the stories progress, we learn she married the mob?????? HUH? The SS does a thing called BACKGROUND CHECKS on any anyone involved with agents protecting the First Family. And she’s shocked????? On the upside, books 1-3 were halfway decent and quick reads. Charles, the gay tech expert who eventually becomes her agency partner gets increasing larger parts. But as the dynamics change among the characters, the story quality starts falling apart.
Book 1 to 4 and all written in first person from Mimi’s POV. By book 5, we have Charles interlaced and that’s where she lost me. The plots and characters simply are not strong to pull off the changing perspectives. It becomes nothing more than a writers trick.
The Gotcha Detective Series is not that good with books ranging from C+ (3.4*) to D+/C- (2.8*). Yes, some are free and deals are offered. The rave reviews elude me. Anyone who thinks these books rival Sue Grafton’s is delusional. Very average and frankly, not recommended, even as ebooks.
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The popular Housewife Assassin series is another decent read, but one that requires the reader to buy into the initial concept. Character, including Donna, housewife turned assassin for a government contractor that her supposed dead husband betrayed. Jack, another Acme operator sent to play Carl, her dead husband on history’s longest business trip, Carl, her undead lying with every word husband, the mommies of her upscale neighborhood where she pretends she’s just another mom and housewife.
OK, it’s not great stuff, but the characters are well done, the dialogue is realistic and often quite witty, even the ‘mommies’ (and Donna imaging what she’d do to them) are amusing, and the plots are on par with any James Bond nonsense. Relationship Survival Guide and Vacation to Die For were really good. Plots were hardly subtle, but held some surprises. I enjoyed them and they did have some really fun moments.
It should be noted, due to over-arching plot elements, this is a series that needs to be read in order to work out who and what all the underlying subtleties are that are happening.
Books 2 through 5 of the Housewife Assassin series get mostly B- (3.8*) to B (4*) from me – except the Killer Christmas Tips which I found a bit ragged at C+ to B- (3.6*). A suggested read for fans of humorous mysteries that can take things not too seriously.
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Short stories and novellas really test a writer’s skill. You have little space or time to create characters, setting, plot, and build excitement. Mysteries are especially difficult as they are so very character dependent and rely on subtle misdirection. Using a known setting, like Sinful, known and well defined characters, and somehow come up with an original idea is the baseline. Some succeed. Some crash and burn. We have both here.
OK, Let’s take these left to right. Body in the Bog was just downright awful and I don’t care what the Amazon reviewer’s say. It fundamentally changed the characters of Ida Belle, Gertie and especially Fortune – a pragmatic assassin who NEVER would have done what kicked this whole tear-jerker off. Add to that the fact that everyone spends the story repeating dialogue and crying, if it had been paper, it would have been thrown at the nearest wall. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY! Even if it’s free, it’s just awful on every level and a the perfect example of what fan-fic does with characters. D- (1.5*) Short story/short novella length and still only good to line bird cages.
Nearly Departed, at around 100 pages, is a longer novella and a fun story that does keep the 3 main characters true to form. Gertie is throwing her 10th annual Funeral Party, yup, she’s laid out in a casket and all and has hired a transvestite singing group for entertainment and the usual romp – except for the fact someone wants Gertie dead for real. Well written and plotted and definitely worth reading and more importantly, true to both the characters and spirit of DeLeon’s books. Gets a B (4*) from me, rare for novella.
Leslie Langtry, author of the Bombay Assassin series and fellow refuge from Dorchester with Jana DeLeon, does her usual professional and stylistic best to combine a character from DeLeon’s Mudbug series with the gang from Sinful, the place her socialite twin sister and batty momma live. Bloodshed on the Bayou is more about Margaret Ancelet and her posh sister than our Swamp Team 3, but Fortune’s cover is at risk, so they swing into action to try and work out who is selling illegal booze – the favorite of Margaret’s dead father, who’s shooting people, and why there are suddenly Feds all over the place. Langtry does a very good job of telling a moderately complex story in a novella format under 80 pages. Entertaining, fast paced and especially good for fans of the Mudbug series as well. Another B (4*) short read.
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