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Mrs. Frugalicious Shopping Mysteries #1
Eternally 21
Coupon-clipping Mrs. Frugalicious gets more than she bargained for
After Mr. Frank "Finance" Michaels loses the family's financial nest egg in a Ponzi scheme, his wife Maddie does whatever she can to help keep up the appearance that everything is financially fine. When she starts a bargain hunter's blog under the alias Mrs. Frugalicious, her website becomes a viral hit with a growing "frugarmy" of budget advice seekers.
While Maddie is researching "frugasm"-worthy deals on holiday shopping for teens, Eternally 21 store manager Laila DeSimone mistakenly accuses her of shoplifting. Then her day goes from bad to worse when Laila expires on the floor. Since Laila was a universally disliked manager, the murder suspect list is longer than Maddie's bargain spreadsheet. But when evidence points to Maddie as the prime suspect, she must track down the real culprit. Can she uncover the truth before police throw away her get-out-of-jail-free coupon for good?
Includes bargain shopping tips & techniques.
Find more money-saving advice at MrsFrugalicious.tumblr.com!
Praise:
"A character whom readers will be pleased to follow."--Publishers Weekly "Maddie's coupon-clipping tips are seamlessly incorporated into the well-constructed mystery, which provides a series of stunning twists that will leave readers eager to see what will happen to Maddie in the next installment."--Booklist
"Never has coupon clipping been so fun or harrowing. Fast-paced, entertaining and filled with twist and turns, Eternally 21 will save mystery readers money and make them lose sleep as they cheer for formerly wealthy turned frugally funny Maddie Michaels. With colorful characters and an engaging heroine, this series debut will leave cozy readers clamoring for more."--Joelle Charbonneau, author of The Rebecca Robbins and Glee Club Mysteries
After Mr. Frank "Finance" Michaels loses the family's financial nest egg in a Ponzi scheme, his wife Maddie does whatever she can to help keep up the appearance that everything is financially fine. When she starts a bargain hunter's blog under the alias Mrs. Frugalicious, her website becomes a viral hit with a growing "frugarmy" of budget advice seekers.
While Maddie is researching "frugasm"-worthy deals on holiday shopping for teens, Eternally 21 store manager Laila DeSimone mistakenly accuses her of shoplifting. Then her day goes from bad to worse when Laila expires on the floor. Since Laila was a universally disliked manager, the murder suspect list is longer than Maddie's bargain spreadsheet. But when evidence points to Maddie as the prime suspect, she must track down the real culprit. Can she uncover the truth before police throw away her get-out-of-jail-free coupon for good?
Includes bargain shopping tips & techniques.
Find more money-saving advice at MrsFrugalicious.tumblr.com!
Praise:
"A character whom readers will be pleased to follow."--Publishers Weekly "Maddie's coupon-clipping tips are seamlessly incorporated into the well-constructed mystery, which provides a series of stunning twists that will leave readers eager to see what will happen to Maddie in the next installment."--Booklist
"Never has coupon clipping been so fun or harrowing. Fast-paced, entertaining and filled with twist and turns, Eternally 21 will save mystery readers money and make them lose sleep as they cheer for formerly wealthy turned frugally funny Maddie Michaels. With colorful characters and an engaging heroine, this series debut will leave cozy readers clamoring for more."--Joelle Charbonneau, author of The Rebecca Robbins and Glee Club Mysteries
360 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2013
30 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Linda Joffe Hull
8 books66 followersThat Linda Joffe Hull’s father thought it well advised to read Kafka in general, and THE METAMOPHOSIS in particular, to his then eight-year-old daughter is a question better left for the therapist’s couch. As a result however, Linda was bitten by the literary bug.
Always an avid reader, she ignored the corresponding compulsion to write, receiving a B.A. in Economics from UCLA, embarking on a career in sales and diving headlong into the all-encompassing job of motherhood.
Thanks to the encouragement of her long-suffering husband and the incredible support of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers she finally gave in to the unavoidable urge and finally sat down in front of the computer.
Linda is a native of Saint Louis, Missouri, but currently resides in Denver, Colorado with her husband and three children. She is a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and a former board member of Mystery Writers of America.
Always an avid reader, she ignored the corresponding compulsion to write, receiving a B.A. in Economics from UCLA, embarking on a career in sales and diving headlong into the all-encompassing job of motherhood.
Thanks to the encouragement of her long-suffering husband and the incredible support of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers she finally gave in to the unavoidable urge and finally sat down in front of the computer.
Linda is a native of Saint Louis, Missouri, but currently resides in Denver, Colorado with her husband and three children. She is a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and a former board member of Mystery Writers of America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
May 30, 2016
The first in the Mrs. Frugalicious Shopping mystery series introduces Maddie Michaels as an amateur sleuth and seasoned bargain hunter. Maddie starts a bargain hunter blog using the pseudonym Mrs. Frugalicious after her husband loses the family nest egg in a Ponzi scheme. While searching for deals on holiday shopping for teens, Maddie is mistakenly accused of shoplifting by the snooty Laila DeSimone, manager of Eternally 21. Maddie's day goes from bad to worse when the universally disliked Laila drops dead in the store and Maddie soon rises to the top of the murder suspect list. She must act fast to clear her name or risk becoming another victim. This is the second book in this cozy series that I've read and found myself entertained both time -- I would've rated it 3.5 stars if I could have. The characters are fun, and the twist at the end when the murderer's identity is revealed was a good one. Plus, while I knew what was up next for Maddie in the second book, I enjoyed reading how she got there in this first book. I would definitely seek out a third book in this series based on the first two!
March 5, 2022
Smart shopper
Rated 3.5 stars
Maddie sure knows how to shop and bargain. I so would love to be that savy but just not the part where your accused of killing someone but wow when all the secrets end up coming out but also to find out that some people.aren't who they say they are. This was fun and can't wait to see what's going to happen next to Maddie.
Rated 3.5 stars
Maddie sure knows how to shop and bargain. I so would love to be that savy but just not the part where your accused of killing someone but wow when all the secrets end up coming out but also to find out that some people.aren't who they say they are. This was fun and can't wait to see what's going to happen next to Maddie.
January 16, 2016
When Mr. Frank “Finance” Michaels trusts the wrong person with his nest egg, he falls prey to a monumental Ponzi scheme, think Bernie Madoff, his wife Maddie steps in to do everything she can to keep up appearances with their social class. Mrs. Frugalicious was born as Maddie started a blog and website for bargain hunters complete with paid advertisers. That with her frugal shopping is keeping her family afloat.
While out researching “frugasm”-worthy deals on holiday shopping for teens, she hits the mall. She finds a bunch of bargains at Eternally 21. Taking notes and lining up her purchases draws the interest of the store manager, Laila DeSimone. Laila thinks Maddie is the shoplifter the mall management has alerted them to watch for and quickly calls security. She is hauled away until she makes the security officer to understand she didn’t steal anything! When Maddie returns to the store to make her purchases her day goes from bad to worse when the manager “expires” right in front of her and the police tag her their prime suspect. Can she save herself? It’s going to take more than a double off coupon!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
What a fun debut!!
Who doesn’t want to save money? Add a murder to the shopping trip and some colorful characters and you have the start of a wonderful mystery.
Maddie is working so hard to keep her family’s head above water with two growing teenage boys and husband that can’t seem to realize the financial disaster he has created. He has a financial program that airs on the local channel and his viewers can’t find out the enormous mistake he made. Especially now that he is being courted by a network that wants to take his show national. He continues to spend, spend, spend while Maddie is clipping coupons and hitting the stores on triple coupon days. Readers will love Maddie!
The author has created a great group of primary characters and surrounded them with a very interesting group of supporting characters, both human and animal. She has put them into fantastic situations that will not only test you to figure out whodunit but will have you chuckling out loud as Maddie goes in circles trying to track down the killer herself.
The only thing I didn’t like in the writing was Maddie having a conversation with herself planning out what she was going to say to someone in advance of having the actual conversion. She did this a few times and it really detracted with the flow of the story.
Linda Joffe Hull is off to a good start with this series. A solid mystery that includes money saving advice we can all use. Looking forward to the next spree with Mrs. Frugalicious.
While out researching “frugasm”-worthy deals on holiday shopping for teens, she hits the mall. She finds a bunch of bargains at Eternally 21. Taking notes and lining up her purchases draws the interest of the store manager, Laila DeSimone. Laila thinks Maddie is the shoplifter the mall management has alerted them to watch for and quickly calls security. She is hauled away until she makes the security officer to understand she didn’t steal anything! When Maddie returns to the store to make her purchases her day goes from bad to worse when the manager “expires” right in front of her and the police tag her their prime suspect. Can she save herself? It’s going to take more than a double off coupon!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
What a fun debut!!
Who doesn’t want to save money? Add a murder to the shopping trip and some colorful characters and you have the start of a wonderful mystery.
Maddie is working so hard to keep her family’s head above water with two growing teenage boys and husband that can’t seem to realize the financial disaster he has created. He has a financial program that airs on the local channel and his viewers can’t find out the enormous mistake he made. Especially now that he is being courted by a network that wants to take his show national. He continues to spend, spend, spend while Maddie is clipping coupons and hitting the stores on triple coupon days. Readers will love Maddie!
The author has created a great group of primary characters and surrounded them with a very interesting group of supporting characters, both human and animal. She has put them into fantastic situations that will not only test you to figure out whodunit but will have you chuckling out loud as Maddie goes in circles trying to track down the killer herself.
The only thing I didn’t like in the writing was Maddie having a conversation with herself planning out what she was going to say to someone in advance of having the actual conversion. She did this a few times and it really detracted with the flow of the story.
Linda Joffe Hull is off to a good start with this series. A solid mystery that includes money saving advice we can all use. Looking forward to the next spree with Mrs. Frugalicious.
July 9, 2015
As a cozy mystery the plotting and characters aren't bad, although I had trouble relating to the twentysomethings working at the mall. The Piggeldys, a pair of retired circus clowns, and the pet monkey (son substitute), Higgledy, broke that up a bit. The savings "hints" seemed more common sense/general knowledge than anything new to me, becoming a bit annoying breaking into the audio format, but I grew used to them after a while.
Where I had real trouble concerned Maddie's husband, Frank -- talk about your classic narcissistic bullies! She spends much of the book in fear of "upsetting" him, especially in keeping the successful Mrs. Frugalicious site a secret. I wasn't too thrilled with his homophobic disapproval of one of the twins being interested in acting more than football, although Maddie expresses her disapproval of his attitude (to the reader) as well. It was really a dreary pain seeing her cater to his obnoxiousness throughout the book. However ... without a specific spoiler, that's resolved at nearly the end of the story, so that Maddie has the upper hand going forward with a series.
Tavia Gilbert makes an excellent fit as narrator.
Where I had real trouble concerned Maddie's husband, Frank -- talk about your classic narcissistic bullies! She spends much of the book in fear of "upsetting" him, especially in keeping the successful Mrs. Frugalicious site a secret. I wasn't too thrilled with his homophobic disapproval of one of the twins being interested in acting more than football, although Maddie expresses her disapproval of his attitude (to the reader) as well. It was really a dreary pain seeing her cater to his obnoxiousness throughout the book. However ... without a specific spoiler, that's resolved at nearly the end of the story, so that Maddie has the upper hand going forward with a series.
Tavia Gilbert makes an excellent fit as narrator.
December 4, 2017
I didn't take to Maddie Michaels immediately--Mrs. Frugalicious is a bit shallow, and way more into shopping than I could ever be--but the story pacing was great, the mystery kept me guessing until fairly close to the end, and the work is full of the kind of comedy that is such a train-wreck for the poor character that I want to crawl under a chair in embarrassment for her. When I see this kind of thing on TV, I have to leave the room for a scene or two (Or watch through my fingers). Great stuff, if you like that kind of thing (I can never decide whether I do or not).
July 8, 2023
A good story
This was a good story. The storyline was good and it had an unsuspected ending. Editing, however, was not good. Many typos in the version I have made it a difficult story to get through. The premise was good however.
This was a good story. The storyline was good and it had an unsuspected ending. Editing, however, was not good. Many typos in the version I have made it a difficult story to get through. The premise was good however.
April 6, 2021
Really wanted to like this book but I just couldn’t get into it.
January 29, 2023
This book was light-hearted, but managed to keep my attention, despite being predictable. I really just wanted. The gal to shut up-she caused a lot of her own problems, but it was a fun read.
May 28, 2023
I was entertained and surprised.
September 2, 2023
1.5 stars.
September 16, 2023
I can stomach a plodding, uninspired murder mystery, but I draw the line at mean-spirited transphobia
March 2, 2017
Fun quick read with interesting characters in an interesting setting.
November 8, 2013
I am a huge lover of cozy mystery and this one was a welcome addition to my list. I have to say I picked this one up mainly because it was a different type of cozy one that was supposed to be full of money saving tips. I have to say the author managed to deliver tips along with crafting a pretty good mystery. I instantly started this one and fell in love with the character of Maddie. I liked how when her family's finances went down hill she took it upon herself to keep them all afloat by creating her Mrs Frugalicious persona. I loved that she was all about getting the next deal and that in a sense she was also a blogger like me. It was nice to see how involved she was in her blog and keeping her readers happy.
Maddie is out one day on a money saving adventure and unfortunately she watches a worker die in front of her. It didn't help that the person that dies is someone that accuses her of shoplifting. I have to say that the way this mystery comes about was different and one that I liked. I liked that Maddie felt that things didn't add up and decided she was going to try to solve the mystery. The other characters in this series were welcome additions especially the Piggeldys. It was a little different to see that all the mall workers were such a tight knit group of people and really looked out for one another. I have to say the one character I didn't care for was Maddie;s husband Frank. He was really a rude jerk that she catered too way too much for my taste. He really took her for granted and I was waiting for him to get what was coming to him throughout the book.
Overall I have to say this was an ok read. I have to give the author props because the killer in this one was not who I expected at all. I was truly shocked and didn't see it coming and that is what I love in a good cozy read. I can't say much because it would be a major spoiler but I was so happy about what happened to Frank though.I think that readers will enjoy this one but you have to be ok with all the money saving tips because they are thrown in throughout the book and can get a little overwhelming after a point. I would recommend this one to all my cozy mystery lovers out there though as a really good read.
March 7, 2015
This book had been in my Netgalley review TBR pretty much since I'd starting blogging (that's 2 years!), so with taking part in the Netgalley reading challenge I've started from the oldest in my list.
So this is the quite light-hearted tale of Maddie aka Mrs Frugalicious who gets drawn into a the murder of a young, very unpopular store manager in the local shopping centre.
From the outset I found Maddie got really involved in the investigation and the lives of those in the mall; maybe a little too interested and I wasn't quite sure that this all felt entirely 100% realistic, along with the endless trips back to the mall, the to-ing and fro-ing back and forth with Griff the security guard. Don't get me wrong, Maddie is a likeable enough character, she could be someone we all know, she just makes some odd choices . But as she's playing her hand at being Miss Marple she's also having to deal with her manipulative muppet of a husband, without giving too much away this is addressed! (thankfully).
The writing style is very easy, flows quite naturally but in some places the pace is quite slow and I felt dragged a little. However, it does pick up pace towards the end once the details start unravelling.
I did have my own suspicions about who the murderer was and where the author was trying to lead the reader which turned out to be totally unfounded and incorrect so fair play to the author as the end was a huge surprise for me.
As the book has its basis in a money saving blog (Mrs Frugalicious) there's even budgeting and money saving tips included as footnotes which came across as quite useful (particularly for US readers).
Overall a nice, pleasant murder mystery which isn't that challenging. Probably not really for die hard crime fans but maybe more for fans of the Shopaholic series.
Many thanks to the publishers for an ARC via Netgalley.
So this is the quite light-hearted tale of Maddie aka Mrs Frugalicious who gets drawn into a the murder of a young, very unpopular store manager in the local shopping centre.
From the outset I found Maddie got really involved in the investigation and the lives of those in the mall; maybe a little too interested and I wasn't quite sure that this all felt entirely 100% realistic, along with the endless trips back to the mall, the to-ing and fro-ing back and forth with Griff the security guard. Don't get me wrong, Maddie is a likeable enough character, she could be someone we all know, she just makes some odd choices . But as she's playing her hand at being Miss Marple she's also having to deal with her manipulative muppet of a husband, without giving too much away this is addressed! (thankfully).
The writing style is very easy, flows quite naturally but in some places the pace is quite slow and I felt dragged a little. However, it does pick up pace towards the end once the details start unravelling.
I did have my own suspicions about who the murderer was and where the author was trying to lead the reader which turned out to be totally unfounded and incorrect so fair play to the author as the end was a huge surprise for me.
As the book has its basis in a money saving blog (Mrs Frugalicious) there's even budgeting and money saving tips included as footnotes which came across as quite useful (particularly for US readers).
Overall a nice, pleasant murder mystery which isn't that challenging. Probably not really for die hard crime fans but maybe more for fans of the Shopaholic series.
Many thanks to the publishers for an ARC via Netgalley.
June 9, 2013
More of a 3.5 than a 3, really.
What a fun read! I'm relatively new to reading mysteries, but I'm fast becoming a big of a fan of mysteries as I am of young adult books. Already a fan of Extreme Couponing - I'm still trying to convince my family that allowing me to turn the office/spare bedroom into a stockpile room is an excellent idea - this book was right up my alley.
While the writing style wasn't as polished as other authors that I have read, I thought the story (particularly the murder mystery) was rather engaging. I was flip-flopping on my top suspects just like Maddie was throughout the novel and the author kept me in the dark as to who the true culprit was up until the very end! There were even a few plot surprises that I didn't see coming.
I had a great time reading this first book in what I hope is a series of Mrs. Frugalicious Shopping Mysteries. It was fun to have the footnote tips and tricks about shopping, couponing, and saving money mixed in with the story, as well. I need to check out that Tumblr page for more money-saving advice and keep working on converting that office into a stockpile room. *wink*
What a fun read! I'm relatively new to reading mysteries, but I'm fast becoming a big of a fan of mysteries as I am of young adult books. Already a fan of Extreme Couponing - I'm still trying to convince my family that allowing me to turn the office/spare bedroom into a stockpile room is an excellent idea - this book was right up my alley.
While the writing style wasn't as polished as other authors that I have read, I thought the story (particularly the murder mystery) was rather engaging. I was flip-flopping on my top suspects just like Maddie was throughout the novel and the author kept me in the dark as to who the true culprit was up until the very end! There were even a few plot surprises that I didn't see coming.
I had a great time reading this first book in what I hope is a series of Mrs. Frugalicious Shopping Mysteries. It was fun to have the footnote tips and tricks about shopping, couponing, and saving money mixed in with the story, as well. I need to check out that Tumblr page for more money-saving advice and keep working on converting that office into a stockpile room. *wink*
August 19, 2013
A rather slack mystery story centered around a middle-aged woman who's secretly taken up the reins to support her family after her not-too-bright businessman spouse lost their nest egg to a pyramid scheme. Her own scheme--writing a "Frugalicious" blog devoted to living well on the cheap--turns out to be much more successful than her husband ever was, though it's turned into a 24/7 job, what with all the secret-shopping, rampaging coupon-clipping, store-hopping, and now, suddenly, murder-investigating. While shopping at her local mall (undercover, of course), Mrs. Frugalicious witnesses the death of an unpleasant store manager. Somebody poisoned the woman--but WHO? Mrs. Frugalicious is soon up to her neck in her own investigation, befriending and/or questioning the various characters at the mall, from the food court servers and possible love-interest mall securitoid, to a husband-and wife team with a wandering monkey. The plot is fairly predictable but fast-paced. The humor is tv sitcom level, which makes it appealing for those seeking a quick escape or a speedy beach read.
August 2, 2014
Actual rating: 2.5 stars. The structure of this book definitely hurts it. It begins with Maddie already in the mall and rushes to fill the reader in on backstory before the murder occurs (something that happens throughout the book). We don't get to build any kind of relationship with these characters and, as a result, I didn't really care for any of them. It then drags on with seemingly repetitive trips to the mall. Maddie is also kind of a doormat for her husband (and her sons on occasion) which the author seems to think is ok because she I haven't read a lot of mysteries so I don't know if the one here is any good. I did feel like the killer's identity came out of nowhere, though. I will say that this book does have a neat addition in that it actually gives you shopping tips in the form of footnotes. I did enjoy those.
March 14, 2013
**review of the Advanced Reader Copy**
I honestly did not think I was going to like this book when I picked it up. I'm weary of all the "take your favorite hobby/craft/obsession and write a murder mystery around it" fad. And one based around couponing? So I am surprised how much I enjoyed this novel. The heroine was genuine and seemed like an actual person you would meet - realistic, down-to-earth and likable. The pacing of plot was well done and kept me turning the pages. Hull is definitely an author that I want to read more from.
I honestly did not think I was going to like this book when I picked it up. I'm weary of all the "take your favorite hobby/craft/obsession and write a murder mystery around it" fad. And one based around couponing? So I am surprised how much I enjoyed this novel. The heroine was genuine and seemed like an actual person you would meet - realistic, down-to-earth and likable. The pacing of plot was well done and kept me turning the pages. Hull is definitely an author that I want to read more from.
March 28, 2013
I have to admit, this is the first cozy I've read in a while that I did not figure out the killer before the end of the book. Maddie Michaels is a pitiful detective, but if she had not gone about her stumbling line of investigation, the mystery would not have been solved and she would have spent a lot of time in jail. Overall, I really liked this one. It might help too that the story revolved around coupons and saving money. I used to be an avid coupon shopper back when I didn't work and the house was full of small children.
June 19, 2013
I've never really gotten into cozy mysteries before (though I did watch more episodes of "Murder, She Wrote" when I was younger than I can completely explain), but I loved "The Big Bang" so I had to give this book a try. Really, I had a lot of fun reading this. The story was good, it had great characters (I thought Maddie was particularly convincingly constructed), and it pulled me in. If this is what cozy mysteries are like then I may want to check out more, though I'll still feel safer just checking out more of Hull's writing.
August 8, 2013
It would hurt her husband's career if word got out that this financial guru had lost money in a Ponzi scheme, so Maddie unobtrusively cuts corners and finds ways to keep up their elite life style. She's protective of Frank, not even letting him know when she starts a blog, Mrs. Frugalicious, and they both keep secrets from their teen-aged sons. But everything changes when the manager of a mall store drops dead shortly after a confrontation with Maddie. There is nothing wrong with this book, but non-shoppers like me will not enjoy it as much as some others.
March 16, 2013
I have been excited to read this book. I could not wait to get to it and it was well worth the wait. This book had my attention and kept it all the way through. The killer.....well, I certainly never saw it coming. I was pleasantly shocked and surprised.The last 2 pages were EXCELLENT.
For the rest of the review, please visit my blog at http://libbysfunbooks.blogspot.com
For the rest of the review, please visit my blog at http://libbysfunbooks.blogspot.com
June 25, 2016
What's not to like---a spunky, likeable amateur sleuth, a traditional cozy mystery and all kinds of coupon clipping advice enabling you to save as you shop? Ms Hull delivers the goods in this first book of her Mrs. Frugalicious series (and also continues to do so in the second book.) Read, save and enjoy!
June 16, 2015
Solid first book in a cozy series. The story felt like it dragged a bit, and I would have preferred the main character be a bit more self-confident when dealing with her husband. Looking forward to reading the next installment to see where she goes next.
May 29, 2013
A fun easy to read murder mystery. Likeable charactors even if the main one does some stupid things sometimes, guess that's what makes her endearing.
June 17, 2013
What a fun read. Lots of twists and quirky characters. You might even pick up some money-saving shopping tips!
March 5, 2014
Loved it !!!!
Read
April 19, 2015Good tips, but too many trips t the mall.
September 11, 2016
Fun read.
May 5, 2014
Nothing wrong with this book. But as I am no shopper at all it did not reach me
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews