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Annie Szabo #3
The Red Hot Empress
"Blevins succeeds in weaving humor, zany characters, and the occult into an entertaining mystery with serious undertones.” —Publisher’s Weekly “Great plot and insight into Gypsy culture!” ~ Library Journal, starred review. The spicy Szabo women would like to kick back with a lover, a good movie, and a few laughs, but life has something else in mind. One meeting with an extraordinary boy leads them headlong into another wild, and hair-raising, adventure. Annie Szabo has discovered a miracle—Jimmy Qi, a kid from Chinatown with the power to heal using music. He’s dazzling, he’s a scoundrel, he is sensitive, and he makes a great newspaper article. But now? Everyone wants Jimmy. Feeling responsible for creating San Francisco’s latest hot commodity, Annie enlists her mother-in-law, the audacious fortune-teller Madame Mina, to help keep Jimmy safe from his avid an evangelist; an ex-hero with a troubled past; the tongs; a CDC doctor; a dolphin fanatic; and an FBI agent who seems too good to be true. A set of aging twins with a vivid past and a dubious future offer Annie protection. The women have powerful alliances, and they like Annie’s style. She has reservations, but after an afternoon spent slamming back Bombay Gin with the ladies, Annie accepts their help. And then the bodies start turning up. Annie grabs Jimmy and runs, luring the killer through a tangle of Chinese New Year celebrations and north, up the deserted California coast, where she and Madame Mina force the killer to face justice. “A madcap dash through San Francisco’s Chinatown and the crumbling Haight-Ashbury district with a cast of bona fide eccentrics!” ~ Kirkus Reviews “The Red Hot Empress is witty, clever, and slyly wise—all at the same time. No doubt about it, Meredith Blevins is a magician who changes words into music.” Margaret Coel, New York Times bestselling author of ‘Wife of Moon’ “A roller-coaster thrill-ride through San Francisco’s Chinatown. Sexy, colorful, and just plain fun.” Denise Hamilton, bestselling author of ‘The Jasmine Trade.’
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2005
152 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
September 13, 2007
I really like the characters in this series. They are all so unique and fun and crazy. I also like the writing style a lot.
January 13, 2020
I love the quirky characters In this series. It’s a joy to read and imagine being friends with these kooks. I love how the relationships evolve in all their imperfections.
August 27, 2007
I stayed up late last night finishing this book. I really enjoyed it. The characters were all just so darned likeable! It's a mystery about his kid who can tone(healing through sound)& various deaths surrounding him. There's also some other supernatural elements. I would highly recommend it. I truly enjoyed the writer's style, it was easy to read and rather amusing. I will definitely look into reading more books by Blevins.
January 14, 2025
Madame Mina and Annie are back again with a wild adventure you don't want to miss!
"The Red Hot Empress" by Meredith Blevins is a wild ride you won't want to miss. The unstoppable Szabo women are back, diving headfirst into another thrilling adventure. This time, Annie Szabo discovers Jimmy Qi, a musical prodigy with the power to heal. His talent makes him an overnight sensation in San Francisco, but fame comes with a price. Dangerous forces, from a determined evangelist to a vengeful ex-hero, are all after Jimmy's gift. With the help of her bold Gypsy mother-in-law, Madame Mina, Annie is determined to protect Jimmy from those who seek to exploit him. As bodies start piling up, they find themselves in a high-stakes chase through Chinatown's New Year celebrations and up the foggy California coast. Eccentric twins and a relentless FBI agent add to the chaos, making this a nail-biting read.
The plot is rich and fast-paced, with fascinating characters and a glimpse into Gypsy traditions. The Szabo women are as fierce and resourceful as ever, outwitting their enemies at every turn. But with the killer closing in, can they deliver justice before it's too late? Or will their luck finally run out? If you're looking for a gripping read packed with suspense and excitement, "The Red Hot Empress" is your ticket. Pick up your copy now and dive into the adventure!
• ASIN: B0DQ3V2CBP
• Publisher: Rough Edges Press
• Publication Date: 1/14/2025
• File Size: 5681 KB
• Print Length: 375 pages
• Genre: Women's Crime Fiction - Mystery Series - Magical Realism
"The Red Hot Empress" by Meredith Blevins is a wild ride you won't want to miss. The unstoppable Szabo women are back, diving headfirst into another thrilling adventure. This time, Annie Szabo discovers Jimmy Qi, a musical prodigy with the power to heal. His talent makes him an overnight sensation in San Francisco, but fame comes with a price. Dangerous forces, from a determined evangelist to a vengeful ex-hero, are all after Jimmy's gift. With the help of her bold Gypsy mother-in-law, Madame Mina, Annie is determined to protect Jimmy from those who seek to exploit him. As bodies start piling up, they find themselves in a high-stakes chase through Chinatown's New Year celebrations and up the foggy California coast. Eccentric twins and a relentless FBI agent add to the chaos, making this a nail-biting read.
The plot is rich and fast-paced, with fascinating characters and a glimpse into Gypsy traditions. The Szabo women are as fierce and resourceful as ever, outwitting their enemies at every turn. But with the killer closing in, can they deliver justice before it's too late? Or will their luck finally run out? If you're looking for a gripping read packed with suspense and excitement, "The Red Hot Empress" is your ticket. Pick up your copy now and dive into the adventure!
• ASIN: B0DQ3V2CBP
• Publisher: Rough Edges Press
• Publication Date: 1/14/2025
• File Size: 5681 KB
• Print Length: 375 pages
• Genre: Women's Crime Fiction - Mystery Series - Magical Realism
May 23, 2020
I read this book for the ATY 2020 Reading Challenge Week 15: a book that takes place in a global city.
It takes place in and around San Francisco. I wanted to give this book a three-star rating, after all, it is a cozy mystery. In the end, I had to go with four stars. It is fun, funny, weird, wonderful, exciting, educational, strange, complex, and very satisfyingly human. Annie is the narrator. We bath in her thoughts. It is a bath in reality. Satisfying thoughts. Well-said thoughts. Thoughts that you and I think. Colorful thoughts. I loved the passage in The Red Hot Empress where Annie listens to her abandoned car as it bashes down the cliffs on California's coastal highway and into the Pacific Ocean: Miles and years hitting the rock, tossing off small choruses of memories as she dashed to meet the sea, sounding happy, ready to leave me. The car was wiser than I was-it had a lifetime of wear, lifetimes of laughs and food wrappers, too many kids piled inside with cats hiding under its seat. Its natural time was over, and I'd have to say goodbye. One final glug, the ocean swallowed my car. So you see with thoughts like that, writing like that, I was compelled to give it a four-star rating.
It takes place in and around San Francisco. I wanted to give this book a three-star rating, after all, it is a cozy mystery. In the end, I had to go with four stars. It is fun, funny, weird, wonderful, exciting, educational, strange, complex, and very satisfyingly human. Annie is the narrator. We bath in her thoughts. It is a bath in reality. Satisfying thoughts. Well-said thoughts. Thoughts that you and I think. Colorful thoughts. I loved the passage in The Red Hot Empress where Annie listens to her abandoned car as it bashes down the cliffs on California's coastal highway and into the Pacific Ocean: Miles and years hitting the rock, tossing off small choruses of memories as she dashed to meet the sea, sounding happy, ready to leave me. The car was wiser than I was-it had a lifetime of wear, lifetimes of laughs and food wrappers, too many kids piled inside with cats hiding under its seat. Its natural time was over, and I'd have to say goodbye. One final glug, the ocean swallowed my car. So you see with thoughts like that, writing like that, I was compelled to give it a four-star rating.
January 28, 2025
What a delight full story . Lots of mystery, love, and laughter. oh and murders.
This kooky family makes you love them even with their thorns . The story has lots of twists and turns but their big hearts keep jumping out and saving someone., or trying. The main story is to save the boy that can heal our bodies with sound. He has all kinds of people hunting him. And the family is doing what it can to get him safe and away while trying to fix their own battles. Loved it all can’t wait for next story!
This kooky family makes you love them even with their thorns . The story has lots of twists and turns but their big hearts keep jumping out and saving someone., or trying. The main story is to save the boy that can heal our bodies with sound. He has all kinds of people hunting him. And the family is doing what it can to get him safe and away while trying to fix their own battles. Loved it all can’t wait for next story!
October 5, 2017
Delightfully wacky!
There was not a dull moment in this story. There were considerable amounts of pure silliness however. Between a little Chinese boy who sings in tune with the universe and can heal people and warped FBI and CDC agents running around trying to catch him, this story goes all over the place but ends up exactly where it should be. Enjoy.
There was not a dull moment in this story. There were considerable amounts of pure silliness however. Between a little Chinese boy who sings in tune with the universe and can heal people and warped FBI and CDC agents running around trying to catch him, this story goes all over the place but ends up exactly where it should be. Enjoy.
April 10, 2018
Madcap fun
Fast paced, action packed, page turner. Very enjoyable novel with some weird but lovable characters, including dolphins and a dragon.
Fast paced, action packed, page turner. Very enjoyable novel with some weird but lovable characters, including dolphins and a dragon.
May 4, 2018
Fun and entertaining read. I love the two main characters and enjoy all the trouble to get in and out of.
June 28, 2018
See 1-3,review
August 25, 2018
Not as good as the others but still entertaining. I can always count on these to make me laugh out loud. A rare thing to be able to do.
June 5, 2019
Good as the rest! There is a fourth book: The King of Hearts, which takes place in Texas and sees the return of the Hummingbird Wizard. Pick it up when you get a chance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2020
Yet another amazing read! Chinatown is brought to life as Annie aids a young boy who is in danger in this action packed, gripping novel.
March 16, 2017
I've read the first three of the Annie Szabo mysteries now and continue to love the characters and the writing. Much was lol funny with very odd bad guys and eccentric good guys contributing to the mix. The Gypsy element was not as prominent in this story which focused on characters living in San Francisco's Chinatown including Jimmy, a 12 year old boy with healing powers based on sounds and music.
March 1, 2017
Really enjoyed this book the most so far. The characters are fantastic and so full of life!
April 29, 2017
The Red Hot Empress (Annie Szabo #3)
by Meredith Blevins
Even if I didn't think this was the best of the three books in the series, I would have given it 5 stars just on the basis of the fact that there was only one proofing error in the book (that I noticed.). In other books in the series, I have complained loud and clear about the lack of adequate proofing, and I'd love to take credit for the improvement, but as I read this in a compilation 3-in-1 book, I can't!
As usual, Blevins' writing carries the reader away on a literary feast of words and phrasing that is evocative and seductive. Her characters are drawn consistently and fully fleshed out. The reader feels he is along for the ride, experiencing the beauty, the pathos, the danger, and the caring that are part and parcel of her writing. The pacing is good, moving you deeper into the story as it progresses. There is a wonderful plot, with enough subplots to keep the reader wondering what surprise awaits the turn of a page or the flick of the reader screen.
The one mistake I found appears at 11611 (remember, I read this in a 3-in-1 compilation)on my Kindle, and is spoken by Leo: "You are very much of a which of something." Huh? I kept re-reading that page and the page before, thinking I must be missing something, but I never was able to make any sense out of this sentence.
More often I was enchanted by turns of phrase or by the relevance of passages in a book that bears a copyright of 2005. Some instances of passages I enjoyed are:
At 9999, in a conversation involving one the characters, Flora, a TV evangelist, there is a reference to a bumper sticker that reads: "God, protect me from your followers." Very timely in this year of the Ultra-Right.
Another timely phrase at 11022: "The CDC is more important than whatever knucklehead is currently in possession of the White House keys." Soon to become regrettably true.
And stuff I just loved:
At 12882, in a passage on what a new world might look like: "The few forms of remaining life would resemble cockroaches and Keith Richards."
And at 13575, in a discussion about whether men actually do any household chores and commercials for cleaning products, came this idea, that my sister and I have often discussed: "...but they use very poor grammar when making household-product commercials."
This episode of Annie Sazbo's life was especially satisfying. It had new characters, new situations, revelations, unasked for emotional entanglements, red herrings galore, unexpected villains and unexpected heroes, excitement, danger, action, and more. So, yes, if there are more in the series, I will probably keep reading about Annie and her crazy, yet enviable, life.
by Meredith Blevins
Even if I didn't think this was the best of the three books in the series, I would have given it 5 stars just on the basis of the fact that there was only one proofing error in the book (that I noticed.). In other books in the series, I have complained loud and clear about the lack of adequate proofing, and I'd love to take credit for the improvement, but as I read this in a compilation 3-in-1 book, I can't!
As usual, Blevins' writing carries the reader away on a literary feast of words and phrasing that is evocative and seductive. Her characters are drawn consistently and fully fleshed out. The reader feels he is along for the ride, experiencing the beauty, the pathos, the danger, and the caring that are part and parcel of her writing. The pacing is good, moving you deeper into the story as it progresses. There is a wonderful plot, with enough subplots to keep the reader wondering what surprise awaits the turn of a page or the flick of the reader screen.
The one mistake I found appears at 11611 (remember, I read this in a 3-in-1 compilation)on my Kindle, and is spoken by Leo: "You are very much of a which of something." Huh? I kept re-reading that page and the page before, thinking I must be missing something, but I never was able to make any sense out of this sentence.
More often I was enchanted by turns of phrase or by the relevance of passages in a book that bears a copyright of 2005. Some instances of passages I enjoyed are:
At 9999, in a conversation involving one the characters, Flora, a TV evangelist, there is a reference to a bumper sticker that reads: "God, protect me from your followers." Very timely in this year of the Ultra-Right.
Another timely phrase at 11022: "The CDC is more important than whatever knucklehead is currently in possession of the White House keys." Soon to become regrettably true.
And stuff I just loved:
At 12882, in a passage on what a new world might look like: "The few forms of remaining life would resemble cockroaches and Keith Richards."
And at 13575, in a discussion about whether men actually do any household chores and commercials for cleaning products, came this idea, that my sister and I have often discussed: "...but they use very poor grammar when making household-product commercials."
This episode of Annie Sazbo's life was especially satisfying. It had new characters, new situations, revelations, unasked for emotional entanglements, red herrings galore, unexpected villains and unexpected heroes, excitement, danger, action, and more. So, yes, if there are more in the series, I will probably keep reading about Annie and her crazy, yet enviable, life.
February 23, 2017
Annie Szabo book 3
I get peeved when an author can't keep track of her own details from book to book! But I love this character and this story! A kid in danger, good guys, bad guys, we even get an exploding chocolate factory!! The kid gets to lick a beater...
I get peeved when an author can't keep track of her own details from book to book! But I love this character and this story! A kid in danger, good guys, bad guys, we even get an exploding chocolate factory!! The kid gets to lick a beater...
November 28, 2010
Widowed journalist Annie Szabo is in San Francisco and comes to the aid of her sometimes hostile former mother-in-law Madame Mina, a gypsy fortuneteller. There's a young boy near Mina's shop in Chinatown who has a strange power. Soon everyone, including the Centers for Disease Control, want to control Jimmy, who has his own defenses. Annie and Jimmy bond, with often surprising results, as she tries to fight their way through the crowded Chinese New Year's festivities to get him to safety. Meanwhile, she learns a secret that her daughter, and Mina, have been keeping for many years. But the harum-scarum plot is not the whole story, so to speak, nor are the colorful characters. Blevins is a wonderful writer, and after reading one o her books (as far as I know, there are only three) it seems that every other writer is just using simple declarative sentences. Take this, from page one of this book: "I'd escaped the ancient civilization of trees and headed to the nearest patch of wild, San Francisco." (Of course, that is a declarative sentence--but would you call it simple?)
March 22, 2016
A very fun and funny read!
As our lead characters step out the third time, we are treated to more laughter, sorrow, challenges, and danger, and, as always, the current behind it all is love.
Less gypsy history and tradition in this one. The two Mrs. Szabos and various new characters, are out to protect the life and future of an amazing young Chinese boy . . . or steal him away from everyone else! Blessed with the ability to heal, it seems after Annie wrote the boy's story, everyone wants him and his abilities for their own greed.
See if you can guess who the real villains are! Come along on a winding, twisting, up and down and all around trip in this fun, well written book, and enjoy the two Mrs. Szabos again!
As our lead characters step out the third time, we are treated to more laughter, sorrow, challenges, and danger, and, as always, the current behind it all is love.
Less gypsy history and tradition in this one. The two Mrs. Szabos and various new characters, are out to protect the life and future of an amazing young Chinese boy . . . or steal him away from everyone else! Blessed with the ability to heal, it seems after Annie wrote the boy's story, everyone wants him and his abilities for their own greed.
See if you can guess who the real villains are! Come along on a winding, twisting, up and down and all around trip in this fun, well written book, and enjoy the two Mrs. Szabos again!
November 23, 2016
The Red Hot Empress is Red Hot Fun!
Annie Szabo is in a heap of trouble, and it all started (not surprisingly) with a call from her mother-in-law, Madame Mina. A simple assignment, to write up an article about a kid who heals people through music, and suddenly Annie, and the kid, and everyone around them, is embroiled in a mysterious--and dangerous--chase.
As with the previous two books in this series, the characters are colorful and fun, their dialogue hilarious, and the plot as twisted as a tangled ball of yarn. Following it around its loops, in the narrator's delightful voice and at times profoundly poetic prose, is joyous.
Highly recommended!
Annie Szabo is in a heap of trouble, and it all started (not surprisingly) with a call from her mother-in-law, Madame Mina. A simple assignment, to write up an article about a kid who heals people through music, and suddenly Annie, and the kid, and everyone around them, is embroiled in a mysterious--and dangerous--chase.
As with the previous two books in this series, the characters are colorful and fun, their dialogue hilarious, and the plot as twisted as a tangled ball of yarn. Following it around its loops, in the narrator's delightful voice and at times profoundly poetic prose, is joyous.
Highly recommended!
October 22, 2016
This was a book that I din't want to see end, especially since it was the last in the series. I usually skip to the end, find the who done it and then settle back to finish the book, and no it doesn't spoil it for me. These three books were so good, so full of life, I didn't even think of checking out the end. I don't usually share my books on FB, but I really want people to enjoy this book as much as I have.
February 1, 2016
Our Annie falls into an exceptional little boy in Chinatown... everybody wants him...some are killed because of him...witty repartee, adventure and beautiful words all mix together to make this last book the best
February 5, 2016
Great book
I am in love with all the characters.... and in this book I fell even harder for the new characters. I missed reading about Lawless. I dream about these books. Can't wait for the next one.
I am in love with all the characters.... and in this book I fell even harder for the new characters. I missed reading about Lawless. I dream about these books. Can't wait for the next one.
February 4, 2017
I love the author's style. Can't wait for the fourth book in the series. It was worth five stars, but she never explained how the FBI agent got out of his car. I love how some of her passages almost read like poetry. Very descriptive!
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February 21, 2023Loved this book. and having read all in this series is hoping there will be more.
January 30, 2014
Loved this book. the dialogue is fresh. the characters are interesting. the setting is spectacular. I enjoyed this book. I read it on my Kindle.
November 12, 2015
Absolutely captivating characters and much fun to read.
February 6, 2016
Love this series
Very humorous and thrilling at the same time! I couldn't put all three books down, so glad it was recommended to me.
Very humorous and thrilling at the same time! I couldn't put all three books down, so glad it was recommended to me.
February 19, 2016
All the fun of the fair.
This was such a fun trilogy to follow. It is full of whacky people, colour and warmth. I hope to read more about the Szabos family.
This was such a fun trilogy to follow. It is full of whacky people, colour and warmth. I hope to read more about the Szabos family.
May 7, 2016
Fun Series
Fun characters and plot. Would make a great gypsy sitcom or chick flick. I am looking forward to the next book.
Fun characters and plot. Would make a great gypsy sitcom or chick flick. I am looking forward to the next book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews