Joyce and Jim LaveneCritiques
Auteur de That Old Flame of Mine
Critiques
The writing is choppy, with short sentences and color commentary added in awkwardly; in many ways, it reads more like a middle school or maybe early ESL level of writing. This is probably my biggest complaint. I've always chalked it up to J.J. Cook being a pseudonym for a husband/wife writing team, Joyce and Jim Lavene; I figured something got lost in the team effort. Sadly, Joyce Lavene passed away a few months ago; if the series continues at all it will be just Jim Lavene's voice and it will be interesting to see if that changes the narrative.
The story starts off oddly: I get the impression that this book was meant to have a different plot when they wrote the cliffhanger into the last book, so the first few chapters of Sweet Pepper Hero were spent rapidly "solving" that mystery. It was anti-climatic and again...awkward.
There's also some woeful editing/copyediting, including missing words and sentences that just don't make sense.
It should by all rights go in the big black box, but no, it's staying. In spite of the awkward writing, the Lavene's can create a great story and some solid mystery plotting, although Stella pulls such an insanely off-the-charts TSTL stunt at the end she honestly deserved to get pushed off the side of a mountain. That move was contrary to the intelligent, stubborn and responsible persona the authors had, up until that moment, built for Stella. Then there's Eric. He's a ghost, but if a ghost has to haunt your house, this is the one you want doing the haunting. He cooks, he cleans, he makes sure the light is on and the door open when you come home at night and he's a strapping 6'5" tall blonde. Yes please.
The mystery plotting was really well done and some very nice slight of hand was done that lead me off in a different direction entirely. The ending was quite dramatic for a cozy too, but it's the characters and the setting that are going to keep these books on the shelf and me buying the fifth book, if a fifth book is coming. But mostly, it's going to be Eric. ;)
Written in the third person POV by a husband and wife team and unfortunately, it reads like it's written by a husband and wife team - with a bad editor. I'm sorry, but they suck at third person POV; it's all "Stella did this, then Stella said 'x' then Stella went here". It reads like a Dick and Jane book. A good editor could have smoothed this out, made it flow better, but they don't have a good editor as is evident by the number of grammatical errors (of the missing word type - mostly 'a', 'an', 'the' etc.), a lack of clarity, and a few continuity issues. Finally, I don't know who told them ending the books on artificial cliffhangers was a good idea, but it just makes me roll my eyes; it ends a good story on a silly, melodramatic note.
But I like the stories in this series, dammit! I like the characters, I like the relationships the authors have created, I like the back drop of a volunteer fire department; it's not cutesy or frivolous like so many recent cozies. And I really, really like Eric the ghost. The mysteries, too, are decently plotted although this one could have used a lot of polishing. The authors took care not to make the solution obvious, but the journey was a little clunky and ultimately the unmasking wasn't shocking.
I am absolutely going to read the next book because I love the characters and setting in spite of how badly the authors treat both. And if I ever have to be haunted, may I be haunted by a ghost just like Eric.
[PopSugar 2015 Reading Challenge: A book published this year.]
I rounded up to 3 stars because the characters are good, the setting is solid and the premise is moderately interesting. The thing is, and I've said this before about this writing collaboration (J.J. Cook is a husband/wife team), they don't write well together. The whole thing feels disjointed and lacking both a common voice and cohesive story flow.
Zoe is participating in a food network's food truck race through the southern states. She and her team have to compete over a week long period with other food trucks, meeting challenges and competing for the ultimate prize of 50k. One of the contestants is murdered while they're at their first stop, and her lawyer/romantic interest/team member is suspected of killing the man.
I admit I didn't see the murderer until the reveal - but mostly this was because it was the most ludicrous murder plot I think I've read yet. It just felt so loosely thrown together without any thought to plausibility.
I'm making the book sound worse than it is, but I just want more from my mysteries than what I'm getting here. It had a lot of potential to be fun and interesting, but ultimately it just didn't work for me.
In this first book of a new cozy series, Chicago firefighter Stella Griffin has been injured on the job and during her 3-month medical leave has taken on the job as temporary fire chief for Sweet Pepper, Tennessee. Sweet Pepper wants to re-establish their fire brigade and look to the temporary chief to get them trained and certified. A friend in town, Tory Lambert, believes the death of her first husband several years earlier is suspicious and wants to speak to Stella about it, but before they can talk, Tory is found dead in her burning home. Both are suspicious events but the police chief is eager to sweep things under the rug. In the meantime, a ghost seems to be haunting Stella's cabin.
An easy, quiet, enjoyable mystery about small town characters you'll come to like. And the mystery was good too! Each book ends with a cliffhanger.
Putting on the Witch is the 3rd book in the Retired Witches Mystery series. Unfortunately, it will also be the last, as co-authors Joyce and Jim Levene both passed away recently. Their wonderful, funny, quirky stories will be sorely missed!!
This book is a magical, fun, adventure! For me, this was a perfect Fall read. I curled up on the couch with my chihuahuas and a cup of tea, and read this book in one sitting. It definitely ignited my Halloween spirit!
The basics: Witches Elsie and Molly with their ghost pal Olivia and apprentices, Dorothy and Brian are looking for their coven's missing spell book. Receiving an invitation to the Witches Ball, they are excited to attend the grand event. The festivities are cut a bit short though when a member of the Grand Council of Witches is murdered. This leaves the coven scrambling to find its missing book and solve a murder.
Joyce and Jim Levene wrote books together for 20 years. They wrote many cozy mystery series including the Christmas Tree Valley, Pumpkin Patch and Sharyn Howard Mystery series. They also wrote under the pseudonyms J.J. Cook and Ellie Grant. Their imagination, humor and creativity will truly be missed.
Thank you so much Joyce & Jim for the hours of enjoyment that cozy readers have gotten from your books. RIP.
What on earth is going on here? I can see why there were only two of these. Almost immediately, the protagonist tells us that she lost her job at a bank because she'd been accused of embezzling money from an important client. They showed her papers that verified this and told her they wanted to keep it quiet. They froze her bank accounts and said they would take what was needed to pay back her debt.
First, you'd have to be pretty darn stupid to embezzle money and leave a paper trail behind you. Then, we're told a policeman was standing outside her door at home to make sure she didn't take anything valuable with her. Huh? They want to 'keep it quiet' but tell the police? How does that work? The police are not going to ignore embezzlement, so why would they tell them? They can't just order and officer to stand outside her door with no reason behind it. There wouldn't have been a police officer at all.
Secondly, they really don't have the right to stop her from taking her belongings, unless they have proof she bought them with stolen money (and they didn't) - this was ridiculous. From. Her. Home. There is no way they could have stopped her from taking her clothing, jewelry, shoes, household appliances, furniture, etc., if it came down to it. And, since the author mentioned it, if it was her home, why did she leave? Being accused isn't the same as being convicted.
If they tried this garbage with someone in actuality, then they'd better be prepared for the court fight that comes next. Because you can bet your sweet rear end there certainly would be one. An innocent person would not only have denied it, they'd threaten to take it to court, get an attorney, and demand copies of the "incriminating" evidence. They'd better have more than a couple of sheets of paper - and be able to answer where the 'evidence' came from.
When it comes to that, why didn't she? She knew she wasn't guilty but didn't fight it? Just accepted it and grabbed a duffel bag full of everyday clothing and left?
The author should have done better homework. This was just sloppy. Either get your facts together or write something else. FYI, dumpster isn't capitalized unless it's the actual name of the company that produces it or at the beginning of a sentence.
I won't give away the ending, but I will say that Maggie is a complete moron. If you want to see the reason why I say that, I have hidden it in a spoiler on Goodreads.
There were so many things wrong with this book and not a single thing right.
But when they get there, they discover that a prominent member of the Council has been murdered. With the help of a terrifying 1500's witchhunter and Molly's own sleuthing skills, they must figure out Drago's motives for reappearing in Dorothy's life while trying to solve the murder before time is up.
Another fun read, Putting on the Witch has a lot more going on and a lot more fun. The pacing seems to be better in this one, as compared to the first, but there are still some areas that are rough - for instance, they start out doing CSI type investigations to find the fingerprints of the murderer, but end up dropping that to solve the murder a completely different way, which sort of made me wonder what the point was other than a gag that took up 1/3 of the book. Then there's the reactions.
One of my big peeves in books is when there's a big hint and the characters just never follow up on it. For instance, a character will be knocked out because she discovered something in a book, but the other characters conveniently forget to, you know, read the book to find out what it was. It feels a little forced. Any normal person would be sprinting to read that damn book and figure out what the character had learned that was so dangerous.
But overall, it was a fun read, with a lot of big changes at the end. I can't wait for the next one!
The festivities are just beginning when Molly, Elsie, and Dorothy arrive. Unbeknownst to them Dorothy's ghostly mother, Olivia, has tagged along as well. It's all fun until a member of the Grand Council of Witches turns up dead. The obvious suspects are the members of our favorite coven. As they set out to clear their name, the castle is locked down for twenty-four hours and a real Spanish Inquisitor is released to conduct an investigation. With time running out, the coven must quickly solve the mystery before anyone else gets hurt or the wrong person is blamed. It seems the clock is ticking all too quickly.
The Bottom Line: The third installment in the Retired Witches Mysteries is a house party style cozy that will keep you guessing with lots of twists and turns. Fans of paranormal cozies will enjoy this quick weekend read. Highly recommended for young adults too.
This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog.
Olivia, Dorothy's Mother, is now a ghost that hangs out with the retirees of her former coven. When Dorothy's father, the most evil & powerful witch, comes to meet Dorothy all hell breaks loose as Olivia, her friends, & Dorothy's boyfriend to keep her & her father apart.
I HATED this book:
1. The dialog was trite
2. The characters were cardboard
3. The occult information was Incorrect & Misleading (Either put it in w/ a blind or leave it out completely: Seriously, don't make shit up or be ridiculous)
Putting on the Witch was an entertaining story. I did feel that there was a bit too much going on in the book. We have murder, a troublesome ghost, a familiar with its own agenda, Dorothy’s father returning and up to mischief, and an old school witchfinder (this is not all). I just felt that it was overwhelming for one novel. The characters (for the most part) are interesting and likeable. I did find Olivia a little too whiny and annoying (I was not amused by her). While this is the third book in A Retired Witches Mystery series, it can be read alone. The readers are given all the information needed to enjoy the novel (in case you have not read the first two books). I give Putting on the Witch 4 out of 5 stars. The book moves along at a good pace (neither fast nor slow). The mystery was complex with some twists along the way. My favorite character is Antonio, the witchfinder. I hope we will see him again in the future (if there are any more books in the series). This was a good final book from writers Jim and Joyce Lavene. They will be missed.
I love books that grab me right from the beginning. This book is one you will want to read without stopping. There was no way I could put this book down as the characters came to life and captured my attention. The story drew me in instantly and I was off to spend time with Molly, Elsie and the other well written characters. Now what is someone to do when their coven spell book is still missing? To add to the problem is the great return of Dorothy's father. I have to say his character was written so well that I kinda didn't like him.
I won't give too much away but I will say that a murder has occurred and everyone is scrambling trying to figure out who the killer is. I always think I can figure out the ending and who the killer is in every book but I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't know who it was till the end. The authors weave a tale of adventure, suspense and highjinks that bring the story to a rivinting end. What more could you ask for in a phenominal para cozy book when you have ghosts, a killer on the loose , a grand witches ball and a mystery that is sure to keep readers guessing.
I received a copy of this book from the Great Escapes Book Tours. The review was my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.
Someone has kidnapped fire chief Stella’s ghost. Well, Eric’s not technically her ghost. He came with the cabin. Before he passed on, he was once the first fire chief in Sweet Pepper, Tennessee, home of the sweetest, hottest peppers in the world. Stella and Eric became good friends and she’s been searching for him for months. Many of the town folk believe Eric is real and are willing to help in her search.
Besides being good friends and missing his company, Stella sure could use Eric’s help. She’s been tasked with choosing the recipes for the annual recipe contest. That means cooking each recipe and sampling it. Stella can’t cook to save her life, and Eric would have come in handy.
On top of that, there seems to be a whiskey war brewing in her town. Someone is targeting the stills, setting them on fire. The case heats up and Stella has so much on her plate, but the arson case must take center stage before someone , or Stella, winds up dead.
One thing I always enjoy about cozies is the theme. There’s ones about sewing, cooking, scrapbooking, and many more. Sweet Pepper Hero has at least two. There’s the cooking. And then there’s the fire dogs.
I love it when animals have their own roles. What’s a fire station without Dalmatians! Hero and his mother, Sylvia, are part of the fire station family. Hero took to his certification like a duck to water. But Sylvia has failed yet again. They won’t give up on her and she’ll always have a home. I feel Sylvia has a special part to play.
Something else I look forward to in a cozy mystery is the characters. There’s always a mixed bag of quirky ones. You’ve got the town gossips, the mysterious recluses, and more than one ghostly resident in this series. What’s better than a cozy mystery with a paranormal theme.
There are numerous characters I really liked. Too many to mention individually. Stella has some good friends. She comes from a long line of firefighters, and is the first woman in her family to become one. A tough Harley riding lady.
With so many things happening at once, there’s never a dull moment. The pace is fast, the mystery isn’t easily solved, and there’s plenty of fun. Even though I mentioned you could read this without having read the other books, I plan to go back and start from the beginning to see what other fun I missed.
Oh, there are some yummy recipes included so be sure to check them out.
The book starts out with resident “ghost” Eric Gamlyn, former fire chief still missing. Stella Griffin needs to put the search aside when a moonshine still explodes and Don Rogers ask for her help in investigating the scene. She does find evidence that the still was definitely sabotaged. Before too long, a still in the basement of Paul Tucker blows up with evidence that it was intentional. Stella gets a call, supposedly from her friend Walt, to go to an abandon gas station and meet him. As she is looking for him the station explodes and she is trapped under debris. She sustains minor injuries, but it was evident that someone was trying to get a message to her. But she knows she needs to keep looking before anyone else loses their life, or she loses hers.
Now for the good news. Cindy Reynolds, a resident of Sweet a Pepper and see ghosts, lets Walt know that has seen Eric at Madam Emery's a reader of tarot cards and a psychic, house. Now Eric is back at home, and is back on the job of helping keep Stella safe.
This series is one my favorites, I love the characters and can always count on getting a very exciting story. Sweet Pepper Hero is just that.
A short guide to peppers and recipes are included in the book.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.
It's Mardi Gras time in Mobile and Zoe Chase has been chosen to have her food truck, The Biscuit Bowl, selected to be one to provide authentic local foods for the tourist. For Zoe, there aren't just enough hours in the day, as her father, Ted has been chosen by the secret organization Mistics of Time to be King Felix and is his dance partner at the various balls going on during the festivities. At one of these balls, as Zoe is catching a breath of fresh air, she finds the body of Jordan Phillips, an investigative reporter for The Times, a paper owned by his father and grandfather. The police commissioner, Chadwick Sloane, is one of the first policemen to arrive. The first thing Zoe thought, was he must be a member of the secret society. But when the incident is reported by the media, the body has been moved, in an apparent police cover-up. Zoe's father wants her to leave town for a while and ask no question about the society or what had happened at the ball. Of course, this isn't in Zoe's make-up and besides she needs to stay and keep her food truck serving the people enjoying the revelry. When her father is stabbed, things are hitting to close too home and Zoe knows she has to stay around until the murderer if found.
Ollie and Miguel, Zoe's boyfriend, and Delia pitch in to cover at the food truck for Zoe. Even Uncle Saul leaves his cabin in the country to lend his culinary skills at the food truck.
Another exciting and suspenseful story in this culinary thriller. Most all of the engaging and believable characters from the previous books are back to once again to lend Zoe a hand.
Definitely will be watching for the next book in this series.
The story starts with a phone call from Stella's parents wanting to know when she is coming back home. Stella still has mixed emotions about leaving Sweet Pepper until she has found out exactly what that night that Eric Gamlyn died and ended up being buried in a wall at the fire station. Retired Deputy Crum wants meet with Stella to share some information pertaining to that night. After meeting with Stella, as he is heading to join his wife, he is shot and killed. Stella now knows that she is on the path and continues to pursue her leads. Things start to be clearer once Gamlyn's casket is exhumed and it is finally learned who was buried in Gamlyn's casket.
To add to this problem, Stella's parents and former boyfriend arrive to try and convince her to pack up and return to Chicago with them. While in Sweet Pepper, Stella's mom, Barbara, does have an amiable meeting with her father
Looking forward to the next book to see what will be happening with Stella's life next.
Recipes are also included with the book.
For me, this was a wonderful story. A well plotted mystery, interesting characters, some you will love and some you may not like so much, and a ghost that you have to enjoy. I can't leave out Hero, the fire station's Dalmatian puppy.
Stella Griffin is on medical leave from the Chicago Fire Department and has decided to head to Sweet Pepper, TN to organize and train their volunteer fire department. Shortly after arriving Tory Lambert gives Stella a file she has put together over the years on her husbands alleged accidental death by fire. A lot of residents feel that Ben Carlson, the owner of the pepper plant, forced the finding so that the Sweet Pepper Festival could go on without the residents and visitors worrying about a killer being around. Then Stella learns that Ben Carson is her grandfather, that she never knew she had.
The next day a call comes in that Tory's house in on fire. While the fire fighters are attacking the fire, Stella and John start searching for Tory. They find her in a closet, dead. Stella sees things that point to murder and not death related to the fire while investigating the fire scene.
One evening as she is riding her Harley home one night she crashes it and doesn't know if she was hit or hit someone. She wakes up in s strange home and is being cared for by a private nurse. She soon learns that the home is her grandfather's. The grandfather that she didn't know she had. The grandfather is none other than Ben Carson.
With all of this going on, Stella also has the ghost of Eric Gamlyn to deal with. Eric was the previous fire chief and died in a silo fire, losing his life to save another fire fighter. Stella is learning to deal with having a ghost around, but then it is nice to have the lights on when you come home and have the door magically open for you.
With a little help from Eric, Stella and John, start looking for clues to help solve Tory's mysterious death and that of her ex-husband. John has a problem with Carson being Stella's grandfather, but are able to put those feelings aside and are able to work together to solve the mystery.
I think this is going to be a fun series and am looking forward to the next.
A fun new series with a cast of enjoyable, fun characters.
Zoe Chase has always dreamed of owning her own restaurant. So after being passed up for a promotion at her bank job, she quits and gets a restaurant is in a less than desirable section of Mobile. Her parents, her mother, an affluent lawyer and her father a president of a bank, are dead set her venture. Since Zoe doesn't have enough funds to bring it up to code, she gets her Uncle Saul's food truck and is ready to hit the streets selling her specialty, Biscuit Bowls, hoping to generate enough revenue to finish updating her restaurant. Her few days are hardly what she was hoping for and rather than throw the unsold food away, she donates it to a homeless shelter down the street. One evening after dropping off the food to the shelter and to Delia, a waitress in the area, Zoe is readying the food truck for the next day, when she finds the body of Terry of Terry's Tacky Taco's food truck in the seat of her truck, dead from a gunshot wound. Her screams bring Ollie, a resident at the shelter comes to see what is wrong. Once the police are near, Ollie tells Zoe that he will contact his lawyer for her and leaves. Soon Miguel Alexander is representing Zoe. Soon business is picking up for her and she gets Ollie and Delia to help her prepare the food and with sales. Soon there is a break in at the restaurant and then an attempted armed robbery of the food truck. The robber wants whatever Terry had given Zoe, which was nothing. Soon it is learned that a very valuable recipe has been stolen and is reputed to be in Mobile area.
Zoe is off, using Delia and Ollie to man the truck and with help of her Uncle Saul to gain access to the behind the scenes activities of some of restaurants and antique shops, to search for the valuable recipe.
This book has interesting and am looking forward to reading more about Delia and Ollie in future books. Ollie is an especially interesting character and will be waiting to learn more of his past history. Also will wanting to learn if there will be maybe a little romantic interest for Miguel and Zoe in the future. And for the animal lovers there is Zoe cat Crème Brulee who seems to show her affection be giving people a quick nip.
Delicious recipes included in the book.
Looking forward to the next book.
Stella Griffin is temporarily the new chief of a new volunteer fire department in Sweet Pepper, Tennessee. She is recovering from a shoulder injury and a broken heart, both suffered in Chicago. While she is busy training all the new volunteers and trying to get the department up and running, she is also living in the cabin of the previous fire chief, who died about 40 years ago. Word is that the cabin is haunted, by Eric Gamlyn, the former chief.
When one of the towns leading citizens is found dead in a fire, Stella is convinced it isn't an accident and is soon embroiled in a power struggle with the Police Chief but she has control over what happens at a fire site and it is soon ruled murder.
Lots of twists and turns in this one, and it is a fast-paced story. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.
In this second installment of the Biscuit Bowl Food Truck Mysteries, author J. J. Cook has ensured this series will be around for a long time.
In FRY ANOTHER DAY, Zoe and her friends are on a food truck competition television show. Author Cook really captures the feel of the competition shows I’ve watched. (I think the shows I’ve seen would do well to use a few of the ideas in this book.)
The quirky cast of characters are even more endearing than they were in the first book, DEATH ON EAT STREET. The more time I spent with them, the more I wanted to be part of the Biscuit Bowl truck crew.
The murder of a rival food truck competitor, and countless other catastrophes led to a whodunit that had me completely shocked when all was revealed.
And for foodie fans, there are some yummy recipes included!
With wonderful writing and a flawless plot, FRY ANOTHER DAY has won a spot on my favorites of 2015 list!
There are two mysteries at the root of this book: a current one and a cold case one that was ruled accidental. Both had lots of clues and lots of possibilities. I guessed the killer, but not until page 270-something.
Overall a great start and I'm really looking forward to reading the next book.
Series summary: Stella takes a job in Sweet Pepper, TN as a fire chief for a volunteer fire department starting back up from scratch after a couple of decades of county control. Her housing is supplied by the town and it's the old fire chief's cabin and he's haunting it. Also, it turns out that the grandfather she never knew she had is the "rich man on the hill" and controls most of Sweet Pepper. I have no idea how the authors would wish for me to feel about the old man, but he leaves me cold. Eric, the ghost, however - I have a huge crush on him. Stella's likeable although a bit wooden and her is-he-or-isn't-he love interest is an ass. In spite of my sparkling summation (ha!), it's actually a pretty good read.
This is the second book in the series and it suffers a bit from sophomore slump. My issues might not be another reader's issues, but here's what left me wanting by the end:
1. If I had to read about Stella's angst over "should I stay or should I go" one more time, the book was going airborne. It was harped on.
2. The Parental Visit doubled up on by the Ex Boyfriend Visit. The parents were ridiculous at first: "We're here to bring you home." Never mind that she's an adult, fights fires for a living, and is the Fire Chief. She's obviously only 5 years old and has run away from home, needing her parents to drag her kicking and screaming back to Chicago. It does get much much better as the story goes on, but in a complete 180 degree turn that feels totally false. One paragraph they're talking about "when you come home with us" and the next "the decision to stay is totally up to you and we'll support you no matter what you choose". Huh? Whiplash anyone?
Beyond the totally manipulative angle of the ex-boyfriend (she found having sex with her friend) coming to visit, unannounced, with her parents, and her mother saying "it was a one time mistake - you just need to forgive him and get back together", Doug (the ex) actually provided a bit of comic relief as Eric the ghost pranked him.
3. I don't like the grandfather or the obvious, clichéd story line of his new wife trying to get his money. It's so old hat it's boring and none of them are likeable.
4. The sheriff is an ass. No, sorry, he's an immature, unprofessional ass. His antagonism is so exaggerated it just makes me roll my eyes, instead of engaging my indignation on the part of Stella.
5. Not enough Eric. Seriously, really really crushing on this ghost.
6. Clunky use of third person narrative; the authors would switch viewpoints rather willy-nilly and a couple of times I found myself very confused about who was saying/thinking what.
7. This one's a biggie: they tried to end the book using foreshadow/cliffhanger and it just pissed me off. It just felt so manipulative - like they expected the reader to Gasp! and think "Oh no! What's going to happen next?!?!" Blech.
It sounds like there was a lot I didn't like about this book, but some of those things (3 and 6 definitely) were minor and it was easy to gloss over them when they reared their heads. I keep saying "they" and "them" because J.J. Cook is actually a pseudonym for a husband/wife writing team. Perhaps that explains some of what I feel are inconsistencies in narrative and characterisations.
The murder mystery plot was good; a cold case over who killed Eric all those years ago. For decades he was believed to have been killed in a silo fire, until a fire at the firehouse revealed his body in a wall, with a bullet in his head. Old secrets, a new body, lots of enemies and 20 million dollars (or 30? I can't remember...) I never had any idea of who the killer was, although I had suspicions that were totally wrong. I liked the ending too; Stella could have gone the TSTL route, but actually lived up to her character.
I'll definitely read the next one, but I want more Eric!
Death on Eat Street has an interesting setting in the not-very-nice part of Mobile Alabama, with an interesting, newish premise of a food truck and a few likeable characters, including the MC in spite of the fact that she is TSTL throughout most of the book, hitting most of the cliches short of going into the basement at midnight in her nightgown with nothing but a candle during a thunderstorm. In retrospect, she probably should have. Still, I liked her, although at times her "I have a dream" thing had me rolling my eyes.
The author is actually a husband/wife team, and I'll admit my enjoyment of their books is hit-or-miss. My opinion, based on nothing, is that they don't write well together. I suspect that's why I'm at the end of this book asking myself "Why did I not hate this?" I'm choosing to believe that part of this team writes in ways I really don't like and the other half writes more to my taste. I don't know.
Zoe has rich parents that are so over-the-top narcissistic that they hire her uncle to try to kidnap her and take her out to the swamp until she 'gets over' her decision to start her own restaurant. Yes, this is fiction but who does that?!?
I'm not even going to get started on Chef Art. He was so implausible from word one it's just not worth the time. Nothing about him was done well. Nada.
The current population of Mobile Alabama is just a hair under 195,000 yet ever single time Zoe goes to a restaurant unplanned and spur-of-the-moment she runs into either her parents (who are divorced but always together), her ex-boyfriend, or all three of them. Uh huh. Sure.
The plot: murderer was telegraphed early on.
I liked what the murder was wrapped around, but overall the plot construction felt weak. Rather than write a suspenseful plot, the authors relied on farcical family dynamics and too many petty crimes and attacks (which nobody bothered reporting to the police) to fabricate a suspense that wasn't there.
And I still didn't hate this book. Death on Eat Street kept my attention even with I was yelling at it for being stupid. I am at a loss as to explain it.
I'm going to end with a cop-out: YMMV.
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The strength of this book as with all the books by these authors, lies in the depth of each character. There are no small parts from the lowliest of servants to the most rich and powerful. The main characters, those of the Wilmington Coven, are delightful. The three retired witches squabble like they must have been doing since they were teens. Each is a strong ego with a colorful story. Olivia’s ghostly handicap doesn’t stop her from getting her own way, to her own detriment at times, death hasn’t mellowed her at all. Molly finds herself the focal point of a murder investigation that could have a profound impact on the magic community and Elsie is realizing that she can finally have all that she wants, even if it isn’t exactly what she thought that would be. Even without reading the previous books, it obvious that each of the women has gone on her own journey and have grown as women and witches. Younger witches Dorothy and Brian seem a bit minor at first, but both manage to make their mark on the story and leave the reader with hope for their future. The true color is reserved for Brian’s rich powerful family and the witch council they serve. The Ewings and The Carringtons got nothing on this back biting conniving group.
This is not typical paranormal or not typical cozy and definitely not typical paranormal cozy. I found it to be loads of fun with plenty of suspense, hilarious humor, and clever plot twists. You won’t know until the last page where all the details settle, but you will be sorry to not be spending more time with these witches when you get there.
5 stars
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.