What do you think?
Rate this book
Fowl Play
It's all fun and games until your goose gets cooked.
Maddy Whitman, the sharp-witted aficionado of the storage auction world, is on a rollercoaster ride through hilarious mishaps and heart-pounding twists in "Fowl Play". When she stumbles upon a peculiar Mexican mask in a storage unit she bought at an auction, she unwittingly sets off a chain of events that lead her straight into the heart of a gripping mystery. With danger lurking around every corner and a kidnapped woman's life on the line, Maddy must decode cryptic clues left by a cunning killer.
As tensions soar and the clock ticks, can she untangle the web of deception before it's too late? Packed with humor, suspense, and the irresistible charm of its female sleuth, "Fowl Play" is a must-read adventure that will leave you guessing until the very end.
Maddy Whitman, the sharp-witted aficionado of the storage auction world, is on a rollercoaster ride through hilarious mishaps and heart-pounding twists in "Fowl Play". When she stumbles upon a peculiar Mexican mask in a storage unit she bought at an auction, she unwittingly sets off a chain of events that lead her straight into the heart of a gripping mystery. With danger lurking around every corner and a kidnapped woman's life on the line, Maddy must decode cryptic clues left by a cunning killer.
As tensions soar and the clock ticks, can she untangle the web of deception before it's too late? Packed with humor, suspense, and the irresistible charm of its female sleuth, "Fowl Play" is a must-read adventure that will leave you guessing until the very end.
300 pages, Paperback
Published March 20, 2024
6 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 7, 2024
"First the damn mask, then getting bonked on the head, stuffed in a storage unit, and left to die"
And all before lunch
Do not do that!
Would you just wait a minute?
Why?
Omg, no you didn't!
Those were just a few of the things I yelled at Maddy throughout the story.
Thank goodness she is so hard-headed, anyone else would never have survived.
From the opening scene, I was invested.
Loveable characters that you can't help but get attached to
Humorous antics that kept me laughing throughout the story
Edge-of-your-wits mystery and suspense that kept me turning pages as well as trying to give hints to our trio of self-appointed crime busters - Thank goodness they didn't always listen to me
I must admit a few times during my outburst I'm pretty sure those around me contemplated if I needed a rubber room
This was a fun mystery that will have you wanting more -
And doesn't that just work out great considering this is book one?
And all before lunch
Do not do that!
Would you just wait a minute?
Why?
Omg, no you didn't!
Those were just a few of the things I yelled at Maddy throughout the story.
Thank goodness she is so hard-headed, anyone else would never have survived.
From the opening scene, I was invested.
Loveable characters that you can't help but get attached to
Humorous antics that kept me laughing throughout the story
Edge-of-your-wits mystery and suspense that kept me turning pages as well as trying to give hints to our trio of self-appointed crime busters - Thank goodness they didn't always listen to me
I must admit a few times during my outburst I'm pretty sure those around me contemplated if I needed a rubber room
This was a fun mystery that will have you wanting more -
And doesn't that just work out great considering this is book one?
April 9, 2024
Full disclosure, I was given an advance copy of this book to read and review. I started reading on a holiday break, and enjoyed the fast pace as the story clipped along. There were times I found myself shaking my head at Maddy, but happy she had such a great group of friends to help keep her out of too much peril. If you enjoy a female-led whodunnit with a bit of havoc and hijinks, you’ll enjoy Maddy Whitman!
April 6, 2024
Great start to the series 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Fowl Play was a delight to read! Monique & Carla deliver twists to the mystery Maddy and her friends are trying to solve, with just the right amount of hilarity. Many times I laughed out loud and others had me urging Maddy to ‘stay put, don’t go in there!’ Set in my hometown of Edmonton, it was neat to read the references to our beautiful city. I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in the series and can’t wait to read the next one. What will Maddy and her quirky friends get into next?
Fowl Play was a delight to read! Monique & Carla deliver twists to the mystery Maddy and her friends are trying to solve, with just the right amount of hilarity. Many times I laughed out loud and others had me urging Maddy to ‘stay put, don’t go in there!’ Set in my hometown of Edmonton, it was neat to read the references to our beautiful city. I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in the series and can’t wait to read the next one. What will Maddy and her quirky friends get into next?
September 15, 2024
I loved reading a story about my home town! Maddy is a strong female character and the story keeps you intrigued. Highly recommend!
December 23, 2024
One person’s junk is another person’s treasure—or so the saying goes. Maddy Whitman, the heroine in Carla Howatt and Monique MacDonald’s fast-paced mystery “Fowl Play,” lives by that maxim. Unfortunately for her, one person’s junk can also lead to big trouble for somebody else.
Maddy combs the abandoned storage lockers of Edmonton in hope of scoring a big payday for a small cost at local auctions. Among the miscellaneous items found in her latest purchase is a strange Mexican mask. Upon seeing it, her best friend, Ashley, cries, “It’s not JUST a mask, it’s a bad omen Aztec mask… You have to get rid of it or it’ll bring us all bad luck.” Indeed, as it turns out, this mask may be the weapon used in the murders of three women. Could it be that it has something to do with a series of recent frightening incidents in Maddy’s life?
Tensions mount when Maddy receives an anonymous email containing a link to the live stream of a woman bound and blindfolded in a coffin-like wooden crate. The sender challenges Maddy: “You have until Monday at 8:00 am to find her or she DIES. And don’t even think of going to the police. The moment you do, she is dead. Time is running out. Tick tock tick tock.”
Aided by Ashley and her other closest friends, Maddy embarks upon her own investigation, determined to save this mystery woman she’s dubbed Juliette.
Maddy is an enigmatic character. Although younger and less world-weary than an old-fashioned gumshoe detective, she still has some of those qualities, like a certain stubborn recklessness from which nobody can dissuade her. Furthermore, she’s not an altogether likable person. Her indignation at an ex-boyfriend for changing his Netflix password, which she’s been using illegally, is overwrought, as is her mean-spirited scheme to seduce him into revealing it to her. Still, the negative energy is part of what makes her so relentless.
The stress level builds through a series of potentially dangerous encounters, all of which pass with no real damage done. Likewise, Maddy’s investigation serendipitously leads her to some unlikely sources that more or less fall into her lap. The ending, while surprising, comes off as a bit too convenient. This book is the first in a projected series of “Maddy Whitman Mysteries.” I hope that in future installments, the authors explore more of her contradictions, as well as enhancing the depth of supporting characters, all in service of generating more genuine tension and believability.
Maddy combs the abandoned storage lockers of Edmonton in hope of scoring a big payday for a small cost at local auctions. Among the miscellaneous items found in her latest purchase is a strange Mexican mask. Upon seeing it, her best friend, Ashley, cries, “It’s not JUST a mask, it’s a bad omen Aztec mask… You have to get rid of it or it’ll bring us all bad luck.” Indeed, as it turns out, this mask may be the weapon used in the murders of three women. Could it be that it has something to do with a series of recent frightening incidents in Maddy’s life?
Tensions mount when Maddy receives an anonymous email containing a link to the live stream of a woman bound and blindfolded in a coffin-like wooden crate. The sender challenges Maddy: “You have until Monday at 8:00 am to find her or she DIES. And don’t even think of going to the police. The moment you do, she is dead. Time is running out. Tick tock tick tock.”
Aided by Ashley and her other closest friends, Maddy embarks upon her own investigation, determined to save this mystery woman she’s dubbed Juliette.
Maddy is an enigmatic character. Although younger and less world-weary than an old-fashioned gumshoe detective, she still has some of those qualities, like a certain stubborn recklessness from which nobody can dissuade her. Furthermore, she’s not an altogether likable person. Her indignation at an ex-boyfriend for changing his Netflix password, which she’s been using illegally, is overwrought, as is her mean-spirited scheme to seduce him into revealing it to her. Still, the negative energy is part of what makes her so relentless.
The stress level builds through a series of potentially dangerous encounters, all of which pass with no real damage done. Likewise, Maddy’s investigation serendipitously leads her to some unlikely sources that more or less fall into her lap. The ending, while surprising, comes off as a bit too convenient. This book is the first in a projected series of “Maddy Whitman Mysteries.” I hope that in future installments, the authors explore more of her contradictions, as well as enhancing the depth of supporting characters, all in service of generating more genuine tension and believability.
February 9, 2025
I really wanted to like this book, it started off on a fun premise, and even took place in Edmonton. The idea of buying storage units and uncovering treasures was great, and it was fun to hear the Edmonton references. But then it all started to go downhill.
Maddy buys storage contents and uncovers some weird things - a mask with "maybe" blood on it, and also some women's shoes - but only one of each pair. and also some hair extensions....that turn out to be real hair. Well, if this doesn't scream "serial killer trophy items" I don't know what does. So the story continues, with mysterious attacks on Maddy and also threatening texts. She finally goes to the police, where they start to put the pieces together that there may be a serial killer operating in Edmonton. Then she gets a mysterious link texted to her......why, it's a live feed of a woman tied up in a basement. But she is warned not to go to the police.....so she doesn't. For two days, she wanders around looking for the woman herself, stopping for coffee breaks with friends. When she finally decides that she should contact the police, she phones her police officer friend....on his direct line. So, she could have phoned him 2 days ago without the killer knowing. The police are rightly upset, and promise Maddy they will send officers to watch her house. Her response? She takes off for a walk, through the secluded trails in the river valley. She finally goes home, where the officers are waiting. Then one of her friends contacts her to tell her that they know where the woman in the basement is being held, they recognized something on the property in the background of the live feed. Do they phone the police? Does Maddy walk across the street to tell the officers watching her house? No, she goes running off to find the woman herself, wearing her "oh so cute and adorable bunny slippers" because she's in such a hurry she forgot to change her footwear. So Maddy saves the day, in a highly aggravating and unbelievable fashion. oh and the killer? the old trope of "let's use a character who is out of left field and not suspected at all during the book" And the ending of the book is so cheesy, but I will leave one spoiler unmentioned. So disappointing, especially since it had such a good start
Maddy buys storage contents and uncovers some weird things - a mask with "maybe" blood on it, and also some women's shoes - but only one of each pair. and also some hair extensions....that turn out to be real hair. Well, if this doesn't scream "serial killer trophy items" I don't know what does. So the story continues, with mysterious attacks on Maddy and also threatening texts. She finally goes to the police, where they start to put the pieces together that there may be a serial killer operating in Edmonton. Then she gets a mysterious link texted to her......why, it's a live feed of a woman tied up in a basement. But she is warned not to go to the police.....so she doesn't. For two days, she wanders around looking for the woman herself, stopping for coffee breaks with friends. When she finally decides that she should contact the police, she phones her police officer friend....on his direct line. So, she could have phoned him 2 days ago without the killer knowing. The police are rightly upset, and promise Maddy they will send officers to watch her house. Her response? She takes off for a walk, through the secluded trails in the river valley. She finally goes home, where the officers are waiting. Then one of her friends contacts her to tell her that they know where the woman in the basement is being held, they recognized something on the property in the background of the live feed. Do they phone the police? Does Maddy walk across the street to tell the officers watching her house? No, she goes running off to find the woman herself, wearing her "oh so cute and adorable bunny slippers" because she's in such a hurry she forgot to change her footwear. So Maddy saves the day, in a highly aggravating and unbelievable fashion. oh and the killer? the old trope of "let's use a character who is out of left field and not suspected at all during the book" And the ending of the book is so cheesy, but I will leave one spoiler unmentioned. So disappointing, especially since it had such a good start
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2025
Quick and fun romp
First, despite the title, the bird plays very little part in this bouncy, fun, cosy book. The story dashes along at a heck of clip, but does take some time to choose a direction and settle down - there are a lot of secondary plots, some of which are over very quickly, and some of which seem totally irrelevant. Maddy is an entertaining and resilient character, though her obsession with stealing a Netflix password (one of those irrelevant subplots!) was a bit tedious.
A pleasant, light read.
First, despite the title, the bird plays very little part in this bouncy, fun, cosy book. The story dashes along at a heck of clip, but does take some time to choose a direction and settle down - there are a lot of secondary plots, some of which are over very quickly, and some of which seem totally irrelevant. Maddy is an entertaining and resilient character, though her obsession with stealing a Netflix password (one of those irrelevant subplots!) was a bit tedious.
A pleasant, light read.
April 1, 2024
Hey hey…just finished the perfect Sunday afternoon read! This book was the perfect mix amount of suspense and crime. The characters are perfect for each other. What really happens is not what I expected. It kept me reading for the entire day. I really enjoy all of Carla Howatt’s stories and look forward to the next one. 5 stars
July 26, 2024
I was surprised by this book. My husband bought it for me for Christmas as we both have a fondness for Edmonton.
The book hooks you from the very beginning and won’t let you go. It was an enjoyable summer murder mystery read.
I’m looking forward to the next book.
The book hooks you from the very beginning and won’t let you go. It was an enjoyable summer murder mystery read.
I’m looking forward to the next book.
August 25, 2024
Totally enjoyed this book, so glad that it's located my city and I knew where all the locations were that were mentioned. Looking forward to reading the next one. In fact have a personal connection to one of the authors, I worked with her father at one time.
March 9, 2025
Another good book by this author! Again a well balanced book that will keep you turning the pages!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews