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Flop Dead Gorgeous–action, mystery, dogs, and fun
Flop Dead Gorgeous
by David Rosenfelt
There are lots of things reading can and should be, but in the case of Flop Dead Gorgeous, it is FUN! I enjoyed this legal mystery with a dollop of cozy and a heavy dose of humor. The dogs add animal charm, and now I’m addicted. That is okay because this book is the 27th book in the Andy Carpenter Mystery Series!
Out to dinner with a starlet, lawyer Andy and his retired cop wife Laurie experience some real life drama when Jenny’s demanding and irrational ex-boyfriend shows up. Thanks to Laurie’s reflexes, all seems well until Jenny discovers his body on the floor of her kitchen in the middle of the night. Andy, who dated Jenny a few times in high school (as he humorously reminds the reader multiple times), is convinced Jenny did not kill Ryan, but the only way to persuade the jury of her innocence is to find out who did kill him. Sam, his cyber investigator who has a way of “entering” off limit computers is called upon to track phones, to find out what the authorities know, and to learn what those active in the dark web are up to. Andy also has his team safe guarding himself and Jenny—a smart move since some really nasty foreign mobsters may be involved.
I enjoyed Andy’s persistence and his straight-faced wise cracks in the face of a probably negative outcome for his lovely client. He has a number of loyal friends that include a police chief and a local newspaper editor. They are ethically sound, but they also will help when they can. Andy has an excellent record as an attorney, but he maintains a fairly rundown office above a fruit stand that successfully throws some off guard.
The author’s love of rescue dogs is reflected in this mystery in which he has three dogs living with him. Mamie, Jenny’s dog, adds to the pack when Jenny and Mamie live with his family during the trial to avoid the press. As a Basset hound aficionado, I particularly enjoyed these quotes about his Basset Sebastian:
“…Mamie runs around him, trying to get him to play. She doesn’t know it yet, but she has more chance of getting a response from a clothes hamper.”
and
“Ricky always holds Sebastian’s leash because there is no danger that Sebastian will pull free and run off. It’s like walking a barking turtle.”
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Legal Mystery, Humor
Notes: 1. #27 in the Andy Carpenter Mystery Series. This could definitely be read as a standalone. This is my first book by David Rosenfelt, and I had no problem with bouncing into this large series.
2. There is some inappropriate language which could have been left out, but not enough to keep me from reading another in the series.
Publication: July 4, 2023—St. Martin’s Press (Minotaur Books)
Memorable Lines:
“I’ve got water, flavored water, and flavored carbonated water.” “None of the above,” I say. Just because I’m in California, it doesn’t mean I am going to abandon my principles and start being health conscious.” …“You’re representing the person who killed Ryan.” “Apparently the innocent until proven guilty concept hasn’t worked its way west?” “It’s probably somewhere over Nebraska at this point,” he says.
…people who invest in movies are not usually the killer types. They certainly are not above stabbing people in the back, but they do it metaphorically.
He spit at Marcus Clark. As stupid maneuvers go, that ranks well above tugging on Superman’s cape and pulling the mask off that old Lone Ranger.
Double Indemnity
Double Indemnity
by Robert Whitlow
Connor Grantham, a graduate of Princeton Divinity School, is from a family of highly successful professionals. He loves reading, studying, and hiking. His job in Bryson, Georgia, allows him to do all three in the low stress environment of Rock Community Church. When Matt Thompson is killed in a hunting accident on the property where Connor is hiking, life becomes complicated. Matt and his second wife, Elena, had been consulting Connor for marital counseling. With her interest in her husband’s will and insurance policies, she hardly fits the profile of a grieving widow. There are, however, several other characters who could also benefit from Matt’s death. Complications arise when a video surfaces of Connor at the hunting lodge. Believing he is innocent is far from having evidence that he is innocent.
Liz Acosta is a young American lawyer of Cuban descent. She has been hired for her Spanish speaking abilities, but when she is assigned Elena as a client, she demonstrates skills far beyond translating. She is eager to learn and her boss encourages her talents.
The plot is complicated, and the characters are interesting. I had not read a legal novel in a while so I enjoyed returning to that genre. Even more, I saw what a legal mystery could be when told from a Christian perspective. Author Whitlow takes a character who has basic Christian beliefs, but not much actual experience in communicating with God, and places him in circumstances where he needs to do just that. He also positions him near a family that is suffering through extreme hardships but nevertheless can model prayer and faith to him in a way he has never experienced. Connor sets out to minister to Lyle and Sarah Hamilton and their son Josh. He does that, but he also receives blessings that help him through an ordeal that he never expected to endure.
Double Indemnity has many opportunities for character development. Which church members will rally around Connor and who will turn their backs on him? Connor has always been careful to be above reproach in meetings with female members of his congregation. Will tongues wag anyway when a meeting in a public place becomes a topic of gossip? Can Liz help Connor when her first obligation is to her client Elena? Why is the Georgia Bureau of Investigations so concerned about this case? What role does ex-wife Anne play? Matt claims to love both women! Matt’s company is in trouble. Could his business partner be trying to rescue the business through an insurance claim? Double Indemnity answers these questions and more while engaging the reader in a page-turning plot.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery, Christian, Fiction
Notes: References to Cuban cuisine give this book both culinary and multicultural appeal.
Publication: June 6, 2023—Thomas Nelson
Memorable Lines:
“What should the topic for my message be on Sunday?” he asked. Michelle raised her eyebrows. “Shouldn’t you be asking God, not me, about that?” “I did and didn’t get an answer.” “Maybe that’s your message: “What to Do When God is Silent.”
Sarah Hamilton prayed. The woman’s words reminded Connor of a freight train slowly pulling out of the station. They carried a weight and power that couldn’t be ignored. Something big and powerful was on the move. Sarah spoke as one who knew what she believed and expected God to listen.
“God knows the end from the beginning whether the path in between is long or short, complicated or simple, and how everything fits into the destiny and destination he has for each person’s life.”
If prayer is a weapon, Sarah’s words weren’t bullets, they were artillery shells.
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