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Rumble on the Bayou
Deputy Dorie Berenger knew the day would go from bad to worse when she found a stoned alligator in the town drunk's swimming pool. Then DEA agent Richard Starke shows up in Gator Bait, Louisiana, giving out orders and insults faster than you can cast a fishing line. Dorie knows the residents of Gator Bait aren't going to talk to a stranger, especially a Yankee, but she stuck with Richard until he catches his bad guy. With no other alternative to restore peace to the small town, Dorie agrees to help Richard catch a criminal and in the process, uncovers decades of secrets that have been hiding deep in the Louisiana bayou.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2006
657 people are currently reading
1388 people want to read
About the author
Jana Deleon
102 books4,228 followersNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jana DeLeon was raised in southwest Louisiana among the bayous and gators. Her hometown is Carlyss, but you probably won't find it on a map. Her family owned a camp located on a bayou just off the Gulf of Mexico that you could only get there by boat. The most important feature was the rope hammock hanging in the shade on a huge deck that stretched out over the water where Jana spent many hours reading books.
Jana and her brother spent thousands of hours combing the bayous in a flat-bottom aluminum boat, studying the natural habitat of many birds, nutria and alligators. She would like you to know that no animals were injured during these "studies," but they kept makers of peroxide in business.
Jana has never stumbled across a mystery or a ghost like her heroines, but she's still hopeful.
She now resides in Dallas, Texas, with the most spoiled Sheltie in the world.
Jana and her brother spent thousands of hours combing the bayous in a flat-bottom aluminum boat, studying the natural habitat of many birds, nutria and alligators. She would like you to know that no animals were injured during these "studies," but they kept makers of peroxide in business.
Jana has never stumbled across a mystery or a ghost like her heroines, but she's still hopeful.
She now resides in Dallas, Texas, with the most spoiled Sheltie in the world.
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May 24, 2023I started this one for my romance meeting thinking it would be a lighthearted romantic mystery similar to an Evanovich. Set in Louisiana, Dorie is an officer called in to do something about an alligator a citizen discovered lounging in her pool. Turns out the gator has a good grip on a backpack filled with drugs and money and as they remove it they also find a severed finger. Uh oh! Big time crime isn't something Dorie is used to and she's not looking forward to dealing with the big shot DEA's once they arrive on the scene.
Within moments (it seems) big shot, fancy pants DEA Richard Starke shows up berating the small town yahoos. He demands to see the schmuck in charge and is led to Dorie's run down houseboat. It just happens to be her day off and she's tanning in her undies when he arrives. Groan . . .
I gave up on this book for an admittedly silly reason. It ticked me off and was insulting and I don't want to get all pissed off when reading my escape-from-reality fiction.
So why am I so insanely angry? It's not the annoying and insulting "hero", nor the stereotypical secondary small-town characters, or the abrasive "I'm so tough" female officer, nor the silly unprofessional and unfunny bickering. Well, there is all that but I could deal until the annoying heroine discovers she has to ride with the snooty city cop/DEA and charmingly says:
"But I am not riding bitch (whatever that means) and there's no way I'm getting in a car with you!" She gave him a disgusted look. "Foreign piece of shit. Who the hell drives a Honda except someone with a stick up his ass?" She then makes a comment about riding in a 5 speed monster instead.
A little back-story here. I just bought a teeny "foreign piece of shit" after driving a big American piece of shit for a decade and dumping most of my paycheck into it for the past two years and breaking down more times than I care to reflect upon (not to mention the previous piece of Dodge shit that I drove before buying the Ford). Personally, I'd rather have a stick up my ass then hand over another paycheck to fix my car so I can get to work to pay for the car and the gas it takes to run the gas guzzler.
It was at this point that this annoying, tedious and filled with forced humor book hit the roof of my "foreign piece of shit."
Ok, rant over. Off to find something pleasant.
Within moments (it seems) big shot, fancy pants DEA Richard Starke shows up berating the small town yahoos. He demands to see the schmuck in charge and is led to Dorie's run down houseboat. It just happens to be her day off and she's tanning in her undies when he arrives. Groan . . .
I gave up on this book for an admittedly silly reason. It ticked me off and was insulting and I don't want to get all pissed off when reading my escape-from-reality fiction.
So why am I so insanely angry? It's not the annoying and insulting "hero", nor the stereotypical secondary small-town characters, or the abrasive "I'm so tough" female officer, nor the silly unprofessional and unfunny bickering. Well, there is all that but I could deal until the annoying heroine discovers she has to ride with the snooty city cop/DEA and charmingly says:
"But I am not riding bitch (whatever that means) and there's no way I'm getting in a car with you!" She gave him a disgusted look. "Foreign piece of shit. Who the hell drives a Honda except someone with a stick up his ass?" She then makes a comment about riding in a 5 speed monster instead.
A little back-story here. I just bought a teeny "foreign piece of shit" after driving a big American piece of shit for a decade and dumping most of my paycheck into it for the past two years and breaking down more times than I care to reflect upon (not to mention the previous piece of Dodge shit that I drove before buying the Ford). Personally, I'd rather have a stick up my ass then hand over another paycheck to fix my car so I can get to work to pay for the car and the gas it takes to run the gas guzzler.
It was at this point that this annoying, tedious and filled with forced humor book hit the roof of my "foreign piece of shit."
Ok, rant over. Off to find something pleasant.
April 30, 2019
I really enjoy the Miss Fortune series by this author. Unfortunately, I have not had much luck branching out. Trouble in Mudbug left me cringing and Rumble on the Bayou...well, I'm glad it is a stand alone.
The book had potential. It is sort of like a gender bender Louisiana Longshot. Instead of a female government agent in a small Louisiana town sparking up a romance with the overly qualified and good looking male deputy, it is a male government agent in a small Louisiana town sparking up a romance with an overly qualified and good looking female deputy. Even the towns come across pretty interchangeably: a sketchy bar, single cafe, and a church front and center. As for the people, a few feel like squashed together versions of Miss Fortune characters, but the same motivation and personalities emerge (such as the horny old woman, the talented young woman forced to stay because of a sick mother, and man who has been in love with an unattainable girl 'since the cradle.')
So basically, not much originality but with enough similarities to a book I enjoy to keep me reading. Alas, it lacks the charm of the other. The funny secondary side characters just aren't present. Instead, you have two people with insta-lust and sparkling attraction but little chemistry who hop in the sack whenever their adrenaline is high.
Borrrrringgggg.
I did not see the villain coming and initially thought the book might deserve another star because of that. But mainly I did not see the villain coming because the climax hits and I went,
"Wait, who? What?"
So it was not so much a good bait and switch as me not paying attention.
The book is also full of typos and definitely needed a better editor.
Overall, a disappointment. It needed less "romance" and more humor to make it as charming as Louisiana Longshot
The book had potential. It is sort of like a gender bender Louisiana Longshot. Instead of a female government agent in a small Louisiana town sparking up a romance with the overly qualified and good looking male deputy, it is a male government agent in a small Louisiana town sparking up a romance with an overly qualified and good looking female deputy. Even the towns come across pretty interchangeably: a sketchy bar, single cafe, and a church front and center. As for the people, a few feel like squashed together versions of Miss Fortune characters, but the same motivation and personalities emerge (such as the horny old woman, the talented young woman forced to stay because of a sick mother, and man who has been in love with an unattainable girl 'since the cradle.')
So basically, not much originality but with enough similarities to a book I enjoy to keep me reading. Alas, it lacks the charm of the other. The funny secondary side characters just aren't present. Instead, you have two people with insta-lust and sparkling attraction but little chemistry who hop in the sack whenever their adrenaline is high.
Borrrrringgggg.
I did not see the villain coming and initially thought the book might deserve another star because of that. But mainly I did not see the villain coming because the climax hits and I went,
"Wait, who? What?"
So it was not so much a good bait and switch as me not paying attention.
The book is also full of typos and definitely needed a better editor.
Overall, a disappointment. It needed less "romance" and more humor to make it as charming as Louisiana Longshot
May 28, 2018
My 1st book this author. It was hilarious! I haven't laughed so hard since the Plum series. A great mystery too boot.
January 12, 2020
3.5 stars-pretty good!! :-)
March 4, 2012
Deputy Dorie Berenger is called out to a local home to deal with a gator in the woman's pool. Turns out the gater is stoned on heroine found in the backpack in the gator's mouth. And there beings this tale of small town Louisiana and its residents. The law is Dorie and her friend-like-a-brother Joe, two deputies who play dumb and act smart and who tolerate the eccentricities in this town they love.
In walks DEA agent Richard Starke on the trail of a long time criminal and killer. He stirs up a whole lot of trouble...and stirs up Dorie at the same time.
This is a fun read and a mad romp. Wise in the way of people and the foilables, this is an affectionate treatment of small town life. It's also very funny. An enjoyable book.
In walks DEA agent Richard Starke on the trail of a long time criminal and killer. He stirs up a whole lot of trouble...and stirs up Dorie at the same time.
This is a fun read and a mad romp. Wise in the way of people and the foilables, this is an affectionate treatment of small town life. It's also very funny. An enjoyable book.
January 6, 2020
I started off enjoying this one quite a bit, but it slowed for me in the last half, and I had a hard time staying focused. I liked the setting and the main characters, but wasn't totally pleased with the way all aspects of the storyline played out. I also found some parts not very credible, like the main character being both a deputy sheriff and the game warden. The parts that bothered me were events that probably wouldn't phase lots of readers, so if you like quirky cozies, give this one a try.
August 30, 2022
This is a book from the author's back list. It's not as wonderful as her Miss Fortune series but still great. Despite the author's signature style with fun, quirky characters, fictional Louisiana bayou small town and a successfull big city professional struggling to navigate the depths of culture shock in hicksville :-) this book is a little different. It was difficult for me to determine why. OK there's much more sexual tension and the two short graphic sex scenes (which I din't mind at all) and that surprised me especially because it's shelved as cozy-mystery on the main page.
This book started with a real bang - Gator Bait's deputy (actually acting sheriff) finds a stoned gator in the pool of the town's notorious drunk with a backpack full of drugs and money in his mouth and knows immediatelly her trouble just started - big time :-)
I really love Jana Deleon's style and decided to read this book after I run out of the books in her Miss Fortune series. Too bad it takes so much more time to write books than I'm going throu. I'm sure the next time I'll need something fun I'll get back to this one.
This book started with a real bang - Gator Bait's deputy (actually acting sheriff) finds a stoned gator in the pool of the town's notorious drunk with a backpack full of drugs and money in his mouth and knows immediatelly her trouble just started - big time :-)
I really love Jana Deleon's style and decided to read this book after I run out of the books in her Miss Fortune series. Too bad it takes so much more time to write books than I'm going throu. I'm sure the next time I'll need something fun I'll get back to this one.
November 10, 2017
There was a romantic lead named Dick. It is everything that I have ever wanted in life.
But really, this book was cute. The plot was engaging and fun and it kept me riveted.
I did miss having some actual Louisiana type flavor to the book. Yes, it is set in a bayou but besides from one rather ridiculous character, there was no local energy to the book. Louisiana has its own culture that kind of permeates a lot, especially in rural areas and that was not emphasized at all. It felt like it could be set in any coastal town in the world.
But really, this book was cute. The plot was engaging and fun and it kept me riveted.
I did miss having some actual Louisiana type flavor to the book. Yes, it is set in a bayou but besides from one rather ridiculous character, there was no local energy to the book. Louisiana has its own culture that kind of permeates a lot, especially in rural areas and that was not emphasized at all. It felt like it could be set in any coastal town in the world.
January 15, 2015
This book gives you a taste of life in an odd Louisiana town. The hero is DEA and a little on the dense side, but he gets is right in the end. My favorite mix of humor, sex and a little mystery.
August 31, 2018
A rollicking feel-good story starting off with a stoned alligator in a pool and proceeding to a tiny town full of secrets, a home grown sheriff's daughter/deputy and a hunky DEA agent from Wash DC. Very typical and at times stereotypical plot and characters, with a bit too much romance and silly banter for me, but still decent light entertainment.
March 14, 2019
Hilarious! This was one of the first books I ever reviewed as a blogging book reviewer.
April 14, 2019
Good mystery and very funny.
November 11, 2019
Loved it. I really like this author. When she's on, she's on.
March 29, 2020
Loved it!!
July 2, 2019
You can always count on Jana DeLeon's books being an entertaining, light-hearted read. This book was definitely fun to read.
October 28, 2012
This book was ok. That's really all I can say about it.
The characters as set up were good, but at the end, they kind of devolved until they were acting out the preferred end of the author, not really what would really happen. The male lead had really no personality even though there was an attempt at it with his whole back story.
The female characeter ended up at the end waiting for the guy to come get her and putting up only a token resistance to him arranging their whole future together without consulting her. If it were my characters, I would have made her walk out on him right there. Maybe they would get together later, but not before the male lead suffered a whole hell of a lot for being a controlling dick.
The plot was a little convoluted but the Maylene character was pretty ridiculous. She was really the only character I thought worth writing.
The sex scenes were silly and quick with no lead-up whatsoever. One second she's trying to recover from shock, the next it's sexy time. Way to take advantage of a girl, asshole.
All in all, I thought the book was stupid. Didn't really cause an emotional response in my except for a sense of wasted time.
The characters as set up were good, but at the end, they kind of devolved until they were acting out the preferred end of the author, not really what would really happen. The male lead had really no personality even though there was an attempt at it with his whole back story.
The female characeter ended up at the end waiting for the guy to come get her and putting up only a token resistance to him arranging their whole future together without consulting her. If it were my characters, I would have made her walk out on him right there. Maybe they would get together later, but not before the male lead suffered a whole hell of a lot for being a controlling dick.
The plot was a little convoluted but the Maylene character was pretty ridiculous. She was really the only character I thought worth writing.
The sex scenes were silly and quick with no lead-up whatsoever. One second she's trying to recover from shock, the next it's sexy time. Way to take advantage of a girl, asshole.
All in all, I thought the book was stupid. Didn't really cause an emotional response in my except for a sense of wasted time.
June 12, 2012
3.5 stars
I liked this debut novel from Ms DeLeon. The heroine was kick-ass and the hero was tough but had issues too. There were a few twists that I didn't see coming but it just made the story that much more interesting. The sex, or what there was of it, was okay and not that strong. At least, not as strong as some that I've read. I loved the secondary characters and especially got a kick out of Maylene. As far as the mystery goes, I guessed several characters throughout the book, and even guessed the correct one at one time, then changed my mind on it. I would have liked to see a scene between the heroine and the bad guy that would have come from what was discovered in the story, but it was still played out in the end.
I liked this debut novel from Ms DeLeon. The heroine was kick-ass and the hero was tough but had issues too. There were a few twists that I didn't see coming but it just made the story that much more interesting. The sex, or what there was of it, was okay and not that strong. At least, not as strong as some that I've read. I loved the secondary characters and especially got a kick out of Maylene. As far as the mystery goes, I guessed several characters throughout the book, and even guessed the correct one at one time, then changed my mind on it. I would have liked to see a scene between the heroine and the bad guy that would have come from what was discovered in the story, but it was still played out in the end.
February 16, 2016
3.5 stars. Dorie is called to a complaint of an alligator in a pool. Not an unusual occurrence in Louisiana but this pool is a full mile from any water and alligators don't usually expend that much effort. His alligator, though has a backpack full of heroin and money along with a finger in his mouth. The DEA shows up shortly after they run the fingers print. What has come to their quiet little backwater?
August 7, 2016
Apesar de não ter apreciado muito a procura de um drug dealer que se escapa às autoridades há mais de 30 anos e cuja aparência física até é desconhecida, acabei por gostar bastante da forma como tudo terminou, daí as 4 estrelinhas.
Também gostei do casal protagonista, Dorie e Richard "Dick" e ri-me com as peripécias deste homem da cidade acabado de chegar a uma pequena cidade do Louisianna.
Também gostei do casal protagonista, Dorie e Richard "Dick" e ri-me com as peripécias deste homem da cidade acabado de chegar a uma pequena cidade do Louisianna.
January 29, 2009
I picked this book up because the description of a gator high on heroin sounded so hilarious. It was a pretty good read, though. It gave a really fun look at small town life and the lengths people will go to protect themselves. The characters were totally over the top and fun. There were even a few interesting twists and turns along the way. A fun read.
August 6, 2016
So good! I love Jana's books and this one was no different. The story is complete with action, mystery, relationships, family and growth. The characters start out complete but then each grows throughout the story. This cozy mystery goes beyond the gentle and humorous to complex and delightful. I highly recommend this book and this author!
March 13, 2014
I found a copy of "Trouble in Mudbug" by this author and really liked it. So I thought I would give another book a try. This was a compelling mystery, which would have been sufficient. Instead it was clouded with too many details in the romance department.
February 12, 2018
Worth the read
The setting and story were interesting. One thing..I thought I would scream someone "took in a breath" one more time. Did the editor not notice this phrase being used about 50 times throughout the book!?
The setting and story were interesting. One thing..I thought I would scream someone "took in a breath" one more time. Did the editor not notice this phrase being used about 50 times throughout the book!?
May 16, 2013
Great book. I am a Jana Deleon admirer despite the formula writing and the overdone love scenes.
September 18, 2016
Fabulous!!
One of the most entertaining books I've had the pleasure to read in a very long time ! Loved it !
One of the most entertaining books I've had the pleasure to read in a very long time ! Loved it !
February 4, 2017
A very fun read
I enjoyed this book very much. It was funny, sweet and entertaining. I enjoyed reading this book very much. Great read.
I enjoyed this book very much. It was funny, sweet and entertaining. I enjoyed reading this book very much. Great read.
July 27, 2020
After finishing the last book in Deleone’s Miss Fortune Mystery series Amazon recommended I try Rumble in the Bayou and earlier book by the same author. The sample showed there were obvious similarities with the Miss Fortune Mysteries series written years later. Both stories take place in a small Louisiana bayou town. This story take’s place in Gator Bait and the Miss Fortune stories take place in Sinful. Both heroines are both gorgeous and deadly and have a law enforcement background. Fortune Redding was a former CIA assassin who could kill you with the heel of her stilettos if her 9mm wasn’t handy. Dorie Berenger is a deputy sheriff who could outdraw Wyatt Earp and shoot the eye out of a sparrow at 1,000 yards. Interestingly while Dorie’s official title is deputy she is actually in charge of the sheriff’s department because her father who holds the official title is physically unable to do the job. In the Miss Fortune Mysteries Carter Leblanc is a deputy sheriff but in reality is in charge of the Sinful Sheriff’s department because Sheriff Lee is about 100 years old and content to let Carter run the department. Both male leads DEA Agent Richard Starke and Deputy LeBlanc were not only handsome and built but perhaps the only men in the heroines lives that could go toe to toe with them.
Despite all of those similarities (and I’m sure the author drew on some of them for Fortune Redding’s series) Rumble in the Bayou is very different from the Miss Fortune Mystery books. The most obvious is that Rumble in the Bayou is a standalone while The Miss Fortune Mysteries is a 17 books and counting series. But the heroines are very different. Dorie is a kick ass woman but underneath is a very soft heart. Fortune was a stone-cold killer when the situation required her to be. Dorie suffers when she kills someone even when she had no choice but to pull the trigger. Fortune doesn’t lose any sleep over having to kill someone. While Fortunes only real issue was her lack of social skills, Dorie is much more vulnerable. While Rumble in the Bayou lacks all the humor that is found in the Miss Fortune Mystery books thanks to Gertie’s antics, I thought the suspense, the element of danger and the attempt to find the criminal and his accomplice was better written than it was in most of the Miss Fortune series. While there is some G-rated romance between Fortune and Carter, (okay, maybe PG if you consider them admitting sleeping together as racy) Dorie and Richard have a couple of X-rated love scenes showing Deleone is more than capable of writing sexy scenes if she wants to. All in all I thought Rumble in the Bayou compared very favorably to the best books in the Miss Fortune Mystery series. It may be comparing apples to oranges because I think Ms. Deleone was going more for laughs in the Miss Fortune series while this book is intended to be more a suspense/mystery story.
Despite all of those similarities (and I’m sure the author drew on some of them for Fortune Redding’s series) Rumble in the Bayou is very different from the Miss Fortune Mystery books. The most obvious is that Rumble in the Bayou is a standalone while The Miss Fortune Mysteries is a 17 books and counting series. But the heroines are very different. Dorie is a kick ass woman but underneath is a very soft heart. Fortune was a stone-cold killer when the situation required her to be. Dorie suffers when she kills someone even when she had no choice but to pull the trigger. Fortune doesn’t lose any sleep over having to kill someone. While Fortunes only real issue was her lack of social skills, Dorie is much more vulnerable. While Rumble in the Bayou lacks all the humor that is found in the Miss Fortune Mystery books thanks to Gertie’s antics, I thought the suspense, the element of danger and the attempt to find the criminal and his accomplice was better written than it was in most of the Miss Fortune series. While there is some G-rated romance between Fortune and Carter, (okay, maybe PG if you consider them admitting sleeping together as racy) Dorie and Richard have a couple of X-rated love scenes showing Deleone is more than capable of writing sexy scenes if she wants to. All in all I thought Rumble in the Bayou compared very favorably to the best books in the Miss Fortune Mystery series. It may be comparing apples to oranges because I think Ms. Deleone was going more for laughs in the Miss Fortune series while this book is intended to be more a suspense/mystery story.
April 9, 2023
I've been in a bit of reading slump in the last couple of days and not getting much enjoyment. So, it made sense to pick a pick a book by an author who rarely disappoints, I went for Jana Deleon.
"Rumble on the Bayou" was a random choice.
Deputy Sheriff Dorie Berenger of Gator Bait, Louisiana, ain't one to put on airs. She does her job and keeps her secrets - chief among them being that the Sheriff, her father, is disabled and living in a retirement home.
DEA Agent Richard Starke, on the other hand, has a stick up his butt. He ain't happy to be stuck in hillbilly country, dealing with the local yokels who clam up in his presence.
Dorie is the reason he's there, she's found a finger in an alligator which was high as a kite (the alligator, not the finger), and it links into to his investigation.
But, to get anywhere he's got to work with her.
And both Dori and Richard are going their best to ignore their attraction to each other:- "She had never met a man that made her want to shoot him and rip his clothes off at the same time."
It wasn't quite what I was looking for - i.e. chaotic fun, but it did have some.
It's actually a decent enough light police procedural.
It passed the time pleasantly but isn't very memorable.
3 Stars.
"Rumble on the Bayou" was a random choice.
Deputy Sheriff Dorie Berenger of Gator Bait, Louisiana, ain't one to put on airs. She does her job and keeps her secrets - chief among them being that the Sheriff, her father, is disabled and living in a retirement home.
DEA Agent Richard Starke, on the other hand, has a stick up his butt. He ain't happy to be stuck in hillbilly country, dealing with the local yokels who clam up in his presence.
Dorie is the reason he's there, she's found a finger in an alligator which was high as a kite (the alligator, not the finger), and it links into to his investigation.
But, to get anywhere he's got to work with her.
And both Dori and Richard are going their best to ignore their attraction to each other:- "She had never met a man that made her want to shoot him and rip his clothes off at the same time."
It wasn't quite what I was looking for - i.e. chaotic fun, but it did have some.
It's actually a decent enough light police procedural.
It passed the time pleasantly but isn't very memorable.
3 Stars.
July 24, 2023
This book is definitely one of those where you'd best not judge a book by its cover. Cute gator on a floatie in a pool holding a heart balloon "Be Mine"....you'd think cozy/amateur sleuth with humor. You'd be wrong. I know I was wrong to think that when I picked it up at the thrift store and it sat in the chest of drawers portion of Mt Git'r'Read for quite a while. Until I went shopping on my own shelves to see what I could find. This one made it to the stack. It turned into a quick read for all that it has a premise that tends to have me run screaming in the other direction. Small town hottie deputy discovers a drug ring and handsome DEA agent comes to town to aggravate and spark some fire in the town as well as the hottie deputy. If any of that had been on the back cover description, I'd not have ever read it. And I'd have missed a funny mystery set in a small town with feisty funny fascinating characters. With plenty of chemistry and relationship dynamics galore.
I liked the hilarious opening, the friendships, the small town dynamic, the mysteries slowly revealed through the book.
I can absolutely recommend this book and author. I look forward to finding more from Jana DeLeon.
I liked the hilarious opening, the friendships, the small town dynamic, the mysteries slowly revealed through the book.
I can absolutely recommend this book and author. I look forward to finding more from Jana DeLeon.
June 16, 2018
This book starts out with the most bizarre situation you can imagine; an alligator, stoned on heroin, in the town drunk's swimming pool. Gator Bait, Louisiana, deputy sheriff and game warden Dorie Beringer also finds a finger in the gator's mouth ... which traces back to someone wanted by the DEA. Dorie is concerned that some "big city dick" will show up to take over the investigation.
Enter DEA agent Richard Starke ... which results in a running joke about Big City Dick. It soon becomes apparent that Dorie and Richard are going to have to work together ... and sparks fly fairly early on.
This is a clever cozy mystery with some fairly dark elements. I love the way Jana DeLeon creates a small town and fills it with interesting characters you care about, as well as putting together a right "whodunnit." And yes, the reveal took me by surprise. I read it twice and went "Wait, what??" before it really sank in.
Well done indeed.
Enter DEA agent Richard Starke ... which results in a running joke about Big City Dick. It soon becomes apparent that Dorie and Richard are going to have to work together ... and sparks fly fairly early on.
This is a clever cozy mystery with some fairly dark elements. I love the way Jana DeLeon creates a small town and fills it with interesting characters you care about, as well as putting together a right "whodunnit." And yes, the reveal took me by surprise. I read it twice and went "Wait, what??" before it really sank in.
Well done indeed.
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