Nancy G. West

This book is a mix of mystery, romance, drama with a splash of humour. I read it quickly as it was easy to read as well as entertaining.

Agatha (Aggie) Mundeen, the protagonist, is single and pushing forty. She has recently left a stressful banking job in Chicago to follow her friend Sam to San Antonio. Sam Vanderhoven who moved from Chicago to San Antonio is a detective with the SAPD. He moved there after losing his wife and child in a terrible accident. Aggie was close to the family. She made a lot of money cashing in her bank stock so does not really need to work. She writes an advice column, Stay Young With Aggie", part-time and decides she better shape up before anybody discovers she writes the column. She seems just a little obsessed with aging and has actually gone to Graduate School and is taking a course on aging. She has also signed up to start exercising at Fit and Firm. On her first day at the club, she stumbles upon a young woman who is unconscious in the pool and with the help of Sarah, an employee, they revive her. Everyone thinks it is an accident, but Aggie is suspicious. Rusty at flirting and mechanically inept, she irritates not only several of the male exercisers, but a group of the women as well. Aggie begins her own investigation, but suddenly becomes a target herself. When she finds out another investigation is going on a little too close to home, she becomes upset with Sam.

Aggie Mundeen is a very engaging character who has had some heartache in her life as well as a secret. A secret that is trying to desperately keep from her friend Sam, who she hopes will become more than just a friend. As the story unfolds, we find out what that secret is. The author has a great sense of humour and I enjoyed that aspect of the story. Aggie’s interactions with the people at the gym are hilarious as she learns to use the equipment and deal with all the aches and pains that go with beginning an exercise program. Blended with the humour are fantastic clues that help solve the mystery with some very interesting twists. I love to try to figure out who the murderer is, but had no idea with this one, I was quite far off the mark. I like that the ending was very plausible yet a surprise at the same time. I hope to find out more about the column that Aggie writes, it plays a large role in the story, but is not well explained. The characters are fun and enjoyable which always gets me to pick up the next book in the series. I would recommend this book to cozy mystery lovers who also like a little romance and humour that is not over the top.… (plus d'informations)

Aggie, Meredith and Sam decide to take a vacation to a Dude Ranch. When they arrive at the BVSBar Ranch they are not impressed by the by the accommodations, the other guests or some of the employees. They decide to stick it out and try to have a good time. There is a mystery brewing in Aggie's mind when she finds out the original owners died five years prior from dehydration on their own ranch. When Vickie, the assistant manager is seriously injured when she is thrown from her horse, Aggie thinks both of these things might be tied together. Sam and Aggie begin to work together to piece together the evidence and clues to try to find out what really happened. Being a detective he can get information Aggie could never get on her own. She does still sneak around gathering information by eavesdropping and entering other people's cabins and also sends Meredith out to gather information as well. Aggie and Sam are beginning to get a bit more serious about their relationship, but she has a huge secret that she is keeping from him.

The mystery is pretty complex as it ties to the past history of the dude ranch and the lengths some people will go to get something they want. I like the characters of Aggie, Meredith and Sam, they have a lot of history between them. The people who work at the Ranch have some shady backgrounds and considering they were only in this story, Nancy West did a good job of fleshing them out. There are a variety of suspects and the setting itself adds to the adventure. There are a lot of twists in the story and I went from suspecting one person to another. I enjoyed the story and it was well paced. A fun cozy with a great setting. I am looking forward to the next one in this series.… (plus d'informations)

I have read and enjoyed a couple of books in the Aggie Mundeen Mystery series, so was looking forward to this novella that takes Aggie in a new direction. Aggie and her boyfriend Sam, who is a San Antonio police detective, are heading to a summer home on the lake belonging to a friend of Sams. They arrive as the skies begin to darken and rain is predicted for the weekend. What they were not expecting was a flash flood that leaves many people stranded and in danger including Sam and Aggie. What they also were not expecting was that the couple across the lake would be separated with the wife ending up in a Nursing Home, almost catatonic and the husband dead.

This was part mystery, part disaster and part second chances. Nancy West used this situation to introduce Aggie to a new character and new career. I enjoyed the way Aggie and Sam jumped in to help others without even thinking about the danger they might put themselves in. Aggie is a smart, caring and helpful individual. I like how she is a people person who jumps right in, interacting with the residents in the Nursing Home. The mystery storyline took a back seat to the flooding disaster, but was all solved in the end. This was a very quick read, took only a few hours, but I am looking forward to where Aggie's new job will take her. I received a copy of this book for a blog tour, but the rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.… (plus d'informations)

This a mystery that is a quick read in one sitting adventure, and you will quickly be looking for answers.
Now be aware that we are about to experience a flood of epic proportions, and the author has described it so well, that I felt like I was there, really really wet, and then I could smell the mold and dirt and had the feeling that I would never feel clean again.
We also experience some theft, and murder, and we are really kept guessing from the beginning to send.

I received this book through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and was not required to give a positive review.… (plus d'informations)