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Cate Kinkaid Files #3
Death Takes a Ride
Cate Kinkaid arrives at H&B Vintage Auto Restorations to give a friend a ride. But trouble finds Cate even there -- this time in the form of one dead man, one wounded man, and what appears to be a pretty obvious case of self-defense. Owner Matt Halliday wants to hire her, but not for this case. Instead, Cate is charged with finding a man who owns a particular motorcycle Matt would like to buy. As her search progresses, she begins to suspect that the shooting in Matt's office may not have been as cut-and-dried as it appeared.
331 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2014
37 people are currently reading
845 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
July 17, 2016
Another fun mystery yarn in this series! I'm a bit sad that this is the last one, though...
September 30, 2014
A relaxing cozy mystery that took me on a motorcycle ride. Cate is learning to be a PI at her Uncle Joe's Belmont Investigation.. She has completed all the requirements and is waiting for her license. She goes on an errand to an auto restoration shop and while there hears a robbery in process. Upon entering the office she finds a dead man and an injured man. Cate is stuck with a large size dog to foster until his owner is better. Clancy and her cat do not get along so Cate's boy friends agrees to take him. Mitch rides a motorcycle and Clancy climbs right on the bike. The owner Halliday hires Cate to do a couple of jobs not related to the shooting. The story takes several twists that added to it Mitch is thinking of selling his computer business. Will he leave town Does Cate get her licence.. The ending will surprise you. I will be looking for the early books as I must know how Cate got her cat, Octavia.
Full Disclosure:I received a free copy from Revell through Netgalley. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions are are my own.
Full Disclosure:I received a free copy from Revell through Netgalley. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions are are my own.
July 20, 2014
I absolutely loved this latest installment in Lorena McCourtney’s Cate Kinkaid series! Cate is such a love able character and she seems to always find herself in the center of some pretty sticky and often deadly situations.
Lorena is a pro at writing stories that draw you in, make you laugh and keep you intrigued until the very end.
If you’re a fan of fun, quirky, cozy mysteries, you’ll love Death Takes a Ride!!!
Lorena is a pro at writing stories that draw you in, make you laugh and keep you intrigued until the very end.
If you’re a fan of fun, quirky, cozy mysteries, you’ll love Death Takes a Ride!!!
November 24, 2014
I like cozy mysteries. They satisfy my need for a good mystery with a bit of suspense, without scaring me. They’re enjoyable, fun and usually unravel in an interesting, figure the mystery yourself kind of way. In Death Takes a Ride, we have Cate, a smart and practical Assistant PI whose job description does not include murder investigations but, nevertheless, she just can’t walk away from the mystery and intrigue. She has a very perceptive cat and a reluctantly helpful boyfriend, Mitch, who would rather see her pursuing a less dangerous career path. As a couple, Cate and Mitch are nice enough, but sadly they lack chemistry.
We are told that there is no solid commitment between Cate and Mitch, and at times they seem more like friends than anything else. However, as the story progresses, we are to believe that they actually care about each other enough to have a serious relationship, and that’s a little difficult to believe. She doesn't feel comfortable opening up to him, asking him questions about his future and theirs. Mitch, on the other hand, is much more outspoken about his feelings, mainly about how much he dislikes Cate working as a PI, but, I’ll say this in his defense, he is actually very supportive and quite helpful.
The few moments where the story really shines are precisely those where Mitch and Cate are working together on the case. It’s fun, sometimes witty and somewhat entertaining to see Mitch completely out of his element, failing miserably, but then being able to find good and usable clues. Those are the moments that made reading this book worthwhile and enjoyable to me. Also, the addition of Clancy, the dog of the co-owner of H&B Auto Restoration who was shot and is critically hurt, was great. In fact, in this book, the secondary characters, i.e. Cate’s cat and Clancy the dog, are much more interesting and fun than the main characters.
The murder mystery is pretty interesting but not too difficult to solve, at least in part, because the few red herrings that the author writes are easily discarded. That is why I tended to focus more on the romance aspect of the book and the chemistry between Cate and Mitch. But the story does have its moments of suspense and of me second guessing my suspects, which kept me interested and wondering for a while.
The story, as a whole, is slow, sometimes too detailed on stuff that adds nothing to the plot. Cate gives herself a few too many “mental whacks” and just as she is in the right place at the right time for the murder, she also, in the end, stumbles into the right place at the right time for the mystery’s resolution, which was a bit disappointing. However, although the book could have been better and the mystery more intriguing, the author made up for it in the end, with a very sweet (at long last!) moment between Cate and Mitch and a very inspired idea that opens the series for very interesting books in the future.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
We are told that there is no solid commitment between Cate and Mitch, and at times they seem more like friends than anything else. However, as the story progresses, we are to believe that they actually care about each other enough to have a serious relationship, and that’s a little difficult to believe. She doesn't feel comfortable opening up to him, asking him questions about his future and theirs. Mitch, on the other hand, is much more outspoken about his feelings, mainly about how much he dislikes Cate working as a PI, but, I’ll say this in his defense, he is actually very supportive and quite helpful.
The few moments where the story really shines are precisely those where Mitch and Cate are working together on the case. It’s fun, sometimes witty and somewhat entertaining to see Mitch completely out of his element, failing miserably, but then being able to find good and usable clues. Those are the moments that made reading this book worthwhile and enjoyable to me. Also, the addition of Clancy, the dog of the co-owner of H&B Auto Restoration who was shot and is critically hurt, was great. In fact, in this book, the secondary characters, i.e. Cate’s cat and Clancy the dog, are much more interesting and fun than the main characters.
The murder mystery is pretty interesting but not too difficult to solve, at least in part, because the few red herrings that the author writes are easily discarded. That is why I tended to focus more on the romance aspect of the book and the chemistry between Cate and Mitch. But the story does have its moments of suspense and of me second guessing my suspects, which kept me interested and wondering for a while.
The story, as a whole, is slow, sometimes too detailed on stuff that adds nothing to the plot. Cate gives herself a few too many “mental whacks” and just as she is in the right place at the right time for the murder, she also, in the end, stumbles into the right place at the right time for the mystery’s resolution, which was a bit disappointing. However, although the book could have been better and the mystery more intriguing, the author made up for it in the end, with a very sweet (at long last!) moment between Cate and Mitch and a very inspired idea that opens the series for very interesting books in the future.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
September 1, 2014
Death Takes A Ride (The Cate Kincaid Files Book #3) by Lorena McCourtney is a great mystery and a fun read. There is mystery, romance, humor and animals, what’s not to like!
Cate Kincaid is an assistant private investigator who works for her uncle’s investigating firm. She is waiting for the paperwork that will change her status to a full-fledged private investigator. While she is waiting for that to happen, she has enough things to keep her busy. She is involved in a murder case that seems very cut and dry and she is trying to referee her cat, Octavia and an exuberant dog, Clancy, who is now a part of her life. She is also trying to figure out her relationship with her boyfriend, Mitch. And she has a couple jobs to investigate, one locating the owner of an expensive Indian motorcycle and another finding out who sent a threatening letter to her client. Cate definitely has her hands full.
I feel like Cate made this book so good. She is not a seasoned investigator, she just wings it as she goes along. She has inner struggles as to whether or not she is really cut out to be an investigator, and much of the time these struggles are humorous. Some of the thoughts and ideas she has made me laugh out loud. She was a very refreshing character and one that I really enjoyed reading about. I thought all the characters were well developed and realistic. Mitch is a great guy, trying to take care and keep Cate safe. And he has fallen hard for Clancy.
The relationship between Octavia and Clancy was also quite funny. I could just picture the way the animals were behaving in my mind, and it was a very comical picture. This is another reason I thought this book was so good.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The writing style is descriptive and action packed and a lot of the time I felt like I was right there watching the action first hand. It is a clean read, with no cussing or sexual scenes. There is one description of a murder victim that might bother some more sensitive readers but in my opinion it just added to the humor of the story (I’m not a sensitive reader!). I was pretty sure that I had figured out the killer but I did not know how everything was going to be tied together. And it all got tied together nicely.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystery that has humor included. Although this is the third book in the series, it is a good stand alone book. I have not read the other two books in the series and I had no trouble knowing what was going on. I have already downloaded the other two books to read because I want to get to know Cate a little better.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thanks NetGalley and Revell Publishers for the opportunity to read this great book.
Cate Kincaid is an assistant private investigator who works for her uncle’s investigating firm. She is waiting for the paperwork that will change her status to a full-fledged private investigator. While she is waiting for that to happen, she has enough things to keep her busy. She is involved in a murder case that seems very cut and dry and she is trying to referee her cat, Octavia and an exuberant dog, Clancy, who is now a part of her life. She is also trying to figure out her relationship with her boyfriend, Mitch. And she has a couple jobs to investigate, one locating the owner of an expensive Indian motorcycle and another finding out who sent a threatening letter to her client. Cate definitely has her hands full.
I feel like Cate made this book so good. She is not a seasoned investigator, she just wings it as she goes along. She has inner struggles as to whether or not she is really cut out to be an investigator, and much of the time these struggles are humorous. Some of the thoughts and ideas she has made me laugh out loud. She was a very refreshing character and one that I really enjoyed reading about. I thought all the characters were well developed and realistic. Mitch is a great guy, trying to take care and keep Cate safe. And he has fallen hard for Clancy.
The relationship between Octavia and Clancy was also quite funny. I could just picture the way the animals were behaving in my mind, and it was a very comical picture. This is another reason I thought this book was so good.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The writing style is descriptive and action packed and a lot of the time I felt like I was right there watching the action first hand. It is a clean read, with no cussing or sexual scenes. There is one description of a murder victim that might bother some more sensitive readers but in my opinion it just added to the humor of the story (I’m not a sensitive reader!). I was pretty sure that I had figured out the killer but I did not know how everything was going to be tied together. And it all got tied together nicely.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystery that has humor included. Although this is the third book in the series, it is a good stand alone book. I have not read the other two books in the series and I had no trouble knowing what was going on. I have already downloaded the other two books to read because I want to get to know Cate a little better.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thanks NetGalley and Revell Publishers for the opportunity to read this great book.
September 14, 2022
Awesome read!!! Lorena did it again! :) This is the second book from The Cate Kinkaid Files for me and I really need to go back and get the first in the series! It is SO good! :) This time I didn't really solve the case before Cate, but I wasn't really surprised when she realized who the killer is! Lorena fills the case with many suspects and different twists as the plot thickens! Octavia, as always, is amazing! :D She is one of the best pet characters I've had the pleasure to read about and in Death Takes a Ride she is joined by a new and lovable sidekick. ;) Cate is excellent as well; I LOVE the way she witnesses and always makes an effort to stick to her Christian morals even when its hard to do the right thing! I can not wait for the next installment! The way this one ends is fantastic!!! Lorena's writing is witty and hilarious, but not lacking in suspense either! The way she ends some of her chapters...you HAVE to keep reading! More changes are coming for Cate in Death Takes a Ride but are they welcome changes; and how will her relationship with Mitch handle said changes? Overall this is a highly entertaining read, from a fantastic author, filled with amazing, lovable characters, topped off with a lovely mystery! I highly recommend it and can't wait for more!!! :D
Songs: "Move" by MercyMe, "Press On" by Mandisa, and "Tennessee Waltz" performed by Anne Murray
Songs etc. May be changed and/or added in the future. ~ASC
Psalm 121:7-8
~ASC
*I requested and received this book as a member of Revell Reads for the purpose of reviewing it. This in no way affected my opinion and the above are my true thoughts and feelings about Death Takes a Ride. ~ASC
Songs: "Move" by MercyMe, "Press On" by Mandisa, and "Tennessee Waltz" performed by Anne Murray
Songs etc. May be changed and/or added in the future. ~ASC
Psalm 121:7-8
~ASC
*I requested and received this book as a member of Revell Reads for the purpose of reviewing it. This in no way affected my opinion and the above are my true thoughts and feelings about Death Takes a Ride. ~ASC
September 13, 2016
http://pagebypagebookbybook.blogspot....
Lorena McCourtney’s Death Takes a Ride is certainly an exciting ride. No doubt about that. From nearly the first page, private investigator Cate Kincaid (along with the readers) finds herself thrown into an ostensibly simple, yet utterly confounding murder mystery. As McCourtney revealed more and more clues, characters and connections, I continually reevaluated my guessed solution – only to wait until the very end to truly understand all the complexities. Quite the stumper.
I greatly appreciated that even with murder as a major plot point of the novel, the prevalent feeling and tone is not overly dark or sinister. While maintaining the mystery, McCourtney manages to keep her writing light, sprinkling in humorous moments when necessary. It works perfectly for a fun read on a lazy weekend.
Overall, this addition to the Cate Kincaid Files is tricky and delightful. I loved it – even without having reading the two previous novels starring Cate Kincaid. While I am sure those novels help in understanding the personalities and backstories of several characters, as well as minor, passing comments, I never felt I read with a disadvantage. It is able to be read on its own – though I am definitely planning to read the other two when I have the chance.
Thanks to Revell Reads, I received a copy of Death Takes a Ride and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
Lorena McCourtney’s Death Takes a Ride is certainly an exciting ride. No doubt about that. From nearly the first page, private investigator Cate Kincaid (along with the readers) finds herself thrown into an ostensibly simple, yet utterly confounding murder mystery. As McCourtney revealed more and more clues, characters and connections, I continually reevaluated my guessed solution – only to wait until the very end to truly understand all the complexities. Quite the stumper.
I greatly appreciated that even with murder as a major plot point of the novel, the prevalent feeling and tone is not overly dark or sinister. While maintaining the mystery, McCourtney manages to keep her writing light, sprinkling in humorous moments when necessary. It works perfectly for a fun read on a lazy weekend.
Overall, this addition to the Cate Kincaid Files is tricky and delightful. I loved it – even without having reading the two previous novels starring Cate Kincaid. While I am sure those novels help in understanding the personalities and backstories of several characters, as well as minor, passing comments, I never felt I read with a disadvantage. It is able to be read on its own – though I am definitely planning to read the other two when I have the chance.
Thanks to Revell Reads, I received a copy of Death Takes a Ride and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
July 22, 2014
ANOTHER MADCAP McCOURTNEY MYSTERY!
I love Lorena McCourtney cozy mysteries!!! Lorena is an online friend but that makes no difference to this review. Death Takes a Ride is quintessential McCourtney with a brave and sometimes naive amateur sleuth (though Cate is finally about to receive her PI license).
I also like Cate's hero Mitch and his very realistic pursuit of Cate. (This is a real man who is more at home with circuits and RAM than women.) I also love the cast of secondary characters, including Mitch's new dog and Cate's cat. Just fun! And an interesting mystery of course!
I look forward to Lorena's next cozy!
I love Lorena McCourtney cozy mysteries!!! Lorena is an online friend but that makes no difference to this review. Death Takes a Ride is quintessential McCourtney with a brave and sometimes naive amateur sleuth (though Cate is finally about to receive her PI license).
I also like Cate's hero Mitch and his very realistic pursuit of Cate. (This is a real man who is more at home with circuits and RAM than women.) I also love the cast of secondary characters, including Mitch's new dog and Cate's cat. Just fun! And an interesting mystery of course!
I look forward to Lorena's next cozy!
February 10, 2020
This was a very light-hearted murder mystery that was very well done. The questions or doubt that sometimes creep up when you're reading a light-hearted fiction were all answered . . . none left undone. I loved the characters. Mrs. McCourtney developed very different characters than the typical Christian fiction. It was very refreshing. Expecting a little cheesiness, there was none! I am happy to recommend this as a light read and I will definitely be picking up some of Lorena's other books. Thanks for the "nope-I'm-not-putting-this-down" novel.
October 5, 2024
An enjoyable cozy mystery with likeable lead characters. There were sufficient clues, but the murderer was not obvious from the beginning.
Cate Kincaid has applied for her private investigator's license, and is working as her uncle's assistant. Bizarre circumstances and murders seem to follow her. A holdup at a car restoration shop pulls Cate into a murder investigation. Follow Cate and her interesting adventures to a surprise conclusion.
Cate Kincaid has applied for her private investigator's license, and is working as her uncle's assistant. Bizarre circumstances and murders seem to follow her. A holdup at a car restoration shop pulls Cate into a murder investigation. Follow Cate and her interesting adventures to a surprise conclusion.
November 25, 2024
Loved this mystery. Glad my friend recommended the first one in the series. I found them all in our public library system. Wish there were more in this series, but I did enjoy the author, so will delve into the other series if I can find them in the library system (or any at thrift stores or yard sales). A quick read for me as I was so into it I didn't get a lot of other things done! Oh well, I'm retired. Housework will just wait on me!
June 26, 2017
The last of the Cate Kinkaid Files series. It was full of suspense, comedy and a little romance. Cate's last adventures as a PI were enjoyable.
April 17, 2018
Third book in series. You don't have to read them all, I read the first one but skipped the second and this one wasn't reliant on either. Not a great book, but not a bad one, either.
June 8, 2018
Loved it! Such an awesome story with a great ending!
August 18, 2018
Who leaves a dog in a car?
June 17, 2019
Great book
Only question, does this book have to be the last In the series? There is so much more that you can do with Mitch and Cate. Please consider writing more.
Only question, does this book have to be the last In the series? There is so much more that you can do with Mitch and Cate. Please consider writing more.
September 18, 2019
Loved it! Best one of the 3-book series (to me anyway)!
Loved the interaction of the two pets. Made me laugh out loud each time their antics were described.
Loved the interaction of the two pets. Made me laugh out loud each time their antics were described.
Read
August 7, 2020loved it- couldnt put it down
Want to read
April 14, 2021Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
August 20, 2021
The characters come across more cartoony than true-to-life. The mystery was pretty straightforward, and the author did a good job of keeping the bad guy a secret til the end.
June 21, 2023
Sad to see this series end. Hoping the writer writes a new series with the new PI team.
July 14, 2023
Love the characters - Cate, Mitch, Octavia & Clancy. The stories keep you guessing who the killer is. Could not put it down!!!
March 8, 2024
This is a good series with nice and easy to follow plots and scenes.
April 8, 2025
I really like Cate Kincaid. It's too bad that this was the last book of this series; I would have enjoyed seeing where life took Cate and Mitch (also Olivia and Clancy).
November 16, 2023
Another good one with Cate and Mitch. Sometimes there is too much convo about the cat and this time, Mitch gets roped in to watching someone's dog. But they add a nice and cozy touch to the story. Cate again gets herself caught in some dangerous situations. There were some twists and numerous suspects in this one!
July 15, 2014
Death Takes a Ride by Lorena McCourtney – A Book Review
The first book I read on my Kindle was Invisible by Lerena McCourtney. I enjoyed it so much, I purchased the other three books in the series about the insuppressible little old lady, Ivy Malone, and read them in quick succession. So, when I had the opportunity to read and review Death Takes a Ride by Ms McCourtney, I jumped at the chance.
The leading lady and sleuth in this story, Cate Kinkaid, who is moving in on middle age, does not find herself in quite the same types of dangerous yet hilarious predicaments as her predecessor, little old lady Ivy Malone. Yet this mystery provided enough twists and turns to keep me interested in the story line. I have always been a big mystery fan, and I enjoyed this cozy mystery that kept me awake nights wanting to know what was coming up next, not checking the doors and jumping at bumps in the night.
Death Takes a Ride is the third in the Cate Kinkaid series. However it worked fine as a stand alone read. Through implications within the text, I was able to infer that throughout the series Cate typically finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, or as an assistant PI, was that the right place at the right time? While her uncle’s private investigation agency did not typically handle murder cases, it seems Cate often has a way of finding herself alongside a dead body. The reader of this book does not have to get far into the story before just such a situation manifests itself. The story also includes enough romance between Cate and her “Computer Dude” boyfriend, Mitch, to keep romance novel lovers interested, while there doesn’t seem to be any love lost between Cate’s cat and the dog Mitch is fostering for the victim of an attempted robbery. Or was it attempted murder? No spoilers here, you will have to read the story to find out, and also to enjoy the wonderful ending with the sweet, and ketchupy, surprise.
If you are looking for a cozy mystery that is enjoyable without overtaxing your own inner sleuth, this book is for you. I would give it four out of five smoking guns for reading pleasure. I thank Revell Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for providing Death Takes a Ride for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
The first book I read on my Kindle was Invisible by Lerena McCourtney. I enjoyed it so much, I purchased the other three books in the series about the insuppressible little old lady, Ivy Malone, and read them in quick succession. So, when I had the opportunity to read and review Death Takes a Ride by Ms McCourtney, I jumped at the chance.
The leading lady and sleuth in this story, Cate Kinkaid, who is moving in on middle age, does not find herself in quite the same types of dangerous yet hilarious predicaments as her predecessor, little old lady Ivy Malone. Yet this mystery provided enough twists and turns to keep me interested in the story line. I have always been a big mystery fan, and I enjoyed this cozy mystery that kept me awake nights wanting to know what was coming up next, not checking the doors and jumping at bumps in the night.
Death Takes a Ride is the third in the Cate Kinkaid series. However it worked fine as a stand alone read. Through implications within the text, I was able to infer that throughout the series Cate typically finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, or as an assistant PI, was that the right place at the right time? While her uncle’s private investigation agency did not typically handle murder cases, it seems Cate often has a way of finding herself alongside a dead body. The reader of this book does not have to get far into the story before just such a situation manifests itself. The story also includes enough romance between Cate and her “Computer Dude” boyfriend, Mitch, to keep romance novel lovers interested, while there doesn’t seem to be any love lost between Cate’s cat and the dog Mitch is fostering for the victim of an attempted robbery. Or was it attempted murder? No spoilers here, you will have to read the story to find out, and also to enjoy the wonderful ending with the sweet, and ketchupy, surprise.
If you are looking for a cozy mystery that is enjoyable without overtaxing your own inner sleuth, this book is for you. I would give it four out of five smoking guns for reading pleasure. I thank Revell Publishers and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for providing Death Takes a Ride for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
July 15, 2014
This is book three in the Cate Kincaid Files series. You can read and enjoy this book as a stand alone although you’ll understand the back stories and the relationships better if you read them in order.
This is a delightful, light-hearted mystery. While the consequences for Cate are indeed dire and dangerous, it’s not a story that makes you tense as if you’re right there with her. It’s great summer reading.
I really enjoy the humor in this series.
It comes in the dialogue. “A stupid guy with a bullet in his butt, that’s me,” someone says. “You make it sound like I’m as prickly as a porcupine with a personality disorder!”
It comes in the narration. “Even though Uncle Joe insisted Belmont Investigations didn’t do murders, sometimes it seemed they gravitated to Cate like mud to her clothes when she was a little girl” (location 84).
It comes in the descriptions. Cate has hair that is “tomato-on-fire” looking and didn’t take “Tact and Sensitivity 101” but got an A in “Digging 101.”
It comes in the animal characters. Octavia, a deaf diva of a cat, always knows when the phone is going to ring and has given Cate advice on occasions. Clancy, an enormous dog, worms his way into their hearts even after some destructive jaunts.
It comes in the situations….but I don’t want to give anything away. You’ll enjoy it though.
In this story, Cate is striking out on her own as her uncle and aunt head out in their motor home. She has to make big decisions about how she is going to run her business. She and Mitch also have lots of questions and decisions to make regarding their futures. While they bemoan that God isn’t offering any “definitive instructions,” they understand that God has his own timetable. There’s a lot of growth in both Mitch and Cate in this book. It’s very satisfying and always fun.
Again, I think this is a delightful book. I would highly recommend this series. Thank you to Revell for providing me with a free copy of this book for the purpose of this review.
Book 1: Dying to Read
Book 2: Dolled Up to Die
Book 3: Death Takes A Ride
This is a delightful, light-hearted mystery. While the consequences for Cate are indeed dire and dangerous, it’s not a story that makes you tense as if you’re right there with her. It’s great summer reading.
I really enjoy the humor in this series.
It comes in the dialogue. “A stupid guy with a bullet in his butt, that’s me,” someone says. “You make it sound like I’m as prickly as a porcupine with a personality disorder!”
It comes in the narration. “Even though Uncle Joe insisted Belmont Investigations didn’t do murders, sometimes it seemed they gravitated to Cate like mud to her clothes when she was a little girl” (location 84).
It comes in the descriptions. Cate has hair that is “tomato-on-fire” looking and didn’t take “Tact and Sensitivity 101” but got an A in “Digging 101.”
It comes in the animal characters. Octavia, a deaf diva of a cat, always knows when the phone is going to ring and has given Cate advice on occasions. Clancy, an enormous dog, worms his way into their hearts even after some destructive jaunts.
It comes in the situations….but I don’t want to give anything away. You’ll enjoy it though.
In this story, Cate is striking out on her own as her uncle and aunt head out in their motor home. She has to make big decisions about how she is going to run her business. She and Mitch also have lots of questions and decisions to make regarding their futures. While they bemoan that God isn’t offering any “definitive instructions,” they understand that God has his own timetable. There’s a lot of growth in both Mitch and Cate in this book. It’s very satisfying and always fun.
Again, I think this is a delightful book. I would highly recommend this series. Thank you to Revell for providing me with a free copy of this book for the purpose of this review.
Book 1: Dying to Read
Book 2: Dolled Up to Die
Book 3: Death Takes A Ride
July 21, 2014
I’m not 100% sure what actually happened here. I think my iPhone is actually responsible for me “requesting” this book.
I say that because “Death Takes a Ride” is nowhere near my usual type of book… but you know that thing that your phone does on an internet page – you tap the screen and it moves just as your finger touches it and you’ve instead selected something halfway down the page from what you were just looking at.
Yeah, mine does that all the time.
Anyway, apparently my iPhone thinks this is a book worth reading – and Revell sent it to me with certain expectations – so I gave it a try…
And DARN IT! Now I have to go hunt down the first two in the series. Because I don’t have enough books…
Yes, this is the third book in the series and No, I haven’t read the first two but that would definitely not be a good enough reason NOT to read this book! Lorena McCourtney smoothly brings us up to speed and lets us in on the pattern in these novels with only a few short sentences. And she does it in a way that adds to the story without distracting you one bit from the plot.
BRAVO Lorena!
As with most Mystery series, you have at least one character who finds themselves in the middle of a sticky situation at least once in each book and this one is no different.
I LOVE that Cate’s faith is woven into each scene of the book – helping her get through these tough situations and tricky investigations.
I do believe I have found a NEW mystery series that I’m just going to LOVE!
Most of you remember my review a few months ago of an Amish Mystery that I did not expect to enjoy as much as I did either. Apparently my problem was that the mysteries I read years ago that almost completely turned me off to the genre were not even remotely inspirational in nature. They relied on inappropriate relationships and believing impossible things about the characters to keep readers interested.
This book, like the Amish one, DOES NOT do any of that! Which of course means that I LOVE it and will happily recommend it to EVERYONE!
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
I say that because “Death Takes a Ride” is nowhere near my usual type of book… but you know that thing that your phone does on an internet page – you tap the screen and it moves just as your finger touches it and you’ve instead selected something halfway down the page from what you were just looking at.
Yeah, mine does that all the time.
Anyway, apparently my iPhone thinks this is a book worth reading – and Revell sent it to me with certain expectations – so I gave it a try…
And DARN IT! Now I have to go hunt down the first two in the series. Because I don’t have enough books…
Yes, this is the third book in the series and No, I haven’t read the first two but that would definitely not be a good enough reason NOT to read this book! Lorena McCourtney smoothly brings us up to speed and lets us in on the pattern in these novels with only a few short sentences. And she does it in a way that adds to the story without distracting you one bit from the plot.
BRAVO Lorena!
As with most Mystery series, you have at least one character who finds themselves in the middle of a sticky situation at least once in each book and this one is no different.
I LOVE that Cate’s faith is woven into each scene of the book – helping her get through these tough situations and tricky investigations.
I do believe I have found a NEW mystery series that I’m just going to LOVE!
Most of you remember my review a few months ago of an Amish Mystery that I did not expect to enjoy as much as I did either. Apparently my problem was that the mysteries I read years ago that almost completely turned me off to the genre were not even remotely inspirational in nature. They relied on inappropriate relationships and believing impossible things about the characters to keep readers interested.
This book, like the Amish one, DOES NOT do any of that! Which of course means that I LOVE it and will happily recommend it to EVERYONE!
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
July 10, 2014
Death Takes a Ride
Lorena McCourtney
Book Summary: Cate Kinkaid arrives at H&B Classic Auto Restorations to give a friend a ride. But, as usual, trouble finds Kate even there--this time in the form of one dead man, one wounded man, and what appears to be a pretty obvious case of self-defense. Owner Matt Halliday wants to hire her, but not for this case. Instead, Cate is charged with finding a man who owns a particular motorcycle Matt would like to buy. As her search progresses, she begins to suspect that the shooting in Matt's office may not have been as cut-and-dried as it appeared.
Review: I loved this book! It is a great series and at the same time a standalone book. Easy to read and a brisk storyline make for a suspenseful mystery! I did figure out the who and the why but it was so much fun to see it all come together that I could not put it down. I loved Cate and Mitch - they make a great team. I am hopeful for more stories but if this was the last in the series I can see them working together to track down hackers and other suspects. This was my first book of the series and I can not wait to read the other ones. I was predisposed to like this series when I started it because of Ms. McCourtney’s other books but to me this book was culmination of series she wrote. The suspects were realistic and memorable. Well written overall and believable. This PI was what you would really expect - rote work, occasional excitement and stumbling on things no one wants to be part of. These are all the elements wonderfully blended to make the story seamlessly written. Candy, Lily, Andy, Matt and Shirley were realistic people caught up in life. I really liked the parts with Candy and Cate together. They made a funny duo, it is the humor of these things that were tastefully blended throughout the story that made the entire book five stars!
I would like to thank Net Galley and Revell for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.
Lorena McCourtney
Book Summary: Cate Kinkaid arrives at H&B Classic Auto Restorations to give a friend a ride. But, as usual, trouble finds Kate even there--this time in the form of one dead man, one wounded man, and what appears to be a pretty obvious case of self-defense. Owner Matt Halliday wants to hire her, but not for this case. Instead, Cate is charged with finding a man who owns a particular motorcycle Matt would like to buy. As her search progresses, she begins to suspect that the shooting in Matt's office may not have been as cut-and-dried as it appeared.
Review: I loved this book! It is a great series and at the same time a standalone book. Easy to read and a brisk storyline make for a suspenseful mystery! I did figure out the who and the why but it was so much fun to see it all come together that I could not put it down. I loved Cate and Mitch - they make a great team. I am hopeful for more stories but if this was the last in the series I can see them working together to track down hackers and other suspects. This was my first book of the series and I can not wait to read the other ones. I was predisposed to like this series when I started it because of Ms. McCourtney’s other books but to me this book was culmination of series she wrote. The suspects were realistic and memorable. Well written overall and believable. This PI was what you would really expect - rote work, occasional excitement and stumbling on things no one wants to be part of. These are all the elements wonderfully blended to make the story seamlessly written. Candy, Lily, Andy, Matt and Shirley were realistic people caught up in life. I really liked the parts with Candy and Cate together. They made a funny duo, it is the humor of these things that were tastefully blended throughout the story that made the entire book five stars!
I would like to thank Net Galley and Revell for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.
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