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A Sherri Travis Mystery #1
Margarita Nights
Margarita Nights is a cozy with grit -- serving Jack Daniels instead of tea.
In a small Florida beach town, Sherri Travis is a bartender with attitude and a woman with an inconveniently murdered husband who turns out to be as much trouble to her dead as he was alive.
Sifting through the debris of Jimmy's life, Sherri finds more than a few people who wanted her lying, scheming, scam artist husband gone -- but which one actually did the deed?
In a small Florida beach town, Sherri Travis is a bartender with attitude and a woman with an inconveniently murdered husband who turns out to be as much trouble to her dead as he was alive.
Sifting through the debris of Jimmy's life, Sherri finds more than a few people who wanted her lying, scheming, scam artist husband gone -- but which one actually did the deed?
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 16, 2009
About the author
Phyllis Smallman
19 books55 followersCrime Writers of Canada award winning author, Phyllis Smallman, was short-listed for the Debut Dagger in the UK, and has been awarded both silver and gold medals by the Independent Publishers. She was a potter before turning to a life of crime. She lives on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, where she golfs badly and writes madly.
Visit http://www.phyllismallman.com to read excerpts from her Singer Brown and Sherri Travis books.
Visit http://www.phyllismallman.com to read excerpts from her Singer Brown and Sherri Travis books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
October 9, 2011
Getting an unpublished first novel noticed is challenging but in Phyllis Smallman's case, mystery solved. Margarita Nights, about amateur detective (ok, she serves drinks in a Florida bar for a living) Sherri Travis came to the notice of Louise Penny, and other members of the Crime Writers of Canada. In 2007, it instituted a new prize, the "Unhanged Arthur" to recognise best unpublished first crime novel; Smallman was the inaugural recipient. The CWC's main Arthur Ellis award is granted annually in mid-Spring; it is named after Canada's 18th century executioner known by the pseudonym Arthur Ellis over several generations. Smallman has since gone on to write (and have published) four Sherri Travis mysteries.
Jimmy Travis, only son of a wealthy Florida couple, leads a frenetic, adventurous life, almost always in some trouble or other. Sherri, his high school sweetheart and wife, has tired of his drinking, cheating and scattered career moves. Handsome, devilish, and currently local golf pro will soon be single again -- Sherri has had enough and moved out a year ago. But then, his boat explodes with Jimmy on it and Sherri is the prime murder suspect. When it turns out she has more to gain than getting even, the cops are on her tail and only she can clear her name. As she digs further into Jimmy's recent business deals, the situation gets murkier and more dangerous ... and the local cops are lying in wait gathering the necessary evidence against her. With the help of her friends, and Sunset Bar regulars, things go quickly from bad to worse. Which of those friends is truly a friend?
Comfortably residing within the cozy realm, this adventure had more than enough twists and exotic local colour to keep up the interest in what is, admittedly, a somewhat long read. Sherri is the best drawn of all the characters, with a healthy libido and sufficient paranoia to keep her alive at the more dangerous moments. The closeted gay journalist, local minister, her best friend, another high school chum down on his luck and suffering schizophrenia, land development king-pins and the cops ... all make up Sherri's local landscape and keep the reader engaged and chuckling.
Jimmy Travis, only son of a wealthy Florida couple, leads a frenetic, adventurous life, almost always in some trouble or other. Sherri, his high school sweetheart and wife, has tired of his drinking, cheating and scattered career moves. Handsome, devilish, and currently local golf pro will soon be single again -- Sherri has had enough and moved out a year ago. But then, his boat explodes with Jimmy on it and Sherri is the prime murder suspect. When it turns out she has more to gain than getting even, the cops are on her tail and only she can clear her name. As she digs further into Jimmy's recent business deals, the situation gets murkier and more dangerous ... and the local cops are lying in wait gathering the necessary evidence against her. With the help of her friends, and Sunset Bar regulars, things go quickly from bad to worse. Which of those friends is truly a friend?
Comfortably residing within the cozy realm, this adventure had more than enough twists and exotic local colour to keep up the interest in what is, admittedly, a somewhat long read. Sherri is the best drawn of all the characters, with a healthy libido and sufficient paranoia to keep her alive at the more dangerous moments. The closeted gay journalist, local minister, her best friend, another high school chum down on his luck and suffering schizophrenia, land development king-pins and the cops ... all make up Sherri's local landscape and keep the reader engaged and chuckling.
May 21, 2018
This was a decent enough story, insofar as I could follow it.
And it is rather a difficult story to follow, in my opinion. I think there are two reasons for this:
In the first place, I felt there were way too many characters, introduced way too quickly in the beginning of the book. I battled to keep up, and even now that I've finished it, I'm still confused about who certain people are.
The second reason might actually have a lot to do with why I felt there were too many characters, and that is that the story jumps around a lot. There are no scene breaks in it, which is really jarring, when one moment the characters are in the bar, and on the next paragraph, they might be in the protagonist's apartment. You really need to be 100% focused, all the time, when you're reading this book. One blink, and you have no idea where you are or which characters are involved in the conversation.
Editing-wise, it was good, but the formatting was a bit wonky on my Kobo app. There were a few times when a word is broken by a space or hyphen, in the middle of a line... almost as if it was specifically formatted for print, but of course, an e-book is laid out very different to a print book.
It didn't happen often enough for that really to be the cause, though. So I dunno.
As I said, though, the story was okay. The mystery itself was solved about 70% in, and the rest of it was about proving the perpetrator's guilt. Hope that's not too much of a spoiler.
And it is rather a difficult story to follow, in my opinion. I think there are two reasons for this:
In the first place, I felt there were way too many characters, introduced way too quickly in the beginning of the book. I battled to keep up, and even now that I've finished it, I'm still confused about who certain people are.
The second reason might actually have a lot to do with why I felt there were too many characters, and that is that the story jumps around a lot. There are no scene breaks in it, which is really jarring, when one moment the characters are in the bar, and on the next paragraph, they might be in the protagonist's apartment. You really need to be 100% focused, all the time, when you're reading this book. One blink, and you have no idea where you are or which characters are involved in the conversation.
Editing-wise, it was good, but the formatting was a bit wonky on my Kobo app. There were a few times when a word is broken by a space or hyphen, in the middle of a line... almost as if it was specifically formatted for print, but of course, an e-book is laid out very different to a print book.
It didn't happen often enough for that really to be the cause, though. So I dunno.
As I said, though, the story was okay. The mystery itself was solved about 70% in, and the rest of it was about proving the perpetrator's guilt. Hope that's not too much of a spoiler.
March 20, 2012
Can't rate this very highly. The author hurries from scene to scene - one moment in a bar, for example, and the next at someone's apartment - without any connecting description. It's sometimes hard to keep up. I found the ending blunt and uninteresting, as well.
September 30, 2013
Good; Continuing character: Sherri Travis (first in series); local waitress is thought to be involved in the killing of her separated husband by blowing up his boat; good story but too many indistinguishable secondary characters
August 21, 2013
The story and characters bounce all over the place. I got a kobo version of this and am pretty sure that the formatting was screwed up because from once paragraph to the next, the setting, characters, and scene would change regularly. Needs a bit more editing.
September 30, 2019
I picked this book up second-hand, and it will be being donated back very soon. This Sherri Travis novel has a convoluted plot which I lost interest in very quickly, but I persevered to finish it to find out which shallow character was responsible for the double murder. Every character, including Sherri, is one dimensional, and just keeps popping up without much introduction. I could not relate to any of them, and the one character who is physically described in any detail is Sherri's mother, with whom she has a rocky relationship due to the fact that her mother is a romantic and makes bad life choices and Sherri is a cynic - or is she? Dialogue is often awkward or clumsy.
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February 25, 2021Read on 2011
September 8, 2010
*Reviewed for NetGalley*
When her husband's boat explodes in Jacaranda Bay, Sherri doesn't believe he was on board. Detective Styles however is convinced that Sherri had finally had enough of the cheating, lying, manipulative b**d. A videotape , buried in the pot plant on Sherri's balcony seems to provide some clues but before she can figure out just what it means, the tape is stolen and someone tries to kill her.
Margarita Nights is the first in The Sherri Travis Mystery series by Phyllis Smallman. Sherri lives in the small coastal community she grew up in, bartending at the Sunset and helpless to resist her bad boy husband. Sherri is a character with spunk and is wholly likeable. She hides behind a wild-child persona, developed to protect herseld from her mother's chaotic love life. Fiercly independent and yet vulnerable, Sherri is satisfyingly complex.
She is supported by an array of equally flawed characters. Andy suffers schizophrenia, Evan and Noble share a secret, Peter and Dave prop up the bar at the Sunset dispensing advice and she can't figure out what Clay wants with her.
The premise is a mystery, as Sherri tries to unravel the mess her husband has left behind and Smallman sustains the who/why done it quite well to the conclusion. I did feel that the pacing circled itself a few times, going nowhere and then jerking ahead, only to stall again. I think part of the reason for that is the crowded cast and at times teh author sacrifices flow for character development.
For me, Sherri and the quirky Florida beach town community of Jacaranda are appealing and the mystery held my interest. An entertaining mystery I look forward to reading the second in the series, Sex in a Sidecar
When her husband's boat explodes in Jacaranda Bay, Sherri doesn't believe he was on board. Detective Styles however is convinced that Sherri had finally had enough of the cheating, lying, manipulative b**d. A videotape , buried in the pot plant on Sherri's balcony seems to provide some clues but before she can figure out just what it means, the tape is stolen and someone tries to kill her.
Margarita Nights is the first in The Sherri Travis Mystery series by Phyllis Smallman. Sherri lives in the small coastal community she grew up in, bartending at the Sunset and helpless to resist her bad boy husband. Sherri is a character with spunk and is wholly likeable. She hides behind a wild-child persona, developed to protect herseld from her mother's chaotic love life. Fiercly independent and yet vulnerable, Sherri is satisfyingly complex.
She is supported by an array of equally flawed characters. Andy suffers schizophrenia, Evan and Noble share a secret, Peter and Dave prop up the bar at the Sunset dispensing advice and she can't figure out what Clay wants with her.
The premise is a mystery, as Sherri tries to unravel the mess her husband has left behind and Smallman sustains the who/why done it quite well to the conclusion. I did feel that the pacing circled itself a few times, going nowhere and then jerking ahead, only to stall again. I think part of the reason for that is the crowded cast and at times teh author sacrifices flow for character development.
For me, Sherri and the quirky Florida beach town community of Jacaranda are appealing and the mystery held my interest. An entertaining mystery I look forward to reading the second in the series, Sex in a Sidecar
August 9, 2009
A Sherri Travis Mystery, book 1
This is a light but cute and quite captivating summer read: a story of bartender Sherri Travis, a crafty sleuth, who became the prime suspect in her husband's death.
This first book in the series is set in a small town on the west coast of Florida. Sherri is estranged from her upper-crust husband Jimmy because of his addiction to gambling, drugs, liquor and easy women. Jimmy was always known to play with danger so it was no surprise when one day his boat blew up with him in it.
Sherri knows how attuned Jimmy's survival skills are and finds it hard to believe that the body found is that of Jimmy's. However, the investigators discover that she is the beneficiary of a big life insurance making her a prime suspect. With Sherri's freedom and credibility on the line, she is determined to prove otherwise.
This crime fiction is made up of charming characters, with Sherri as a smart protagonist working in a classy bar, dressing in a manner that pays, "the white trash look". She plays well the part and is amazingly well described. Sherri's people skills have attracted professionals from various walks of life who come forward to offer their help, one in particular a journalist ( they may be a future romantic escapade on the horizon). The writing can be a bit wry and the narration fragmented however the story is entertaining enough to have kept me turning page after page.
I found this novel a pleasant change, but it does not rate at the top of my list.
This is a light but cute and quite captivating summer read: a story of bartender Sherri Travis, a crafty sleuth, who became the prime suspect in her husband's death.
This first book in the series is set in a small town on the west coast of Florida. Sherri is estranged from her upper-crust husband Jimmy because of his addiction to gambling, drugs, liquor and easy women. Jimmy was always known to play with danger so it was no surprise when one day his boat blew up with him in it.
Sherri knows how attuned Jimmy's survival skills are and finds it hard to believe that the body found is that of Jimmy's. However, the investigators discover that she is the beneficiary of a big life insurance making her a prime suspect. With Sherri's freedom and credibility on the line, she is determined to prove otherwise.
This crime fiction is made up of charming characters, with Sherri as a smart protagonist working in a classy bar, dressing in a manner that pays, "the white trash look". She plays well the part and is amazingly well described. Sherri's people skills have attracted professionals from various walks of life who come forward to offer their help, one in particular a journalist ( they may be a future romantic escapade on the horizon). The writing can be a bit wry and the narration fragmented however the story is entertaining enough to have kept me turning page after page.
I found this novel a pleasant change, but it does not rate at the top of my list.
May 17, 2012
Phyllis Smallman won the first Unhanged Arthur Ellis Canadian Crime Writing
Award, earning a contract with prestigious McArthur and Company, who
published her novel this spring.
It's a winner from page 1, where we are introduced to feisty bartender
Sherri Travis in Jacaranda, Florida. She's separated from her husband Jimmy,
but when his boat blows up and she's named on an insurance policy, Sherri
finds herself swimming with the sharks in blue waters streaked with blood.
Jimmy was no prince; a legion of people wanted him turned into fish food,
and Sherri's at the top of her game in a hunt to exonerate herself.
Put a sharp-witted woman in the exotic setting of the Gulf Islands playing a
game in which she's both predator and prey, and you have a perfect storm.
The details put the reader on the spot, immersed in place and time: "The
Sunset is the creme de la creme of watering holes. On the second floor of a
pink stucco building decorated with white Bermuda shutters and tall graceful
palms, etched glass doors lead from the lobby of the restaurant into the
bar. Black-and-white photographs of Key West in the thirties line the
Cypress-panelled walls. Overhead, two giant fans on pulleys stir air
smelling of old leather chairs, long ago Cuban cigars and expensive
perfume."
You are there, no doubt about it. Breathe in that warm ocean air and sip a
frosted drink.
Award, earning a contract with prestigious McArthur and Company, who
published her novel this spring.
It's a winner from page 1, where we are introduced to feisty bartender
Sherri Travis in Jacaranda, Florida. She's separated from her husband Jimmy,
but when his boat blows up and she's named on an insurance policy, Sherri
finds herself swimming with the sharks in blue waters streaked with blood.
Jimmy was no prince; a legion of people wanted him turned into fish food,
and Sherri's at the top of her game in a hunt to exonerate herself.
Put a sharp-witted woman in the exotic setting of the Gulf Islands playing a
game in which she's both predator and prey, and you have a perfect storm.
The details put the reader on the spot, immersed in place and time: "The
Sunset is the creme de la creme of watering holes. On the second floor of a
pink stucco building decorated with white Bermuda shutters and tall graceful
palms, etched glass doors lead from the lobby of the restaurant into the
bar. Black-and-white photographs of Key West in the thirties line the
Cypress-panelled walls. Overhead, two giant fans on pulleys stir air
smelling of old leather chairs, long ago Cuban cigars and expensive
perfume."
You are there, no doubt about it. Breathe in that warm ocean air and sip a
frosted drink.
January 4, 2010
Phyllis Smallman was kind enough to send me a copy of Margarita Nights, and I'm so glad she did! This was definitely a read-all-at-once book, which I did while on my Thanksgiving vacation last week.
I was feeling a bit sniffly, and it was a good excuse to retire early, but stay up waaay too late.
Sherri Travis describes herself as "white trash" (which is really just a persona she adopts when she doesn't want people to see how smart she really is). She tends bar at the upscale Sunset in Jacaranda, a small town in Florida, a job she's happy with because she can play golf during the day. When she hears that her estranged husand's boat has exploded with him on board, Sherri is at work, but a witness claims she was on the boat shortly before it blew up.
Sherri knows she is innocent; in fact, she's convinced that Jimmy blew up the boat and absconded to escape creditors. Since she's the prime subject, she has a lot to gain by proving her theory, and she sets out to do so.
Accompanying Sherri on her quest to discover what Jimmy was involved in is intriguing, interesting and ranges from hilarious to heart-wrenching. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, Sex in a Sidecar, published just last month.
I was feeling a bit sniffly, and it was a good excuse to retire early, but stay up waaay too late.
Sherri Travis describes herself as "white trash" (which is really just a persona she adopts when she doesn't want people to see how smart she really is). She tends bar at the upscale Sunset in Jacaranda, a small town in Florida, a job she's happy with because she can play golf during the day. When she hears that her estranged husand's boat has exploded with him on board, Sherri is at work, but a witness claims she was on the boat shortly before it blew up.
Sherri knows she is innocent; in fact, she's convinced that Jimmy blew up the boat and absconded to escape creditors. Since she's the prime subject, she has a lot to gain by proving her theory, and she sets out to do so.
Accompanying Sherri on her quest to discover what Jimmy was involved in is intriguing, interesting and ranges from hilarious to heart-wrenching. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, Sex in a Sidecar, published just last month.
September 12, 2010
Sherri is a fiesty young woman who works nights as a bartender in a small town in Florida. so she can spend her days playing golf. The novel begins with Sherri receiving the news that her husband, who she's separated from, has been killed when his boat exploded. Sherri has doubts about what has happened since she is well aware that her husbands isn't whiter than white.
Sherri is a thoroughly modern heroine, willing to stand up for herself but also well aware of the dangers she puts herself in. She is smart-mouthed but does not come across as macho.
Smallman's descriptions of small town Florida are enticing. The fictional characters have little to do with the tourists who visit the area and would prefer their little bit of paradise to be unknown, the author has probably done the complete opposite with her descriptions of the area.
The plot builds slowly but with enough pace to keep the reader hooked. Impossible to guess who until the very end, we're also left with Sherri's nagging doubt until the end of the book. Overall I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this and will look out for more in the series.
Sherri is a thoroughly modern heroine, willing to stand up for herself but also well aware of the dangers she puts herself in. She is smart-mouthed but does not come across as macho.
Smallman's descriptions of small town Florida are enticing. The fictional characters have little to do with the tourists who visit the area and would prefer their little bit of paradise to be unknown, the author has probably done the complete opposite with her descriptions of the area.
The plot builds slowly but with enough pace to keep the reader hooked. Impossible to guess who until the very end, we're also left with Sherri's nagging doubt until the end of the book. Overall I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this and will look out for more in the series.
December 3, 2010
#1 Sherri Travis Mystery
4.5 stars
What a great mystery read! Sherri Travis is a bartender in Jacaranda, Florida. Her world is turned upside down when her estranged husband's boat explodes and the police investigate.
Jimmy's known for his lying, scheming and checkered, which leads Sherri to wonder if Jimmy was even aboard his boat when it exploded. Could this be just one more get-rich-quick scheme Jimmy devised? Is he running from an angry husband or maybe creditors?
Lots of colorful characters, very entertaining sub-plots. I loved the armchair tour of the west coast of Florida.
This was just a delightful book! I'm happy to see the series has a book 2 and 3.
#1 Margarita Nights
#2 Sex in a Sidecar
#3 A Brewski for the Old Man
4.5 stars
What a great mystery read! Sherri Travis is a bartender in Jacaranda, Florida. Her world is turned upside down when her estranged husband's boat explodes and the police investigate.
Jimmy's known for his lying, scheming and checkered, which leads Sherri to wonder if Jimmy was even aboard his boat when it exploded. Could this be just one more get-rich-quick scheme Jimmy devised? Is he running from an angry husband or maybe creditors?
Lots of colorful characters, very entertaining sub-plots. I loved the armchair tour of the west coast of Florida.
This was just a delightful book! I'm happy to see the series has a book 2 and 3.
#1 Margarita Nights
#2 Sex in a Sidecar
#3 A Brewski for the Old Man
July 1, 2012
Poorly written, confusing, and fails to follow key mystery conventions - particularly that the reader should have enough information that they could have solved the mystery themselves. The author tells the reader everything instead of showing through dialogue and action. Certain characters have little use in the plot beyond acting as an uninteresting subplot, the two gay characters being prominent examples. The one character who has a mental illness is treated as a plot device rather than a real character. The narrator's personality seems inconsistent.
I got this book for free as a Kobo ebook, and I have to say that even if you get the same deal it's not worth the time it takes to download the novel.
I got this book for free as a Kobo ebook, and I have to say that even if you get the same deal it's not worth the time it takes to download the novel.
January 12, 2013
Sherri Travis Mystery #1? Meaning there is a Sherri Travis Mystery #2? Um, pass.
Maragarita Nights is just a cast of largely irrelevant characters combined with a dull plot and terrible writing. I can only assume that the author is setting up this series like one of those crime or courtroom tv shows where every episode can stand on its own but there's all this stuff going on in the background that has nothing to do with the case at hand but is needed to develop the characters for future episodes and to keep people coming back for more. Good in theory but just a total bust for me. I don't want to read anything else by this author and it baffles me that she has received recognition for her work.
Maragarita Nights is just a cast of largely irrelevant characters combined with a dull plot and terrible writing. I can only assume that the author is setting up this series like one of those crime or courtroom tv shows where every episode can stand on its own but there's all this stuff going on in the background that has nothing to do with the case at hand but is needed to develop the characters for future episodes and to keep people coming back for more. Good in theory but just a total bust for me. I don't want to read anything else by this author and it baffles me that she has received recognition for her work.
January 14, 2013
I would like to actually rate this book 3 1/2. Sherri Travis is a bartender, separated from her husband, Jimmy. The police tell her Jimmy's boat exploded and he was on board. She isn't so sure Jimmy is dead as he was meticulous about the workings of his boat. Jimmy came from a wealthy family and worked at a local golf course as their head pro. Sherri's mother lived in a run down trailer par; as a result she never was accepted by his family. Jimmy, unfortunately was out for a good time, even though it seemed he did truly still love Sherri. She believes the police are considering her suspect #1 so she decides to do some investigating on her own. Then, it seems the killer has his sights set on her. An enjoyable book and an easy read.
September 30, 2012
I'd like to give this one 3 1/2 stars. I liked it, but it moved slowly in places for me. I liked the characters & their relationships, & I did a lot of guessing throughout the book. The characters were interesting enough to make me want to read more of the series, but I'm a series addict who doesn't need much of a reason to move forward.
This book made me want to move to Florida or at least visit . It made me want to hang out in a bar with a group of regulars who would call out my name as I entered the building each evening. It made me want a frozen margarita with salt on the rim, top shelf, of course. Hhmmm, I may have had these dreams & desires before the book though.
This book made me want to move to Florida or at least visit . It made me want to hang out in a bar with a group of regulars who would call out my name as I entered the building each evening. It made me want a frozen margarita with salt on the rim, top shelf, of course. Hhmmm, I may have had these dreams & desires before the book though.
May 26, 2012
I got this as a free ebook for my kobo and I had a choice between two book- this one seemed the better choice over the two. I was pleasantly surprised how much i enjoyed reading the book and couldn't put it down. Sherri was an interesting character who was put in a bad situation. She had a bit of an attitude but there was an over all humbleness that surround her that made her likable and you could see why she had so many friends. I liked that you couldn't figure out the book in the earlier chapters- i had it pinned on Jimmy's golf partners and then her friend...
I think my mom would like it and it would be a great vacation book too!
I think my mom would like it and it would be a great vacation book too!
June 27, 2012
I received an offer for a free e-book, and of the two choices, this one seemed more promising, though I didn't have high expectations. It took me far longer to read than it should have because it was so badly written. There were many pages of dialogue where it wasn't made clear who was speaking, and I had to read quite a few passages more than once just to figure it out. Despite that, I found myself unwilling to set it aside as I became drawn into the story, and I'd even consider reading another Sherri Travis novel some time.
August 14, 2011
I had seen this series on the publisher's website but hadn't read it. Then, I was going on vacation and the Kobo edition was on sale. I couldn't resist. I got the first two - Margarita Nights and Sex in Sidecar. I enjoyed them both. The protagonist is NOT detective-like. She's quite different. I also enjoyed the author's descriptions of Florida fauna and flora.
I'm gonna get my hands on more books in this series.
I'm gonna get my hands on more books in this series.
April 1, 2012
I got this book free on Kobo - a promotion. Wouldn't normally choose this kind of book - a light mystery - but found it engaging. It is set in southwest Florida, with lots of action taking place along the Tamiama Highway. Because I have been to Naples, Florida twice, I was able to somewhat relate geographically.
It is essentially a story about land redevelopment deals nd the mystery becomes "Where's Jimmy?"
It is essentially a story about land redevelopment deals nd the mystery becomes "Where's Jimmy?"
April 6, 2012
I've never heard or read this author before but it kept me interested throughout. I liked her style of writing enough to buy another book, Sex in a Sidecar, which is the 2nd in the series. Even though there were 50+ chapters, the chapters were so short (sometimes 3 pages long) you got through them quickly. The main character is a bartender with white trash roots. She's tough, intelligent and independant (I can't stand heriones that depend on the man to save their ass).
April 20, 2012
Sherri Travis is a new breed of woman. Bartender at night, scratch golfer by day. Lucky with friends but not so lucky at love. We're thrown right into the thick of the story and my attention never waivered. She becomes a sleuth by accident when her husband's boat blows up and she is the # 1 suspect with the police. Can't wait to read her next book!
September 23, 2012
I enjoyed this light-weight mystery with bar tender, Sherri Travers, as the heroine. She is actually the prime suspect in the murder of her husband, and has many escapades, coming out on top of course. There are some interesting characters, it's a bit fragmented, but a good quick read after some heavy stuff lately.
March 29, 2013
This book, by a Canadian author, was recommended to me by an acquaintance at my monthly bookclub. The member raved about it and said that I must read it and I did, unfortunately it does not live up to its billing. A very easy read but the real mystery for me was how the author got this published in the first place.
March 15, 2016
A bit of John D MacDonald with a little Dave Barry thrown in!!! How can you not enjoy a book when the main character is poor white trash. Only in Florida!!! Glad I started with book one - will look forward to the sequels!! The only thing that grated on my nerves was her calling the road Tamiami all the time - locals refer to it as 41!!! Otherwise, an accurate picture of the Sunshine State!!
May 14, 2012
Did not like this book at all. Had a hard time continue to read this book. I didnt like the plot development nor the characters. This was a free book from KOBO's monthly book club. I try to stick with a book til the end but this was hard.
August 23, 2012
I enjoyed the characters and the story line. Sherri was a strong character amongst her quirky friends and family. However, the formatting/editing was poor and made it hard to follow conversations that took place.
January 26, 2013
It's pretty cozy, which isn't generally my thing. It's fun, though, and not a bad story. I would say, though if you can find it in paperback, go that route. The Nook e-book file had a few formatting issues that made conversations hard to follow from time to time.
February 14, 2013
I am partway into the second book in this series now, and I still can't decide if I like the protagonist. The mystery moves pretty well, but the writing is only OK so far. Definitely not a bad beach read, but I am withholding judgement until I have read a bit more in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews