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Nichelle Clarke Crime Thriller #3
Small Town Spin
“Whether she’s juggling the demands of her complicated love life or solving the mystery…reporter Nichelle Clarke jumps headlong into any situation with courage and tenacity, not giving up until she gets the answers she wants.” —Maggie Barbieri, Author of Once Upon a Lie
When a superstar athlete’s son turns up dead in a tiny town on the Virginia coast, crime reporter Nichelle Clarke gets the inside scoop. But she quickly spies a gaping hole her inner Lois Lane cannot ignore.
Determined to unravel the mystery, Nichelle fights off paparazzi cameras and an unexpected rival. She uncovers an illegal moonshine operation, a string of copycat suicides, and a slew of closets stacked with more skeletons than slingbacks. Chasing a killer who’s a breath from getting away with murder, Nichelle realizes too late the culprit has her number—and it might be up.
“A riveting mystery with big ideas and wonderful characters. Small Town Spin is a treat not to be missed, a fantastic addition to the Headlines in High Heels series.” —Duffy Brown, Agatha Award-Nominated Author of the Consignment Shop Mystery Series
“I took my time reading Small Town Spin because I didn’t want it to end and therefore, I offer this piece advice dear read slowly and treasure each page.” – Literary, etc.
“Boasting a strong cast of supporting characters, one of whom I would love to see disappear, and engaging and witty dialogue….This is the best one yet in this series and I can’t wait to see where Nicey takes us next on her crime reporting endeavors.” – Dru’s Book Musings
“Stop the presses! Small Town Spin makes headlines with a smart, stylish reporter who has a knack for solving mysteries—and winning over readers.” — Elizabeth Craig, Author of the Southern Quilting Mysteries
Related subjects cozy mysteries, women sleuths, murder mystery series, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit).
Books in the Headlines in High Heels Mystery
FRONT PAGE FATALITY (#1)
BURIED LEADS (#2)
DATELINE MEMPHIS (novella in HEARTACHE MOTEL)
SMALL TOWN SPIN (#3)
DEVIL IN THE DEADLINE (#4)
COVER SHOT (#5)
LETHAL LIFESTYLES (#6)
Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you'll probably like them all.
When a superstar athlete’s son turns up dead in a tiny town on the Virginia coast, crime reporter Nichelle Clarke gets the inside scoop. But she quickly spies a gaping hole her inner Lois Lane cannot ignore.
Determined to unravel the mystery, Nichelle fights off paparazzi cameras and an unexpected rival. She uncovers an illegal moonshine operation, a string of copycat suicides, and a slew of closets stacked with more skeletons than slingbacks. Chasing a killer who’s a breath from getting away with murder, Nichelle realizes too late the culprit has her number—and it might be up.
“A riveting mystery with big ideas and wonderful characters. Small Town Spin is a treat not to be missed, a fantastic addition to the Headlines in High Heels series.” —Duffy Brown, Agatha Award-Nominated Author of the Consignment Shop Mystery Series
“I took my time reading Small Town Spin because I didn’t want it to end and therefore, I offer this piece advice dear read slowly and treasure each page.” – Literary, etc.
“Boasting a strong cast of supporting characters, one of whom I would love to see disappear, and engaging and witty dialogue….This is the best one yet in this series and I can’t wait to see where Nicey takes us next on her crime reporting endeavors.” – Dru’s Book Musings
“Stop the presses! Small Town Spin makes headlines with a smart, stylish reporter who has a knack for solving mysteries—and winning over readers.” — Elizabeth Craig, Author of the Southern Quilting Mysteries
Related subjects cozy mysteries, women sleuths, murder mystery series, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit).
Books in the Headlines in High Heels Mystery
FRONT PAGE FATALITY (#1)
BURIED LEADS (#2)
DATELINE MEMPHIS (novella in HEARTACHE MOTEL)
SMALL TOWN SPIN (#3)
DEVIL IN THE DEADLINE (#4)
COVER SHOT (#5)
LETHAL LIFESTYLES (#6)
Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you'll probably like them all.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 3, 2014
2186 people are currently reading
882 people want to read
About the author
LynDee Walker
36 books640 followersLynDee Walker writes about strong women who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Her books have appeared on finalist lists for the Agatha and International Thriller awards—and once, on the weekly Amazon Charts US national bestsellers list smack in between two of her writing heroes.
LynDee is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. Before she started writing fiction, LynDee was an award-winning journalist who covered everything from ribbon cuttings and high school football to capital murder trials and high level police corruption. Her work has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the United States. She has written more than 20 novels and feels lucky every day to get to play with her imaginary friends for a living.
LynDee's favorite things are family, hydrangeas, porches, beaches, and books. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she is working on her next novel when she's not juggling laundry, children's sports schedules, and two very happily spoiled rescue dogs.
LynDee is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. Before she started writing fiction, LynDee was an award-winning journalist who covered everything from ribbon cuttings and high school football to capital murder trials and high level police corruption. Her work has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the United States. She has written more than 20 novels and feels lucky every day to get to play with her imaginary friends for a living.
LynDee's favorite things are family, hydrangeas, porches, beaches, and books. She lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she is working on her next novel when she's not juggling laundry, children's sports schedules, and two very happily spoiled rescue dogs.
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March 28, 2020
“Creeping silently along the concrete floor on my bare feet, I peered around the edge of each locker bank before I scurried to the next, Kirkwood sandal raised and ready. I was not getting chopped up and stuffed into lockers in a building full of people without a fight” (Walker).
Does *this* sound like someone who needs to be lectured, warned, and protected to within an inch of her adulthood?
Wait, wait; I’m getting ahead of myself here.
I’d initially dismissed book three as an option when scanning the blurbs for each installment but decided against it when I made it to Deadly Politics and ran out of Nichelle to read.
Small Town Spin, book three in LynDee Walker’s Nichelle Clark Crime Thriller series, has to be one of my least favorite. Stay tuned for why.
Small Town Spin takes our favorite crime reporter to the small Island town of Matthews Virginia, where the son of one of the most prominent residents is found dead of an apparent drug overdose.
Cue the usual small-town drama, complete with resentful, tight lipped local cops, dark, heartbreaking histories, and widespread grief.
Nichelle is up to her stilettos in moonshiners, exotic dancers, high school drama, devastated families, angry church matrons, and butthurt colleagues.
We get the same tight, fast-paced storytelling and suspense, but you’ll have to pick through chapter after chapter of sexist, high-handed warnings, lectures, and edicts from male colleagues and suitors.
I also did a lot more skimming than usual, as the aforementioned sexist crap lent a nauseating quality to the sticky sweet mush between Nichelle and Joey and Nichelle and Kyle.
Now, anyone familiar with my inner paranoid reader knows how I feel about protectiveness in books featuring female protagonists.
Nichelle’s quick thinking and self-sufficiency in the first book are what had me binge reading the entire series in a week. This is why I’m really not feeling her concession (I don’t care that she is picking her battles) to the authority of her overprotective suitors.
I have learned to grit my teeth and tolerate this particular convention of the genre; after all, the presumption of a woman’s “natural “vulnerability to external threats is, for many authors, one of those things that come under the heading of “realistic.”
I suspect that many of these authors are, in part, writing for a subset of female readers who would begin to question the masculinity of those male characters who failed to embrace their “biologically determined” roles as high-handed man-splaners (see my Q and A for J D Robb’s Vendetta in Death for an example).
I see things differently and am always surprised by and appreciative of male love interests and colleagues who are secure enough in their masculinity that they can respect and take confidence in the heroines’ intelligence and self-defense skills.
Unfortunately, such characters are very, very rare.
The sexist phenomenon I outline above is even more prevalent when romance looms, something that, invariably, occurs when women are the primary storytellers, which is why I have all but sworn off the romantic suspense genre.
The protectiveness that dominates the Nichelle Clark books is not only biologically essentialist but, more importantly, beyond unrealistic. Surely, female investigative /crime reporters aren’t inundated with warnings and lectures from every friend, colleague and relative with whom they interact. Certainly, their romantic partners aren’t haranguing or shaking their fingers at them about their work.
I’d bet my last dime that male investigative reporters are rarely if ever warned or lectured about safety.
If you’re in this field and reading this, feel free to correct me.
Nichelle though, endures lectures and warnings from every male with whom she interacts, every time she interacts with them. This is excessive, even for a work of fiction.
I have never, ever encountered this much redundancy, not even in some of the worst books I’ve read.
Nichelle Clark is an experienced (she’s been covering all manner of dangerous criminals for close to a decade), educated woman who understands English and illustrates uncanny powers of retention; no way should these men be repeating and repeating the same warnings.
More importantly, she has proven more than once that she has great instincts and can defend herself against armed men three times her size, so I’m not quite sure how or why she hasn’t yet earned the respect, trust, or confidence of those around her.
As a reader, I find the constant questioning of the protagonist’s strength and intelligence to be very problematic; such plot devices run counter to what the author is trying to do in terms of crafting endearing, emotionally attractive male characters. Even more problematic, especially in *this* series, is the implication that the protagonist is an unreliable narrator whose firsthand accounts of her strength and intelligence should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, if no one trusts her to take care of herself, why should we believe that she has?
I don’t get behind romantic relationships in which female protagonists are lied to, controlled, manipulated or otherwise disrespected “for their own good.” Moreover, I have never found the “she’ll be hurt, angry, and betrayed but she’ll be safe” rationale for lies and control to be particularly romantic, especially when the lies and control serve to either undermine a heroine’s credibility and authority or exacerbate a bad situation.
Far too often have I read of heroines walking into a trap or operating at a deadly disadvantage because some male love interest or colleague decided that his male judgment was better and safer for her than her own (see Deadly Politics).
Even worse is the notion that it is critical to curtail a woman’s freedom because, like a child, she lacks the ability to see around corners and behave accordingly.
That said, there is an important distinction between kickass self-sufficiency and TSTL overconfidence; I have been extremely critical of heroines who confront killers without so much as a pocketknife with which to defend themselves.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the various ways that Nichelle’s fear of guns and fondness for impractical shoes make her more vulnerable than she would otherwise be; more than once, she has needed saving and been caught flat on her back after having tripped and fallen.
She nonetheless fights her way out of trouble, often without the aid of her male counterparts.
Parenthetically, I always love and snigger at how every single one of the alpha-pigs ignore her calls at the sticking point.
Now, I’ve designated several shelves for sexist books, and Nichelle’s disobedience is one of the biggest reasons Walker’s books aren’t on all of them. That in no way means that her employment of sexist tropes and clichés don’t annoy me.
Maybe I’m harping on this particular annoyance because this is the last installment I’ve read. Maybe the sexist stuff stood out more because book three isn’t as compelling as the others.
Whatever the reason, book three was a three-star reading/listening experience.
Does *this* sound like someone who needs to be lectured, warned, and protected to within an inch of her adulthood?
Wait, wait; I’m getting ahead of myself here.
I’d initially dismissed book three as an option when scanning the blurbs for each installment but decided against it when I made it to Deadly Politics and ran out of Nichelle to read.
Small Town Spin, book three in LynDee Walker’s Nichelle Clark Crime Thriller series, has to be one of my least favorite. Stay tuned for why.
Small Town Spin takes our favorite crime reporter to the small Island town of Matthews Virginia, where the son of one of the most prominent residents is found dead of an apparent drug overdose.
Cue the usual small-town drama, complete with resentful, tight lipped local cops, dark, heartbreaking histories, and widespread grief.
Nichelle is up to her stilettos in moonshiners, exotic dancers, high school drama, devastated families, angry church matrons, and butthurt colleagues.
We get the same tight, fast-paced storytelling and suspense, but you’ll have to pick through chapter after chapter of sexist, high-handed warnings, lectures, and edicts from male colleagues and suitors.
I also did a lot more skimming than usual, as the aforementioned sexist crap lent a nauseating quality to the sticky sweet mush between Nichelle and Joey and Nichelle and Kyle.
Now, anyone familiar with my inner paranoid reader knows how I feel about protectiveness in books featuring female protagonists.
Nichelle’s quick thinking and self-sufficiency in the first book are what had me binge reading the entire series in a week. This is why I’m really not feeling her concession (I don’t care that she is picking her battles) to the authority of her overprotective suitors.
I have learned to grit my teeth and tolerate this particular convention of the genre; after all, the presumption of a woman’s “natural “vulnerability to external threats is, for many authors, one of those things that come under the heading of “realistic.”
I suspect that many of these authors are, in part, writing for a subset of female readers who would begin to question the masculinity of those male characters who failed to embrace their “biologically determined” roles as high-handed man-splaners (see my Q and A for J D Robb’s Vendetta in Death for an example).
I see things differently and am always surprised by and appreciative of male love interests and colleagues who are secure enough in their masculinity that they can respect and take confidence in the heroines’ intelligence and self-defense skills.
Unfortunately, such characters are very, very rare.
The sexist phenomenon I outline above is even more prevalent when romance looms, something that, invariably, occurs when women are the primary storytellers, which is why I have all but sworn off the romantic suspense genre.
The protectiveness that dominates the Nichelle Clark books is not only biologically essentialist but, more importantly, beyond unrealistic. Surely, female investigative /crime reporters aren’t inundated with warnings and lectures from every friend, colleague and relative with whom they interact. Certainly, their romantic partners aren’t haranguing or shaking their fingers at them about their work.
I’d bet my last dime that male investigative reporters are rarely if ever warned or lectured about safety.
If you’re in this field and reading this, feel free to correct me.
Nichelle though, endures lectures and warnings from every male with whom she interacts, every time she interacts with them. This is excessive, even for a work of fiction.
I have never, ever encountered this much redundancy, not even in some of the worst books I’ve read.
Nichelle Clark is an experienced (she’s been covering all manner of dangerous criminals for close to a decade), educated woman who understands English and illustrates uncanny powers of retention; no way should these men be repeating and repeating the same warnings.
More importantly, she has proven more than once that she has great instincts and can defend herself against armed men three times her size, so I’m not quite sure how or why she hasn’t yet earned the respect, trust, or confidence of those around her.
As a reader, I find the constant questioning of the protagonist’s strength and intelligence to be very problematic; such plot devices run counter to what the author is trying to do in terms of crafting endearing, emotionally attractive male characters. Even more problematic, especially in *this* series, is the implication that the protagonist is an unreliable narrator whose firsthand accounts of her strength and intelligence should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, if no one trusts her to take care of herself, why should we believe that she has?
I don’t get behind romantic relationships in which female protagonists are lied to, controlled, manipulated or otherwise disrespected “for their own good.” Moreover, I have never found the “she’ll be hurt, angry, and betrayed but she’ll be safe” rationale for lies and control to be particularly romantic, especially when the lies and control serve to either undermine a heroine’s credibility and authority or exacerbate a bad situation.
Far too often have I read of heroines walking into a trap or operating at a deadly disadvantage because some male love interest or colleague decided that his male judgment was better and safer for her than her own (see Deadly Politics).
Even worse is the notion that it is critical to curtail a woman’s freedom because, like a child, she lacks the ability to see around corners and behave accordingly.
That said, there is an important distinction between kickass self-sufficiency and TSTL overconfidence; I have been extremely critical of heroines who confront killers without so much as a pocketknife with which to defend themselves.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the various ways that Nichelle’s fear of guns and fondness for impractical shoes make her more vulnerable than she would otherwise be; more than once, she has needed saving and been caught flat on her back after having tripped and fallen.
She nonetheless fights her way out of trouble, often without the aid of her male counterparts.
Parenthetically, I always love and snigger at how every single one of the alpha-pigs ignore her calls at the sticking point.
Now, I’ve designated several shelves for sexist books, and Nichelle’s disobedience is one of the biggest reasons Walker’s books aren’t on all of them. That in no way means that her employment of sexist tropes and clichés don’t annoy me.
Maybe I’m harping on this particular annoyance because this is the last installment I’ve read. Maybe the sexist stuff stood out more because book three isn’t as compelling as the others.
Whatever the reason, book three was a three-star reading/listening experience.
November 4, 2018
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars
Small Town Spin is another solid story in this well-written cozy series that I'm happy to have been recommended. As per usual, I love Nichelle's thought process whenever she starts investigating each case, and I love that she's so resourceful and confident. I also appreciate the fact that Nichelle has kind of learned from her previous experiences and indeed DOES try not to be the TSTL. As she mentions, she's not exactly looking to get herself killed or anything. She just wants her story.
Unfortunately, danger just seems to keep popping up because she's so determined to get to the truth of each story.
Of all the books so far, I kind of feel like this is one with a meatier plot than the rest. It's quite thought-provoking, even if the entire detailed outline of the murder mystery was quite convoluted. Maybe Nichelle was following too many trails, I don't know.
Still, this was highly enjoyable!
On a side note: the love triangle is quite prominent in this particular book than it had been in the previous. I suppose I understand Nichelle's need to play the field a little bit. But something about triangles just really ruffle me up.
On another side note: I was chatting with my BFF about this series, wanting to introduce her to it if she were in the mood for a new cozy. The topic of the love triangle came up, and then I suddenly admitted that I was really hoping that Nichelle and fellow reporter, sports persona Grant Parker would end up together. I'm sure that's not going to happen, because the two have already friend-zoned each other; AND Parker is in a committed relationship. Also, a lot of other readers seem to be rooting for the mafia boss...
But anyway, I just felt like Parker and Nichelle just clicked really well, especially after they finally started communicating more properly at the end of the first book. Now the two are sort of partners in crime as he had helped her out, both in the previous book and this one. And they seem to really understand each other.
While love interests, Joey and Kyle, will just tell Nichelle she needs to stop getting herself into trouble, Parker will offer his services to aid her investigative efforts. I think I like that he doesn't immediately try to coddle her... then again, he's also not playing the role of over-protective potential boyfriend.
Anyway, another entertaining installment to the Nichelle Clarke series, and three more to go!
***
Halloween Bingo 2018
Small Town Spin is another solid story in this well-written cozy series that I'm happy to have been recommended. As per usual, I love Nichelle's thought process whenever she starts investigating each case, and I love that she's so resourceful and confident. I also appreciate the fact that Nichelle has kind of learned from her previous experiences and indeed DOES try not to be the TSTL. As she mentions, she's not exactly looking to get herself killed or anything. She just wants her story.
Unfortunately, danger just seems to keep popping up because she's so determined to get to the truth of each story.
Of all the books so far, I kind of feel like this is one with a meatier plot than the rest. It's quite thought-provoking, even if the entire detailed outline of the murder mystery was quite convoluted. Maybe Nichelle was following too many trails, I don't know.
Still, this was highly enjoyable!
On a side note: the love triangle is quite prominent in this particular book than it had been in the previous. I suppose I understand Nichelle's need to play the field a little bit. But something about triangles just really ruffle me up.
On another side note: I was chatting with my BFF about this series, wanting to introduce her to it if she were in the mood for a new cozy. The topic of the love triangle came up, and then I suddenly admitted that I was really hoping that Nichelle and fellow reporter, sports persona Grant Parker would end up together. I'm sure that's not going to happen, because the two have already friend-zoned each other; AND Parker is in a committed relationship. Also, a lot of other readers seem to be rooting for the mafia boss...
But anyway, I just felt like Parker and Nichelle just clicked really well, especially after they finally started communicating more properly at the end of the first book. Now the two are sort of partners in crime as he had helped her out, both in the previous book and this one. And they seem to really understand each other.
While love interests, Joey and Kyle, will just tell Nichelle she needs to stop getting herself into trouble, Parker will offer his services to aid her investigative efforts. I think I like that he doesn't immediately try to coddle her... then again, he's also not playing the role of over-protective potential boyfriend.
Anyway, another entertaining installment to the Nichelle Clarke series, and three more to go!
***
Halloween Bingo 2018
April 8, 2014
I received an ARC of **Small Town Spin** by LynDee Walker from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Her name is Nichelle Clarke. She's got a toy Pomeranian named Darcy, and she suffers from Spring allergies. In fact, anyone else who got plagued by allergies the way Nichelle does, would take to her bed and tune out the rest of the world until the allergy season ended. But that's not how Nichelle handles anything. She's full speed ahead until her obligations are met or until she ends up in an ER. She's that committed to her job and her life responsibilities.
She works as a columnist at the Richmond *Telegraph*, and she's very good at what she does in spite of the fact that at least one other person on the newspaper staff wants Nichelle's job badly enough to play any dirty trick necessary to give herself an edge. Fortunately, Nichelle is aware of this as is her boss. The editor of the newspaper, however, is another story.
On a day Nichelle is bothered most by her allergy problem and actually considers taking a sick day, she gets a call from a colleague and friend of hers, Grant Parker, a sports columnist. Grant needs a favor, and the only person he trusts enough to ask to do him this favor is Nichelle. He needs someone who has objectivity and common sense in mind when writing about big stories that could be turned into a media nightmare. He believes Nichelle has the sensitivity to do her job while also doing her best to see to it that it doesn't turn into a MSM debacle. It seems that Tony Okerson Junior is dead, and the cause of death as far as local law enforcement is concerned is suicide. Parker is a close friend of Okerson's family, and he wants this news story handled delicately especially since no one close to Tony Junior believes he would have killed himself.
What makes this story full of the prospect of sensationalism is that Tony Junior's father is a famous football player. He's been the 3 time winner of the Super Bowl as Quarterback, and his son had the ability to follow in his father's footsteps if he chose to do that. He was a natural athlete.
In spite of her allergy problems, Nichelle cannot say no to this request from her friend to do the story he doesn't feel he is able to do himself because of how close he is to the whole Okerson family. The first thing she has to do is visit the family to get information she can use in the article she will be writing on this tragedy. That is not an assignment she is looking forward to. She also needs to speak with local law enforcement to find out why they are so sure Tony Junior killed himself.
As the story continues, Nichelle begins to have suspicions of her own about what happened to Tony Junior, and it has nothing to do with suicide. She realizes she cannot get to the bottom of this story by herself, and that's when we find out about Joey and Kyle, the two men in Nichelle's life. It didn't take me long to decide which one I wanted Nichelle to choose and which one to dump. Now all I have to do is wait for more books to find out which one gets Nichelle for himself. Which means that LynDee Walker has got some plotting and publishing to do in the near future!
There are many things I liked about this mystery. First, I knew I would not be disappointed when I saw that it was published by Henery Press. They always have such unique and classy covers for their books which makes it easy to spot one of their authors. I liked that in spite of having a highly competitive job, Nichelle sees no reason to try to compete by wearing business suits and assuming an androgynous character. She's a woman who is quite comfortable being a woman, and I love it that her weak spot is designer shoes. She's smart and creative, but she's also prone to take on a little more than she can handle. Just like most women with whom I've formed a connection over the years. I have not read the two books that came before **Small Town Spin**, but I definitely plan to catch up on what I've missed. I want to see if Shelby Taylor finally gets put in her place. I'd also like to see if Rick Anderson ever gets a clue about what is going on in his newsroom. And then there's the Big Hunk-out... Who will end up with Nichelle? Is it going to be Joey or Kyle OR maybe someone new? Only LynDee Walker knows for sure; the rest of us will just have to be content to wait for the next installment. I'm reserving my spot at the front of the line with readers in place and ready to go!
Her name is Nichelle Clarke. She's got a toy Pomeranian named Darcy, and she suffers from Spring allergies. In fact, anyone else who got plagued by allergies the way Nichelle does, would take to her bed and tune out the rest of the world until the allergy season ended. But that's not how Nichelle handles anything. She's full speed ahead until her obligations are met or until she ends up in an ER. She's that committed to her job and her life responsibilities.
She works as a columnist at the Richmond *Telegraph*, and she's very good at what she does in spite of the fact that at least one other person on the newspaper staff wants Nichelle's job badly enough to play any dirty trick necessary to give herself an edge. Fortunately, Nichelle is aware of this as is her boss. The editor of the newspaper, however, is another story.
On a day Nichelle is bothered most by her allergy problem and actually considers taking a sick day, she gets a call from a colleague and friend of hers, Grant Parker, a sports columnist. Grant needs a favor, and the only person he trusts enough to ask to do him this favor is Nichelle. He needs someone who has objectivity and common sense in mind when writing about big stories that could be turned into a media nightmare. He believes Nichelle has the sensitivity to do her job while also doing her best to see to it that it doesn't turn into a MSM debacle. It seems that Tony Okerson Junior is dead, and the cause of death as far as local law enforcement is concerned is suicide. Parker is a close friend of Okerson's family, and he wants this news story handled delicately especially since no one close to Tony Junior believes he would have killed himself.
What makes this story full of the prospect of sensationalism is that Tony Junior's father is a famous football player. He's been the 3 time winner of the Super Bowl as Quarterback, and his son had the ability to follow in his father's footsteps if he chose to do that. He was a natural athlete.
In spite of her allergy problems, Nichelle cannot say no to this request from her friend to do the story he doesn't feel he is able to do himself because of how close he is to the whole Okerson family. The first thing she has to do is visit the family to get information she can use in the article she will be writing on this tragedy. That is not an assignment she is looking forward to. She also needs to speak with local law enforcement to find out why they are so sure Tony Junior killed himself.
As the story continues, Nichelle begins to have suspicions of her own about what happened to Tony Junior, and it has nothing to do with suicide. She realizes she cannot get to the bottom of this story by herself, and that's when we find out about Joey and Kyle, the two men in Nichelle's life. It didn't take me long to decide which one I wanted Nichelle to choose and which one to dump. Now all I have to do is wait for more books to find out which one gets Nichelle for himself. Which means that LynDee Walker has got some plotting and publishing to do in the near future!
There are many things I liked about this mystery. First, I knew I would not be disappointed when I saw that it was published by Henery Press. They always have such unique and classy covers for their books which makes it easy to spot one of their authors. I liked that in spite of having a highly competitive job, Nichelle sees no reason to try to compete by wearing business suits and assuming an androgynous character. She's a woman who is quite comfortable being a woman, and I love it that her weak spot is designer shoes. She's smart and creative, but she's also prone to take on a little more than she can handle. Just like most women with whom I've formed a connection over the years. I have not read the two books that came before **Small Town Spin**, but I definitely plan to catch up on what I've missed. I want to see if Shelby Taylor finally gets put in her place. I'd also like to see if Rick Anderson ever gets a clue about what is going on in his newsroom. And then there's the Big Hunk-out... Who will end up with Nichelle? Is it going to be Joey or Kyle OR maybe someone new? Only LynDee Walker knows for sure; the rest of us will just have to be content to wait for the next installment. I'm reserving my spot at the front of the line with readers in place and ready to go!
March 20, 2014
This is my favorite so far of the Nichelle Clarke mysteries. Walker continues with a tight, compelling mystery with wonderful fast-paced, newsroom chatter. I'm always fascinated by the inner workings of print journalism, which Walker manages to keep fresh and upbeat. I love the development of the romantic triangle between Nichelle, the gangster Joey, and her ex-love, ATF agent Kyle.
Walker also deals with the difficult subject of teen suicide in an appropriate, respectful way without being overly cautious about the stakes. There is also enough humor, romance, and shoe fun to keep the mood from getting dour. Walker spins it out of the park! Can't wait for #4!
Walker also deals with the difficult subject of teen suicide in an appropriate, respectful way without being overly cautious about the stakes. There is also enough humor, romance, and shoe fun to keep the mood from getting dour. Walker spins it out of the park! Can't wait for #4!
December 30, 2024
I try to avoid reading series out of order, but in this case it fit a challenge. I liked the writing style, pacing, main character. Will go back and try more books in the series. Emotional issues here and it stayed intriguing.
December 20, 2014
Small Town Spin is the third book in the Headlines in High Heels Mystery series by LynDee Walker. I was super lucky enough to have discovered the first book, Front Page Fatality, early in April of last year during one of the very first book tours I ever signed up for and fell in love with the book. In October, another book tour company had her 2nd book, Buried Leads and I have a great guest post from Ms. Walker along with the review. There is also a novella available in the Heartache Motel Anthology, that covers events between Buried Leads and the beginning of this book. This has been a consistently great series, so when I saw that it was available on Netgalley, I was super excited.
This book opens with Nichelle fights a losing battle with her allergies. Since she is feeling so poorly, she gets a rare afternoon off, to go home a rest. Unfortunately, the news doesn't respect sick days and Parker, Nichelle's co-worker and former super star baseball player turned sports reporter has a scoop for her - and its personal. Parker's college buddy, and football legend's son has apparently committed suicide and they are willing to have his story told - by Nichelle.
So Nichelle heads out to meet with the family, but the more she learns about the boy and what happened, the more the pieces just don't mesh for her. Afraid that she is bringing her personal feelings into the story, she slowly starts digging all the while second guessing her gut instincts. When the boy's girlfriend is also found dead in an apparent suicide, more clues begin to point to murder.
This was the best book yet in the series, honest! Finding out some of the backstory about Nichelle and how/why she chose journalism, and particularly investigative journalism was masterfully done and left me wanting more. We also get introduced to an old friend of Nichelle's, that promises even more backstory in the future. Plus there was such great tension and struggle as Nichelle tries to figure out her relationship with both Joey and Kyle that I am as confused as Nichelle about which guy to root for. I gave this book a 5 star rating and can't wait to see what happens next for Nichelle.
This book opens with Nichelle fights a losing battle with her allergies. Since she is feeling so poorly, she gets a rare afternoon off, to go home a rest. Unfortunately, the news doesn't respect sick days and Parker, Nichelle's co-worker and former super star baseball player turned sports reporter has a scoop for her - and its personal. Parker's college buddy, and football legend's son has apparently committed suicide and they are willing to have his story told - by Nichelle.
So Nichelle heads out to meet with the family, but the more she learns about the boy and what happened, the more the pieces just don't mesh for her. Afraid that she is bringing her personal feelings into the story, she slowly starts digging all the while second guessing her gut instincts. When the boy's girlfriend is also found dead in an apparent suicide, more clues begin to point to murder.
This was the best book yet in the series, honest! Finding out some of the backstory about Nichelle and how/why she chose journalism, and particularly investigative journalism was masterfully done and left me wanting more. We also get introduced to an old friend of Nichelle's, that promises even more backstory in the future. Plus there was such great tension and struggle as Nichelle tries to figure out her relationship with both Joey and Kyle that I am as confused as Nichelle about which guy to root for. I gave this book a 5 star rating and can't wait to see what happens next for Nichelle.
June 21, 2014
I can understand why people like this book. I'm not one of them. The core of the mystery is unbalanced. The good ending couldn't make up for the lackluster parts that comprised of most of the book. Nichelle's reporter skills are given way too much importance. Some reactions to her work are mystifying. The three young people murdered don't get equal focus. Not that they should, except if they help the pacing of the story, which they would. The chick lit aspect of this book were embarrassing, as the studs don't even know how to kiss properly. Too much tongue. The author has a varied vocabulary as opposed to a rich one. She is talented, but her poor plotting and pacing skills are her undoing.
September 27, 2018
3.25 stars
My less favourite till now.
Good suspense, decent heroine.
but....
the romance part tends toward love-triangle.
#Team Joey.
It's obvious that Kyle is sleeping with OW 🙄🙄🙄
What pissed me off - the heroine was celibate for 10 years... Her only partner was Kyle 🙄
For Christ's sake, woman, 29 yo and celibate for 10 years.... 🙄
And then they interrupted her sexual moment with Joey...
Argh! 😤
My less favourite till now.
Good suspense, decent heroine.
but....
the romance part tends toward love-triangle.
#Team Joey.
It's obvious that Kyle is sleeping with OW 🙄🙄🙄
What pissed me off - the heroine was celibate for 10 years... Her only partner was Kyle 🙄
For Christ's sake, woman, 29 yo and celibate for 10 years.... 🙄
And then they interrupted her sexual moment with Joey...
Argh! 😤
December 16, 2021
Another Good One!
This is the third installment of the Michelle Clark crime series. Michelle is a crime reporter for a newspaper and she's really good at her job. She's also good at getting involved in some of the crimes she covers and can sniff out a mystery faster than lightning. She's also in the habit of getting injured and spending time in emergency rooms.
This time it's the suicide of the best athlete in a small town. He also happens to be the son of a three time super bowl winning athlete. This makes it huge news all over the country. She manages to get exclusive access to the football hero and his wife. She knows right away that something else is going on. Leaving it at that.
The other part of the story involved Nichelle's relationships with her ex-boyfriend from high school who has now moved to the city she lives in. He's a federal agent. She also has a friendship with a high ranking mobster. Interesting goings on with that. I just hope it doesn't turn into a true love triangle or her continuing a juggling act between the two. I stopped reading a similar famous series for that. Just saying. I already have the next book waiting. All in all a good read!
This is the third installment of the Michelle Clark crime series. Michelle is a crime reporter for a newspaper and she's really good at her job. She's also good at getting involved in some of the crimes she covers and can sniff out a mystery faster than lightning. She's also in the habit of getting injured and spending time in emergency rooms.
This time it's the suicide of the best athlete in a small town. He also happens to be the son of a three time super bowl winning athlete. This makes it huge news all over the country. She manages to get exclusive access to the football hero and his wife. She knows right away that something else is going on. Leaving it at that.
The other part of the story involved Nichelle's relationships with her ex-boyfriend from high school who has now moved to the city she lives in. He's a federal agent. She also has a friendship with a high ranking mobster. Interesting goings on with that. I just hope it doesn't turn into a true love triangle or her continuing a juggling act between the two. I stopped reading a similar famous series for that. Just saying. I already have the next book waiting. All in all a good read!
March 6, 2021
I must admit I didn’t think I would enjoy these books as much as I have. I find myself trying to solve the mystery along with Nichelle. She seems to get herself into a lot of pickles.
This book was hard to listen to, kids is always a hard concept but small towns added in ooh wee they don’t take it lightly when outsiders come in.
But more than that, Nichelle finds herself in the middle of work fight because she got the exclusive and others didn’t people are not happy with her.
Backstabbing too we can’t forget about that!
And who is going to win Nichelle's affection, will it be Kyle or Joey... I like em both so I can't pick!
Again loving the narration, on to the next.
This book was hard to listen to, kids is always a hard concept but small towns added in ooh wee they don’t take it lightly when outsiders come in.
But more than that, Nichelle finds herself in the middle of work fight because she got the exclusive and others didn’t people are not happy with her.
Backstabbing too we can’t forget about that!
And who is going to win Nichelle's affection, will it be Kyle or Joey... I like em both so I can't pick!
Again loving the narration, on to the next.
June 5, 2023
Another enjoyable cozy mystery in this series, however the discovery of the murderer was a bit of a surprise and disappointment. I found the reason behind it to be a bit dumb, but I’m still giving the book 4 stars.
August 18, 2018
A real great crime newspaper reporter series.
June 12, 2019
Enjoyed this one a bit more than the previous
June 12, 2014
Review Originally posted: WORDS YOU Traveling With T
This book was requested through Netgalley for review by Traveling With T.
Small Town Spin by LynDee Walker
When Parker, star sports columnist for the Richmond Telegraph, lets Nichelle know about a scoop- even though she is sick, her reporter instincts kick in. She wants to know the who, what and why of the scoop, fully expecting a sports scoop with some serious messiness. However, the scoop is more than that. A teenage boy, TJ Okerson, son of Tony Okerson (legendary sports athlete), has committed suicide. Because Parker asks and thinks that the Okerson’s need Nichelle’s special brand of reporting- she agrees to report the facts of the suicide- even though the case shakes her up.
When Nichelle arrives in the small-town Mathews (seriously- the town has a Mayberry vibe) and meets the Okerson’s- her heart breaks for this family. But, Nichelle has a story to write and she does with kindness and care. All the while, though, a thought niggles at Nichelle- why would TJ commit suicide? For all accounts, he was popular guy, good family, and had great things to look forward to in life.
When Nichelle hears about a second suicide in Mathews, she’s even more convinced that something is happening to these teenagers and is curious that it’s linked to moonshine and the teenager’s beach parties. She needs proof, though, and with the sheriff wanting to close the cases and get the national media out of small town- Nichelle knows it is up to her to play Nancy Drew. Lucky for Nichelle- she has a few Hardy Boys in her life (and 2 who are dying to play the role of Ned Nickerson- Nancy’s boyfriend).
With some help from Joey, the Mafia boss and Kyle, the ATF agent, Nichelle begins to close in on the what and why of the “suicides” in Mathews. However, some one know that Nichelle is on their tale- and they are not appreciative. Will Nichelle end up in a trap that even her fancy Manolos can’t get her out of?
Traveling With T’s Thoughts
Nichelle- the Moscato-drinking, fancy shoe wearing, fabulous character is back. Her love life is not any less complicated- but that’s ok. Nichelle’s having fun playing the field.
The mystery is good- the plot fast moving and sprinkled with enough people to have a motive, yet not so many that you wonder “When did we meet this person?” The characters are fleshed out- the Mafia boss with a heart of gold for Nichelle, the sexy ATF agent who wants to re-kindle their romance- neither of those characters feel one-dimensional. Even the office politics with Shelby or the fear of being scooped by Charlie feels real and not manufactured.
In a previous review, I have compared Nichelle to Lacey Smithsonian, fashion reporter, and this book just reinforces the comparison. Both are smart and classy, both deal with newspaper politics, both have greater journalistic aspirations. Nichelle may be a tad more relatable (it’s the Moscato and the love for fancy shoes!)
All in all- looking for a great mystery with a little slice of romance? Try SMALL TOWN SPIN.
*SMALL TOWN SPIN was requested through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.
This book was requested through Netgalley for review by Traveling With T.
Small Town Spin by LynDee Walker
When Parker, star sports columnist for the Richmond Telegraph, lets Nichelle know about a scoop- even though she is sick, her reporter instincts kick in. She wants to know the who, what and why of the scoop, fully expecting a sports scoop with some serious messiness. However, the scoop is more than that. A teenage boy, TJ Okerson, son of Tony Okerson (legendary sports athlete), has committed suicide. Because Parker asks and thinks that the Okerson’s need Nichelle’s special brand of reporting- she agrees to report the facts of the suicide- even though the case shakes her up.
When Nichelle arrives in the small-town Mathews (seriously- the town has a Mayberry vibe) and meets the Okerson’s- her heart breaks for this family. But, Nichelle has a story to write and she does with kindness and care. All the while, though, a thought niggles at Nichelle- why would TJ commit suicide? For all accounts, he was popular guy, good family, and had great things to look forward to in life.
When Nichelle hears about a second suicide in Mathews, she’s even more convinced that something is happening to these teenagers and is curious that it’s linked to moonshine and the teenager’s beach parties. She needs proof, though, and with the sheriff wanting to close the cases and get the national media out of small town- Nichelle knows it is up to her to play Nancy Drew. Lucky for Nichelle- she has a few Hardy Boys in her life (and 2 who are dying to play the role of Ned Nickerson- Nancy’s boyfriend).
With some help from Joey, the Mafia boss and Kyle, the ATF agent, Nichelle begins to close in on the what and why of the “suicides” in Mathews. However, some one know that Nichelle is on their tale- and they are not appreciative. Will Nichelle end up in a trap that even her fancy Manolos can’t get her out of?
Traveling With T’s Thoughts
Nichelle- the Moscato-drinking, fancy shoe wearing, fabulous character is back. Her love life is not any less complicated- but that’s ok. Nichelle’s having fun playing the field.
The mystery is good- the plot fast moving and sprinkled with enough people to have a motive, yet not so many that you wonder “When did we meet this person?” The characters are fleshed out- the Mafia boss with a heart of gold for Nichelle, the sexy ATF agent who wants to re-kindle their romance- neither of those characters feel one-dimensional. Even the office politics with Shelby or the fear of being scooped by Charlie feels real and not manufactured.
In a previous review, I have compared Nichelle to Lacey Smithsonian, fashion reporter, and this book just reinforces the comparison. Both are smart and classy, both deal with newspaper politics, both have greater journalistic aspirations. Nichelle may be a tad more relatable (it’s the Moscato and the love for fancy shoes!)
All in all- looking for a great mystery with a little slice of romance? Try SMALL TOWN SPIN.
*SMALL TOWN SPIN was requested through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.
January 28, 2014
The third book in the Headlines in High Heels Mysteries series is just as enjoyable as the rest of the series. The heroine Nichelle is charming, witty, and and in this book makes it her personal mission to solve the mysteries of the deaths of two teenagers which the police are all too eager to label as suicides. Later in the book it is revealed why she is so determined to help the parents prove that the deaths of their children were not suicides, and it is not just to get a great story or an exclusive that could land her a spot at the Washington Post that motivates her.
The writing is fluid and while reading this book I did not notice how the time flew by. I read this book in just two days, which for me is always a good sign that the book is engaging and keeping my interest. I never had the feeling that the book should be shorter, or that I wanted to skip pages because the story did not move fast enough (even though at the end I could not wait to discover what would happen!). Very well done.
There is a great chemistry between the main characters and by now there are several recurring characters that the reader has become well acquainted with. Of course there is the shoe loving crime reporter Nichelle, smart and funny, and the two men she is interested in (hot mafia boss and ex boyfriend turned special agent) who are always by her side and helping her out in many situations. I was happy to read more about her developing friendship with her coworker Parker, ex professional athlete and sports desk reporter. Not to forget her rivals Charly and Shelby, who always try to make her life just a little bit harder and steal her spotlight.
You can tell that the author uses her own experience as a crime reporter to infuse her books and make them entirely believable but with her own spin. As in all the other books Nichelle's shoes feature in the story, in this one they are even more important than ever to get Nichelle out of a tricky situation.
Copy provided through NetGalley.
The writing is fluid and while reading this book I did not notice how the time flew by. I read this book in just two days, which for me is always a good sign that the book is engaging and keeping my interest. I never had the feeling that the book should be shorter, or that I wanted to skip pages because the story did not move fast enough (even though at the end I could not wait to discover what would happen!). Very well done.
There is a great chemistry between the main characters and by now there are several recurring characters that the reader has become well acquainted with. Of course there is the shoe loving crime reporter Nichelle, smart and funny, and the two men she is interested in (hot mafia boss and ex boyfriend turned special agent) who are always by her side and helping her out in many situations. I was happy to read more about her developing friendship with her coworker Parker, ex professional athlete and sports desk reporter. Not to forget her rivals Charly and Shelby, who always try to make her life just a little bit harder and steal her spotlight.
You can tell that the author uses her own experience as a crime reporter to infuse her books and make them entirely believable but with her own spin. As in all the other books Nichelle's shoes feature in the story, in this one they are even more important than ever to get Nichelle out of a tricky situation.
Copy provided through NetGalley.
January 16, 2016
When a superstar athlete’s son turns up dead in a tiny town on the Virginia coast, crime reporter Nichelle Clarke gets the inside scoop. But she quickly spies a gaping hole her inner Lois Lane cannot ignore.
Determined to unravel the mystery, Nichelle fights off paparazzi cameras and an unexpected rival. She uncovers an illegal moonshine operation, a string of copycat suicides, and a slew of closets stacked with more skeletons than slingbacks. Chasing a killer who’s a breath from getting away with murder, Nichelle realizes too late the culprit has her number—and it might be up.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
LynDee Walker is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and Nichelle Clarke one of my favorite protagonists. I started this story and just couldn’t put it down.
Even when she is sick Nichelle keeps going. Those darn allergies have to take a back seat when her co-worker asks her to check out a story. His friend’s son is dead and the cops say it’s suicide. The boy’s parents just don’t believe it and want Nichelle to investigate and find out what really happened. Let me say Nichelle works better sick than most of us work healthy. She puts on Manolos, channels her inner Lois Lane, and starts digging and following clues. She is bound and determined to get her exclusive story and leave TV reporter Charlie in the dust. She also wants to give the boy’s parents some kind of closure.
Walker has written quite a mystery with some corkscrew turns and twists and fabulous characters. She also adds the perfect amount of romance and humor. I really love “bad guy” Joey. He has it Nicey bad and he is always there just when he needs her most. But Kyle is still fighting to have her give their relationship another chance. Stay tuned I think things will heat up even more in the next installment.
Determined to unravel the mystery, Nichelle fights off paparazzi cameras and an unexpected rival. She uncovers an illegal moonshine operation, a string of copycat suicides, and a slew of closets stacked with more skeletons than slingbacks. Chasing a killer who’s a breath from getting away with murder, Nichelle realizes too late the culprit has her number—and it might be up.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
LynDee Walker is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and Nichelle Clarke one of my favorite protagonists. I started this story and just couldn’t put it down.
Even when she is sick Nichelle keeps going. Those darn allergies have to take a back seat when her co-worker asks her to check out a story. His friend’s son is dead and the cops say it’s suicide. The boy’s parents just don’t believe it and want Nichelle to investigate and find out what really happened. Let me say Nichelle works better sick than most of us work healthy. She puts on Manolos, channels her inner Lois Lane, and starts digging and following clues. She is bound and determined to get her exclusive story and leave TV reporter Charlie in the dust. She also wants to give the boy’s parents some kind of closure.
Walker has written quite a mystery with some corkscrew turns and twists and fabulous characters. She also adds the perfect amount of romance and humor. I really love “bad guy” Joey. He has it Nicey bad and he is always there just when he needs her most. But Kyle is still fighting to have her give their relationship another chance. Stay tuned I think things will heat up even more in the next installment.
April 11, 2014
4 Stars
I have enjoyed reading A Headlines in High Heels Mystery. Nichelle really knows how to use her heels. I was totally lost about who was guilty and what was really going on. Lots of drama and crime stories, some romance. I really like the rescue scene.
Nichelle Clark is a crime reporter for Richmond VA paper. She has someone gunning for her job. She is always trying to scope a TV reporter Charlie. Nichelle likes two different guys, that are opposites when it comes to the law.
She has taken the day off because she does not feel well when she gets called to work a teen suicide of a famous football player. Nichelle will be the only reporter the family will talk too. After talking to parents, Sheriff Nichelle does not want to write it off as a suicide right away.
There were a couple of stories I keep thinking and rethinking about. One a girls dancing bar. Church ladies are out in parking lot taking pictures of cars and men and sending to the wives. Nichelle goes in to here their story. She tries to cover both opinions.
I finally decided I would be upset if I found out that my husband was at the bar. That would be any bar. No matter what the girls were wearing or not wearing.
Nichelle sure writes a lot of stories in a day. I thought that was interesting.
Lately I seem to read a lot of stories with women not knowing which guy to choose. One of them is some type of cop and the other guy is on the other side of law or sitting on the fence. The dangerous guy sounds more interesting in the books. In this case I do like what I know about Joey. In real life no way.
I will keep reading this series by LynDee Walker.
I was given this ebook to read for purpose of giving an honest review by Netgalley and Henery Press.
August 14, 2016
This is the third installment of the Headlines in High Heel mysteries and I think it is the best one yet. The story grabbed me from the very first page and held my attention until the very end. I could not put it down, and found myself reading late into the night. There were many twists and turns and it had me guessing until the end. It had plenty of mystery and just enough romance. LynDee Walker also dealt with the emotionally charged and heady issue of teen suicide with grace and does not shy away from it, but adds enough humor that it does not bring the story down. We also learn more about the characters in this book and go further into the personal life of Nichelle Clarke.
This is a fast paced engaging mystery with a touch of romance that I highly recommend to anyone who likes cozy mysteries, but with a bit more depth.
I received a ARC copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review, but that did not influence my opinion of this wonderfully engaging book from LynDee Walker.
This is a fast paced engaging mystery with a touch of romance that I highly recommend to anyone who likes cozy mysteries, but with a bit more depth.
I received a ARC copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review, but that did not influence my opinion of this wonderfully engaging book from LynDee Walker.
Read
April 20, 20145 stars out of five
[FTC: I recieved this book as part of a book blog giveaway and I thank the author for her generosity. In no way did this influence this review or my opnions, which are 100% mine]
Nichelle is at it again. She seems to have the most interesting cases fall into her lap. When her co-worker/friend Parker asks her to meet with the family of an apparent suicide. But, there is no reason this kid would commit suicide, and Nicey sets out to give this family closure, and runs into a series of (dis)connected cases that come together in a conclusion no one suspects!
This is the best of the series, and hopefully it will be the third in a long bunch of books!
[FTC: I recieved this book as part of a book blog giveaway and I thank the author for her generosity. In no way did this influence this review or my opnions, which are 100% mine]
Nichelle is at it again. She seems to have the most interesting cases fall into her lap. When her co-worker/friend Parker asks her to meet with the family of an apparent suicide. But, there is no reason this kid would commit suicide, and Nicey sets out to give this family closure, and runs into a series of (dis)connected cases that come together in a conclusion no one suspects!
This is the best of the series, and hopefully it will be the third in a long bunch of books!
April 11, 2014
Holy Manolos, this was the best Headline in High Heels mystery yet! Although the premise was pretty sad, I loved the mystery and Nichelle's personal investment in solving the case. The writing was fantastic and the pace was perfect. Clues and suspects were unveiled throughout the story until the completely unexpected ending! I also love Walker's treatment of Nichelle's love-life, ever-present with her unable to choose between Kyle and Joey (both smokin' hot), but it never takes away from the main mystery. The only problem is that now I have to wait for the next one!
March 9, 2014
I loved the first two books in this series and was very excited to win a copy of this one through a Goodreads give-awawy. It was so much fun getting caught back up with Nicey and the other characters and riding along with her as she solves yet another mystery. The mystery was another one that keeps you guessing until the final pages. Small Town Spin can be read as a stand-alone, but after anyone reads it they will definitely want to read the others in the series. Thanks again LynnDee another fun read and I will be looking for more from you.
March 7, 2014
Each in the series is a little bit better than the last. I can’t imagine where LynDee will take Nicey and her friends in the future. Nicey was once again her entertaining self as she worked to solve the murder of two young people. Book number four, Devil in the Deadline will be published in early 2015. Lyndee is also the author of Deadline Memphis which is included in the new book Heartache Motel, along with stories by Terry Austin and Larissa Reinhardt. Be sure to check it out. I hope everyone enjoys LynDee’s were as much as I do is.
March 18, 2019
I found the who-dunnit aspects interesting and well-done. Character development felt thin: I mean I get that her thing is shoes, but, really? She's gone from downtown parking lots to rural Tidewater wearing multi-hundred dollar stilettos?? Also, the I could never tell where we were in the time line: I kept thinking "is this the same day?" and "shouldn't it be too dark by now?" (And that's leaving aside my actual experience with enjoying a nice meal at Can Can then driving to Bethesda -- no way that episode happened in the time allotted.)
July 26, 2014
Small Town Spin has it all. A plot that tugs at the heartstrings. A protagonist with ethics, determination and humor. An intriguing romantic dilemma. And a fantastic, surprising conclusion! What a winner from beginning to end!
May 28, 2014
Yet another winner by LynDee Walker! I can honestly say I had no idea how the book was going to end. I can't wait for her next book to be released!!!
September 9, 2016
I feel like this series is getting better with each book. So much fun!
November 13, 2020
These are lightweight, fast reads - exactly what I'm looking for, right now. As much as I love the hair-raising, grisly, murder, forensics (preferably Australian, British, Irish, or Scottish) procedural mystery thrillers - and I do love them very much indeed - right now, I want the 'easy listening' level mysteries. There's enough of a shitshow happening in my actual life at the moment that I just don't have the attention span or fortitude for such intricate reads, but I still need a book in progress to escape into, at all times.
For you Stephanie Plum fans out there: If you swap out bounty hunter/security/cop/hamster for journalist/mafia/ATF/pomeranian, it's essentially the same sort of McMystery will they/won't they low-anxiety reading. Heading into book 4, it's also as entertaining as the Plum books used to be before they started drifting (at some point around around book 15? Thereabouts.) into unwitting self-parodying cringefests.
For you Stephanie Plum fans out there: If you swap out bounty hunter/security/cop/hamster for journalist/mafia/ATF/pomeranian, it's essentially the same sort of McMystery will they/won't they low-anxiety reading. Heading into book 4, it's also as entertaining as the Plum books used to be before they started drifting (at some point around around book 15? Thereabouts.) into unwitting self-parodying cringefests.
April 22, 2018
Because I don’t like reading books about small towns, this was not my favorite of the series. I like it better when we see Nicey in Richmond. But Walker’s writing as always kept me reading. There’s just something captivating about it. And the last page! I won’t say what happens but I gasped (which is hard to get me to do). Usually I’m turned off by these themes (read it and you’ll figure out what) but it’s written so well that I’m along for the ride and excited to start the next book!
August 25, 2018
I love this series. It was fast paced and cleverly written. I want super surprised by the outcome but I love the main characters enough that the mystery was kind of second level important to me. The only real complaint i have is with the number of times she talked about her inner Lois Lane...i swear that phrase ws pf almost every page and its obnoxious after a while...enough to knock it down a star, but overall it's a great story
October 12, 2019
Another fast paced mystery novel. There’s a pattern to these books: murder, mystery, Nichelle is the one thinking outside the box, danger, personal injury, resolution with her being heralded for her great investigative skills, and great write ups to conclude the case. But, these books are fun, plus great characters.
Sidebar note: why are there so many authors who don’t use adverbs properly - especially quick/quickly, bad/badly, and real/really? Ugh. Plus numerous typos in ebooks.
Sidebar note: why are there so many authors who don’t use adverbs properly - especially quick/quickly, bad/badly, and real/really? Ugh. Plus numerous typos in ebooks.
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