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Cuckoo Clock Caper: A Josephine Stuart Mystery
An explosion in the middle of the night plummets local muralist Josephine Stuart out of bed and down the street to determine which of her neighbors' homes in sleepy Aromas, California, has been destroyed. When she discovers fire trucks and police vehicles surrounding the Hooley home, she fears that the elderly brother/sister residents have both been killed in the blast. That is, until the next morning when she discovers ninety-year-old Emmett Hooley asleep on her couch. Turns out, Emmett wasn't at home when his house was blown to bits, he was in a secluded shack behind it where he built cuckoo clocks. The old man is disoriented, weak, and worried his sister Hilda is dead, so Josephine takes him under her wing. Slowly and patiently, Jo tries to find out what happened--to the Hooley house and to Emmett's sister. When the police confirm Hilda's demise and report evidence of arson, Jo and Emmett compile a list of possible suspects among Emmett's friends and relatives, many of whom apparently have a strong motive for murder as Emmett is extremely wealthy. When Jo follows Emmett to a cuckoo clock convention, their adventures take a dangerous turn, and Jo's attempts to find Hilda's killer put both her and Emmett in grave danger.
228 pages, Paperback
First published August 6, 2013
3 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Joyce Oroz
28 books21 followers Joyce answers 10 Questions with Dave
1) I became interested in writing twelve years ago when my husband (excellent writer) wrote a book and I was slightly involved in the process. I waited five more years and then dove into writing. It was a slow dive because I had to put my toes into the children's book pool first.
2) In the last seven years I have written 26 children's stories and four 100,000-word novels (one published) and quite a few newspaper articles and press releases.
3) If having a blast writing is a profession...yes, writing is my new-found profession.
4) Secure the Ranch, 416 pages and first in the Josephine Stuart Mystery Series, was recently published and can be found on line at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
5) At age 12 I was inspired by Nancy Drew. Middle age, I was stoked by Janet Evanovich, JK Rawling, JA Jance and Dave Barry. Mix it all together and out pops Josephine.
7) My schedule consists of a couple hours of writing everyday. I consider it my treat, sometimes my torment, at the end of the day.
8) I write at home. Saves a lot of gas....but where would I go to write anyway?
17) I write in the first person because I love to pick Josephine's brain. Actually it's a lot like mine but bigger. I think first person is the best way for a reader to know the protagonist.
19) And I think, but , should not start a sentence. But it often does. Does it really
matter to world peace? I'm sure Josephine doesn't care.
24) From conception to birth, my book took a healthy nine months. Then came the rewriiiiiites. Yikes!
Review of Secure the Ranch
Spoiler free review, January 4, 2011
By Robert "Dimndbangr" Hicks (Honolulu, HI) - See all my reviewsAmazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Secure the Ranch (Paperback)
Disclaimer-If you read the review and feel there is a spoiler in it, please let me know and I will remove that section. Also, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Thank you.
Secure the Ranch is the first book by debut author Joyce Oroz.
Secure the Ranch follows a mystery surrounding Josephine Stuart, an artist who is hired to paint some murals for a wealthy client high in the mountains of California. After strange accidents, occurrences, and the death of a wildlife ranger, Josephine finds she is unable to set aside her curiosity and delves deep into a mystery best left alone. Some subplots involve her friendship with one of her neighbors, visits with her mom and dad, and others that would lead to spoilers.
I will have to admit that the writing in this book is well done. Even though I may have found myself hesitant at times to pick the book back up from other things I was doing, once I did, I was engrossed and read chapter after chapter. The characters were also better than I imagined they would be at the beginning. I had a vision of the wealthy clients to be the snobbish type and they turned out to be much better than that and I was thankful. There was some nice depth to the characters and they were easy to connect with.
Some criticisms:
1. The dialogue, though done well enough throughout the majority of the book had some abrupt endings to it. It just felt like there was more to be said, but the next thing I know, the story moves on to something else. Mostly this happens while Josephine is searching for answers of what is going on.
2. There were a couple of inconsistencies in this book. The main one is at the beginning when Josephine is getting ready for bed; she sets the alarm for 7:30. In the next chapter, she is woken to music coming from the clock radio at 7.
Some Positives
1. I really did enjoy the characters in this novel. Everyone had their own voice and was easy to distinguish from the other characters. The reader can easily connect with the characters.
2. In just about every chapter, something happens to keep the reader engaged in the story. Ms
1) I became interested in writing twelve years ago when my husband (excellent writer) wrote a book and I was slightly involved in the process. I waited five more years and then dove into writing. It was a slow dive because I had to put my toes into the children's book pool first.
2) In the last seven years I have written 26 children's stories and four 100,000-word novels (one published) and quite a few newspaper articles and press releases.
3) If having a blast writing is a profession...yes, writing is my new-found profession.
4) Secure the Ranch, 416 pages and first in the Josephine Stuart Mystery Series, was recently published and can be found on line at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
5) At age 12 I was inspired by Nancy Drew. Middle age, I was stoked by Janet Evanovich, JK Rawling, JA Jance and Dave Barry. Mix it all together and out pops Josephine.
7) My schedule consists of a couple hours of writing everyday. I consider it my treat, sometimes my torment, at the end of the day.
8) I write at home. Saves a lot of gas....but where would I go to write anyway?
17) I write in the first person because I love to pick Josephine's brain. Actually it's a lot like mine but bigger. I think first person is the best way for a reader to know the protagonist.
19) And I think, but , should not start a sentence. But it often does. Does it really
matter to world peace? I'm sure Josephine doesn't care.
24) From conception to birth, my book took a healthy nine months. Then came the rewriiiiiites. Yikes!
Review of Secure the Ranch
Spoiler free review, January 4, 2011
By Robert "Dimndbangr" Hicks (Honolulu, HI) - See all my reviewsAmazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Secure the Ranch (Paperback)
Disclaimer-If you read the review and feel there is a spoiler in it, please let me know and I will remove that section. Also, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Thank you.
Secure the Ranch is the first book by debut author Joyce Oroz.
Secure the Ranch follows a mystery surrounding Josephine Stuart, an artist who is hired to paint some murals for a wealthy client high in the mountains of California. After strange accidents, occurrences, and the death of a wildlife ranger, Josephine finds she is unable to set aside her curiosity and delves deep into a mystery best left alone. Some subplots involve her friendship with one of her neighbors, visits with her mom and dad, and others that would lead to spoilers.
I will have to admit that the writing in this book is well done. Even though I may have found myself hesitant at times to pick the book back up from other things I was doing, once I did, I was engrossed and read chapter after chapter. The characters were also better than I imagined they would be at the beginning. I had a vision of the wealthy clients to be the snobbish type and they turned out to be much better than that and I was thankful. There was some nice depth to the characters and they were easy to connect with.
Some criticisms:
1. The dialogue, though done well enough throughout the majority of the book had some abrupt endings to it. It just felt like there was more to be said, but the next thing I know, the story moves on to something else. Mostly this happens while Josephine is searching for answers of what is going on.
2. There were a couple of inconsistencies in this book. The main one is at the beginning when Josephine is getting ready for bed; she sets the alarm for 7:30. In the next chapter, she is woken to music coming from the clock radio at 7.
Some Positives
1. I really did enjoy the characters in this novel. Everyone had their own voice and was easy to distinguish from the other characters. The reader can easily connect with the characters.
2. In just about every chapter, something happens to keep the reader engaged in the story. Ms
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 22, 2015
Hey there Guys and Dolls,
Let me introduce to you two laid back California gals of the current era: first is the main character of this fabulous tale Josephine Stuart who is a talented mural artist and amateur sleuth. Second, her creator, also a talented artist and author, Joyce Oroz. The Cuckoo Clock Caper is a suspenseful story that is explosive from the very first page!
The morning after the explosion of a house down the street, Jo has a surprise guest sleeping on her couch -- a ninety year old man whose sister died as a result of the night’s events. Something suspicious is going on and Josephine means to get to the bottom of the whole darn mess. There’s plenty of work to be getting on with as she has a mural to paint at a gallery, the old man Emmett who needs consoling and protection, a murderer on the loose, Solow the dog and other people in Jo’s life that need her attention. This gal has a romantic partner that’s a keeper as far as yours truly is concerned and he wants to keep her out of danger, but the fact is folks, Jo likes to help people and has a very inquisitive nature, making it a challenge for David. With every twist and turn in the plot you will be on the edge of your seat wondering if Josephine is putting herself, Emmett and the people they love in more danger or getting closer to solving the mystery of the explosion and catching a killer.
So make yourself a nice cool beverage and curl up with this fantastic tale of crime, capers, and cuckoo clocks! Aromas and other beautiful destinations described in Josephine’s investigative adventures await your arrival.
April 11, 2016
I enjoyed this book. Jo the main character tends to act first and think after. Gets het in a few messes but with the help of her boyfriend and friends she seems to get things figured out. Look forward to reading more of her books.
January 29, 2015
*See Barbara Jean Coast's review and you will know how much I enjoyed this one!*
March 26, 2016
Very good
Each book has a different mystery and twists to keep your interest. I enjoyed all of these books and want more of the
Each book has a different mystery and twists to keep your interest. I enjoyed all of these books and want more of the
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews