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A Callie Parrish Mystery #1
A Tisket, A Tasket, A Fancy Stolen Casket
Bubbles meets Six Feet Under in the new Calamine Parrish mystery series.
Mortuary cosmetologist Calamine Parrish stares death in the face every day. But when she finds a hypodermic needle in the neck of an "accidental" drowning victim, and the victim's fancy casket is stolen, Callie finds herself in over her head-and in the way of a killer.
Mortuary cosmetologist Calamine Parrish stares death in the face every day. But when she finds a hypodermic needle in the neck of an "accidental" drowning victim, and the victim's fancy casket is stolen, Callie finds herself in over her head-and in the way of a killer.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 25, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
February 7, 2023
The perfect book for someone who wants to read something with interesting and unusal characters and a lot of humor. I figured out "who did it", but found that this did not detract from the story.
re-read 2023. The story didn't hold up on re-read... it was just okay.
re-read 2023. The story didn't hold up on re-read... it was just okay.
August 10, 2014
This nice and slightly funny mystery didn’t make a lasting impression on me but it was a nice, diverting read. The protagonist Callie works in a morgue as a beautician: she applies cosmetics to corpses to make them look pretty. The humor and originality inherent in such a profession (does it really exist?) permeate the story and make the banal murder investigation more interesting than it would’ve been otherwise.
Callie doesn’t actually investigate. She just stumbles onto clues and always appears in the wrong place at the wrong time. She also makes some dumb decisions concerning her private life, which inevitably lead to crazy escapades and dangerous situations. And why not? It’s a southern spoof of a cozy mystery, isn’t it?
A collection of whacky secondary characters revolves around Callie, contributing to the zany feel of the novel. Nothing is serious there. Even the villain seems to be a kook. Anyone would see through his stupidity, but for some reason, Callie doesn’t.
I enjoyed reading this ‘yes-nonsense’ book except for one spelling idiosyncrasy. The story is told from Callie’s point of view, and whenever she uses the words ‘please’, ‘believe me’, or ‘excuse me’ in her thoughts (not in speech), they are always spelled phonetically, like “buh-leeve me” or “ex-cuuze me.” After the second or third occasion, it started to irritate.
And I wondered about the book's title. What is a Tisket? And what is a Tasket? I know what a Casket is though.
Callie doesn’t actually investigate. She just stumbles onto clues and always appears in the wrong place at the wrong time. She also makes some dumb decisions concerning her private life, which inevitably lead to crazy escapades and dangerous situations. And why not? It’s a southern spoof of a cozy mystery, isn’t it?
A collection of whacky secondary characters revolves around Callie, contributing to the zany feel of the novel. Nothing is serious there. Even the villain seems to be a kook. Anyone would see through his stupidity, but for some reason, Callie doesn’t.
I enjoyed reading this ‘yes-nonsense’ book except for one spelling idiosyncrasy. The story is told from Callie’s point of view, and whenever she uses the words ‘please’, ‘believe me’, or ‘excuse me’ in her thoughts (not in speech), they are always spelled phonetically, like “buh-leeve me” or “ex-cuuze me.” After the second or third occasion, it started to irritate.
And I wondered about the book's title. What is a Tisket? And what is a Tasket? I know what a Casket is though.
October 5, 2016
More like a 3.5
Read as part of #Book1CoziesClub
I really enjoyed the look into Callie's job. It was the fact that she was a Mortuary Cosmetologist that made me buy this book in the first place. This did not disappoint and those scenes were some of the most interesting in this book for me. I also enjoyed her relationship with her family, and her relationship with her blind friend Jane. I thought their friendship was very realistic, especially in the aftermath of an argument or disagreement. I also enjoyed the fact that Callie loves mystery books!
A couple things I didn't enjoy were the nicknames several of the characters had. It seemed so immature and unnecessary. I also wish Callie was less obsessed with the size of her chest. She mentions something to that regard quite a bit throughout the book and her comments irritated me after a while. I also question her taste in men a bit.
The pieces to the mystery kind of fell into Callie's lap, without her even doing anything. Not something I expected, as I thought she'd definitely be more inquisitive and take action. It was a nice change from other cozies I've read. I had no clue who the culprit was until the reveal, which is always a plus.
I do have the next book in the series, so I will be continuing. All in all, this was an enjoyable read, and I'm glad I finally got to it.
Read as part of #Book1CoziesClub
I really enjoyed the look into Callie's job. It was the fact that she was a Mortuary Cosmetologist that made me buy this book in the first place. This did not disappoint and those scenes were some of the most interesting in this book for me. I also enjoyed her relationship with her family, and her relationship with her blind friend Jane. I thought their friendship was very realistic, especially in the aftermath of an argument or disagreement. I also enjoyed the fact that Callie loves mystery books!
A couple things I didn't enjoy were the nicknames several of the characters had. It seemed so immature and unnecessary. I also wish Callie was less obsessed with the size of her chest. She mentions something to that regard quite a bit throughout the book and her comments irritated me after a while. I also question her taste in men a bit.
The pieces to the mystery kind of fell into Callie's lap, without her even doing anything. Not something I expected, as I thought she'd definitely be more inquisitive and take action. It was a nice change from other cozies I've read. I had no clue who the culprit was until the reveal, which is always a plus.
I do have the next book in the series, so I will be continuing. All in all, this was an enjoyable read, and I'm glad I finally got to it.
June 6, 2009
I really loved this book! I liked that the main character works in the funeral business because it's a bit quirkier than usual. I love that her best friend is blind, wonderfully flawed, and holds an unusual job as well. I enjoyed the mystery and most of the resolution. There were a lot of references to other books, or shout-outs if you will, and I liked that. There was very little that I didn't like about the book. It was a little bit quirky, a lot of fun, and even a little informative at times. The main characters were fleshed out nicely and I can't wait to read more of this series. I feel like I'm totally gushing, but I really did enjoy it and it's nice to be so excited about a series again. :)
March 20, 2014
Mortuary cosmetologist Callie Parrish is preparing the body of car salesman Bobby Saxon when she finds a needle stuck in his neck. Since his death was ruled an accident, that sure doesn't seem to belong. What's really going on? The mystery was decent, although I did guess the killer early. But I really didn't care for the amoral characters, especially Callie's best friend.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
November 15, 2010
Annoyingly overdone on the kindergarten swear words and the syrupy Southern pronounciations, but somehow readable.
August 29, 2018
3.5 stars. This was a good first entry in the series. I really enjoyed Callie and the rest of the characters. This book was very funny and the mystery was very good too, kept me guessing. I loved that Callie was a reader and there were books and authors mentioned in the book. Looking forward to reading more in this series.
July 7, 2022
To be frank, I didn’t enjoy this ONE BIT. The main character Callie Parrish was an annoying brat who didn’t seem like she had any respect for about any character in the book. The way she spoke and acted made me wonder if the author forgot that she’s writing a full grown adult character. I can’t even say it was just a teenage thing to do because it wasn’t, the way she talked about Jane, supposedly her “best friend” was disrespectful and plain awful!
Keeping aside the so not very likeable MC, the mystery in itself was okayish but v e r y poorly written. I cant understand if the author was trying to be woke by saying words like Puh leaze….it surely did come off simply as poor writing, I would have dnfed this if I wasn’t already 50% in by the time it became unbearable for me.
November 1, 2015
Calamine "Callie" Parrish is a Mortuary Cosmetologist . She usually relaxs after work with Moon pie and episodes of Six Feet Under she also loves her mystery novels. But whe the body of Bobby Saxon comes into Middleton's Mortuary with a Hypodermic needle broken off in his neck Callie gets suspicous. Than when Callie gets knocked unconcious and Bobby's Casket is stolen. Things get confusing than you have two wifes fighting over his Life insurance seems he never divorced the First Wife so none of his other marriages were legal. Not to mention the death of June Bug a Bar owner. But when Callie begins getting weird Phone calls and her Dog is poisoned! She decides to ask some questions even though she has been warned to stay away! A fun cozy mystery read i look forward to reading more books by Fran Rizer
May 20, 2009
The first in the Callie Parrish series, this was a great cozy mystery. It was fast-paced from the first page. Callie is a true southern gal, who loves to shop at Victoria's Secret and eat at Bojangles. She works as a mortuary cosmetologist and enjoys her job a lot. One of the bodies that comes into the funeral home causes a whole lot of trouble though, which leads to a stolen casket, two fighting wives, and Callie finds herself on the receiving end of threatening phone calls and even gets knocked out in the parking lot. Being a mystery lover herself, she can't help but try to figure out who's behind all the trouble, even if it makes her the next target. I look forward to the next book in this series.
November 24, 2014
My friend's timing was perfect for her to have left this for me to read. Recovering from a miserable head cold, I needed something fun and light to read, and this fit the bill perfectly, plus it was quite entertaining. Well written, full of quirky characters, with lots of interesting detail about the funeral business (something which has always fascinated me), it didn't take me long at all to zip through this and make me look forward to reading the next book in the series!
July 18, 2010
Overall it was OK. Decent characters, OK mystery structure. Had a bit of trouble trying to idnetify with protagonists reaction/relationship to/with her bff. The protagonist's continuous "puh-leeeze" got old fast and kept distracting me from the story, causing me to roll my eyes and stifle my gag reflex. Other than that, it wasn't bad... Not great, but definitely not horrible either.
July 20, 2017
It's annoying. I hate how the author writes out believe me like this buh-leeve me and excuse me like this ex-cuuze me. She does it over and over again. It's also annoying that every time she kindergarten cusses she has to remind us every single time that she does it.
March 6, 2021
A Tisket, a Tasket, a Fancy Stolen Casket is the first in the "Callie Parrish" mystery series by Fran Rizer. The main character is mortuary cosmetologist Calamine "Callie" Parrish.
Business has been slow at Middleton Mortuary, but when Callie finds a broken hypodermic needle in the neck of a drowning victim, her life suddenly becomes more exciting. Now the police are treating Bobby Saxon's death as a murder, two widows are vying for the insurance policy, a business rival of Bobby's thinks his death was staged and that he's still alive, and someone steals the casket without realizing that Bobby's body has been sent for an autopsy.
Callie's non-existent love life suddenly perks up, too, as she's now dating a doctor and still lusting after an old highschool crush. However, someone thinks Callie knows too much, and she begins receiving threatening messages. If she can't figure out who killed Bobby, Callie may end up just as dead.
Overall, this was cute and fun. Callie is an engaging character, if not always the quickest on the uptake. I didn't care for either the doctor or Nick as a love interest, and I really didn't care for Callie's BFF, Jane. In addition, the author needs to research how life insurance and marriage licenses work.
Spoilers!!
1. No insurance company would ever EVER let someone list the beneficiary as "my legal wife". I would know; I worked for a life insurance company. Even something like "Mrs John Smith" would not be accepted. The beneficiary's name and relationship to the insured must be explicitly specified, as in "Betty Smith, spouse".
2. You cannot obtain a marriage license without providing the exact date your previous marriage(s) ended, whether that be by death or divorce. Some states/counties require actual proof. Therefore, Bobby would not have been able to marry Betty if his divorce to his first wife had not been finalized...unless he lied about being married before, but such was not the case in this book.
These things are simple enough to research, if only authors would put in the effort. Egregious errors like that throw me out of the narrative.
This probably deserves a 3 1/2, but I'll bump it up to 4.
Business has been slow at Middleton Mortuary, but when Callie finds a broken hypodermic needle in the neck of a drowning victim, her life suddenly becomes more exciting. Now the police are treating Bobby Saxon's death as a murder, two widows are vying for the insurance policy, a business rival of Bobby's thinks his death was staged and that he's still alive, and someone steals the casket without realizing that Bobby's body has been sent for an autopsy.
Callie's non-existent love life suddenly perks up, too, as she's now dating a doctor and still lusting after an old highschool crush. However, someone thinks Callie knows too much, and she begins receiving threatening messages. If she can't figure out who killed Bobby, Callie may end up just as dead.
Overall, this was cute and fun. Callie is an engaging character, if not always the quickest on the uptake. I didn't care for either the doctor or Nick as a love interest, and I really didn't care for Callie's BFF, Jane. In addition, the author needs to research how life insurance and marriage licenses work.
Spoilers!!
1. No insurance company would ever EVER let someone list the beneficiary as "my legal wife". I would know; I worked for a life insurance company. Even something like "Mrs John Smith" would not be accepted. The beneficiary's name and relationship to the insured must be explicitly specified, as in "Betty Smith, spouse".
2. You cannot obtain a marriage license without providing the exact date your previous marriage(s) ended, whether that be by death or divorce. Some states/counties require actual proof. Therefore, Bobby would not have been able to marry Betty if his divorce to his first wife had not been finalized...unless he lied about being married before, but such was not the case in this book.
These things are simple enough to research, if only authors would put in the effort. Egregious errors like that throw me out of the narrative.
This probably deserves a 3 1/2, but I'll bump it up to 4.
September 2, 2021
A Tisket, A Tasket, A Fancy Stolen Casket (A Callie Parrish Mystery #1) by Fran Rizer
Calamine "Callie" Parrish works as a cosmetologist at the local Mortuary. She finds a needle in the neck of a recently deceased client (Bobby) and soon learns he was murdered. Not long before another local (June Bug) ends up dead under suspicions as well. Callie's life is in danger as she gets closer to solving the crimes.
A fast paced story with likable characters, an interesting setting (The Mortuary) and plenty of suspects. Told with a splash of humor and classic who-done-it style I was hooked from the first page. Overall I found A Tisket, A Tasket, A Fancy Stolen Casket enjoyable and feel those who love a good cozy murder/mystery will enjoy it as well.
Calamine "Callie" Parrish works as a cosmetologist at the local Mortuary. She finds a needle in the neck of a recently deceased client (Bobby) and soon learns he was murdered. Not long before another local (June Bug) ends up dead under suspicions as well. Callie's life is in danger as she gets closer to solving the crimes.
A fast paced story with likable characters, an interesting setting (The Mortuary) and plenty of suspects. Told with a splash of humor and classic who-done-it style I was hooked from the first page. Overall I found A Tisket, A Tasket, A Fancy Stolen Casket enjoyable and feel those who love a good cozy murder/mystery will enjoy it as well.
November 14, 2023
What’s a pretty pink name? After having 5 boys and losing his wife, Pa Parrish was at a loss for dainty names thus his new infant daughter entered the world Calamine Lotion Parrish.
30 years later an adult Callie finding herself working bored in a lacklustre job at a mortuary. She submerges her down time in the thrills of mystery and crime novels. Of course these readings boost her creative brain waves and she tries to make a storybook adventure of her own life when 2 local men turn up dead with curious connections.
Unfortunately the real killer believes her clumsy incident connecting is more instinct then fluke and makes her life scarier than she’d ever want for her character.
***
Decent enough read to pass the time while sitting in a deer blind. Even with the eye rolling, immature use of “buh-leeve me” peppered throughout.
30 years later an adult Callie finding herself working bored in a lacklustre job at a mortuary. She submerges her down time in the thrills of mystery and crime novels. Of course these readings boost her creative brain waves and she tries to make a storybook adventure of her own life when 2 local men turn up dead with curious connections.
Unfortunately the real killer believes her clumsy incident connecting is more instinct then fluke and makes her life scarier than she’d ever want for her character.
***
Decent enough read to pass the time while sitting in a deer blind. Even with the eye rolling, immature use of “buh-leeve me” peppered throughout.
February 5, 2026
I read this series a long while back and remembered enjoying it and discovered that I had never read the last book and so, I started a reread.
This is the first installment in the series and I did find some of the language used a bit outdated for 2025 (when I reread this). I am a fan of Fran’s writing style and am happy to note that it improved over the course of the series. This book introduces the reader Callie Parrish, a Moon-Pie obsessed cosmetician who stumbles on crime. I find her to be likable, except for some of the previously mentioned outdated language she uses. I’m not a huge fan of the “kindergarten cussing” but it does fit with her overall character and fits with the cozy mystery genre. I really love the world-building details and found this series to be a really good way to get out of a massive reading slump.
This is the first installment in the series and I did find some of the language used a bit outdated for 2025 (when I reread this). I am a fan of Fran’s writing style and am happy to note that it improved over the course of the series. This book introduces the reader Callie Parrish, a Moon-Pie obsessed cosmetician who stumbles on crime. I find her to be likable, except for some of the previously mentioned outdated language she uses. I’m not a huge fan of the “kindergarten cussing” but it does fit with her overall character and fits with the cozy mystery genre. I really love the world-building details and found this series to be a really good way to get out of a massive reading slump.
June 14, 2021
I would actually give this book 3.5 stars if that option were available. I had this book on my Amazon wish list for several years and decided to start reading the ones that had been on the list for the longest. The storyline is interesting, the writing generally good, and the characters are a diverse bunch, mostly well-sketched out. There are twists and the perp doesn't rise on the index of suspicion until near the end. I was mildly put off by the main character's name -- Calamine Lotion Parrish is just silly -- and the occasional exaggerated spellings (puh-leeze, buh-leeve, etc.) Some of the dialog feels a bit forced in places, but overall the story is an interesting way to tell a murder mystery.
July 18, 2022
What a fun book! Calamine Parish a mortuary cosmetologist and her best friend Jane are quite the pair! Two murders, wives and ex-wives who knew the funerary business could be so exciting! Add in one crazy Great Dane puppy, some Moon Pies, a hot Doctor and family and friends that we all wish we had and hold on for one wild ride! The characters are so well developed and the plot took me in so many directions. “A Tisket, a Tasket, a Fancy Stolen Casket” was a fun and quirky murder mystery that I could not put down!
October 21, 2018
I love Callie Parrish. She is so funny. In this story, a casket is stolen when she finds a needle still embedded in the dead man's neck. Luckily he wasn't in it but now she is being stalked. She gets phone calls telling her to mind her business and then they poison her dog. Again, the mystery is pretty easy to figure out so if you like to be surprised this isn't for you but it is still a great series.
June 22, 2021
Calamine (what a name!) is a make up artist at a funeral home. That sounded interesting so I thought why not give this a go? It was a good read. Fun. Your basic cozy. Its worth the time it takes to read.
March 14, 2017
Adorable, and clean gumshoe mystery. Combines humor, the macabre, and a who-dunnit. Quick read!
September 19, 2018
A fun, fast pace read!
September 20, 2018
Unconventional cozy with a mortuary beautician as the protaganist. Quirky yet entertaining.
September 5, 2022
Interesting and true to form about working at a funeral home
September 15, 2023
This was another simple whodunnit mystery. I liked the colorful characters in this story. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this and I am looking forward to the next in this series.
January 18, 2013
In this book we are introduced to the Parrish family, including main character Callie. She is a mortuary cosmetologist as well as an avid mystery reader and as she discovers as the books moves along- a part time investigator. Before long she's thrown into the line of danger as a killer thinks she knows too much. She's going to have to get those detective training wheels off in a hurry and figure out who the killer is before she winds up a victim.
The lead character Callie is not extremely likeable nor is her 'blind' best friend Jane who moonlights as a 'fantasy phone conversationalist'. Callie works for two identical twin brothers at the mortuary who are protective of Callie and will remind you of those understanding bosses you've always wanted to work for. She has a big family full of overprotective brothers and a dad who regardless of being 30+ years old don't think Callie should drink beer as she will always be the baby. The supporting characters are by far more enjoyable but instead we read a lot more of Callie/Jane and Callie's love life or lack thereof.
Callie makes extremely dumb decisions that you know no matter how naive someone is, would never make in real life. At one point her love interest insults her supposed best friend, insults her, ignores her, and just acts like an overall jerk.. she proceeds to ignore all that because she's been 'waiting' to go out with him since high school. Uh... no. Women do not do this, at least not women that I want to read about or want to know. Callie gets a Great Dane in the book that is a saving grace, the scenes with the dog are touching and Callie as a first time dog owner is endearing.
Being from the south, I had to look up the author, Fran Rizer. There are many things that aren't very authentic to the south. In fact at times with how Callie's family was depicted- I almost felt like the south was being made fun of. Seeing that the author was from the south surprised me and I can only think that perhaps she over exaggerated many things in order to make them more humorous. The book has a few scenes that made me smile, nothing that made me laugh out loud. If you're looking for a good mystery, steer clear. This isn't for you. It focuses a lot more on the train wreck that is Callie than it does the mystery.
My thoughts on other books in the Callie Parrish series:
1. A Tisket, A Tasket, A Fancy Stolen Casket
2. Hey Diddle Diddle, the Corpse and the Fiddle
3. Casket Case
4. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, There's a Body in the Car
The lead character Callie is not extremely likeable nor is her 'blind' best friend Jane who moonlights as a 'fantasy phone conversationalist'. Callie works for two identical twin brothers at the mortuary who are protective of Callie and will remind you of those understanding bosses you've always wanted to work for. She has a big family full of overprotective brothers and a dad who regardless of being 30+ years old don't think Callie should drink beer as she will always be the baby. The supporting characters are by far more enjoyable but instead we read a lot more of Callie/Jane and Callie's love life or lack thereof.
Callie makes extremely dumb decisions that you know no matter how naive someone is, would never make in real life. At one point her love interest insults her supposed best friend, insults her, ignores her, and just acts like an overall jerk.. she proceeds to ignore all that because she's been 'waiting' to go out with him since high school. Uh... no. Women do not do this, at least not women that I want to read about or want to know. Callie gets a Great Dane in the book that is a saving grace, the scenes with the dog are touching and Callie as a first time dog owner is endearing.
Being from the south, I had to look up the author, Fran Rizer. There are many things that aren't very authentic to the south. In fact at times with how Callie's family was depicted- I almost felt like the south was being made fun of. Seeing that the author was from the south surprised me and I can only think that perhaps she over exaggerated many things in order to make them more humorous. The book has a few scenes that made me smile, nothing that made me laugh out loud. If you're looking for a good mystery, steer clear. This isn't for you. It focuses a lot more on the train wreck that is Callie than it does the mystery.
My thoughts on other books in the Callie Parrish series:
1. A Tisket, A Tasket, A Fancy Stolen Casket
2. Hey Diddle Diddle, the Corpse and the Fiddle
3. Casket Case
4. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, There's a Body in the Car
January 26, 2011
*****5 star rating*****
This was by far one of my favorite cozy mystery's to date.
With a name like Calamine Lotion Parrish, (Callie, hey... her dad is just an older version of Larry the Cable Guy) Whats not to love about a southern bell who works as a cosmetologist in a mortuary with twin owners? Her best fiend Jane, (who is blind) is histerical on her "shopping sprees" and Callie keeps finding herself in trouble after finding a hyperdermic needle in her most current corpses' neck.
After she is attacked and an empty Casket is stolen, Callie starts snooping around town, until the Town Drunk ends up shot. Shes determined to figure out who is behind the murders and threatning her as well.
This was such a fun book with characters I could really identify with. Callie and I are so much alike, I feel like I was reading about myself, which really made it easy for me to get sucked into the story. Callie is obsessed with her newest blowup bra, loves shopping, practices "kindergarden cussing" and even organises her laundry the same way I do.
I cant believe i allowed this gem of a book to sit so long before reading it, because it was fast, fun, and packed full of laughs and action. Callie is a great character, and i cant wait to read more of her adventures. I wasnt able to figure out the bad guy until the reveal, which is all part of the fun anyways.
This is what cozy mysteries are all about.
This was by far one of my favorite cozy mystery's to date.
With a name like Calamine Lotion Parrish, (Callie, hey... her dad is just an older version of Larry the Cable Guy) Whats not to love about a southern bell who works as a cosmetologist in a mortuary with twin owners? Her best fiend Jane, (who is blind) is histerical on her "shopping sprees" and Callie keeps finding herself in trouble after finding a hyperdermic needle in her most current corpses' neck.
After she is attacked and an empty Casket is stolen, Callie starts snooping around town, until the Town Drunk ends up shot. Shes determined to figure out who is behind the murders and threatning her as well.
This was such a fun book with characters I could really identify with. Callie and I are so much alike, I feel like I was reading about myself, which really made it easy for me to get sucked into the story. Callie is obsessed with her newest blowup bra, loves shopping, practices "kindergarden cussing" and even organises her laundry the same way I do.
I cant believe i allowed this gem of a book to sit so long before reading it, because it was fast, fun, and packed full of laughs and action. Callie is a great character, and i cant wait to read more of her adventures. I wasnt able to figure out the bad guy until the reveal, which is all part of the fun anyways.
This is what cozy mysteries are all about.
November 10, 2015
Writing wise, this was an OK book. Interesting characters (not one-dimensional characters, either!), smart and witty dialogues, funny moments, lots of pop-culture mentions, a little bit of mystery to solve.
However, I looked at the paperback's publisher which said PRIME CRIME - and I sort of had a certain expectation of how much mystery-slash-crime-solving I'd get to see in the book.
So putting aside how quite predictable the whodunnit factor is, I have trouble with how little real 'investigation' or 'crime solving' Callie actually does. She mostly guesses the flow of the crime, without any real proof or any real investigating from her end (asking Potential Suspects directly whether they do/don't do things and believing the answer straight away doesn't really count as investigation), and just follows the story path while everything unfolds outside of her control.
I think Callie suits more as a character that just 'happens' to be there, rather than the main heroine that takes us on a journey.
Perhaps I have high expectations of a book branded as 'Crime' novel, after reading so many of them.
However, I looked at the paperback's publisher which said PRIME CRIME - and I sort of had a certain expectation of how much mystery-slash-crime-solving I'd get to see in the book.
So putting aside how quite predictable the whodunnit factor is, I have trouble with how little real 'investigation' or 'crime solving' Callie actually does. She mostly guesses the flow of the crime, without any real proof or any real investigating from her end (asking Potential Suspects directly whether they do/don't do things and believing the answer straight away doesn't really count as investigation), and just follows the story path while everything unfolds outside of her control.
I think Callie suits more as a character that just 'happens' to be there, rather than the main heroine that takes us on a journey.
Perhaps I have high expectations of a book branded as 'Crime' novel, after reading so many of them.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews