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Casey Jones Mysteries #1
Legwork
LEGWORK is the debut novel in Katy Munger's hilarious and acclaimed Casey Jones Mystery series. Casey is a big, bad bottled blonde who takes no prisoners as she delves into cases for those who are marginalized on the outskirts of society. Set in North Carolina and the surrounding states, LEGWORK features a colorful cast, solid plot and writing that is both laugh out funny and vry moving at times.
206 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
792 people are currently reading
1298 people want to read
About the author
Katy Munger
41 books52 followersKaty Munger, a North Carolina-based mystery author, has published 17 novels, co-authored multiple books, and contributed short stories to numerous anthologies. She's most known for the humorous Casey Jones mystery series, the somber and thoughtful Dead Detective series (as Katy Munger and Chaz McGee), and the cozy Hubbert & Lil series (as Katy Munger and Gallagher Gray). Originally published by major houses like Bantam and HarperCollins, her books are now available on Amazon under her real name. Katy has also contributed as a book reviewer for the Washington Post and served as North Carolina’s 2016 Piedmont Laureate. Visit katymunger.com to learn more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
December 29, 2018
Such a promising beginning of a suspense series!
First of all, we should cut it some slack, the book was written in 1997 and may be slightly politically incorrect. Nothing really bothered me, but maybe younger readers would find the humour too harsh.
Amazing heroine.
Cool, blatant honest, unapologetically bold woman with zero filter and I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude.
Not a standard beauty...
Not a virgin by all means...
She wasn't opposite to casual sex and preferred her men younger 😎
With no trace of any meek personality...
Despite her noticing good-looking men and having some dirty thoughts about them, with still fully functioning brain-activity...
Floved the humor, only the comparison to Nero Wolfe made me laugh like crazy. Yep, it was time I read literature 😉
Good suspense, predictable, but still intriguing.
No real romance per se, she had a fb, who was also her bff.
She lusted after a detective, but didn't give him any chance (smart woman), she ended up having a non-strings relationship with a good man though. Let's see, if it remains this way *lol* I suspect the detective would be still on her radar 😂
I liked the story a lot.
And it's on KU!!! 😀
First of all, we should cut it some slack, the book was written in 1997 and may be slightly politically incorrect. Nothing really bothered me, but maybe younger readers would find the humour too harsh.
Amazing heroine.
Cool, blatant honest, unapologetically bold woman with zero filter and I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude.
Not a standard beauty...
"I grew to like the feeling of being able to take care of myself. Today, I look chubby at first glance and stocky at second. Or strong as hell to those in the know. My shoulders are wide and my rib cage is a barrel. But I don't have to take any crap from anyone but the strongest of men and I feel it's a fair trade-off over all."
Not a virgin by all means...
She wasn't opposite to casual sex and preferred her men younger 😎
"That's the way it is with all women, I suspect. Go too long without getting laid and any man without a crust on him starts to look good. Get laid and you're in the mood to be picky."
With no trace of any meek personality...
"My grandpa never stopped telling the story. That was the day, he said, that he knew I had more balls than any of the sorry specimens our family had produced since the War of Northern Aggression."
Despite her noticing good-looking men and having some dirty thoughts about them, with still fully functioning brain-activity...
"I appreciate a man with principles (when I can find one) but that doesn't mean I go so far as to trust a guy just because he makes my cooter twitch."
Floved the humor, only the comparison to Nero Wolfe made me laugh like crazy. Yep, it was time I read literature 😉
Good suspense, predictable, but still intriguing.
No real romance per se, she had a fb, who was also her bff.
She lusted after a detective, but didn't give him any chance (smart woman), she ended up having a non-strings relationship with a good man though. Let's see, if it remains this way *lol* I suspect the detective would be still on her radar 😂
I liked the story a lot.
And it's on KU!!! 😀
February 20, 2018
At first I was put off by the swearing, promiscuous, over-sexed protagonist who constantly fantasizes about the men she sees. But the humor grabbed me at a time when I was down and needed a good chuckle. I decided to continue reading, and I’m glad I did. This is a fun story filled with unique and endearing characters. The mystery is intriguing, the plot tightly woven and complex – and it ends with the rescue of a good dog. Well worth the read!
April 3, 2021
Not bad! 👍
I went in with no pretensions, it turned out to be what it promised to be: a thriller, and a rather fun one. The main character is a woman (yay, kudos!). She's brave, she's powerful, and her thoughts are often hilarious.
I was surprised by the ending (in a good way). I didn't see it coming, but when it did it made total sense, considering. All in all, the only thing I skept over were her descriptions of men because yeah whatevs not interesting, but even that is personal, so...
I went in with no pretensions, it turned out to be what it promised to be: a thriller, and a rather fun one. The main character is a woman (yay, kudos!). She's brave, she's powerful, and her thoughts are often hilarious.
I was surprised by the ending (in a good way). I didn't see it coming, but when it did it made total sense, considering. All in all, the only thing I skept over were her descriptions of men because yeah whatevs not interesting, but even that is personal, so...
August 22, 2018
This was a decent mystery where the perpetrator was fairly easy to spot, but at least the plot was fairly logical. What makes the book interesting was the main character ‘Casey’, who is not your typical depressive ‘down at heal’ PI.
She is irreverent and ‘snarky’, but in many ways is quite optimistic, even though because of a criminal record, is unlicensed and has to work for somebody else.
I quite liked Casey, although I found her constantly lusting after good-looking men became a bit tedious. However, I will definitely be trying the next book in the series.
If possible I would have given 3.5 stars.
She is irreverent and ‘snarky’, but in many ways is quite optimistic, even though because of a criminal record, is unlicensed and has to work for somebody else.
I quite liked Casey, although I found her constantly lusting after good-looking men became a bit tedious. However, I will definitely be trying the next book in the series.
If possible I would have given 3.5 stars.
December 15, 2020
Noirish detective story with a Southern setting. Published in 1997, some of it seemed a little dated, but the humor is great and the main character narrator’s similes and metaphors rival Chandler’s.
February 20, 2010
I really wanted to like this book. I like reading local authors, I like mystery stories, I like stories about strong women, and I like stories with a strong sense of place, especially when it's a place I know.
Legwork is all of those things; I still didn't like it. I read to page 52, read the last chapter, and gave up. The writing is good enough. Unfortunately, there aren't any people, just caricatures. Everyone is larger than life and twice as ridiculous. It felt like a long info-dump interspersed with heavy-handed dialog. The reader is told, very, very clearly, what the main character thinks about every single thing she says or hears. There's a hefty romance/smut plotline, but even that's all tell, and very little show.
The author does convey a very clear sense of place - possibly a bit too clear. I rather felt beaten over the head with the geography.
Part of me feels like I should give this author another chance. Another part of me feels there's not enough time to read really good stuff, so don't bother with an unimpressive author. I'm very open to suggestion, either way :)
Legwork is all of those things; I still didn't like it. I read to page 52, read the last chapter, and gave up. The writing is good enough. Unfortunately, there aren't any people, just caricatures. Everyone is larger than life and twice as ridiculous. It felt like a long info-dump interspersed with heavy-handed dialog. The reader is told, very, very clearly, what the main character thinks about every single thing she says or hears. There's a hefty romance/smut plotline, but even that's all tell, and very little show.
The author does convey a very clear sense of place - possibly a bit too clear. I rather felt beaten over the head with the geography.
Part of me feels like I should give this author another chance. Another part of me feels there's not enough time to read really good stuff, so don't bother with an unimpressive author. I'm very open to suggestion, either way :)
January 9, 2015
It seems that most mystery series I read these days with a female lead resemble the Stephanie Plum series. This one was yet another, except taking place in North Carolina, and the lead not originally being from there. There were some differences though, such as our lead, Casey Jones, has a criminal past which is why she is a transplant to NC. She is now, fourteen years later, working for a PI and currently acting as a bodyguard for a woman running for Senate. Said woman is arrested for the murder of a man found dead in her vehicle. She then ask Casey to investigate and clear her name. The book was not bad although filled with the usual clichés. I did figure out a few things relatively early, but still appreciated how the ending came together.
December 21, 2017
Eh. I started out not liking this one at all, but it did get better. I didn't care for any of the characters here. No one was likable. The main character was weirdly masculine, yet felt like she wasn't meant to be so much so. And we get it. Her boss eats a lot. Can we move on? Oh, and (I'll be vague so there's no spoilers), but who DIDN'T know exactly who the culprit was after the convo at the river? I mean, it was frustrating reading the main character try to puzzle it out when it was so obvious.
June 7, 2018
Not another run of the mill politico novels.
If you enjoy reading a story about belittling southern people than this one is for you. But not only us local yahoo's but just about conservative people in general. It was obvious who the killer was when introduced about half way through. I have my permit to carry but Casey doesn,the and she thinks that is OK.
This could have been a good read if the author's bias wasn't so obvious. I doubt if I will read another one of her novels. There are plenty of good stories about the south where we are not belittled.
If you enjoy reading a story about belittling southern people than this one is for you. But not only us local yahoo's but just about conservative people in general. It was obvious who the killer was when introduced about half way through. I have my permit to carry but Casey doesn,the and she thinks that is OK.
This could have been a good read if the author's bias wasn't so obvious. I doubt if I will read another one of her novels. There are plenty of good stories about the south where we are not belittled.
October 15, 2011
Not a bad book, but not my cup of tea. It felt like the writer wanted to make the main character excessively masculine. It felt like she was a stereotypical undercover detective: grungy, rough, just barely staying within the bounds of the law - usually - except she is a she.
August 25, 2018
“Legwork (a Casey Jones mystery),” by Katy Munger, is in some ways a traditional private investigator murder mystery, and in some ways a quasi-romance novel written from the point of view of the highly horny and always on the make P.I. wannabe, Casey Jones. Casey does not actually have a P.I. license, due to a long-ago felony conviction, but she works for a guy who has a license and so she pretends to be an actual P.I. so for all relevant purposes, she is one. Her slovenly and gluttonous boss is a cartoon who never does any actual work, so she’s all by herself in her investigation endeavors.
The basic plot starts with a dead body showing up in the driveway of the female politician for whom Casey is working as a bodyguard (because the woman needs someone to guard her even in the ladies room and she can’t pee with a man standing outside the stall). The dead guy turns out to be a very politically connected financier who had been involved in a failed real estate project and has some other twisted connections to the other political characters in the story that eventually got him killed. Casey needs to unravel the mystery to clear her client and save her campaign for state senator, and the plot unfolds from there. Without spoiling anything, there are various twists and turns but the basic plot is not that surprising and Casey’s big break is finding an eye witness that the cops didn’t know about, who leads her in the right direction.
I got this book as a giveaway through Kindle free books and I finished the read, although I was tempted to give up on it halfway through. My biggest issue is that the author’s descriptions at times overwhelm the story, which could be boiled down to a crisp 100 pages if not for all the extraneous material. Now, extraneous characters and description and action can often be entertaining, but here they are more of a distraction. The author’s penchant for down-home country sayings and semi-sexual innuendo gets tired after a while. She's trying to be funny, and she is occasionally, but more often it seems strained. For example: “I appreciate a man with principles (when I can find one) but that doesn’t mean I go so far as to trust a guy just because he makes my cooter twitch.” Casey describes her sexual desires for every attractive man who crosses her path during the story, all of which is unrequited in the end, but all of which makes for an unnecessarily overwritten text. If you are a fan of the style, I’m sure it’s fine. And I’ll speculate that if I were a woman I might find Casey’s inner thoughts commentary more interesting, but as a male reader looking for the mystery story, I can do without the romance novel feel.
The basic plot starts with a dead body showing up in the driveway of the female politician for whom Casey is working as a bodyguard (because the woman needs someone to guard her even in the ladies room and she can’t pee with a man standing outside the stall). The dead guy turns out to be a very politically connected financier who had been involved in a failed real estate project and has some other twisted connections to the other political characters in the story that eventually got him killed. Casey needs to unravel the mystery to clear her client and save her campaign for state senator, and the plot unfolds from there. Without spoiling anything, there are various twists and turns but the basic plot is not that surprising and Casey’s big break is finding an eye witness that the cops didn’t know about, who leads her in the right direction.
I got this book as a giveaway through Kindle free books and I finished the read, although I was tempted to give up on it halfway through. My biggest issue is that the author’s descriptions at times overwhelm the story, which could be boiled down to a crisp 100 pages if not for all the extraneous material. Now, extraneous characters and description and action can often be entertaining, but here they are more of a distraction. The author’s penchant for down-home country sayings and semi-sexual innuendo gets tired after a while. She's trying to be funny, and she is occasionally, but more often it seems strained. For example: “I appreciate a man with principles (when I can find one) but that doesn’t mean I go so far as to trust a guy just because he makes my cooter twitch.” Casey describes her sexual desires for every attractive man who crosses her path during the story, all of which is unrequited in the end, but all of which makes for an unnecessarily overwritten text. If you are a fan of the style, I’m sure it’s fine. And I’ll speculate that if I were a woman I might find Casey’s inner thoughts commentary more interesting, but as a male reader looking for the mystery story, I can do without the romance novel feel.
April 5, 2018
Let’s cut to the chase right off the bat: Not one single thing about Casey Jones in Amazon’s description of Legwork is accurate.
The description calls her ‘wisecracking’ and ‘downright hilarious.’ Whoever wrote this must have read a different version of the book than I did because I didn’t come across one wisecrack and Casey was not even faintly hilarious. It says her ‘riotous narration makes the whole series a laugh-a-minute to read,’ and ‘when it comes to lust she’s in a class by herself.’ I didn’t find one single thing to so much as giggle about and the ‘class by herself’ that Casey’s in is that of a pubertal boy in the girl’s locker room.
The info also likens Casey Jones to Archie Goodwin, Kinsey Millhone, V. I. Warshawski, Tess Monaghan, Sharon McCone, Stephanie Plum, Phillip Marlowe, and Spenser. Here’s what she has in common with them: Like Goodwin, she works for an obese private eye. Like Millhone, Warshawski, Monaghan, McCone, and Plum, she’s female. And like all of them, she investigates murders. And that’s all she has in common with any of them.
This download had plenty of errors – manly wrong words. One example: bade for back not once, but several times.
And Ms. Munger, if you’re going to have Casey use a Slim Jim, find out how it’s really used first.
The only plus this book had is it was free.
This book merits only ½ star– Did nothing for me. I couldn’t muster enough emotion to dislike it.
No way will I be back for more from Ms. Munger. Ever.
The description calls her ‘wisecracking’ and ‘downright hilarious.’ Whoever wrote this must have read a different version of the book than I did because I didn’t come across one wisecrack and Casey was not even faintly hilarious. It says her ‘riotous narration makes the whole series a laugh-a-minute to read,’ and ‘when it comes to lust she’s in a class by herself.’ I didn’t find one single thing to so much as giggle about and the ‘class by herself’ that Casey’s in is that of a pubertal boy in the girl’s locker room.
The info also likens Casey Jones to Archie Goodwin, Kinsey Millhone, V. I. Warshawski, Tess Monaghan, Sharon McCone, Stephanie Plum, Phillip Marlowe, and Spenser. Here’s what she has in common with them: Like Goodwin, she works for an obese private eye. Like Millhone, Warshawski, Monaghan, McCone, and Plum, she’s female. And like all of them, she investigates murders. And that’s all she has in common with any of them.
This download had plenty of errors – manly wrong words. One example: bade for back not once, but several times.
And Ms. Munger, if you’re going to have Casey use a Slim Jim, find out how it’s really used first.
The only plus this book had is it was free.
This book merits only ½ star– Did nothing for me. I couldn’t muster enough emotion to dislike it.
No way will I be back for more from Ms. Munger. Ever.
January 19, 2024
“Legwork”, first in the 'Casey Jones' series, is a solid P.I procedural with an unconventional hero and a strong sense of humour.
Casey Jones ain't a natural blonde and she isn't really a P.I. either (a jail sentence when she was young means she can't get a licence in North Carolina).
As she cheerfully admits she's built like a refrigerator but in her case it is solid muscle capped with a smart mouth and a vivid sense of imagination (particularly where men are concerned.
She's an optimistic realist with an ex-husband and few expectations but she's a hard worker.
A politician has been murdered and his body, thanks to a helpful but anonymous phone call to the police, has been found in the trunk of Senate candidate.
Just about anyone could be the killer but Casey will have to wade through past scandals, shell companies, blackmail and political infighting to get to the truth.
It's a great start to a series.
4 Stars.
Casey Jones ain't a natural blonde and she isn't really a P.I. either (a jail sentence when she was young means she can't get a licence in North Carolina).
As she cheerfully admits she's built like a refrigerator but in her case it is solid muscle capped with a smart mouth and a vivid sense of imagination (particularly where men are concerned.
She's an optimistic realist with an ex-husband and few expectations but she's a hard worker.
A politician has been murdered and his body, thanks to a helpful but anonymous phone call to the police, has been found in the trunk of Senate candidate.
Just about anyone could be the killer but Casey will have to wade through past scandals, shell companies, blackmail and political infighting to get to the truth.
It's a great start to a series.
4 Stars.
September 12, 2018
This was a decent book for the most part, a quick read and a pretty translucent storyline. The typos annoyed me, like the letter E being 6 or other symbols. Or when she abbreviated “who are” with who’re. My other major annoyance is that she keeps talking about how fat she (Casey) is, describing herself as cased sausage and refrigerator butt. Then later you find out that she is really tall and only 160 pounds. Girl that is not fat! I’d hate to think what Katy thinks about the majority of women she meets. And Casey, eww, get some standards and don’t whore yourself around. AND, one last thing, she openly drinks and drives.
December 9, 2017
Interesting Take on Southern Politics and Life
First off the text had weird typos. “Bade” appeared randomly and inappropriately. Some of the technology seemed dated until I saw the copyright - 1997! In which case the book actually held up well. I thought Casey’s attitude towards men was a bit over-emphasized (Randy Wayne White’s Hannah Smith - all of them - are written as I wish Casey was). Once the focus of the book shifted to the actual investigation, I enjoyed it. Three and one-half stars.
First off the text had weird typos. “Bade” appeared randomly and inappropriately. Some of the technology seemed dated until I saw the copyright - 1997! In which case the book actually held up well. I thought Casey’s attitude towards men was a bit over-emphasized (Randy Wayne White’s Hannah Smith - all of them - are written as I wish Casey was). Once the focus of the book shifted to the actual investigation, I enjoyed it. Three and one-half stars.
June 18, 2018
'Legwork' was an interesting start to what might be a good series, based on the humor ,the characters and the author's writing style. Overall I liked the story line and how it played out. Casey was a great lead, to me. I loved her humor and her inner dialog. She has a unique way of tackling cases and people in general. I look forward to reading more. The only bad thing is that this book needs editing.
March 3, 2022
I enjoy a mystery with humor, and this one had it. The cast of characters were well drawn, easy to visualize. I found her boss, Bobby D., revolting, sloppily eating all the time. While the plot was logical, I figured out the assailants too soon. I enjoy a little more mystery. I didn't care for Casey lusting after every good looking guy. The author should've stuck with one. I liked that she was comfortable in her body. An interesting first book.
February 11, 2018
Quick and full of laughs
Casey is one of the snarkiest characters I've encountered. I enjoyed her narration and the story itself was interesting too. I will say that there's quite a bit that seemed to be a stretch, but then that's kind of the point of books like this, the exaggeration, etc. All in all, a great read. I loved the "southern charm."
Casey is one of the snarkiest characters I've encountered. I enjoyed her narration and the story itself was interesting too. I will say that there's quite a bit that seemed to be a stretch, but then that's kind of the point of books like this, the exaggeration, etc. All in all, a great read. I loved the "southern charm."
September 11, 2018
Grows on you
I had a little trouble getting started with this book. I wasn't sure if it was going to follow through with this story line with a funny and witty female investigator. I'm glad I stuck it out. Casey is very good and very entertaining! Getting ready for the second book in the series!
I had a little trouble getting started with this book. I wasn't sure if it was going to follow through with this story line with a funny and witty female investigator. I'm glad I stuck it out. Casey is very good and very entertaining! Getting ready for the second book in the series!
November 21, 2017
Fun Read
I love Casey Jones, she's such a down to earth,fun character. The story is well written with well developed individuals. Casey Jones is a strong no nonsense woman and you're gonna love her.
I love Casey Jones, she's such a down to earth,fun character. The story is well written with well developed individuals. Casey Jones is a strong no nonsense woman and you're gonna love her.
December 2, 2017
A good PI book
I really enjoyed this book that starts the series about a woman who has seen bad times but is now working as a pseudo P.I. It was fun, kept me interested and I loved the mystery of who the murderer was.
I really enjoyed this book that starts the series about a woman who has seen bad times but is now working as a pseudo P.I. It was fun, kept me interested and I loved the mystery of who the murderer was.
December 31, 2017
Casey Jones is an interesting, refreshing addition to the PI landscape. This book has memorable characters and a lot of southern atmosphere. The pacing was good, allowing for a quick, entertaining read.
January 10, 2018
A good book about the investigation of a murder. Some interesting characters and situations. I liked the lead character but felt the ending was a bit weak for her. Settling for a man so soon when she was so interested in another. Overall quite good.
January 11, 2018
A fun read
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but the easy way the story was rolled out made it lots of fun to meander through. It often put a smile on my face; definitely a fun read!
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, but the easy way the story was rolled out made it lots of fun to meander through. It often put a smile on my face; definitely a fun read!
January 25, 2018
Wisecracking
Really enjoyed the wisecracking heroine and her bold straightforward view of life. The mystery was well plotted and the writing excellent. I've just started the next book in the series and look forward to another enjoyable read.
Really enjoyed the wisecracking heroine and her bold straightforward view of life. The mystery was well plotted and the writing excellent. I've just started the next book in the series and look forward to another enjoyable read.
February 16, 2018
Country
When your life is a mess I guess it makes sense that you would want to straighten out the lives of others. Interesting cast of characters with a slew of southern mystique stirred in. And everyone knows that it really the southern women that rule the roost.
When your life is a mess I guess it makes sense that you would want to straighten out the lives of others. Interesting cast of characters with a slew of southern mystique stirred in. And everyone knows that it really the southern women that rule the roost.
March 17, 2018
Short.and sweet
The story line is simple with twists and turns. Basically I like the book and at first I didn't care for all of the cliches but midway through the characters use of them made me smile.
The story line is simple with twists and turns. Basically I like the book and at first I didn't care for all of the cliches but midway through the characters use of them made me smile.
March 28, 2018
Very interesting and entertaining story
The author has written a very interesting story of what some people will do to insure they achieve their goals and remain in control. A great and suspenseful story that is sure to keep you entertained.
The author has written a very interesting story of what some people will do to insure they achieve their goals and remain in control. A great and suspenseful story that is sure to keep you entertained.
April 13, 2018
Casey Jones is an outstanding PI character. She is who she is and is very up front about it. There were a number of helpful supporting characters which were also well developed. The mystery was interesting. The descriptions were well done. One got a good feeling for the lay of the land.
July 24, 2018
A laugh a minute
A l cute thriller about a would-be detective who manages to solve a murder before the police do. She comes up with the funniest comments that kept me giggling through the book
A l cute thriller about a would-be detective who manages to solve a murder before the police do. She comes up with the funniest comments that kept me giggling through the book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews