Jean Erhardt

I have to go with a max of three for this book. The story was pretty good and it was definitely a fun read but there were just so many editing errors that I can't go any higher. It's also really dated. The book was published in 2013 but it reads like something that was written in the early 90s and not updated to bring it up to date.

There are lots of jokes and pop-culture references that are likely won't be understood or appreciated by anyone not at least in their 40s. Luckily for me, that's where I fit so I got a kick out of them.
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I come from a very small town myself, a town of around 150 people. Small Town Trouble was a book I figured I could relate too easily. Oddly, I was able to do just that- except for the murder part. We didn't have any dangerous killers going around to the local nude bar, slitting throats and slicing off the "winkies" of our male population. Yes, you read that right!

I did struggle a bit at the beginning, but it was only because Kim's mother was referred to by the word "mother" or by her name Evelyn, so I found myself thinking I missed a key player in the story line. Once I got that straightened out, I found that the characters were developed well. Each of them very real and believable, to the point that some characteristics reminded me of people from home.

Small Town Trouble does not fully focus on murder, it does however focus on the struggles and life of Kim Claypoole. There are many "flashbacks" throughout the novel, that helps build Kim's character. It is hard not to give to much away. This book has the mystery, the odd murders, and the personal life struggles that I enjoy in a novel. I would suggest that any male that reads this book might think about staying away from area's that include bars with women showing off their "booballabies".

So, snuggle up, get comfortable and get ready to find out why people are being killed, who is this mysterious Mr. White that is paying lots of money for land, and what is so important that someone would kill for it!
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Protagonist Kim Claypoole has returned to her small-town home to help sort out her mother’s errant finances. But murder’s in the air, Kim’s big-town girl-friend/lover isn’t returning her calls, and that high-school friend she once practiced kissing with is looking particularly attractive right now. With so many plotlines, it’s not surprising the protagonist has to stop and smoke a favorite cigar, ponder her multiple options, and drink good wine and bad beer on numerous carefully described occasions.

The narration has a nicely noir-ish feel, dialog is believable and humorous, and twists and turns abound. Readers might feel the rug yanked from beneath them just as the protagonist does, and not “the fluffy kitchen rug where Nancy and I had mamboed... in my dream.” The cops, of course, will arrest the wrong guy, and “I hate it when that happens,” says the Chief, after a suitably gruesome showdown. But there are plenty of other characters filling out the scenes, ready and waiting perhaps for more in this series. Meanwhile, this first novel is a tale of many people, many red herrings, many cigars and beers, and much comedic timing, plus dark mystery and romance.

Disclosure: I won a copy and I offer my honest review… (plus d'informations)

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.
Small town trouble is a murder mystery with a side of romance. The story revolves around Kim who when her mom gets in a financial bind and needs some guidance, she heads home to the small town she grew up in. Kim ends up in the middle of a murder mystery with her 7th grade crush Amy as her sidekick. Together they stir up enough trouble to get all the wrong attention. Which is where all the fun truly is in this story.
The book has all the right characters and all the oddities that you would find in a small town story. Including Kim’s very dramatic and needy mom, her bossy business partner Ted, and a few not so classy ladies from the strip joint in town.
The only part that I struggled with in this story is the introduction chapters….they were cluttered and confusing and I was really worried about how I would read the whole book. There was so much information given and in a strange, almost forced way. I was a bit worried at this point, but I read on. After the intro chapters the book seemed to really pick up its flow and I was able to move past the confusion and really enjoy the story.
This book is a fun read, the author has developed the main character’s well enough that you can relate to them well. The plot was fun and I really could not guess who committed the murders up until the culprit was revealed.… (plus d'informations)