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Stay At Home Dad Mysteries #2
Popped Off
For stay-at-home dad Deuce Winters, the cutthroat world of suburban kiddie sports leagues is unavoidable. In his small town, Moises Huber is known at the King of Soccer. But it seems the king may have fallen from his throne when he disappears--along with $73,000 of the youth soccer association's registration fees. Original.
281 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
29 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Allen
3 books59 followersJeffrey Allen is the alter-ego of national best selling mystery writer Jeff Shelby. He is a recovering stay at home dad who now teaches high school English and coaches basketball. A graduate of the University of California, Irvine, he currently lives with his daughter in the suburbs of Dallas, TX.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
June 11, 2017
Not as good as the first in the series, but it still had some laugh out loud moments.
September 13, 2012
These books make me laugh!! This is the 2nd in Jeffrey Allen's (Jeff Shelby) Stay-At-Home Dad series and every bit as good as the first one! Deuce is a great character and he's surrounded by characters who are his equal. Even if you don't care for "cozies", do yourself a favor and pick this series up! You owe yourself some giggles! RECOMMEND!!
October 30, 2019
Book source ~ ARC. My review is voluntary and honest.
Deuce Winters is a stay-at-home dad who inadvertently solved a mystery with the help of a private investigator (see book 1 Stay At Home Dead). Now, it seems he needs the annoying PI again for a case of the missing King of Soccer and $73K of youth soccer association fees. The more Deuce digs the more complicated things get, but he feels he needs to find Moises Huber and the money for the kids’ sakes.
Humorous and twisty this mystery kept me guessing until the end. Lots of colorful characters and amusing situations, but Deuce’s daughter, Carly, takes the spotlight. Adorable! If you like small town stories with humor and a decent mystery then don’t pass up this book or book 1. You won't be sorry!
Deuce Winters is a stay-at-home dad who inadvertently solved a mystery with the help of a private investigator (see book 1 Stay At Home Dead). Now, it seems he needs the annoying PI again for a case of the missing King of Soccer and $73K of youth soccer association fees. The more Deuce digs the more complicated things get, but he feels he needs to find Moises Huber and the money for the kids’ sakes.
Humorous and twisty this mystery kept me guessing until the end. Lots of colorful characters and amusing situations, but Deuce’s daughter, Carly, takes the spotlight. Adorable! If you like small town stories with humor and a decent mystery then don’t pass up this book or book 1. You won't be sorry!
October 27, 2012
"Popped Off" which is the follow up to "Stay At Home Dead", the first in the "Stay at Home Dad" mysteries, is a bit of a let down. I had high expectations because I enjoyed the first book so much. This book was still good, with stay-at-home dad and part-time PI Deuce Winters, balancing daddy duty with learning how to be a detective. The storyline was far-fetched, but fun, with an unlikley group of gambling enforcers and missing funds from Deuce's daughter's youth soccer league. However, this time around, there were too many jokes at the expense of Deuce's partner Victor, a smart, tough PI who happens to be a little person. The jokes got old for Victor and they got old for me, too. Also, Deuce's wife Julianne is just a bit too perfect and a bit too controlling for my taste. However, by the end it looked like she may be softening a bit.
I still have high hopes for the next book in the series. As Deuce gets more experience as a PI, this series could get even better if he loses the short jokes. Fans of Ayelet Waldman's "Mommy Track" series or Sara Rosett's "Ellie Avery" series may enjoy the change of pace with a stay at home dad instead of mom as the main character.
I still have high hopes for the next book in the series. As Deuce gets more experience as a PI, this series could get even better if he loses the short jokes. Fans of Ayelet Waldman's "Mommy Track" series or Sara Rosett's "Ellie Avery" series may enjoy the change of pace with a stay at home dad instead of mom as the main character.
March 1, 2014
Stay-at-home dad Deuce Winters gets roped into tracking down the president of the local youth soccer league who has disappeared along with all the funds from the league. Can he find him before the rest of the soccer season is canceled? The humor in this book is great and the mystery shoots off in some wild, fun directions. I really enjoyed it.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
September 10, 2012
Popped Off, Jeffrey Allen's latest book, is a terrific follow-up to his debut novel, Stay At Home Dead. The plot is full of hilarious twists and turns and the relationship between Deuce and Julianne is simply fantastic. Many memorable minor characters and dialogue that is laugh out loud funny make this a true stand-out in the cozy mystery world. I can't wait for the third installment.
September 12, 2012
This is an excellent entry into the Stay-at-home Dad series. In fact, it was so good that I read it in one day and could not put it down. I love the writing style and the humor, and the mystery plot is just icing on the cake!
March 28, 2016
I really liked this book- it is the 2nd in the 'stay at home dad' series - (the first one was just as good , too) quick read, humor, and just all around great cast of characters ! xx a true cozy mystery for sure
July 13, 2013
This is one crazy story!
June 9, 2015
This was just an incredible great read! The series is a fun cozy with an well plotted plot, great characters – made me chuckle and laugh! Again, not enough stars to do it justice!
October 22, 2017
This book is very cute, and pretty much delivers exactly what's promised on the tin: a light, frothy mystery that's very easy to read and very entertaining.
Deuce Winters (I know, I know, that is the name of a douchebag) is your typical stay at home parent, carting his kid to many different sorts of activities (soccer, swim lessons, VBS). He has a side business as a private investigator, and he's dragged into a case when he learns that Moe Huber has stolen $73K from his daughter's soccer association and has vanished into thin air. The soccer association is fee-driven and will have to completely shut down, which nobody wants - even if the kids are playing soccer for fun instead of serious competition. So, reluctantly, he begins to track down Huber and runs into quite a few twists and turns along the way.
The characters are really nicely drawn. Deuce narrates in the first person, and its a refreshingly irreverent point of view. He is devoted to his wife and his daughter and, contrary to the name, is the opposite of a douchebag. One of the subplots is how his wife is determined to have another baby, and she is just as driven in her personal life as she is in her career as an attorney: she charts out the next two months of their sex life, and holds him to a strict schedule in order to maximize her chances of getting pregnant. It's rather hilarious, actually; he learns about all the things that affect his sperm count.
She is also very practical and level-headed, and lends her legal expertise to his crazy schemes as a PI. He has a partner in the PI biz, Victor Anthony Doolittle, who is just as loud as he is short. He apparently helped Deuce clear his name in the first book of this series, and they teamed up shortly thereafter. They rib each other constantly, which is also funny, but the midget jokes can start to run a little thin. They have a great buddy-cop partner thing, tho.
Even the characters central to this story are pretty nicely fleshed out. Though I could've done without the constant description of the 350 lb Belinda (head of the kiddie soccer association), who sweats profusely in the Texas heat. That was the one blip on the character radar, and I guess it can be written off as it being a first person male POV. Mercifully, he doesn't ogle the sorority sisters who show up about halfway through the book to nearly the same nauseating degree, which is nice. And his scenes with his daughter are really cute.
The plot is a bit on the convoluted side, but in the context of the story, it makes sense. Deuce is not the most patient person on the planet, so he tries to cut through the woo-woo bullshit pretty quickly, which I appreciated. I definitely kept turning the pages this afternoon and (in spite of the screeches of a dying squirrel) managed to get through it all in about three hours. There was no heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat denouement, but the ending was wrapped up quite nicely, and the story actually ends on a very sweet note, with Deuce's wife revealing that she's pregnant.
Deuce Winters (I know, I know, that is the name of a douchebag) is your typical stay at home parent, carting his kid to many different sorts of activities (soccer, swim lessons, VBS). He has a side business as a private investigator, and he's dragged into a case when he learns that Moe Huber has stolen $73K from his daughter's soccer association and has vanished into thin air. The soccer association is fee-driven and will have to completely shut down, which nobody wants - even if the kids are playing soccer for fun instead of serious competition. So, reluctantly, he begins to track down Huber and runs into quite a few twists and turns along the way.
The characters are really nicely drawn. Deuce narrates in the first person, and its a refreshingly irreverent point of view. He is devoted to his wife and his daughter and, contrary to the name, is the opposite of a douchebag. One of the subplots is how his wife is determined to have another baby, and she is just as driven in her personal life as she is in her career as an attorney: she charts out the next two months of their sex life, and holds him to a strict schedule in order to maximize her chances of getting pregnant. It's rather hilarious, actually; he learns about all the things that affect his sperm count.
She is also very practical and level-headed, and lends her legal expertise to his crazy schemes as a PI. He has a partner in the PI biz, Victor Anthony Doolittle, who is just as loud as he is short. He apparently helped Deuce clear his name in the first book of this series, and they teamed up shortly thereafter. They rib each other constantly, which is also funny, but the midget jokes can start to run a little thin. They have a great buddy-cop partner thing, tho.
Even the characters central to this story are pretty nicely fleshed out. Though I could've done without the constant description of the 350 lb Belinda (head of the kiddie soccer association), who sweats profusely in the Texas heat. That was the one blip on the character radar, and I guess it can be written off as it being a first person male POV. Mercifully, he doesn't ogle the sorority sisters who show up about halfway through the book to nearly the same nauseating degree, which is nice. And his scenes with his daughter are really cute.
The plot is a bit on the convoluted side, but in the context of the story, it makes sense. Deuce is not the most patient person on the planet, so he tries to cut through the woo-woo bullshit pretty quickly, which I appreciated. I definitely kept turning the pages this afternoon and (in spite of the screeches of a dying squirrel) managed to get through it all in about three hours. There was no heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat denouement, but the ending was wrapped up quite nicely, and the story actually ends on a very sweet note, with Deuce's wife revealing that she's pregnant.
August 9, 2020
Second book I have read by this author. This series is funny and original. About a stay at home dad who is a part time investigator with a midget for a partner. The insults that fly between them are funny, but kindly meant. In this book Deuce has to figure out who stole all the socccer associations money, and also some money from a casino. Needless to say, the people from the casino are quite upset that this has happened. When some college age sorority girls get involved as gambling bookies, it all hits the fan. Looking forward to the next book.
June 18, 2017
Worthy of 4.5 stars. Not as good as the first, but still a great read. The story was a bit far fetched. And I'm assuming Deuce is intimidating since the villains do exactly as he says. I liked all the characters and the settings. Sad that this series only has a handful of books, it had a lot of potential.
May 2, 2018
I usually prefer heroes and female writers but maybe was wrong. A stay at home dad who does PI work in his spare time and still takes his daughter to VBS? It's almost too good to be true, except that's the premise here.. It's very good, and I'll be looking for the other books in the series and maybe expand my list of acceptable writers.. A must read..
March 16, 2020
This author knows how to entertain!
This was another excellent read by an author who knows how to entertain his readers. I read the 1st in this series and wondered why more cozy authors can't put words to a page like this author can. Totally amusing and a great read.
This was another excellent read by an author who knows how to entertain his readers. I read the 1st in this series and wondered why more cozy authors can't put words to a page like this author can. Totally amusing and a great read.
July 25, 2017
I enjoyed the first book more, but this was still good.
September 15, 2017
I like Deuce and kinda bummed that there aren't more books in this series
November 5, 2017
Great author! Enjoy the read!
January 10, 2019
Good Second Read
Getting better and better. Starting to like Victor. Fits the definition of a cozy. Quirky characters and an HEA ending.
Getting better and better. Starting to like Victor. Fits the definition of a cozy. Quirky characters and an HEA ending.
December 6, 2019
Good book
October 7, 2012
It warms my heart, maybe that is the Pumpkin Spice Latte talking, but it truly makes me feel good when the second book in a series is as good as the first. Jeffrey Allen is a new to me author whom I had taken a chance on with his first book, Stay at Home Dead. Wondering if he could hold the momentum, I picked up the second book and I swear I laughed my way through this book as much as I had the first.
I do not know if it is the politically incorrect tone that Deuce takes with his new investigative partner or the frankness of his father, but between the two of them, I was giggling my way through this book.
Julianne, Deuce’s wife, has decided that she wants another baby, their life with their daughter is perfect, but now it is time for a second. She has no patience when there is something that she wants and has set up charts and graphs for her best days and Deuce had better live up to the schedule. He is not complaining, but he is coaching his daughter’s soccer team the Might Fightin’ Tiny Mermaids, trying to find the King of Soccer who has absconded with the leagues funds, trying to figure out a bevy of sorority girls and last but not least, find a truckload of trophies that seem to have quite a hidden treasure.
Just another day in the life of a stay at home dad with a precocious daughter, a wife that he adores, a father that has a very blunt way of expressing his opinions, a business partner that appears to bring out the worst in him and a community that would be at a loss without his insight.
I really enjoy this series and I hope that Mr. Allen is able to bring many more Deuce Winter’s books to the table. The cozy market is getting a bit redundant, but with this addition, there seems to be a new series that will bring me back for more.
I do not know if it is the politically incorrect tone that Deuce takes with his new investigative partner or the frankness of his father, but between the two of them, I was giggling my way through this book.
Julianne, Deuce’s wife, has decided that she wants another baby, their life with their daughter is perfect, but now it is time for a second. She has no patience when there is something that she wants and has set up charts and graphs for her best days and Deuce had better live up to the schedule. He is not complaining, but he is coaching his daughter’s soccer team the Might Fightin’ Tiny Mermaids, trying to find the King of Soccer who has absconded with the leagues funds, trying to figure out a bevy of sorority girls and last but not least, find a truckload of trophies that seem to have quite a hidden treasure.
Just another day in the life of a stay at home dad with a precocious daughter, a wife that he adores, a father that has a very blunt way of expressing his opinions, a business partner that appears to bring out the worst in him and a community that would be at a loss without his insight.
I really enjoy this series and I hope that Mr. Allen is able to bring many more Deuce Winter’s books to the table. The cozy market is getting a bit redundant, but with this addition, there seems to be a new series that will bring me back for more.
October 26, 2012
4.5 stars for this cozy and clever mystery novel. Extended review available on Mina's Bookshelf http://minadecaro.blogspot.com/2012/1...
This was a down-right funny read and a very good combination of clever mystery plot and hilarious situations, frothing with lough-out-loud dialogues, quirky characters (how to forget Deuce's dad ranting over Facebook, the midgety business partner Victor, or the air-headed but ruthless girls from the college sorority group) and, surprisingly, even with some very tender and romantic moments, the more so intriguing because written from a male's point of view. I am really starting to appreciate the comedic relief of the cozy mystery genre and I strongly believe that the ability of injecting spot-on humor in every compartment of a story (plot, characterization, dialogues) takes natural talent as well as a considerable amount of writing skills. Therefore I wholeheartedly recommend The Stay At Home Dad Mysteries series. Pick it up from the prequel (Stay At Home Dead, book #1) and keep an eye on the upcoming third installment Father Knows Death, book #3
This was a down-right funny read and a very good combination of clever mystery plot and hilarious situations, frothing with lough-out-loud dialogues, quirky characters (how to forget Deuce's dad ranting over Facebook, the midgety business partner Victor, or the air-headed but ruthless girls from the college sorority group) and, surprisingly, even with some very tender and romantic moments, the more so intriguing because written from a male's point of view. I am really starting to appreciate the comedic relief of the cozy mystery genre and I strongly believe that the ability of injecting spot-on humor in every compartment of a story (plot, characterization, dialogues) takes natural talent as well as a considerable amount of writing skills. Therefore I wholeheartedly recommend The Stay At Home Dad Mysteries series. Pick it up from the prequel (Stay At Home Dead, book #1) and keep an eye on the upcoming third installment Father Knows Death, book #3
October 21, 2012
LOL funny! My only gripe about the book is about the quality. Not of the writing but of the actual book itself. It was made of the same lower quality cover and page materials as ARCs most of the time are. Luckily I borrowed it from the library and I didn't pay the $7.99 retail price for it. This is the 2nd book that I've gotten recently with the cheaper materials. The other one was Woodrose Mountain. I am going to have to check to see if they are published by the same company. I hope this isn't the latest trend since I prefer actual books to an e-reader.
August 29, 2016
This is the second book in the stay at home dad series that I have read. And if anything, this book might be better than the first. I enjoy deuce very much and look forward to seeing more of him. The author has a talent for not only making all of the loose ends tied up but doing it to everyone satisfaction. I love the humor and creativity in the series. I also appreciate that there is romance but not a lot of filth if any. There may be some rough language but it's very mild compared to some of what is out there.I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
September 27, 2012
Stay at home dad Deuce is an anomaly in his small Texas town, but he and his wife don't care. He does do a little part-time investigating, which is why he's asked to help out when the president of the local youth soccer league disappears along with the treasury. You may think you see where this is going, but Allen has some twists up his sleeve, and creates a surprising (and quite non-violent) tale.
November 29, 2013
What I like about this series is that it is told from a male point of view. Duece is a guy's guy, who has a hot wife, makes midget jokes and otherwise thinks and acts like a normal, red blooded American male. A nice break from some of the annoying, politically correct female characters in most cozies. This particular installment was a little slow, but I have hope for the next one.
April 8, 2017
Between trying to make a baby with his wife, investigating the theft of money from the Youth Soccer Association, tracking down a bookmaking outfit run by college sorority girls, needling his partner Victor, and taking care of his four year old daughter Carly, stay at home dad Deuce Winters has his hands full.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2017
I love this series. Can't wait for the next one. Deuce & Victor are so funny together. The only issue I had with this one is that the sorority girl thing is kind of hard to believe. Still a fun one, though.
October 4, 2012
Really liked the second installment of the Stay at Home Dad series. The characters are funny and likeable, the mysteries intriguing. The main character, his wife and their daughter are all people I would love to hang out with. The ending took some clever twists and turns.
October 28, 2012
2nd of the series is also a lot of fun, with continued interesting (and sometimes wacky) characters. I'm not 100% happy with all of Deuce's strong-arming at the end - but I guess it's not inconsistent with his character.
Somehow I don't think the real suburban Texas is half this amusing.
Somehow I don't think the real suburban Texas is half this amusing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews