The Case of the Not-So-Fair Trader

Richard Sherlock Whodunit #1

by Jim Stevens

A despicable stock trader is found buried under an avalanche of his own garden rocks, causing fired-from-the force- Richard Sherlock to be yanked off the bowling alley and whisked to the crime scene by his pampered protegee Tiffany Richmond. He must prove murder and stop payment of the twelve-million-dollar Richmond Insurance policy. Nothing makes sense. Crime scene is a mess. There is no money trail. There are too many motives from too many suspects who have too many alibis. Worst of all Sherlock's bad back is acting up, his ex-wife wants more money and the murder investigation is putting a serious dent in his parenting schedule of his two daughters. Richard Sherlock hates his job, and may be a reluctant dick, but he is better at finding the WHO in WHODUNIT than anyone else.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Amazon, Humor, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Cozy

279 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Jim Stevens was born in the East, grew up in the West, schooled in the Northwest and spent twenty-three winters in the Midwest. He has been an advertising copywriter, playwright, filmmaker, stand-up comedian and television producer. He is the author of WHUPPED and the series of A Richard Sherlock Whodunit. Jim claims that you can open to any page, in any of his books, and you'll be laughing in less than two minutes; unless you are a very, very slow reader.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in awhile I pick out a book from an author I've never read or heard of. I jumped into "The Case Of The Not So Fair Trader", featuring "Richard Sherlock The Reluctant Dick", as the protagonist in first book from author Jim Stevens' new exciting mystery thriller series. Without question, "The Case Of The not So Fair Trader", just blew me away. I have to admit from the very first page with the snappy and irreverent dialog I was addicted. Sherlock is a former Chicago police department detective. With 19 years on the force, and 16 of them as a detective Sherlock has become jaded to his core. Sherlock was kicked off the force just shy of his 20 years, and his pension pulled after he slugged his commanding officer. These days he's an insurance investigator for Richmond Insurance Company , and life is very difficult for Sherlock. He's divorced with two young daughters, and has an evil money hungry ex-wife consistently hassling him for more child support. Acrimony over expensive horse riding lessons, and buying and keeping a horse is a real sore spot for Sherlock and his meager salary. Most days Sherlock is just dead broke. Sherlock's new boss, the very wealthy Jamison Wentworth Richmond has also assigned Sherlock a protegee to train as an investigator. Tiffany Richmond the daughter of the boss must partner with Sherlock during each case. Tiffany is a handful to be sure, which is why Sherlock must handle, and keep Tiffany out of her father's hair. Tiffany needless to say is quite a character. Daughter of wealth, and having little common sense are her strongest attributes. In "The Case Of The Not So Fair Trader", Sherlock and Tiffany have a $12 million policy to investigate before paying beneficiaries to one Alvin J. Augustus. Alvin for many years made his fortune as a commodities trader in the market. However, Alvin was discovered underneath his brand new rock garden very much dead. Sherlock and Tiffany have a tangled mess to sort out before paying off this claim. With three grown children, a couple of ex-wives, and seemingly everybody staking a claim into Alvin's fortune, even police on case are baffled. It's when Alvin's last will, and testament is read, fireworks explode in many directions. Alvin has revised his will just to piss off his money grubbing heirs. Worse yet, it seems Alvin is dead broke. Where did all the millions he made over the years go to ? Sherlock and Tiffany must navigate past hit men paid to miss, high priced hookers, and dark family secrets for this high octane mystery thriller. The plot was an incredible maze of twists and turns, seemingly circling around and around. There are no shortage of suspects each probably guilty as the next. I'll admit the characters themselves well worth reading the book for. Author Jim Stevens has crafted entertaining and wildly enjoyable mystery to solve. The dialog sizzles with some pretty good wise cracks. I read the book in just two sittings. At about 300 pages it flies like a rocket through the story. Five stars out of a possible five stars. for the first book in author Jim Stevens "Richard Sherlock The Reluctant Dick" series. With five books so far in series I'm already enjoying second book from series. This is a must read for those who like a good mystery thriller with plenty of jolt unlike a lot of thrillers out there today. Being "reluctant" is a sure way to miss out on some enjoyable reading.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fellow writer I know how difficult it is to write humor, but Stevens has done it and he's done it well. If you need a break from the conventional mystery, this is a book to read. You won’t want to put down. The mystery is skillfully plotted. Just as I thought I had it all figured out, Stevens very cleverly took it in another direction. It’s a mystery with entertaining and real characters. Richard Sherlock, the reluctant dick, is the not-so-perfect guy dealing with the true-to-life problems of an ex-wife while he plays "weekend father" to his two young daughters. From the opening scenes to the final twist, this book will keep you guessing and laughing. Reluctant Dick with its wry sense of humor is a fun, fast read with an abundance of twists and turns and amusing characters.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in a series, and I'll look for the others because it was amusing. Sherlock is an ex-cop who became an insurance investigator (a nice twist rather than pure P.I. as in most novels of this type). In order to keep his boss from having to pay out a $12m life insurance policy, he needs to find out if any family members were involved in the death per the terms of the will. Local cops want to rule it an accident, but Sherlock thinks it's murder. Seems like everybody in and out of the family had a good motive for killing the guy. Sherlock's sidekick is the very young, very spoiled daughter of his wealthy boss, who aspires to learn the tricks of the trade from Sherlock. They make a good team.

[Toni Spalding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light, entertaining, twisted, satisfying mystery read

Author Stevens has taken a former professional/detective, Richard Sherlock, and placed him in a different professional detective role, which Sherlock does not see as being worthy of his skills. Yet while forced to train, so to speak, the poor little ditzy rich daughter of his current boss, he forges ahead using all his skills and knowledge from his time as a detective, to help the FBI, IRS, and police department solve not just one crime, but at least three...or more...while saving his boss millions in insurance pay-out dollars. Clever, intriguing, fun read.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who dunnit? Who dunniut? Who dunnit?

I have not read a mystery like this in 45 years! I will not give away who did it. :-) Excellent story line, great and entertaining characters. This had politics, family, police antics, mystery, and comedy all tied into one great ride! I would love to see this one make it to Hollywood - it would make a great classic. Well done Jim.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I've tead from this series - the first one I read Mr Wonderful, was a freebie - but I intend to read the rest. The author writes very clever mysteries which include lots of gentle twists and a bucket of humorous dialogue &/or character thoughts.

Highly recommend this author and series.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story well written

I love a good mystery and this is a good one. Great characters, fun, fast paced read. The writing and story are solid. I love all the Chicago details! I am hoping to find the other books on the series at the Library.

[Sue Herman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was good

I loved the humor in this book. Usually I am able to guess the endings on a who'd unit and this one surprised me.

[Barbara Dunham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun mystery, one to read when you need a change of pace from the heavy stuff. Ex-cop Richard Sherlock's understated sarcasm is timed well. His trainee Tiffany, a rich girl wanna-be detective is delightful. I would give this book 4 stars however, this ebook version was so loaded with grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors. Ex.: "Wooster" Massachusetts. Ugh!

[Cynthia Law · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buy this book. Enjoy the read!

Full disclosure: I met the author at the San Diego Festival of Books last month. He gave me a free copy of this story for my Kindle. That said, I really enjoyed the story of the former cop turned insurance investigator. Not a lot of blood and gore, gratuitous violence or pointless sexual descriptions to waste my time here. I like stories that have a lighter touch and leave me with a smile but can hold my interest all the way through. And, that's how I read it. No side trips out of boredom or predictable dialogue / plotting to other books on my Kindle or on my shelf (especially all the books I purchased that day). I really liked the snarky humor. I plan to buy the next book in the series.

[Alisha Henri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Puzzles, Conundrums, and Humor

I really enjoyed reading this first of Jim Stevens' Richard Sherlock's Whodunit Books. While the story movement seemed a bit sluggish at first, I realized as I read that it was due to scene-setting and needed details for later in the story. Richard Sherlock is a rather humorous character, who is charming and self-deprecating. I enjoyed his "assistant," Tiffany too. I found myself puzzling the mystery along with him and had no idea, who the murderer might be until Sherlock revealed the name in a scene reminiscent of Hercules Poirot. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Stevens' books, puzzling, and chuckling while doing so.

[Eryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be pretty enjoyable. Richard Sherlock is a likable, down-to-earth ex-cop who has a snark to him that seems realistic. He's a divorcee with two daughters, and they read like actual kids and are in the book just enough to enhance it. The book is well-balanced and kept my interest throughout. Tiffani, his assistant, it a good foil for Sherlock's personality.
It's a good start to a fun murder mystery series!

[Cynthia Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very witty story and plot

Very good Richard Sherlock
story with a cast of characters and a plot that has you on the edge of your seat. From the first pages to the last paragraph this witty story will keep you on the ball trying to find the culprits of a swindle and what they did with the money

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining

Thoroughly enjoyed this Sherlock mystery and especially liked all the players that were included in the storyline. Will look forward to reading more of Stevens writings.

[Edie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detective with a real life.

I enjoyed this book. The main character is flawed which is favourable to the storyline .

Good read. I would recommend it to readers who don't want to get too bogged down but want a challenge as the story winds along its path.

[Aparna J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely hilarious and brilliant

I laughed so much that I had tears in my eyes. Wow! What a wonderful book! Marvelous, splendid. It's a complete entertainer and a brilliant combination of humor with suspense. Richard Sherlock is an investigator for Richmond Insurance company whose CEO is Jamison Wentworth Richmond. His daughter, Tiffany, helps Richard in his investigations. He has two daughters, Kelly and Carolyn who stay with him on Tuesdays and weekends. He is a divorcee and his ex-wife keeps on nagging him for more money.
This story begins with Sherlock practising rifle shooting with his friends at a firing range. Tiffany makes him misfire with her yelling and drags him along to visit a crime scene. Alvin. J. Augustus' dead body has been discovered at a rock garden near his house. Detectives Norbert and Steve are already present. Richard comes to a conclusion that Alvin was murdered somewhere else and his body has been dumped here.
Alvin J. Augustus was a wealthy man dealing in Board of Trade( Stock market). He had three wives, divorced two of them, and about to be divorced from the third. Sherlock and Tiffany launch into the investigation by interviewing the suspects( mostly family members) Clayton ( son from the second wife, Joan) Brewster ( Son from the current wife, Doris) Christina ( daughter from the first wife, Didi), his accountants Heiffelfinger and Millie, his mistresses Diane and Alexis.
Brewster gets busted for Drugs and Sherlock helps him to get out on bail. There are startling revelations at the will reading at Conway Waddy's office. He is the attorney representing Alvin. Everyone including Sherlock is shocked to learn about Alvin's losing his wealth.
There are no clues about how he lost his investments. Meanwhile, his associate, Joey, also gets killed. Are these murders linked? How will Richard find the murderer? Will he be able to uncover the hidden wealth? With plenty of suspects with a perfect motive, read this rib tickling comedy thriller and enjoy the adventure of Sherlock with his funny and beautiful assistant , Tiffany.

[Anne (Booklady) Molinarolo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Star

Book Blurb

A despicable stock trader is found buried under an avalanche of his own garden rocks, causing fired-from-the force- Richard Sherlock to be yanked off the bowling alley and whisked to the crime scene by his pampered protegee Tiffany Richmond. He must prove murder and stop payment of the twelve-million-dollar Richmond Insurance policy. Nothing makes sense. Crime scene is a mess. There is no money trail. There are too many motives from too many suspects who have too many alibis. Worst of all Sherlock's bad back is acting up, his ex-wife wants more money and the murder investigation is putting a serious dent in his parenting schedule of his two daughters. Richard Sherlock hates his job, and may be a reluctant dick, but he is better at finding the WHO in WHODUNIT than anyone else.

My Musings

Again, I was surprised. This was really good. I enjoyed the homage to Dame Agatha Christie. I can't tell you which novel or I'll reveal the plot spoiler.

Stevens also pays homage to Rex Stout by mixing humor into the investigation and giving Richard Sherlock an assistant - a GIRL Friday - Tiffany, rather than Archie. He also invites all of the suspects (and police) to a come to Jesus party and reveals exactly who the killer is.

There are a few red herrings and a couple of twists in this fast paced novel. And just TOO many Sox fans for this Go Cubs Go reader :)))

[Liz Etnyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book begins by trying a little too hard to be witty and comes off as a bit too silly. (Also, something weird in the formatting on my Kindle Fire where a line is lost at the end of the page, or a line is repeated at the top of the next page. Not always just one line either. Odd. The problem does seem to dissipate as you get farther in.) As you read on it gets a bit wittier (in a good way) and a wee bit less silly, or maybe one just gets used to the silly bits. The author keeps some of the clues that the detective is finding from the reader - which is really annoying. Also, a there are fair number of characters (not really a problem), some with similar names (a problem.) Not a horrid problem, but more distinctive character names would have helped make things a bit clearer for the reader. Still, all in all, a light, fun read. MAY read one or two more in the series when I'm in the mood for something light, quick, amusing, but not particularly riveting - but I doubt I will go on from there. 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 because I will consider reading another one...

[Diane Wachter · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Richard Sherlock Whodunit, Bk 1, EBK-M, Kindle, @ 2010, Read 3/9/23. Fiction, Mystery. An Ex-Chicago cop, now working as an insurance investigator, is called upon to investigate the death of a big-wig stock broker/commodities trader that nobody - not even his 3 wives, 3 children, business associates, hookers, or maffia hit men - likes. Accident or murder, and if murder, who did it? 2☆'s = Okay. I've read better.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is kind of forgettable and mindless. Perfect for when your brain doesn’t have enough bandwidth for a more complicated book. The sum-up was pretty much perfection and reminded me of Shawn on Psych (in fact I read it in Shawn’s voice in my head). If you want an easy crime novel, The Case of the Not-So-Fair Trader is a good choice.

[Tina Sanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time read

I guess I'm not into this kind of book. To many characters and to many lies going on. I was pretty confused through most the book. At the ending I kind of got the gist of most of it but guess I don't have the conniving mind to understand how anyone would do any of this. Not for me.

[C.A. Knutsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, fun read

Mister Sherlock persevered in an array of multiple motives and possible suspects. He used several unusual supporting characters to get the job done. Enjoyed reading this will probably try another one of the series.

[Pandora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging,interesting cop/ criminal whodunit

One of the best whodunits, up there with Hitchcock type humor. One of my favorite parts who have to be how immersed you become in this drama.

[Ian Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo!

A marvelous tale of whodunnit. Written with dizzying twists and turns, and drawn from a resovoir of limitless humor. If I could have read it in one sitting, I certainly would have. Bravo.

[Hijacking Of · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great plot with fabulous characters

Jim Stevens is a gem; a writer’s writer

I ave recently read Steven’s Moomah’s Moolah and look forward to reading the rest of the Richard Sherlock Whodunit
Who done it series

[Kerry Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever plot

Overall, this was a fun read. It is well-written. The characters were interesting and the plot was clever. My main critique is there were a few more twists than necessary to arrive at the conclusion.

[William J. McEwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genuinely fun read. Sherlock somehow manages to save the day, weaving his way around the world and over the daunting obstacles that keep rising up in his path. Fast moving and fully engaging. And laugh out loud funny.

[Allen Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a Terrific Whodunit!
Loved the snappy dialog and the characters were great! The process of figuring out the crime was handled deftly and listening to the reveal was worth the price of admission! One of the best mysteries I've read this year! I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was okay but took a long time getting around to the who did it part. I started to get bored with this story.

[Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this whodunit! Richard Sherlock is great and the case had so many twists, turns, snags, and tears that it was almost impossible to solve. Ah, technology...