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The Trouble With Marty

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MEET MARTY WHEELER

Say hello to the dashing and otherwise charming estate attorney named Marty Wheeler. Attorney Wheeler is a prominent member of the community of Brentwood, whose life is about to turn upside down when he takes on his most baffling client to date, the very rich, yet, quite mysterious and aloof Jameson Bradford.

MEET THE SIDEKICK

Helping Marty navigate through the murky waters of his law practice is his summer intern, the highly strung and very sarcastic young lady, Bailey Martin. The attractive and quirky strawberry blonde is a soon-to-be college Senior at Duquesne University studying pre-law. She also happens to be the daughter of Marty’s ex-girlfriend, Vanessa. As such, the young Miss Martin soon proves to be quite an equalizer for Marty, who manages to keep the otherwise cocksure attorney from getting too comfortable with himself.

SEX, COMEDY, AND SUSPENSE?

How about all three? In creating this novel, first-time author DC Chase creates a genre called Sexspense. As the merged name implies, this novel features both elements, along with many Fletch-like comical moments, to keep the reader laughing as the sexual tension and suspense build to a surprising climax. The Trouble with Marty is the first in the Hot to Trot series, one guaranteed to be a series you’ll keep high on your reading list long after turning the final page.

462 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 3, 2023

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DC Chase

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Profile Image for Ali  O.
1,158 reviews60 followers
May 2, 2024
This is an entertaining book and fast read! Lots of humor, sex and suspense. The storyline had enough fun & intrigue which made me want to continue on!
This isn’t the type of story I generally read, but I wanted to check it out, and I’m glad I did.
This is book 2 in the Hot To Trot series.

Thank you DC Chase for an audio version of this book!
Profile Image for Sibil.
1,831 reviews75 followers
November 23, 2023
3.75 stars
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I'll try to write a bullet review for this one, so here we are.
Things that I really really enjoyed (in no particular order):
1) short chapters (and I really mean short). I hugely prefer shorter chapter, and here we have all 3/4 pages long chapters. It was pure bliss.
2) It flew by! The writing is smooth (is nothing special per se, but it is smooth) and the short chapters help a lot here. (Also, the plot is interesting, and the characters are not bad, and these things help here too). And it was pretty hard to put it down. It was addictive. I was constantly mumbling to myself "one page more" and then "well, okay, let's finish the chapter, it's only 2 more pages" and then "well, one more chapter". It was hard to put it down.
3) The story. It was interesting. We have a nice mystery and even if I am left with some questions, they did not bugger me so much, because I was quite invested in the story and I really enjoyed see it deploy before my eyes.
4) Marty is a good MC. He is not the best out there, he is not really so special either, but I enjoyed spending time with him quite a lot.
5) The fact that there is a lot of sex going on, because Marty is quite the horny guy, but the sex is not on the page. Sure, it is talked about a lot. And Marty (but not only him) did a lot of sex, but we do not get submersed in sex scenes. And this was a thing that I appreciated a lot!

Things I did not like (in no particular order):
1) Veronica. She is a great character at the beginning of the book, but somewhere along the story, she suffers a complete personality transplant. It is incredible, and annoying as hell.
2) The word "sexpense". You can find it in the synopsis, and first thing first, the word itself is awful. And then, I would ignore most of the things that are written in that part of the synopsis because it is not a new genre, there are books that mix sex and mystery out there (quite a lot of them) and the sexual tension that is so proudly advertised is not really there. And mind me, I enjoyed this book exactly as it is, to me this is not a bad thing. I think that the book works splendidly and I am really happy with the way it is but... but it is not like it is advertised in the last part of the synopsis.
Profile Image for Raiza.
94 reviews6 followers
November 16, 2023
I enjoyed this book A LOT! The author gave me a copy of this book for free sometime in September and the only regret I have is I didn't read this sooner. This book is way out of the genre I usually read and it didn't dissapoint. I loved the combination of humor and mystery in this story and the revelations were insane. Marty is a great storyteller I felt like I was listening to his stories in person while reading the book. I'd love to see this be turned into a movie or a sitcom. This is a gem. Such a great read! Solid 5 stars for this amazing author. I can't wait for book 2.
Profile Image for Trisha Whitson.
23 reviews
November 13, 2023
I really enjoyed this book! I have never read a book with attorneys in. The author gave me a copy of their book to read and review.

If you enjoy books with attorneys in it, then read The Trouble with Marty. I was already hooked by the first chapter.
Profile Image for Mandy.
714 reviews38 followers
April 19, 2024
This book is a captivating blend of sleekness, allure, and suspense. Its unexpected twists and turns kept me hooked from start to finish. I enjoyed the witty sense of humor throughout the book. Marty's adventures are an exhilarating ride!
Profile Image for Stephen Brayton.
153 reviews3 followers
August 26, 2024
Plot

What's the trouble with Marty Wheeler, the Brentwood attorney? Well, actually, the title is deceiving. He has many troubles. Where to begin? He's having sex with the wife of his client. He takes on a pesky new secretary who's in college, is intelligent, attractive, and the daughter of the woman he used to date. There's a bunch of letters being sent to people stirring up trouble, including a previous suspicious death and the subsequent inheritance.

Oh, the web strands are intricate and wind through the stories and side stories. There is a lot going on here. Keep up because this moves fast...well, sort of. The real mystery doesn't start to pick up speed until about a quarter of the way through. There's a lot of build-up and character introduction.

Characters

Blondie - Blonde, smokes, blue eyes, married

Marty Wheeler - attorney, drives a Dodge Challenger, 40, graduated Duquesne University, has a heard, smokes and like cigars

Vanessa martin - Marty's ex girlfriend, has a daughter, green eyes, red hair

Douglas Hughes - Blondie's husband, played football at Pittsburgh U and the NFL

Ollie Yates - 19, attends Duquesne, wears glasses, uses allergy inhaler, Dad runs a gas station

Ballie Martin - Vanessa's daughter, 21, redhead

Edward Taggert - 63, police chief, a bit overweight

There are a few other characters thrown in. The clerks down at the courthouse, another attorney who was an old fling of Marty's. Stephanie Orr. Louie.

All very well presented. I did get a kick out of Bailey's sticking her nose into everything. She had a good role in this.

There is a bit of character development, but the ending really threw everything into the mixer. I would have liked to have seen a little more foreshadowing on the true nature of some of the characters. Some of the revelations at the end were a complete surprise.

Dialogue

Everyone had distinctive voices. I had no issues with identifying who spoke if there were no tag lines.

Writing

The book is divided into titled Parts. A bit of vulgarity in a few F-bombs dropped here and there but nothing major.

The POV is 1st person from Marty in many chapters and 3rd person POV from other characters in other chapters.

Short chapters...and here's where I have a little issue. A lot of the chapters ended in what I thought was the middle of a scene. The next chapter may pick up directly after the last line or thought, but many skipped ahead to later in the day, a day later, or another future time. Sometimes logical follow-up information is given.

The book is written as if Marty is telling the story directly to the reader. I don't have a problem with it other than there's a bit of tense mix-ups even within the same sentence sometimes. It's a bit disconcerting.

We don't learn Marty's name until the third part of the introductory section.

A misspelling - droll should be drool. an instance of a missing quotation mark.

There are a few repeated phrases such as descriptions of people and the "glass houses" phrase.

There were side stories to this book that, while interesting, I wanted more information and/or relevance. For instance, there's a big scene with Ollie being attracted to Bailey at the beginning. Throughout, the two get together, date, maybe kiss, maybe but probably don't have sex. While I like the developing relationship, I didn't get enough of it. There's one scene where Ollie and Bailey are talking to each other and it's mentioned that Bailey slapped Ollie on the last date. What? What happened? That's never explained. Both come to Marty for advice, but it's never shown what he says.

Another side story deals with Russell Finch, who's a well-known author with a new book published. Everyone 's raving about him, but he has no relevance to the story other than being the fascination of Bailey and Stephanie. Recently, I heard the phrase Chekov's Gun. The concept is, if you put a gun in the story, it better be fired later. If it doesn't have importance, people will be disappointed. Why bring it in to do nothing with it? That's what I felt about this Finch person. You don't ever see him, and he and his book play no importance to the overall plot.

Let's talk about these mysterious letters that stir up problems and become the main thrust for the story. The first one is sent to a a retired woman and contains something that accuses the husband of cheating. We never discover what it says...and it doesn't seem to have any relevance to the other letters which do have importance.

These letters deal with the Bradford family. Wife dies in an accident that may be suspicious. There's confusion among the characters about the wills and the inheritance, and the whole thing gets intricate and intriguing.

One issue I have is that Marty gets pretty uptight about these letters at the start even though he's not directly involved, yet. He really overreacts and I didn't see why.

At the end, Taggert, like a stereotypical P.I., brings all of the players together in one room—in a library for some unknown reason—to lay out the case. I'm not going to play spoiler, but, as mentioned before, there are a lot of revelations and major surprises and family connections previously unknown. I like surprises, but these came like a shotgun blast. I think there might have been some clues, hints, or foreshadowing thrown in earlier.

And, Chase played unfair with the reader by not answering one major question. I don't mind finding out who killed who and what shenanigans get thrown into the spotlight, but I'm waiting for the BIG reveal...and Chase doesn't come through.

There's a lot of humor here, light-hearted action and chapters, and I sort of ended up liking Marty despite his faults. I'm torn between two ranks because I have to play fair with some of the issues here. I did enjoy the book, for the most part.

In some martial arts belt systems, there is a Low and a High rank for each color. There might be different names for these such as Recommended and Decided, and there are reasons for two "ranks" within a rank.

I didn't want to work with that type of system here in ranking the books because I thought it might be too complicated for me. But the trouble is, if I give the book a definite rank, it may not be completely justified because of some of the issues, like I've mentioned. So, while I'll give this a Purple Belt, think of it as the lower part of that rank. This book is good and it's part of a series. I wouldn't refuse another story, but there are some issues to work through.
Profile Image for Hayley.
347 reviews13 followers
December 16, 2023
I really enjoyed this book! I loved our main character Marty - considering he has an 'important' job he doesn't seem the most organised of people! I thought it was very unique in that the book was written as though Marty was talking directly to us for a lot of the time, and I really enjoyed reading the book and felt like I was just flying through the pages due to the style of it.

Marty had me laughing out loud at times but his 'assistant' / sidekick, Bailey also had me laughing as she just says things as she sees them! She also has an old head on her shoulders and was at times the sensible one of the duo!

The storyline kept me guessing along the way and I thought that the twists and turns along the way were great, and I was NOT expecting some of them!! The way everything came together at the end was just brilliant but also revealed some things that I would NEVER have guessed no matter how hard I tried!

I am really looking forward to reading the second instalment from Marty to see what he has been up to and what chaos seems to be following him around next time!
Profile Image for Theenrichmentoffiction1 .
218 reviews10 followers
April 29, 2024
forget how relaxing an audiobook can be, this one was a good time, the voice actor is really talented , fun humor and have you guessing till the end and waiting for more in the Series!

Marty is a dashing attorney who owns his own law practice, Bailey his side kick basically his assistant is usually not far from him, getting his advice on life and the cases they are dealing with at that time.

When a new case is open and there are so many ends connected anything is possible on who did what but for what motive?
Profile Image for MikeLikesBooks.
929 reviews94 followers
February 12, 2026
I have enjoyed everything I’ve read from this author. He has created a new genre called Sexspense. He mixes sex, dispense and comedy into a crime fiction novel that will have you guessing about who is the killer or killers. The reveal at the end of his novels always surprise me. If you are looking for a fun read this is it. If you listen to the audiobook you are going to love the narrator, Ross Billie.
Profile Image for Kimberly V..
172 reviews1 follower
November 10, 2023
I was given this book by the Author for an Honest Review.
This book was a fun read. I felt like the story was being told only to me.
This book is about Marty Wheeler probate attorney and the crazy small town of Brentwood PA.
The cast of characters in this small town are a little on the crazy side!
We start off with anonymous letters going out to individuals that then starts a series of events.
I found myself laughing out loud several times. There are a few deaths in this small town and because of the crazy things going on in Brentwood I couldn’t help but laugh at the last 2 deaths due to the events to lead to them. Bailey is Marty’s ex-girlfriend’s daughter who is his secretary for the summer.
Bailey brings so good comedy to this story. There are several revelations at the end of this story, but we do have a few unanswered questions. Who sent the letters and why did Marty quit his big-time law gig in the city right before he made a partner to become a probate lawyer in the small town of Brentwood.
This book is a good start for a relatively new author. I enjoyed the story and definitely had to keep reading to find out how the crazy in this town ends!

Profile Image for Kriszti.
38 reviews2 followers
August 8, 2025
A funny attorney, hot women, murder and wills.

Marty is such a main character, I really enjoyed his thoughts and lifestyle. He kind of remind me of the playboy from the show two and a half men, but make him a smart attorney.

The other characters were likeable, I could easily imagine them (even tho there was a lot!). I really like Bailey, i must say, shes an icon. And the other women? We had a lot of interesting personalities for sure.

One of my favorite part about this book is the narration. It's funny, sarcastic and often breaks the forth wall.

My main issue was the pacing. It was really slow, like it wasn't written nowadays. Now, if you pair it with it being over 400 pages, then you can see the problem. I wish we either spent less time getting to know characters or seeing Martys everyday life this much. Because for a long time, we don't even know hear abour the first crime, and I was honestly getting a bit bored.

Overall, The story is enjoyable, the plot is good, there's twists, hot women and a funny, charismatic man. What else could you ask for?
Profile Image for Emily.
Author 5 books106 followers
May 10, 2024
I binged this audiobook within a few days. It’s a genre I never really heard of, called “Sexpense” that has suspense, sexual tension, and comedy all in one. It’s done in a clever way with fun banter between the characters.

Marty is the main character, a Real Estate Attorney caught in the middle of a baffling case with a rich mysterious aloof guy Jameson Bradford.

While trying to resolve the case, it has slight murder mystery vibes too, as something bad happens along the way. Marty is also partnered with a sidekick named Bailey who is a law intern who is the daughter of a woman he used to date.

Marty seems to have luck with the ladies and it’s implied throughout with a few women, but with this being in 1st person and him talking to the audience, it’s entertaining to see what goes on in his head .

I’ll definitely be listening to the 2nd one. Also the narrator was great!
Profile Image for Burt.
23 reviews
October 19, 2023
This book was totally out of the genre of books that I normally read. However, with that being said this book was awesome. The story line and the characters were so well written. It was a nice relaxing read for me. I can not lie and say i wont read book two, because i need to know what happens to them hahahah
Profile Image for Enricé Morton.
2 reviews
May 11, 2024
Just finished "The Trouble with Marty" by DC Chase - a thrilling blend of sex, comedy, and suspense that kept me hooked until the very end! From the charming Marty Wheeler to the sassy sidekick Bailey Martin, every character had me on the edge of my seat. Huge thanks to DC Chase for this captivating read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1,126 reviews18 followers
July 23, 2024
Really enjoyable book! I like how its written and its humorous and suspenseful! Very entertaining story! I read through audible and the narrator was great!
Profile Image for AJ's Book ReMarks.
1,659 reviews41 followers
June 25, 2024
The Trouble with Marty by DC Chase is about attorney Marty Wheeler, a forty-year-old Duquesne graduate who opened his practice after almost becoming a partner with a more prominent firm. He chose to practice estate planning law in a small town called Brentwood in western Pennsylvania. Marty's character is that of an alcoholic womanizer driving an older Dodge Challenger who would rather party than work. He has a soft spot for his ex-girlfriend Vanessa Martin's daughter, Bailey, who's twenty-one years old, attending Duquesne, and thinking of becoming an attorney. Bailey needs to work and requested to work as his intern for the summer but quickly refers to herself as his business partner. Her first job is to bring files to the Department of Court Records. Paul Noble is a well-known clerk who entertains people with pictures of his latest adventures and comedic clownish ways, wondering if he is putting on an act. Then, his much stoic colleague, Frankie, and their supervisor, Marybeth, make up the department. Shawn Eaton is the supervisor of probate clerks. It appears after Vanessa and Marty's breakup; he's seeing a married woman, Blondie, a cheerleader back in the day, is married to Doug Hughes, an All-American right tackle from Pittsburg who played for the Green Bay Packers, and the person Marty represents in their divorce. Vanessa Martin started dating her ex-boyfriend, Louie Bradford, again. Talk about complicated!
There is a mystery in town about unknown threatening letters regarding Jane Bradford's Family Estate, her husband Jameson, son Louie, and daughter Stephanie. Jane died in an automobile accident, leaving her husband the sole heir to her wealthy estate, one that she was supposed to have inherited only the year before. Attorney Mimi Chung, Marty's college alum and colleague, wrote the original Last Will and Testament four years ago, but somehow, that one was missing from the records department; with four people dead, one person missing, and someone sending threatening letters, do you think that Brentwood Police Chief, Edward Taggert will solve all these issues?

DC Chase is a new author whose introductory story starts slow and choppy; it might have been better as an audiobook.
Profile Image for Abby.
276 reviews8 followers
May 1, 2024
I received an advance copy for free provided by the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is the 2nd book I am reviewing, but it is the 1st book of DC Chase. I should've read this first!

I must say this book, just like the last, is not typically the type of genre I would pick up and read. I absolutely enjoyed this book! Since I read the 2nd book, I had an idea of what to expect, but this book was very funny! I also enjoyed how engaging it was.

There definitely was tons of dry humor. There is tons of sexual tension in this storyline. I have read 2 books so far, and I feel that seems to be a running theme.

We are introduced to our main character, Marty! He is an attorney, and he is this playboy in the community. He is also joined by his ex-girlfriends daughter, who happens to start working with him as an intern because she is practicing law. She is sort of a sidekick but can play somewhat of a "chastity belt" (insert vulgar word) with her forward comments from time to time.

We follow several incidents, murders if you will! It's trying to find out who in the community was involved in all of it, if any! There is definitely one character that stands out the most that gives out strong vibes!

The ending of this, or should I say everything that comes out towards the end of it, is an entire twist. I honestly wasn't expecting the majority of it. I had my eye on who I was being pointed towards the entire storyline, and the outcome was entirely different.

It is worth the story to read!
Profile Image for Carôle Ceres.
916 reviews10 followers
July 4, 2024
I Really Didn’t Like This! Hence why it took a whole month to finish!

I listened to the audiobook version of this title. I received this title free for an honest review.

I think that I may be in the minority here, so perhaps I’m not the target audience, however, I found nothing entertaining in this narrative and because of that, I felt that it took too long to say nothing at all!

Marty is narcissistic. He may have once been a hotshot lawyer, but now he’s a drink infused womaniser! This is a long )tedious) tale about - nothing!

It takes 100 chapters, 4 parts to tell the tale of the life and associated friendships of Marty, Attorney at law. 90% of it is drinking and sleeping around - I don’t know what is entertaining about that. Then it takes 8 chapters for the epilogue!!! Maybe that’s supposed to be part of its charm, but I was not amused.

I couldn’t make up my mind about what was the subplot and then found that I didn’t really care!

I’m sorry, I’m not sure what genre this is, but it just didn’t appeal to me. If it was a farce, I didn’t get it.

The narration was…! The women pretty much sounded the same. I couldn’t really judge the narrator on this offering. I finished it because I promised an honest review.
534 reviews6 followers
May 16, 2024
The Trouble with Marty
Hot to Trot, Book 1

By: DC Chase
Narrated by: Ross Blilie

Fun, fun, FUN!

Overall: 5 of 5 stars Performance: 5 of 5 stars Story: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed: 05-16-24

When Jameson Bradford hires Marty Wheeler to rewrite his will, he has an unusual request … a request that starts a chain of events the likes of Brentwood has NEVER seen before ... “The Trouble With Marty” is HE needs a keeper, and intern, assistant, “partner of the future”, Bailey Martin is more than right for the job! Campy and fun with a naughty, light hearted, graphic novel feel, “The Trouble With Marty” strikes ALL the right notes! The quirky characters seem random .. till they’re not… and before you know it, an interweaving web is spun connecting them to an intricate plot that is far deeper than THIS listener first thought! Have no concerns, ALL is delightfully explained as the story plays out, brought to entertaining life through equally campy, spot on brilliant narration! I thoroughly enjoyed every second! Five fantastic stars!
7 reviews
October 21, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — Small town chaos, legal drama, and a whole lot of fun!

I had such a great time reading The Trouble with Marty! The whole book feels like reading a sitcom — sharp, witty, and full of unexpected twists. Marty Wheeler, an estate attorney with more charm than sense sometimes, finds himself tangled up in a mess of women, mysterious letters, wild family secrets, and small-town characters that practically leap off the page.

The pacing kept me hooked from start to finish, and the way some of the mysteries came to a head? Absolutely mind-blowing. Just when I thought I had it figured out, DC Chase threw in a curveball that left me reeling. The ending was both satisfying and teasing — perfectly setting the stage for book two.

If you like a clever mix of mystery, humor, and a dash of drama, The Trouble with Marty is definitely worth the read!
4,087 reviews53 followers
April 20, 2024
I enjoyed the narration of Ross Blilie

Marty is not the most organised of person, for a charming estate attorney. Marty life is about to turn upside down when he takes on his most baffling client, Jameson Bradford who is rich, mysterious and aloof.
With is his assistant Bailey who, is smart and full of sass I found myself laughing out loud. She also has an old head on her shoulders and was at times the sensible one of the two of them

The storyline kept me guessing along the way and I thought that the twists and turns along the way were great,
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews