Tear Down and Die

Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery #1

by Joanna Campbell Slan

A spin off from the Kiki Lowenstein Mysteries.
After her parents die within six months of each other and her son goes off to college, savvy entrepreneur Cara Mia Delgatto decides to construct a new life for herself. A road trip leads to her grandfather's home on the picturesque Treasure Coast of Florida, where she impulsively snaps up a "tear down," a building scheduled for the wrecking ball--only to discover it's already occupied by a fresh corpse. While Detective Lou Murray tries to nail the killer to the wall, Cara Mia enlists the help of two new friends to open a store specializing in one-of-a-kind, recycled, and repurposed items. But before she can get down to brass tacks, Cara Mia decides to help Lou figure out "whodunit," because she's been painted into the picture as one of the prime suspects. To make matters more complicated, tensions are building with Cooper Rivers, an old boyfriend. Cara Mia wonders whether her second chance at love will pan out--or if her carefully constructed fantasies will lead her to a new life behind bars. Includes Crafts-Skye Blue's Sparkling Votives and Recipes-MJ Austin's Pineapple Casserole, Skye Blue's Broccoli Soup, and Cara Mia Delgatto's Clams in Garlic Wine Broth.
BONUS: You can win a sea heart necklace.
Plus Bonus Excerpt from "Kiki and Cara Mia's Holiday Celebration"

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

307 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 4, 2013

About the author

National bestselling and award-winning author Joanna Campbell Slan was born in Jacksonville, Florida, but she grew up in a small town in Indiana. After graduating from Ball State University with a degree in journalism, she worked as a newspaper reporter, a newspaper ad salesperson, a television talk show host, a college teacher, a public relations professional, and a motivational speaker. In that capacity, she was named by Sharing Ideas Magazine as “one of the top 25 speakers in the world.”

Slan's work has appeared in five of the New York Times Bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and one of those became a television show. She is the author of nearly 80 books, nonfiction and fiction, including Death of a Schoolgirl, which won the 2013 Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence.

Joanna's personal essays have appeared in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and one was made into a television program on the Pax Network. The college textbook Joanna wrote—Using Stories and Humor: Grab Your Audience—has been praised as an invaluable resource by Benjamin Netanyahu’s speechwriter and endorsed by Toastmasters, International.

RT Book Reviews has called Joanna “one of mystery’s rising stars.” Her first novel—Paper, Scissors, Death—was an Agatha Award finalist. It features Kiki Lowenstein, a spunky single mom who lives in St. Louis. The sixth book in that series will be released Summer 2013.

Kirkus Reviews has said, “Slan’s mysteries are most valuable for the well-developed characters and the issues they raise.” RT Book Reviews has said, “Kiki is so darn entertaining that she’ll keep readers hooked.” A series of short stories featuring Kiki are available on Kindle.

Joanna’s newest series—The Jane Eyre Chronicles—began with Death of a Schoolgirl (Berkley) and continues with the release of Death of a Dowager. The series features Charlotte Brontë’s classic heroine Jane Eyre as an amateur sleuth.

As “Lila Dare,” Joanna has penned the fourth book in the Southern Beauty Shop series—Wave Good-bye.

Joanna is married to David Slan. The Slans live on Jupiter Island, Florida.

Website: www.JoannaSlan.com

Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/JoannaCampbel...

Twitter: @JoannaSlan

Reviews

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ English Ebook 🦋🦋🦋
I said that I would write a review later.
**** Hal Humberger was now my sworn enemy. How could he allowed this to happen to Elsie’s shop ? This place was sacred to me - and To my family. Leaning my forehead against the cool glass, I closed my eyes and gave myself over to pleasant memories. I daydreamed of Summer evenings when my parents opened the Windows to let the sweet sent of salt from the ocean. ****
A Nice sweet cozy mystery this was. Just one you would like to read with the fire on and a blanket over my knies. And do not forget the coffee and bonbons.
Cara Mia is a person who you only wish the best for. She had a difficult time but still like to go and smell the roses. When her car, Black Beauty, breaks down and she drops it of at her grandfather, who has a auto repair shop, she is trown into a story she at first did not seek for. But she does not want to let her grandfather down. Cara Mia is now on the list of like able characters for me. The bad person in the story was not directory clear to me. Only thing I did not like was the open ending ! 🦋🦋🦋

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was selected for my May Book Club read. The gal who picked it said it was a light read for summer. All I could think was "Oh, no" as I am not into 'beach reads'. I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the book (at least for the most part; more about that later).

The book opens with Cara Mia Delgato in the vet's office as she puts her dog down.

Cara Mia is in St Louis, but planning to leave to start her life over again. Her son, Tommy, is a freshman at Miami University, so she heads that way to spend Parent's Weekend with him. First, she stops in Stuart FL to spend some time with her maternal grandfather, Poppy. Poppy owns the Gas E Bait (it is explained that the cheap sign painter Poppy hired made the & into an E). So many things happen to Cara as she 'navigates' Stuart: she buys a building under false pretenses, she finds a dead body in that building and she rescues a chihuahua who is thrown out of a speeding truck's window. There is also a mystery to solve: what happened to a 'boatload' of Highwaymen paintings that the previous owner of her building had owned; who stole them?

I identified with
-Putting my dog down (a chow mix the day before Thanksgiving in 2015)
-St Louis and the Cardinals (Poppy is wearing a Cardinals hat at some point)
-Highwaymen Pictures (I have one hanging on my wall
-White Chihuahua - that is what I have now. My little one broke her leg in a freak accident; the chihuahua in the story broke his hind leg as he hit the pavement after being thrown from the window.
-Florida (that is where I live now)

So what annoyed me? All the poor phrasing, typing errors and poor set-up of the book to Kindle format (I counted at least 10 words that were hyphenated when they did not need to be). I wish the author had more pride in her work than to let this sneak through.

The ending was abrupt and not all questions were answered. Obviously, the author wants us to buy book #2.

Bottom line: story 4.5 stars; bad formatting 2.5 stars

Final rating: 3.5 stars which I will round up to 4

[Sandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book. The first in a spin-off series from the Kiki Lowenstein series. This one is about Cara Mia starting a new life after her son heads off to college. A murder mystery, a possible romance and a cast of interesting characters, each of whom I want to know better.
There is just so much story in this story. An ailing grandfather with a business he can't keep up by himself, a detective who may be in love with Cara Mia's new friend, a new business to set up and develop, a new pet, an old boyfriend with a new fiancee, a son in college and a not-so-nice ex husband. I couldn't put it down and am looking forward to the next book.

[Sandy Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Slan was a new-to-me author when I just happened to enter and win a give-a-way on a book blog some months ago. This book had been sitting on my bookshelf for a while until I decided to give it a go & I am really glad I read it.
A true "cozy" mystery with a good storyline, likeable characters and more than a couple twists and surprises.
I'll be keeping my eye out for the second installment of the Cara Mia Delgato mystery series.

[Paula Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Really wish I had the whole set. I read this in a day, & I can't wait to see how the series turns out.

[Angela Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

I really enjoyed reading this book. I actually couldn't put it down.It was good until the end.Thank you for writing such a good book

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tear Down and Die by Joanna Campbell Slan

Cara Mia Delgatto had decided to make a new start in life once both her parents have passed away,. She had decided to head to Florida. Her son, Tommy is a freshman at the University of Miami and she was heading there for Parents weekend. As she started on her way her car started to putter out and she made it to Stuart, Florida. Her grandfather lived there and she new he will be able to get her car up and running like new. Poppy was happy to see her but he himself has been on the grumpy side and feeling rather ill. Once she had seen his gas station she decided to clean it up for him. She found out that her former boyfriend was going to set up a new gas station across the street in which stands Essie Feldman's store the Treasure Chest. Cara went to Mr. Humberg to try and stop the purchase of sale he thought she was someone else and she signed her name to the contract. Low and behold she owned the Treasure Chest.
She had dinner with her grandfather and told him about her news, let's just say he was non to please at the prospect of his granddaughter buying the Treasure Chest and he left in a huff. Instead of staying with Poppy she had decided that she would get her sleeping bag and stay in the apartment above the Treasure Chest. As she walked up and fumbling around in the dark she had tripped over a leg. Once she looked down she realized it was the real estate agent Mr. Humberg who was lying dead on the floor. Cara rushed to Pumpernickel's the place she had dinner to call for the police.
Already with her stay in Staurt, Florida she had made a friend in Skye the waitress from the Pumpernickel. Manage to upset her grandfather, surprised a killer, bumped into her old flame and trying to get her new store up in running. Will the police be able to catch the killer before he goes after his next target.

[Teresa Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Booksprouts and this is my honest opinion. Tear Down and Die is your typical cozy mystery and as such, fairly enjoyable. I liked all of the characters for the most part, and even though the idea of a civilian being able to solve a murder that the police can't (which is just the nature of the beast), irritates me, at least this time the detective isn't portrayed as a bumbling oaf. I really like Cara's two new friends Skye and MJ, and looked forward to learning more about their pasts, because they obviously have a few skeletons in their closets. (Notice I said "looked forward".)
That being said, there were several things I didn't like about the book; first and foremost - I HATE cliffhangers!!!! Please warn me ahead of time and I will gladly wait until I can get the first two or three books in the series and binge read. But let me get into a book that ends on a cliffhanger without any warning and I just may ditch the series altogether. Also, I felt that while it was apparent that Skye and MJ have "interesting pasts" they weren't fully developed personalities. I liked their characters, what I learned of them, but they felt more of a backdrop for Cara than full-fledged, individual characters. And the character of Cooper, Cara's long-lost love? Who would want him? Talk about flighty and untrustworthy? Thanks but no thanks.
And there's another thing that is confusing for me. This is being treated as a new release, but it's not, which was really weird to me. I went to check out the book on Amazon and noticed that there were over 200 reviews already. Come to find out, the whole series is being re-released. I have no idea why someone would do that. Granted the covers are different but from reading the previous reviews it doesn't sound as if the content was re-edited (not if the typos I noted were any indication!).
I may try the next book in the series and hope for a better resolution than this one. If not, Ciao, Cara Mia!!!!

[Roxx Tarantini · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Second chances,” she said. “That's what life's all about. Don't you ever doubt it.”

Starting over stories are my favourite kind of story; and Cara Mia Delgatto is starting over in spades.   She'd been a dutiful daughter and mother for twenty years; now she was going to live for herself.   Her plans get temporarily derailed by her car's fuel pump.   Then she buys an old run down building while out for a walk.   But everything really goes to pot when she stumbles over a dead body while trying to find the lights in that old run down building.

And enter Detective Lou Murray.   Cara Mia isn't sure he's really trying to clear her of murder, so while she works on giving a ramshackle abandoned business new life, her mind keeps delving into the mystery she's sure will lead to the murderer.

Slan has crafted charming, amiable characters.   Her story unwinds into nooks and crannies that have you guessing and second guessing your suspicions.   The final wrap up is a nice twist that this reader wasn't expecting.   This is a great read; can't wait to see what Cara Mia gets up to next!

[I received a copy of this book from the author via BookSprout, for an honest review of the book.   The opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.]

[Krystyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Missed an obvious clue right at the start.

A good read, not brilliant as the victim had victim in flashing lights and the motive was clear tool however the who kept me guessing longer. The characters are clear and clean although the main one surprised me. Being cheated on by her ex I was surprised that she nearly did almost the same thing. The dog is cute but .... not much of a guard dog is he? Surprised too hat not even one of the paintings was given to her, after all finders fee should have kicked in.
Buying the shop was just an error by the realtor but now that she has it, what is she going to do? An argument with her grandfather, a body in her new shop, suspect number one and a store she has no idea what she's going to do with. Then there's her first love and his fiance (who looks remarkably like her mother), diabetes and threats. Can she open the store with the two women she has gotten close too? Will she discover the identity of the killer and the why?

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a new author is a new author for me and the first of new series featuring Cara Mia Delgatto a character from her Scrap-N-Craft series. Car a is driving to Florida to visited her son. She stops of to see her Grandfather in the Treasure Coast of Florida. Due to series of mistakes she buys a tear down old building. Entering it for the first time she stumbles over a corpse. Cara becomes a person of interest. A great deal of background is written and there are turns in the story. She meets new friends, Skye and MJ along with an old boyfriend, Cooper Rivers. Her Grandfather's garage needs work and he is in the hospital. Cara must clear herself, start a new business and help her Grandfather. Will she succeed before someone else is killed?
I received a free copy from the author for a honest review and the opinions are my own. I have new books to add to my TBR list.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute beginning to a spin-off from the Kiki Lowenstein series. Cara Mia is a fun and engaging leading lady (much like Kiki is) and Campbell Slan does not disappoint with her secondary cast of characters. All of the new players are quirky and engaging and the mystery almost takes a backseat to getting to know these individuals. The suggested potential romance between Cara Mia and Cooper is a nice added bonus and there are plenty of reasons to hope these characters continue on in their own series of books. Here's to more of these pleasant reads!

[Cozybooklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. I really enjoy the Kiki Lowenstein series and this one was just as good.
Cara Mia is a fun character and I was able to lose myself completely in the story.
For anyone who enjoys a good, well told story, you will want to check this one out.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars - English Ebook

I've never read any of the Kiki Lowenstein books so I didn't know anything about the Cara Mia Delgatto character but I have to say that I wasn't overly taken with her.

She seemed to be all over the place in my opinion. She was completely intent on driving to see her son in college but when car trouble throws a wrench into those plans, she stops in the town where her estranged grandfather lives and ends up buying a local antique store and building.

Murder occurs close by but the focus of the book is more on the store coming together and less on an investigation. Don't get me wrong, there is an investigation but it seems to take a back seat to the other things going on in Cara Mia's life.

[Marion Ryder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure about it at first but after just a little while I was so into it that It was over before I knew it. Cara, MJ, and Skye make such a good group, it is nice to have people that just click in a story. This is one you will not regret reading

[Shannon M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read any of the Kiki Lowenstein books so I didn't know anything about the Cara Mia Delgatto character but I have to say that I wasn't overly taken with her. She seemed to be all over the place in my opinion. She was completely intent on driving to see her son in college but when car trouble throws a wrench into those plans, she stops in the town where her estranged grandfather lives and ends up buying a local antique store and building. Murder occurs close by but the focus of the book is more on the store coming together and less on an investigation. Don't get me wrong, there is an investigation but it seems to take a back seat to the other things going on in Cara Mia's life. The one things I really didn't like about it was the slight "paranormal" aspect that comes in from time to time. I'm not sure if I'm going to go on and read the next in the series or not. I'll have to give it more thought.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Evelyn Grabas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the storyline was good, the fact that this book was not properly proofread caused its reading enjoyment to be impaired. Nothing ruins the rhyme of reading a book more than having to rearrange words or add words to make a sentence make sense.
Add to this the fact that this book, although purportedly part of a series, is, in fact part of a serial. It cannot be seen as being a standalone when so many things are left hanging at the end of the book.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, as the case may be, this kind of book is not my cup of tea. I don't watch any kind of serial (including soaps) on tv, so why would I want to do it with a book where I would have to wait heaven only knows how long for the next book to come out.
All in all, I will not be continuing with this series and will have to fill in, in my own mind, what happens to Cara Mia, her sister and Cooper, among other things.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apparently I didn't learn from reading the Kiki Lowenstein books...this author wouldn't know a strong woman if they kicked her in the face! Her heroines are all sappy weak-willed doormats! I hate this type of character. The back story of reopening the Treasure Chest is interesting but the sudden surprise is unrealistic at best and extremely inplausable. Not to mention the poor excuses for men in this book. And no one can answer a freakin question truthfully, too much drama and storming out without actual talking. I have to make note to never read anything by this author again!

[Dawna Boudreaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where is the love? The title suggests a love story along with a cozy mystery however there is no real love story to be found. There are so many clues to keep you guessing about the mystery however there is also a lot of extraneous info that could have been left out that slows the story down and frustrates the reader. The story comes to an abrupt end like the author was trying to meet a deadline. Hopefully the next in the series is better.

[Kenya Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm...

Well, I finished the book, so that's saying something. It started a little slow for me and I found the main character to be annoying. The book did finally get interesting; although I solved the mystery before the book provided it. The book did have some editing mistakes that need to be corrected. I hate that it ended on a cliffhanger. What's up with that?

[Jo Ann Tiller · Rating 1 out of 5]

Medically incorrect and moronic

I stopped reading this story at the point where they were looking for a pulse in the jugular vein. Veins don't have pulses; arteries do. Clearly not much good research done here.

[Short, Sweet and Cozy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Antique shop, new friends, cozy mystery

Tear Down and Die is the debut book in Joanna Campbell Slan’s Cara Mia Delgado Mystery series and it is off to a good start. Cara Mia is headed to FL to visit her son at college. Her car breaks down in Stuart, FL where her grandfather Poppy lives. Poppy owns a gas station and bait store. While she is there she buys a building right out from under her ex boyfriend Cooper. She is planning to stay overnight in it until she finds a dead body. Cara meets Skye at the local restaurant and they instantly become friends. Skye talks Cara into hiring MJ because she worked with Essie, the former owner of an antique store. The three become friends and go into business together. I loved that part of the story. Their back stories weren’t at all cozy and I found myself cringing. (Trigger Warning). Cooper and Cara reconnect but there are a few surprises there. Poppy isn’t likable at the beginning but is ok by the end. The cozy mystery is good and kept me guessing. I am looking forward to more books in this series. I was provided an audiobook digital copy for review by Joanna Campbell Slan for free and I voluntarily leave this review. #TearDownAndDie #CaraMiaDelgattoMystery
#SpotOnPublishing
#JoannaCampbellSlan

[Melissa Dinwiddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If You Like Second Chances, You Might Just Love Cara Mia

Cara Mia Delgatto is a character from the Kiki Lowenstein series of mysteries, and Kiki herself makes a cameo appearance here. If you like the Kiki series, you’ll likely enjoy this book.

Cara Mia is finding her way at a transition point in her life. Having lost both parents in six months and sold the family restaurant, with her son away at college, she strikes off for Florida, with plans to spend a week in the sun before Parents Weekend at her son’s university.

Instead, car troubles send her on a detour that turns into an extended adventure, including stumbling over a dead body!

We learn all sorts of family secrets and character backstories over the course of this novel, and Cara Mia discovers a direction and purpose she never knew she had.

A little soda-pop-fluffy at times, but hey, sometimes that’s exactly what the doctor ordered. And Joanna Slan’s heroines don’t just sit around and wait for a big, strong man to rescue them—gotta love that! Plus I always learn something in a Joanna Slan novel, which I appreciate.

Heartwarming.

[Sue Parrish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Cara Mia Delgatto is an empty nester and ready for a change in her life. She is on her way to visit her son who is in college in Florida. She has car trouble and takes it to her grandfather to repair. She impulsively buys a building that is slated to be torn down. After an argument with her grandfather, she decides to sleep in the building she bought. However, upon entering, she trips over the dead body of the realtor she tricked into selling her the building. There are lots of suspects including both Cara Mia and her grandfather and several missing valuable paintings. She meets two women who agree to help her get the building in shape to open a new business. I figured out who the killer was but it was later in the story. I also correctly figured out where the missing paintings were. There were some loose story threads like an unknown sister who is engaged to Cara Mia's former boyfriend that I assume will be handled in later books. I am interested in reading more in the series. I won a free copy of the book in a drawing, but the opinions expressed are mine.

[SweetT · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is considered a cozy murder mystery, and I normally really enjoy this genre. The pros about this story are that it's free from the current trend of extreme foul language, and the ending has a little suspense.
The cons list is quite a bit longer. There is just way to many unbelievable scenarios. There is no way that a person can randomly buy a building by signing a contract that was ment for someone else and have it legally binding. That act is what the entire story is built around. I was actually annoyed with how unrealistic this plot was. In addition, the main character, a middle aged female with a college aged son, runs into an old boyfriend and almost immediately ends up making out with him in his office only to have his fiance walk in on them. Here again, it's just way to unbelievable. The majority of this book is filled with far-fetched silly scenes that are ridiculous. I have no desire to read any other books in this series.
On a side note, I found several misspelled words and double words. I'm not sure if this was because it was on the Kindle.

[Becky Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good mystery and Second Chance at Love book 1 gives you just that. Cara Mia is starting over in life. She's on a new adventure and driving cross country to see her soon. I love that fate brought her to her Poppy's home town. She is sweet and caring and trying to look out for her Poppy. In this little town of Treasure Coast you meet a few different characters along the way. You have Skye who is artistic and you know is holding back secrets of her own. MJ a fabulous lady with a whole lot of connections. Cooper ex boyfriend/first love of Cara Mia. Jodi is Cara Mia's ex's fiancé. Let's not forget the police force too. You will love each and everyone in this book as they work to solve the mystery behind a few things. I can't wait to read more books in the second chance series.

[Chelsea e · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cara Mia is off on a new adventure – she sold her home and family business, packed up and left St Louis behind.

Unsure of what the next chapter in her life will bring, Cara Mia heads South to Florida for parents week at her son’s college in Miami. Cara Mia’s plans are derailed when she experiences car trouble near the quaint town of Stuart - also home to her crabby grandfather “Poppy.” Plenty of surprises are in store- a new business, new friends and- of course- a murder mystery.

The characters are well-developed, likeable and interesting (even the supporting characters) and the storyline is engaging. It is an enjoyable and easy to read book with lots of surprises! I also enjoyed the bits of Florida history. Great start to the series and I will continue on!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Tear Down and Die. Cara Mia Delgatto travels from St. Louis, Missouri to Stuart, Florida. Before going to visit her son at his college, she goes to see her Poppy (Dick Potter) at his Dick's Gas E Bait gas station to get work done on her car. She ends up staying in Stuart and buying the building currently housing Trash to Treasures. Unfortunately, she discovers the real estate agent, Hal Humberger dead in her building! This story has a couple of mysteries to solve, a lot of interesting characters, some long held secrets discovered, and the appearance of Cooper Rivers--Cara's teen-aged boyfriend, who is engaged to be married. I can't wait to see what happens next!

[J Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great start to a new cozy series!

This book has so many great parts, but I do not want to be a spoiler. Cara Mia Delgatto is an unlikely sleuth, but a really good business person who just needs a new life and she finds it in Stuart, Florida. The characters are relatable and likable, even her cranky grandfather. Backstories are revealed without dragging down the pace and there are enough twists, possible romance, and suspense to make it a fun read. There is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end but it did not detract from the story – just whetted my interest in the next book of the series. Anyone who likes cozy mysteries will enjoy this book.

[Dahlia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not a bad book, it just really didn’t fit my taste. If there hadn’t been a murder this could be a woman’s fiction book. Wich sadly is a genre I don’t enjoy. The main character was likable enough but then she went and made some decisions that were terrible. Her reasoning was even worse. There was a point were she is caught kissing a engaged man and doesn’t really feel bad, when she herself has been cheated on. Even worse, her thinking to herself that she had him first. Revering to like 20 years in the past were they had a fling.
The mystery was a bit to predictable for me .I wished aswell that the side characters were more distinct so they could be kept apart better.