Bring Your Own Poison

Trailer Park Mystery #4

by Jimmie Ruth Evans

Park the new Trailer Park mystery on your shelves. Waitress Wanda Nell Culpepper is burning the candle at both ends, but she can't afford to pass up hefty tips from a bachelor party at the Kountry Kitchen. She's prepared to dodge a few roaming hands-but not to witness a murder.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

294 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 2, 2008

About the author

also writes as Dean James, Honor Hartman and Miranda James

Reviews

[Teddi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read but there are way too many details of the family's daily life and repeated phrasing. There's such a dividing line between who is good and who is bad that I was kind of hoping Jack would get mad, or Lisa would go crazy on Wanda Nell or Dixon would be a bad guy or just something to shake them all out of their "assigned roles.

[Camilla Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book; the series just keeps getting better. Wish there were more books left to read in this series than one (which I'll probably wait a bit before reading). Hate to finish series, then it's like the "friends have moved away".

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy, quick read. The writing felt different than the previous books in this series. Overall, still a good read.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best kind of pablum.

[Nan Hurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just gets better and better!

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a ok book, i didnt have anything else to read. it was about a lady lived in a trailer park, her one daughter had a baby, then now is pregnant again. lucky for her her nice boyfriend offered to marry her. which the mom wanted cause she wants to get married, tho why she couldnt with her daughter not married i dont know. she also had a 16 yr old daughter who was sick with some sinus infection for the whole book. she worked two jobs, waitress in a diner where a cop was poisoned on his bachelor party night and a stocker in a 'mart'. her boyfriend is a english teacher, he gave her a $5,000 engagement ring. her neighbor lady came in with a rifle and saved her from being killed when she poked around and found out who killed the cop before the law did.

i wont get the others in the series...

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice entry in this series. Wanda Nell is working a bachelor party for a not-well-liked man on his third wedding--his two previous brides died under mysterious circumstances--when the groom keels over into the punch. Or maybe just onto the floor. He's been poisoned, and Wanda Nell just doesn't buy that the guy who gets arrested could have done it. She doesn't like the detective investigating the case, and when he threatens her family, she gets her dander up. Wanda Nell's life is moving on. Good things are happening to her, and it's a dandy mystery. Very enjoyable addition to the Trailer Park mysteries

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda cutesy, cozy. Not the worst mystery I've read lately, not even badly edited, a flaw of many books these days.
Wanda Nell has three children, one grandchild, works two jobs and lives in a double-wide. She is widowed, and dating. When a police officer dies at his bachelor party where she is working as a waitress, she "helps" the sheriff solve the crime. She's a lot more liberal than I'd give most trailer park dwellers credit for since she has a son who is gay, and his partner is a lawyer. A fun read if you don't have great literary ambition.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waitress Wanda Nell is helping at a bachelor party when the guest of honor keels over. It's not too surprising: the dead policeman had already been widowed twice in peculiar "accidents" that left him richer. Ordinarily. Wanda Nell tells herself, she wouldn't interfere, but the state policeman investigating is Bill Warren, who was her high school boyfriend, and who seems determined to arrest the dead man's ineffectual brother. Wanda's boyfriend Jack has a cousin with problems, too--she's moved to Tullahoma, MS, to get away from a stalker in Meridian, who is a policeman, too.

[Leeankh · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the mystery of this book isn't as exciting as I would have liked, there are a lot of character developments that help make up the difference. In fact, the only plot points that I recall with clarity have to do with the main characters and what is happening in their lives. It's only been 3 days since I've read this book and I find it is difficult to recall who did what, how, and why. I wouldn't say it's poorly written, but the character developments definitely overshadow the mystery for me. I look forward to reading more in this series, despite not loving this installment.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this series. This book was the best so far because it really took us into the lives of the wonderful cast of characters that the author has brought together. I am really sad to see that the next book is the last in this series. I have really enjoyed getting to know Wanda Nell and her family. The mystery was okay in this one, but the development of the characters was what made it so special for me.

[Katherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

A grudging one star. There was far too much detail about every aspect of the main character's daily life and thought processes, and the characterization was ham-handed: the "good guys" were all quirky and all just a little too much, the "bad guys" were beyond melodramatic. A lackluster subplot, characters who drifted in and out, and WAY too much ink spent on who is sleeping with (or wishing they were sleeping with) who. I will not be returning to this series.

[Tisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

4th installment of the Trailer Park Mystery Series. Again not my favorite cozy series. Wanda Nell is working a bachelor party where the guest of honor gets poisoned to death. The guest of honor brother is quickly arrested for this murder. But Wanda Nell doesn't think he did it. And goes out to prove he didn't.

[Sabine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This visit with Wanda Nell and her family and friends was another fun ride. I love that there is so much going on in her life not just the mystery. The books should definitely be read in order.
At this point the mystery is interesting but not the main reason to keep reading the series but more so to find how things are developing in Tullahoma.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the storyline of this book. It had all the characters that I have grown to look forward to in this series. I'm already looking forward to seeing where the characters will end up next in their life.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fourth novel in this series concentrates mostly on Wanda Nell's family life and relationships and very little on mystery. It actually makes for a better read! Maybe this author should have used these characters for a different genre....

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was another great addition to the trailer park mysteries. This is book number 4.I really enjoy this whole series. The author has improved with every novel so far. This is a light cozy mystery just wheat I needed to take my mind off of the stressful parts of my life. Great to wind down with.

[Kel Sta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cosy mystery turned out to be just what I needed, returning to some leisure reading after a few very busy weeks. Nothing too harrowing, nothing too highbrow, just a hardworking heroine with a heart of gold and a working brain in trailer town USA, looking out for her own. Relaxing and enjoyable.

[Marty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanda Nell is still working hard to keep her family together. Her daughter Miranda now has a boyfriend and things are looking up. While working at a Batchelor party at the Kountry Kitchen the guest of honor is poisoned. Wanda Nell is in the middle of things again. A quick fun read.

[Cindi Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best of the series by far.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

... do i read this much ... damn ..

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't make it very far in this one. The author was trying to hard to make it a humorous story.

[Martha Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

o.k.book

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick fun read. Quirky characters and a funny heroine. Not the greatest book I've ever read but if you're in the mood for something light, easy & fun I'd recommend it.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this story, I am sooo sad that this series has only 1 more book, sigh, I'll miss everyone! [Pout]

[Darilyn DeMaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a beach read I enjoyed. Not from the South, I was new to the "area" but I was glad I visited. Love mysteries, so silly was just what I needed in the summer!

[Joy F Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The characters are down home and the books of this series are interesting.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the characters are characters, story line good - enjoyable read!