Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
Linda Lovely is touring with Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours to promote her new book Picked Off.
Now let me give you my thoughts on Picked Off
Picked Off (A Brie Hooker Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – South Carolina
Henery Press (June 5, 2018)
Hardcover – 270 Pages
ISBN: 9781635113457
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 9781635113426
Digital ASIN: B07B9K3FJ9
It’s been seven months since Brie Hooker, a vegan, moved to Udderly Kidding Dairy to live with her feisty Aunt Eva, a confirmed carnivore.
But tonight there’ll be no family feud over dinner entrees.
Udderly’s hosting a campaign fundraiser for Eva’s best friend, who hopes to be South Carolina’s next governor. The candidate’s son, a pro quarterback, is flying home for the wingding. And Brie’s eager to get a close-up view of the cute tush she’s admired on TV, even though she’s reluctantly sworn off even more tempting local beefcake.
The campaign fundraiser promises to be a huge success until a pitchfork attack turns the goat farm into a crime scene—again.
To protect her friends, Brie puts her sleuthing skills to work. Will she live long enough to find out who’s behind a vicious assault, a kidnapping, blackmail, and murder?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
The South Carolina Governor’s race is heating up and Udderly Kidding Dairy Farm is hosting a fundraiser for Senator Carol Strong. A Halloween themed costume party has been set up on the grounds and people have come from all over. The Senator’s son has even flown in from Las Vegas. Zack is the starting quarterback for the Aces. Brie who has told Paint and Andy she values their friendship too much to date them decides she may like to get to know Zack a little better. Before she has the chance he is attacked by someone with a pitchfork in the barn. He survives his injuries but has a long recovery ahead of him. Since it happened on at Udderly and Eva and Carol are best friends, Eva decides Brie needs to find the culprit that brought the party to a complete halt. Was it someone from nearby or did someone follow him from Vegas to make sure the quarterback has thrown his last pass?
This is a very exciting story. Gambling, greed, fame, revenge, jealousy, all play a part in the wonderfully written tale. The first victim is just seriously hurt, then another victim is kidnapped, and then a murder is uncovered. Twists, turns, spins, this story has it all.
The attack of pro quarterback Zack Stone brings not only a lot of press to the area but it also brings the owners of his team, extra security, and his back up quarterback to town. These additional characters take the story in an unexpected direction and really add dimension to the story. Brie, Eva, Mollye, Andy, and Paint have their hands full taking care of some and avoiding others as they all piece together the clues to find out who did what and why. A certain animal plays a pivotal role in one scene that had me both on the edge of my seat and laughing out loud.
I will say everyone seems to be worried about Brie’s love life including Brie. I was excited to see at one point it looked like she had made a huge decision only to backtrack herself a few chapters later. I know romantic triangles are a big part of cozy mysteries, but this one needs to be decided soon. I don’t think the idea Andy and Paint have come up with is tenable for long in the future. I do appreciate the friendship all the core characters have. It is very believable and real.
Linda Lovely’s plot takes on a serious issue in a very entertaining way. As with the first book, I enjoy the author’s writing style. Her descriptions create fantastic imagery of time and place. The dialogue is spot on. Brie’s meat and cheese curse words always make me smile. Aunt Eva’s cursing is a little stronger, but she is a strong woman. A huge heart but I wouldn’t want to get on her bad side.
I had a great time reading the story. Another perfect escape from this author. I can’t wait for book #3!!
About the Author
Linda Lovely finds writing pure fiction isn’t a huge stretch given the years she’s spent penning PR and ad copy. Linda writes a blend of mystery and humor, chuckling as she plots to “disappear” the types of characters who most annoy her. Quite satisfying, plus there’s no need to pester relatives for bail. Her newest series offers goodnatured salutes to both her vegan family doctor and her cheese-addicted kin. She’s an enthusiastic Sisters in Crime member and helps organize the popular Writers’ Police Academy. When not writing or reading, Linda takes long walks with her husband, swims, gardens, and plays tennis.
Author Links
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More Praise for Picked Off by Linda Lovely
This story was full of fun, revenge, murder and a little betrayal. The author did a good job of keeping you guessing until the end.
~A. Holland Reads
The story twists and tangles . . . The action moves forward at a terse, tense, quick pace. . . I can’t wait to see where they all go from here.
~Laura’s Interests
With its rural South Carolina setting, a goat farm (400, to be exact), and quirky characters, Picked Off is a fun cozy mystery.
~The Power of Words
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and she created a farm setting that was teeming with some incredible animals, especially one special mule.
~MJB Reviewers
Welcome back to the Udderly Kidding Dairy and trust me if you like mysteries with a bit of sass and spice you will love this latest one from Linda Lovely! I hands down love this series and we are only in book two. It has fun characters, a charming farm and hilarious goats that make a reader smile.
~Bibliophile Reviews
Goodness did she leave any crime out? Assault, Kidnapping, Blackmail, and murder? We have all. Along with the twists and turns. A fast-paced story making this a fast page-turning read.
~My Reading Journeys
What a great addition to this wonderful cozy mystery series. . . I have to say that this is very well written cozy that I highly recommend to fans of the genre.
~Books A Plenty Book Reviews
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
May 15 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
May 15 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW
May 16 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
May 16 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST
May 17 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
May 17 – Readeropolis – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
May 18 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 18 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST
May 19 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
May 20 – T’s Stuff – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 21 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 21 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
May 22 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 23 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
May 24 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
May 25 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
May 26 – Brooke Blogs – CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 27 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 28 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
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I am giving away 1 Kindle copy of Bones to Pick!