What do you think?
Rate this book
The Blind Devotion of Imogene: The Misadventures of Imogene Taylor
In 1973, Imogene Taylor was seventy-five years old, on parole for murder, and worked at a store that sells dented canned goods. Twelve years earlier, she went to prison for killing her love-of-her-life-husband, Wayne. She called it an accident. The judge and jury called it murder.
Imogene’s parole agent is constantly on her case, looking to send her back to prison. During her time in prison, Imogene had to vent her angst at someone and sent the sitting Presidents (during the ten years in prison) threatening letters bringing her to the attention of the Secret Service. She does extensive research and writes a novel, Peekaboo POTUS, about the assassination of a US President. She sends the book "over the transom" to one publisher. The publisher, after being unable to contact Imogene, comes looking for her.
The Cigar, an organized crime gangster, walks into Dentco, where Imogene works, and extorts the store for protection money. Pay up or get firebombed. The entire strip center is under this threat.
At the same time, Imogene’s neighbor dies of natural causes and leaves a hoarder’s mess to his daughter, Suzanne. Imogene helps Suz clear out a pyramid of boxes filled with junk in the garage. At the bottom of the pile, they find a box with a dead woman who has been hidden for many years. Imogene must dodge an overzealous parole agent while dealing with a dead woman in the neighbor’s garage. She’s on parole for murder, so she can’t report it to the police. No one would believe her. Imogene and Suz think the woman in the box is Suz’s long-estranged mother. Rather than reveal Suz’s father as the probable killer, Imogene convinces Suz to bury her mom under the avocado tree in the backyard. Until Thelma, Suz’s mother, appears after reading the obituary.
It's a race to uncover the real killer as Imogene dodges gangsters, family members, and a publisher on her quest to find the truth.
Imogene’s parole agent is constantly on her case, looking to send her back to prison. During her time in prison, Imogene had to vent her angst at someone and sent the sitting Presidents (during the ten years in prison) threatening letters bringing her to the attention of the Secret Service. She does extensive research and writes a novel, Peekaboo POTUS, about the assassination of a US President. She sends the book "over the transom" to one publisher. The publisher, after being unable to contact Imogene, comes looking for her.
The Cigar, an organized crime gangster, walks into Dentco, where Imogene works, and extorts the store for protection money. Pay up or get firebombed. The entire strip center is under this threat.
At the same time, Imogene’s neighbor dies of natural causes and leaves a hoarder’s mess to his daughter, Suzanne. Imogene helps Suz clear out a pyramid of boxes filled with junk in the garage. At the bottom of the pile, they find a box with a dead woman who has been hidden for many years. Imogene must dodge an overzealous parole agent while dealing with a dead woman in the neighbor’s garage. She’s on parole for murder, so she can’t report it to the police. No one would believe her. Imogene and Suz think the woman in the box is Suz’s long-estranged mother. Rather than reveal Suz’s father as the probable killer, Imogene convinces Suz to bury her mom under the avocado tree in the backyard. Until Thelma, Suz’s mother, appears after reading the obituary.
It's a race to uncover the real killer as Imogene dodges gangsters, family members, and a publisher on her quest to find the truth.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 9, 2024
5 people are currently reading
9042 people want to read
About the author
David Putnam
20 books2,031 followersBest-selling author David Putnam comes from a family of law enforcement. During his career, he did it all: worked in narcotics, served on FBI-sponsored violent crimes teams, and was cross-sworn as a US Marshall, pursuing murder suspects and bank robbers in Arizona, Nevada, and California. Putnam did two tours on the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s SWAT team. He also has experience in criminal intelligence and internal affairs and has supervised corrections, patrol, and a detective bureau. In Hawaii, Putnam was a member of the real-life Hawaii Five O, serving as Special Agent for the Attorney General investigating smuggling and white-collar crimes.
Putnam lives in Southern California with his wife, Mary.
Putnam lives in Southern California with his wife, Mary.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
April 26, 2024
From the author of the fantastic Bruno Johnson series, comes this standalone ‘The Blind Devotion of Imogene’.
It’s the year 1973 when we meet 75 year old Imogene Taylor. Twelve years ago she was imprisoned for the murder of her husband Wayne. She loved Wayne deeply and said his death was an accident.
She’s now out on parole and working at Dentco, a store that sells dented goods to those less fortunate. She hates the fact that her parole agent constantly turns up at work out of the blue, but part of her parole conditions is that if she has a job, she has to keep it, and also that she stays out of trouble, so she definitely needs to keep her nose clean in order to comply and retain her freedom. This however, is going to be very difficult to achieve considering what awaits her in the coming few weeks!
All manner of mayhem and madness are about to take place, tempered with lots of humour, and it makes for a great read.
*I was invited to read ‘The Blind Devotion of Imogene’ by the publisher and have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
It’s the year 1973 when we meet 75 year old Imogene Taylor. Twelve years ago she was imprisoned for the murder of her husband Wayne. She loved Wayne deeply and said his death was an accident.
She’s now out on parole and working at Dentco, a store that sells dented goods to those less fortunate. She hates the fact that her parole agent constantly turns up at work out of the blue, but part of her parole conditions is that if she has a job, she has to keep it, and also that she stays out of trouble, so she definitely needs to keep her nose clean in order to comply and retain her freedom. This however, is going to be very difficult to achieve considering what awaits her in the coming few weeks!
All manner of mayhem and madness are about to take place, tempered with lots of humour, and it makes for a great read.
*I was invited to read ‘The Blind Devotion of Imogene’ by the publisher and have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
July 22, 2024
This story takes place in 1973 and features 75-year-old Imogene Taylor, an ex-con working at Dentco, a store that sells dented and damaged goods to the less fortunate. It sounds like a good idea to me but there are probably health regulations against it these days.
To be honest, I think the book blurb gives too much away; not that there's much of a mystery, but the blurb is more of a synopsis that covers all the highlights so there isn't much left in the book to surprise the reader. Trouble seems to find Imogene no matter what. She's an engaging character and the story is okay but I wasn't immersed in it and didn't feel that I wanted to pick it up every chance I got. There's no bad language and no steamy romance which is always a plus. I love the cover though and the author's note explaining how the book came about. It seems like this is probably the start of a new series.
My thanks to the author and Level Best Books via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: July 9, 2024
To be honest, I think the book blurb gives too much away; not that there's much of a mystery, but the blurb is more of a synopsis that covers all the highlights so there isn't much left in the book to surprise the reader. Trouble seems to find Imogene no matter what. She's an engaging character and the story is okay but I wasn't immersed in it and didn't feel that I wanted to pick it up every chance I got. There's no bad language and no steamy romance which is always a plus. I love the cover though and the author's note explaining how the book came about. It seems like this is probably the start of a new series.
My thanks to the author and Level Best Books via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: July 9, 2024
August 2, 2024
Book Review
The Blind Devotion of Imogene
David Putnam
reviewed by Lou Jacobs
readersremains.com | Goodreads
From the genius of David Putnam, who masterfully penned the eleven-book Bruno Johnson series, comes a radically different and entertaining comedic noir crime mystery. Subtitled The Misadventures of Imogene Taylor #1, this is the first in a series featuring the quirky seventy-five-year-old Imogene. She’s in her second year of parole after serving ten years in prison for the “murder” of her husband, Wayne.
She awoke from a fitful sleep to hear and perceive a shadowy intruder entering her bedroom and instinctively reached for her gun, discharging her weapon. Unfortunately, it was Wayne, sheepishly trying to sneak home from a night of debauchery. The court deemed this murder, rather than the more appropriate manslaughter. During her prison time, she vented her anger by sending threatening letters to the POTUS, doing extensive research on the law, and penning a novel, Peekaboo POTUS, revealing her tongue-in-cheek plans to assassinate the president. She even submitted this book to multiple publishers.
To satisfy her parole conditions, she works for slave wages at Dentco, a store that offers discount prices for dented canned goods, damaged dry goods, and out-of-date pharmacy products. Her clientele are the poor and destitute. She sits behind the counter on her stool, endlessly chain-smoking Marlboros. She frequently finds herself doing internal soliloquies in times of stress and indecision, mirroring the advice of Ange (her best friend in lock-up). Whenever the President travels through a nearby area, she must accept a lunch date from Eugene, a Secret Service agent assigned to her case. After all, her prison letters placed her on a list of “crazies” assigned a “threat assessment.” Additionally, she is frequently harassed by Nancy Do-Right, the “Black Witch” of a parole officer, who continually pesters her at work and assures her of the probability of returning to prison. To make matters worse, she is subjected to a “shake-down” by low-level thug Sam Giancana, aka “The Cigar,” for weekly protection money. All of the other businesses in the strip mall are also accosted, including the Cherry Liquor Store and even Madame Woo’s: The Lotus Massage and Tea Parlor.
Then Imogene’s best friend and next-door neighbor, Suz, experiences a crisis when her father dies. He was a terrible hoarder and left a garage full of boxes of junk. Suzanne pleads for Imogene’s help. At the very bottom of the humongous pile, they find a mysterious large box. To their surprise, they reluctantly open it to find a “long-dead” woman. Suz immediately assumes this was her mother, who reportedly “abandoned” the family long ago. Imogene convinces her to bury the box in her backyard, under “Mr. Majestic,” the large avocado tree. All is well until Thelma, Suz’s mother, suddenly arrives after seeing her husband’s obituary notice.
As you can imagine, a comedy of errors ensues.
David Putnam proves to be a wonderful storyteller as he skillfully weaves multiple plotlines together, featuring a cast of colorful and quirky multi-layered characters. Tension and intrigue are ratcheted up as the cast of characters inexorably collides with unexpected twists. Utilizing pitch-perfect dialogue, this mélange of mystery, humor, and a series of misadventures evolves into a page-turner with an exhilarating denouement. Themes of redemption, love, friendship, and the ramifications of secrets are explored.
Thanks to NetGalley and Level Best Books for providing an uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review. Hopefully, Imogene’s misadventures will continue to unfold with the same degree of entertainment
.....Published at MysteryAndSuspenseMagazine.com......
August 2, 2024
✨A R C • R E V I E W✨
The Blind Devotion of Imogene // Available Now
#ad I received a gifted copy of this book - many thanks to @davidputnambooks & @freshfiction #partner
Imogene Taylor had spent the past 10 years inside a women’s prison. Her crime? The murder of the love of her life, and husband, Wayne. She’s now out on probation at 75 years old.
But if Imogene planned on a quiet and peaceful life once she left jail she was sadly mistaken. She’s got the parole people watching her closely, any violation and Imogene goes back to jail.
But they aren’t the least of Imogene’s problems, because she now has the Secret Service, a gangster, and a publisher all encroaching on her life. There’s also the dead people that happen to pop up in her life.
This book grabs your attention from the start and only gets better as the story continues on. I absolutely loved this book and all the antics that followed. It was an insane ride.
Written with all heart and wit you won’t find a more intriguing character quite like Imogene. I loved her so much! She must have been so much fun creating.
While this story is wild, the inspiration for it is even wilder. You have to read this one and then read the author’s note at the end. You’ll understand what I mean by this. So…
Hold onto your hats and buckle up. It’s one of those books. 👒💺
#TheBlindDevotionOfImogene #swellmedia #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #readmorebooks #alwaysreading #bookhoarder #bookstack #reads #book #bookworms #bookrecommendation #bookaesthetic #bookshelves #readabook #readmore
The Blind Devotion of Imogene // Available Now
#ad I received a gifted copy of this book - many thanks to @davidputnambooks & @freshfiction #partner
Imogene Taylor had spent the past 10 years inside a women’s prison. Her crime? The murder of the love of her life, and husband, Wayne. She’s now out on probation at 75 years old.
But if Imogene planned on a quiet and peaceful life once she left jail she was sadly mistaken. She’s got the parole people watching her closely, any violation and Imogene goes back to jail.
But they aren’t the least of Imogene’s problems, because she now has the Secret Service, a gangster, and a publisher all encroaching on her life. There’s also the dead people that happen to pop up in her life.
This book grabs your attention from the start and only gets better as the story continues on. I absolutely loved this book and all the antics that followed. It was an insane ride.
Written with all heart and wit you won’t find a more intriguing character quite like Imogene. I loved her so much! She must have been so much fun creating.
While this story is wild, the inspiration for it is even wilder. You have to read this one and then read the author’s note at the end. You’ll understand what I mean by this. So…
Hold onto your hats and buckle up. It’s one of those books. 👒💺
#TheBlindDevotionOfImogene #swellmedia #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #readmorebooks #alwaysreading #bookhoarder #bookstack #reads #book #bookworms #bookrecommendation #bookaesthetic #bookshelves #readabook #readmore
July 9, 2024
The Blind Devotion Of Imogene by David Putnam this book is about 75-year-old ex felon Imagene Taylor. She makes it day today with the advice in her head from her ex cell mate, Ange . There’s really nothing in the book that isn’t in the summary so I will just focus my review on my opinion are usually do not like books who go for the lowest hanging fruit but there is something about the way this book is written that I just gelled with and totally enjoyed. The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is because I really couldn’t get a good grasp on Imogene‘s character on one hand she would totally ignore people and then on the other she would seem like a nice normal person and irregardless of the question about her mental health I still couldn’t make sense of the type of person she was supposed to be but having said that I would still recommend this book it is funny I’m not gonna lie I laughed out loud so many times I Love books with elderly protagonist and with great supporting characters this is definitely one that should be read. The fact that David Putnam took the characters the set up in the house from his own life just made me love the book that much more.#LevelBestBooks, #NetGalley, #DavidPutnam, #TheBlindDevotionOfImogene,
August 24, 2024
A very unique and entertaining novel of a 75 year old lady and her life on parole for murder. She is quite the character. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
August 10, 2024
I really liked this book. It’s a fun easy read. I quickly became a fan of the main character Imogene. I hope there’s a sequel in the works.
July 15, 2024
When Imogene was sixty-three she killed her husband. She called it an accident. The court called it murder and sent her to prison. Now at seventy-five she is out on parole and working at a store that sells damaged goods. She spends her day sitting behind the register smoking her cigarettes and her evenings at home on her divan with a beer. Suz is the young girl who lives next door. When her father dies, she asks Imogene to help clean out the huge pyramid of boxes that her father, a hoarder, kept in the garage. At the bottom is a sealed box with warnings not to open it. Inside is a woman’s body. Suz thinks it is her mother, who went missing years earlier. Imogene is afraid that a body could be used as a reason to sent her back to prison. Her solution is to bury the box in her back yard under a huge tree, but when Suz’s mother suddenly returns, the body’s identity becomes a problem.
Imogene is a woman with an attitude who is a magnet for trouble and kept me laughing out loud. Her parole officer, Nancy Do-Right, is out to get her sent back to prison. The shopping center where she works is being extorted for protection by a gangster that she calls The Cigar.. she had a hard time adjusting to prison. Her cellmate advised her to find someone to blame for her incarceration. She chose the President of the United States. Her threatening letters to POTUS over the years now requires a Secret Service agent named Eugene to visit her whenever the President is in the area. The good news is that she used this experience to write a book that has been accepted by a publisher. The bad news is that the publisher decided to visit her with a contract during a showdown with The Cigar, his henchman, Suz and the person who killed the woman in the box. As tough as Imogene sometimes seems, it is hard not to fall in love with her. This is the first book in David Putnam’s series and I can not wait to see Imogene return. I would like to thank NetGalley and Level Best Books for providing this book.
Imogene is a woman with an attitude who is a magnet for trouble and kept me laughing out loud. Her parole officer, Nancy Do-Right, is out to get her sent back to prison. The shopping center where she works is being extorted for protection by a gangster that she calls The Cigar.. she had a hard time adjusting to prison. Her cellmate advised her to find someone to blame for her incarceration. She chose the President of the United States. Her threatening letters to POTUS over the years now requires a Secret Service agent named Eugene to visit her whenever the President is in the area. The good news is that she used this experience to write a book that has been accepted by a publisher. The bad news is that the publisher decided to visit her with a contract during a showdown with The Cigar, his henchman, Suz and the person who killed the woman in the box. As tough as Imogene sometimes seems, it is hard not to fall in love with her. This is the first book in David Putnam’s series and I can not wait to see Imogene return. I would like to thank NetGalley and Level Best Books for providing this book.
November 16, 2024
I initially had a hard time getting 'into' Imogene - I think I kept waiting for the appearance of Bruno or Marie and taking my mind-set back to 1976 - but once she took hold, this was a nonstop, unputdownable, hilarious-at-times read. She is one I will have to read again in the near future as I'm sure I missed some of what made this special by the speed in which I finished it. I love this lady - she is the best and worst of all of us all wrapped up in one fine book. Thank you, David Putnam, for bringing every woman to life in this work. I think the exaggeration of blind devotion is in our muscle memory. Forget the side-effects of old-age! I know it was nice to laugh instead of cry, anyway.
Reviewed on November 11, 2024, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, and Kobo. Not available for review at B&N or BookBub.
Reviewed on November 11, 2024, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, and Kobo. Not available for review at B&N or BookBub.
August 10, 2024
Laughed my sox off!
In 1973, in the rundown part of town, the lived an odd little old woman on parole who worked in a discount store and hung out with the disadvantaged and dodged the creeps running the protection racket. And then she got involved with some crazy stuff. Good fun and not totally unbelievable.
I requested and received an EARC from Level Best Books | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles via NetGalley. Thank you!
In 1973, in the rundown part of town, the lived an odd little old woman on parole who worked in a discount store and hung out with the disadvantaged and dodged the creeps running the protection racket. And then she got involved with some crazy stuff. Good fun and not totally unbelievable.
I requested and received an EARC from Level Best Books | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles via NetGalley. Thank you!
May 30, 2024
This is certainly a departure from Mr. Putnam’s police novels, it leans towards seventies noir. Imogene has had more of her share of misfortune and nearing her seventies it’s not over yet. I felt sympathy towards Imogene, but not pity. She’s a tough bird who keeps her wits about her. Imogene took me back to an era generations ago when people smoked Marlboro’s at their desk and owned a divan covered with plastic. I was drawn into the community neighborhood in Southern California. The residents and small businesses knew one another and shared a fear of the criminals shaking them down. Imogene served time for murder, she suffered heartache, experienced love and loss. She just keeps plodding forward, she made me chuckle and I wanted her to come out on top. It was a story I enjoyed and happily recommend.
An Advanced Reader Copy of “The Blind Devotion of Imogene” by David Putnam, Level Best Books, publication expected 07/09/2024, was provided by NetGalley. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.
An Advanced Reader Copy of “The Blind Devotion of Imogene” by David Putnam, Level Best Books, publication expected 07/09/2024, was provided by NetGalley. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.
May 26, 2024
Oh my gosh this book is a wild ride. So much zany fun. I love the characters and their relationships. I’m in it for all the Imogen books—can’t wait for more.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
August 2, 2024
I received a free advanced copy of this in goodreads giveaway, and I am very thankful for it. I probably would never have heard about it other than that, or if I did, probably wouldn't have picked it up with so many other books on my 'to read' list.
Even though the blurb explains much of the book, there is so much more going on. Did Imogene actually murder her husband? Sure, there is The Cigar, who wants protection money, but it is more about the people in the book. Then, throw in a twenty-some old mystery when they find a body.
Absolutely loved this and excited to read the sequel next year!
Even though the blurb explains much of the book, there is so much more going on. Did Imogene actually murder her husband? Sure, there is The Cigar, who wants protection money, but it is more about the people in the book. Then, throw in a twenty-some old mystery when they find a body.
Absolutely loved this and excited to read the sequel next year!
March 9, 2025
I'm not sure how to describe The Blind Devotion of Imogene, but I'll give it a go. Imogene is a 75-year-old woman, just released on parole. She's written threatening letters to the President so has both a parole monitor and a Secret Service monitor. She works (kind of) at a low-cost grocery. There's a wide and interesting cast of characters in her life. Now, what did I think of the book? WOW, it was a thoroughly fun, wild read! Imogene never has a dull moment and her path forward is no clearer to me than it is to her. Enjoyed the heck out of this one. Recommended!
Thanks to #GoodreadsGiveaway #LevelBestBooks #DavidPutnamBooks for the free ARC.
Thanks to #GoodreadsGiveaway #LevelBestBooks #DavidPutnamBooks for the free ARC.
August 14, 2024
Read my full review on Rosepoint Publishing.
A 75 year old protagonist recently released from prison for killing her husband? Imogene is out on parole working at Dentco. Yes, it sells dented goods and she needs this job.
Imogene is one of those people who seem to attract mayhem. Part of the problem stems from the time she spent in prison penning threatening letters to POTUS, eventually writing a book she called Peekaboo POTUS. It got their attention and a coveted place on the “crazy” list.
Separate is the introduction to “The Cigar”, a local street thug bent on providing “protection” to those already struggling shop owners in the grimy strip center. Imogene has several friends, her next door neighbor, and Ange, her erstwhile philosophical bunkmate in prison who still intrudes often in Imogene’s ear.
This thing goes over the top more than once, but it provides some hilarious scenes, quirky characters, outrageous dialogue, unexpected twists, and pure escapism when you need it most. Lighten up and enjoy.
A 75 year old protagonist recently released from prison for killing her husband? Imogene is out on parole working at Dentco. Yes, it sells dented goods and she needs this job.
Imogene is one of those people who seem to attract mayhem. Part of the problem stems from the time she spent in prison penning threatening letters to POTUS, eventually writing a book she called Peekaboo POTUS. It got their attention and a coveted place on the “crazy” list.
Separate is the introduction to “The Cigar”, a local street thug bent on providing “protection” to those already struggling shop owners in the grimy strip center. Imogene has several friends, her next door neighbor, and Ange, her erstwhile philosophical bunkmate in prison who still intrudes often in Imogene’s ear.
This thing goes over the top more than once, but it provides some hilarious scenes, quirky characters, outrageous dialogue, unexpected twists, and pure escapism when you need it most. Lighten up and enjoy.
December 3, 2024
What a ride. Imogene is the grandmother and neighbor you want to watch your back. I'd gladly toast a malt liquor with her and sit back while she spun a yarn of stories. David Putnam delivers with a personal touch to make every page of the story matter.
October 30, 2024
This book was a complete surprise. I went in almost blind and came out enlightened!
It is 1973 and 75-year-old Imogene Taylor has a job to keep. After all, her parole officer could turn up any time. After spending 12 years in prison for the murder of her husband, Imogene now just wants to lie low. Should be easy for an old woman to lead a quiet life, shouldn't it?
The story starts slow but quickly builds up pace. I liked Imogene a lot - I keep liking old characters who are also badass and I see a pattern.
This is my first David Putnam book and I am surprised I have never heard of this author before. Note to self - need to spend some more time on GR.
4 stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and Level Best Books for the ARC.
It is 1973 and 75-year-old Imogene Taylor has a job to keep. After all, her parole officer could turn up any time. After spending 12 years in prison for the murder of her husband, Imogene now just wants to lie low. Should be easy for an old woman to lead a quiet life, shouldn't it?
The story starts slow but quickly builds up pace. I liked Imogene a lot - I keep liking old characters who are also badass and I see a pattern.
This is my first David Putnam book and I am surprised I have never heard of this author before. Note to self - need to spend some more time on GR.
4 stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and Level Best Books for the ARC.
October 11, 2024
Loved this so much. This book isn't something I would usually read, but it was highly recommended to me by a friend, so I gave it a try. I can't wait for the next book to come out!
October 12, 2024
Enjoyed the humor in this story of Imogene, Suz and Ange! A quick read, well developed characters and unusual events that kept getting better and better. Such tragic situations for a 75 yr old woman to have to experience. Accidents happen and sometimes forgiveness is warranted, but not for Imogene. Her emotional well-being must just be a wreck, to love someone and then not being there to love. She is a survivor and spunky enough to stand up for herself !! Though, Imogene needs to cut back on the Marlboros!!! Really enjoyed the Author's Note, too!!
July 20, 2024
Interesting book... written by a man but using the voice of a 72 year old woman.
I can agree with the idea that "women of a certain age" are most assuredly invisible to nearly everyone.
Tough lady... survivor and pretty darn good at it.
I can agree with the idea that "women of a certain age" are most assuredly invisible to nearly everyone.
Tough lady... survivor and pretty darn good at it.
July 28, 2024
A quirky, charming, and fun read. Not a long book, but I got invested in the characters in a short time. I enjoyed it, and would read a sequel.
July 4, 2024
Imogene is a 75 year old ex-con out of parole after serving 10 years for the murder of her husband. Imogene now works at Dentco, a discount grocery store. She's just trying to keep her head down and stay out of trouble, but things heat up when her next-door neighbor dies, and Imogene agrees to help his daughter clean out the garage. At the bottom of a huge mound of junk, they find a box labeled "DO NOT OPEN, NO MATTER WHAT. I"M NOT KIDDING." Imogene wants to haul it to the dump unopened, but Susie, the neighbor, just has to open it. Inside, they find a dead body. Things are further complicated with a man called "The Cigar" walks into Dentco one day demanding protection money and Imogene receives a letter back from the publisher to whom she submitted a manuscript she wrote about assassinating the president.
This book is entertaining and fun, though sometimes a little over the top campy. It definitely requires some suspension of your disbelief (as does most fiction). For the most part, I was immersed in the events of the 1970s, and things were fine. However, there were probably four or five times that one of the characters used a phrase that was straight out of the 1990s instead of the 1970s, and it pulled me right out. Still, things were going along great until the very, very end. I'm not a fan of cliffhangers! (Especially when I didn't realize from the beginning that the book was part of a series). Still, it was a solidly entertaining book. 4 stars
Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This book is entertaining and fun, though sometimes a little over the top campy. It definitely requires some suspension of your disbelief (as does most fiction). For the most part, I was immersed in the events of the 1970s, and things were fine. However, there were probably four or five times that one of the characters used a phrase that was straight out of the 1990s instead of the 1970s, and it pulled me right out. Still, things were going along great until the very, very end. I'm not a fan of cliffhangers! (Especially when I didn't realize from the beginning that the book was part of a series). Still, it was a solidly entertaining book. 4 stars
Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
July 13, 2024
Imogene is one of those characters that if there is something bad, awful, odd or scary that can happen, it will happen to poor Imogene. From being incarcerated ( but claims innocence), to having to deal with a shady parole officer who wants to send her back to prison, to finding a body while helping out a friend clear a mess, she always gets the shorter end of the stick. You will enjoy the different characters, multiple stories happening and a mystery all in one. A great read for those who enjoy a nice complex read that feels like it was written for us adults.
June 19, 2024
Well, this was fun! Imogene and her memories of doing time, the voice of her cellmate still in her ear as she navigates returning to society, husbandless, smoking, drinking Schlitz, and somehow still having trouble find her, is just the kind of combination serious and light-hearted book I needed right now.
Edited to add: thank you to the Net Galley and the publisher for the digital ARC. Opinions are my own.
Edited to add: thank you to the Net Galley and the publisher for the digital ARC. Opinions are my own.
July 15, 2024
I really enjoyed this crazy cozy mystery. I love that the main character, Imogene, is seventy-three and still very active. I loved all the twists and turns in the story as we learn about Imogene’s past and the present. I loved this roller coaster ride of a story. I received a copy of the book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
June 30, 2024
I absolutely adored this book. Imogen is just the right kind of crazy. The story had a few twists and all the characters were awesome. I was thrilled to find out this will be a series.
And where has David Putnam been all my life? I was really happy to see he has several series out there and immediately bought two books. I'm really looking forward to more Miss Imogene.
And where has David Putnam been all my life? I was really happy to see he has several series out there and immediately bought two books. I'm really looking forward to more Miss Imogene.
July 29, 2025
A review from a fan:
As a super fan of David Putnam's Bruno Johnson and Dave Beckett series' and novels, I looked forward to this new series with great anticipation--Putnam has done it again--fans of Richard Osman's "Thursday Murder Club" will love 75 year old Imogene Taylor's antics as she solves the mystery of the body in the neighbor's garage. Imogene is a sweet little old lady who can be tough as nails when she has to be--loved the book, loved the twists and turns, loved the end, read it in one sitting--looking forward to the next Imogene Taylor book!
As a super fan of David Putnam's Bruno Johnson and Dave Beckett series' and novels, I looked forward to this new series with great anticipation--Putnam has done it again--fans of Richard Osman's "Thursday Murder Club" will love 75 year old Imogene Taylor's antics as she solves the mystery of the body in the neighbor's garage. Imogene is a sweet little old lady who can be tough as nails when she has to be--loved the book, loved the twists and turns, loved the end, read it in one sitting--looking forward to the next Imogene Taylor book!
October 6, 2024
Hilarious and (mostly) true, the story is drawn from the life of the author's grandmother. Not only was she loving and kind, but she seems to have been zany to the core.
May 13, 2024
Just finished this book, this evening and I could have read it in one sitting if time had allowed. It's a great story, fast paced with multiple storylines. I really enjoyed it and can't wait for the next one in the trilogy to come out.
We follow Imogene who has been paroled from prison after shooting her husband dead, 12 years ago. She works in Dentco, a discount food shop and this story follows her and what she gets involved in. She is such an interesting character and I love that we hear her inner monologue constantly.
Would recommend this to lots of different people - thriller lovers, humour lovers and general fiction.
We follow Imogene who has been paroled from prison after shooting her husband dead, 12 years ago. She works in Dentco, a discount food shop and this story follows her and what she gets involved in. She is such an interesting character and I love that we hear her inner monologue constantly.
Would recommend this to lots of different people - thriller lovers, humour lovers and general fiction.
March 25, 2025
I loved this book. Imogene is unforgettable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews