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Nina Quinn #2
Trouble in Spades
Landscaping is Nina Quinn's business, but trouble seems to be her middle name. Saddled with a recently expelled, faithless local-cop husband, a teenaged terror of a stepson, and the yappiest, most unhousebreakable Chihuahua in captivity, Nina needs a respite -- and the backyard makeover she's undertaking for her sister Maria and Nate, Maria's fiance, may do the trick.
But, of course, Nate vanishes mysteriously, and Nina's gardening magic inadvertently turns up a corpse. And with a thief on the prowl who's preying on the neighborhood elderly, a suspicious Pandora's Box of a package arriving on her doorstep, and yet another body inconveniently turning up, Nina's going to have to dig into her community's dirtiest little secrets to regain her peace and sanity -- if she can manage to stay alive long enough to enjoy it.
But, of course, Nate vanishes mysteriously, and Nina's gardening magic inadvertently turns up a corpse. And with a thief on the prowl who's preying on the neighborhood elderly, a suspicious Pandora's Box of a package arriving on her doorstep, and yet another body inconveniently turning up, Nina's going to have to dig into her community's dirtiest little secrets to regain her peace and sanity -- if she can manage to stay alive long enough to enjoy it.
288 pages, ebook
First published April 26, 2005
136 people are currently reading
771 people want to read
About the author
Heather Webber
33 books4,176 followersUSA Today bestselling author Heather Webber loves to read, drink too much coffee and tea, birdwatch, crochet, and bake. She currently lives near Cincinnati, Ohio, and is hard at work on her next book. *Heather also writes under the pen name Heather Blake.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
September 1, 2022
Another good entry in the series. One of the things I really like about this series is that it’s set in my hometown so it’s fun seeing things I know, although one of the references had me checking the publication date. I really like the characters too, they make it a lot of fun. The story kept me entertained and I was definitely kept guessing.
May 24, 2017
Another cute installment in the Nina Quinn series. Though I must admit Nina is pretty much a milksap and gets taken advantage of by everyone - her annoying sister, her mother, her soon-to-be-ex husband. I certainly hope she develops some backbone in future installments. I have trouble getting behind a doormat.
The mystery was interesting though I did figure out who and why early on. Though it was fun watching Nina figure it out.
The mystery was interesting though I did figure out who and why early on. Though it was fun watching Nina figure it out.
September 26, 2011
Cute! Cute, cute, cute! While I don't like this series as much as the Lucy Valentine one, I'm really enjoying Nina Quinn. Both series are full of quirky characters, which I love. (The neighbors! Priceless!) Just a quick, fun read that puts a smile on my face. I'm sad that there are only five of them...I think she stopped writing them and moved onto the Lucy Valentine series instead.
Few issues:
Maria, Nina's sister, was beyond annoying. I couldn't understand why Nina kept bowing to her wishes, little sister or not. I wanted her to grow a backbone and stand up for herself already! And "Neee-nah!" makes me think of a donkey braying, and I'm not sure whether that was the point.
The author has the tendency (in both of her series, actually) to insert page breaks in odd places, and skip over interesting scenes, choosing instead to just recap the events for the reader later on. Yet we're treated to a paragraph or two of Nina cleaning her house and changing her sheets... (See below for example.)
***SMALL SPOILERS***
An example is when Nina goes over to talk to Riley's new girlfriend's parents. There's a page break, and we don't know what was said to the parents, nor do we get to hear when she confronts Riley for his bad behavior. Instead, we get a brief comment that "there was an ugly scene" with Riley. Well, I wanted to see it! And I think it would have been nice to see that between Nina and Riley, because she doesn't frequently take the parental/authoritative role with him.
Few issues:
Maria, Nina's sister, was beyond annoying. I couldn't understand why Nina kept bowing to her wishes, little sister or not. I wanted her to grow a backbone and stand up for herself already! And "Neee-nah!" makes me think of a donkey braying, and I'm not sure whether that was the point.
The author has the tendency (in both of her series, actually) to insert page breaks in odd places, and skip over interesting scenes, choosing instead to just recap the events for the reader later on. Yet we're treated to a paragraph or two of Nina cleaning her house and changing her sheets... (See below for example.)
***SMALL SPOILERS***
An example is when Nina goes over to talk to Riley's new girlfriend's parents. There's a page break, and we don't know what was said to the parents, nor do we get to hear when she confronts Riley for his bad behavior. Instead, we get a brief comment that "there was an ugly scene" with Riley. Well, I wanted to see it! And I think it would have been nice to see that between Nina and Riley, because she doesn't frequently take the parental/authoritative role with him.
February 24, 2023
Quick read, not as good as the first. Nina is less involved in this case, which makes it feel less like a murder mystery than the first one.
March 13, 2024
Wacky characters keep the plot moving and the readers guessing.
August 2, 2024
This was OK, but not so good I'm looking to read more in the series necessarily.
I much prefer her Lucy Valentine series, in part because the main character's
I much prefer her Lucy Valentine series, in part because the main character's
November 7, 2024
Landscaping is Nina Quinn's business, but trouble seems to be her middle name. Saddled with a recently expelled, faithless local–cop husband, a teenaged terror of a stepson, and the yappiest, most unhousebreakable Chihuahua in captivity, Nina needs a respite –– and the backyard makeover she's undertaking for her sister Maria and Nate, Maria's fiance, may do the trick.
But, of course, Nate vanishes mysteriously, and Nina's gardening magic inadvertently turns up a corpse. And with a thief on the prowl who's preying on the neighborhood elderly, a suspicious Pandora's Box of a package arriving on her doorstep, and yet another body inconveniently turning up, Nina's going to have to dig into her community's dirtiest little secrets to regain her peace and sanity –– if she can manage to stay alive long enough to enjoy it. Nina Quinn 2
But, of course, Nate vanishes mysteriously, and Nina's gardening magic inadvertently turns up a corpse. And with a thief on the prowl who's preying on the neighborhood elderly, a suspicious Pandora's Box of a package arriving on her doorstep, and yet another body inconveniently turning up, Nina's going to have to dig into her community's dirtiest little secrets to regain her peace and sanity –– if she can manage to stay alive long enough to enjoy it. Nina Quinn 2
December 31, 2010
I might be done with this series.
Too many characters. Too many story lines. Since when did the FBI make a habit of stealing from US citizens who aren't suspected of any wrong doing (especially when a simple request would have sufficed)? The people in this book are far too dysfunctional to be fun to read about, let alone realistic or believable.
All of this seems odd to me, as I like Ms. Webber's newer series. Apparently she was still learning a lot when she wrote this.
Too many characters. Too many story lines. Since when did the FBI make a habit of stealing from US citizens who aren't suspected of any wrong doing (especially when a simple request would have sufficed)? The people in this book are far too dysfunctional to be fun to read about, let alone realistic or believable.
All of this seems odd to me, as I like Ms. Webber's newer series. Apparently she was still learning a lot when she wrote this.
December 6, 2016
Nina's sister, Maria is getting married and Nina has agreed to do a backyard makeover as a wedding present. When Maria's fiance goes missing and a body turns up in the backyard, Nina's life gets even more complicated. To make things even more confusing Nina is trying to come to terms with her cheating ex-husband who wants her back and a persistent vice-principal as well as a panty thief on the prowl in her neighborhood.
December 10, 2017
"Thou, Nina Colette Ceceri Quinn, shalt come back as an only child in any future lives."
Nina is redoing her sister's backyard as a wedding present from her future father in law when the groom goes missing. The landscaping turns up a body and Nina goes into sleuth mode.
Nina's cheating husband is making overtures to return and Riley's principal is still in the picture. Throw in a Peeping Tom, a panty thief and a high maintenance Chihuahua for a quirky ride.
I enjoyed this book as much as the first one. I wanted to smack Nina's sister, Maria, in every scene she was in. What a prima donna! I could not deal with her on a daily basis. Her choice in the maid of honor dress was enough for me to call it quits. Riley is still being a bit of a surly teen, Kevin thinks he can waltz back into Nina's life and a burglar frightens an elderly neighbor to death.
I love all the quirky characters that Ms. Webber creates and shares with us. She has obviously lived with a Chihuahua. They have got to be the most difficult dogs alive to house train. My sister has one that drives me nuts.
The mystery unfolds and flows effortlessly. I did have suspicions of the culprit but enjoyed learning the truth with Nina. I enjoy this series and look forward to the next installment.
This was a fun afternoon read.
3.5 stars
Nina is redoing her sister's backyard as a wedding present from her future father in law when the groom goes missing. The landscaping turns up a body and Nina goes into sleuth mode.
Nina's cheating husband is making overtures to return and Riley's principal is still in the picture. Throw in a Peeping Tom, a panty thief and a high maintenance Chihuahua for a quirky ride.
I enjoyed this book as much as the first one. I wanted to smack Nina's sister, Maria, in every scene she was in. What a prima donna! I could not deal with her on a daily basis. Her choice in the maid of honor dress was enough for me to call it quits. Riley is still being a bit of a surly teen, Kevin thinks he can waltz back into Nina's life and a burglar frightens an elderly neighbor to death.
I love all the quirky characters that Ms. Webber creates and shares with us. She has obviously lived with a Chihuahua. They have got to be the most difficult dogs alive to house train. My sister has one that drives me nuts.
The mystery unfolds and flows effortlessly. I did have suspicions of the culprit but enjoyed learning the truth with Nina. I enjoy this series and look forward to the next installment.
This was a fun afternoon read.
3.5 stars
August 23, 2023
#2 in the Nina Quinn Mystery series
As with the first book, I particularly liked the characters in this series. Nina is a strong and independent professional who is close to her family, often getting involved in their shenanigans. In this case, her sister's fiancé goes missing, ultimately contacting Nina and drawing her into his problems. Maria is hilariously high maintenance, as is their mother. And with Nina's almost-ex-husband being a detective, he still plays a large role in her life because of the police matters that follow her. He's keeping an eye on her, but she has her eye on Riley's vice-principal, so there's definitely a potential love triangle situation there. The mystery surrounds an upcoming gala while also counting down the days until Maria's wedding. With her fiance still missing, there's a time constraint there that Nina is trying to handle while simultaneously getting Maria's wedding-gift backyard project done. Lots of action and plenty of humor, especially when (on top of everything else) Nina's neighborhood is being attacked by a panty thief. I don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading this 2nd in the series, but I plan to get to the next book sooner rather than later.
As with the first book, I particularly liked the characters in this series. Nina is a strong and independent professional who is close to her family, often getting involved in their shenanigans. In this case, her sister's fiancé goes missing, ultimately contacting Nina and drawing her into his problems. Maria is hilariously high maintenance, as is their mother. And with Nina's almost-ex-husband being a detective, he still plays a large role in her life because of the police matters that follow her. He's keeping an eye on her, but she has her eye on Riley's vice-principal, so there's definitely a potential love triangle situation there. The mystery surrounds an upcoming gala while also counting down the days until Maria's wedding. With her fiance still missing, there's a time constraint there that Nina is trying to handle while simultaneously getting Maria's wedding-gift backyard project done. Lots of action and plenty of humor, especially when (on top of everything else) Nina's neighborhood is being attacked by a panty thief. I don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading this 2nd in the series, but I plan to get to the next book sooner rather than later.
November 18, 2022
Very cute cozy mystery. Nina is still coming to grips with her separation from her cop husband after his infidelity. She is a landscape artist that creates surprise garden makeovers, while raising her teenage stepson.
Nina's needy sister Maria is getting married and boy does that create more work for Nina. when Nate (Maria's fiance) goes missing, Nina gets deeply embroiled in the case. Meanwhile at home, Nina's neighborhood has an unusual number of break ins, her step son is keeping her on her toes, and she ends up with a shivery little chihuahua named Gracie.
I love the crazy cast of characters in Nina's life, which include ex cons, a feisty curmudgeon ex-teacher, an old man nicknamed Flash, and a smoking hot assistant principal. Some how they all come together to create a fun, dual-mystery full of laughs and surprises.
I did not like some of the parts with her Ex, but that's a personal opinion, nothing that takes away from the writing. Really liked the ending and look forward to reading book 3.
Nina's needy sister Maria is getting married and boy does that create more work for Nina. when Nate (Maria's fiance) goes missing, Nina gets deeply embroiled in the case. Meanwhile at home, Nina's neighborhood has an unusual number of break ins, her step son is keeping her on her toes, and she ends up with a shivery little chihuahua named Gracie.
I love the crazy cast of characters in Nina's life, which include ex cons, a feisty curmudgeon ex-teacher, an old man nicknamed Flash, and a smoking hot assistant principal. Some how they all come together to create a fun, dual-mystery full of laughs and surprises.
I did not like some of the parts with her Ex, but that's a personal opinion, nothing that takes away from the writing. Really liked the ending and look forward to reading book 3.
January 21, 2025
I did not know this was a series so I started with this book. First, the character description is vague. I had no true understanding of any of the characters. Why was Riley with his stepmom Nina instead of his bio dad? No answer. Why was Ana so man crazy? Second, I felt nothing was truly answered about a lot of things. Who was the panty thief? What had Nina said to Katie's dad? Why had Nate confided in Nina instead of his brother in law who was a COP? Why was the fact that Nina dad was meeting the aunt in secret for a date never talked about?! For someone who enjoys quick books without depth this would be an easy read. I disliked it and won't be reading another.
April 24, 2024
“Trouble in Spades”, second in the 'Nina Quinn Mystery' series, follows immediately in the footsteps of “A Hoe Lot of Trouble.”
With Maria's wedding just days away the groom disappears, but not before sending Nina a mysterious package.
And then the body of his boss turns up in Maria's garden!
What follows is a tangled investigation which didn't really grip me.
What I did like was Nina's family, friends and neighbours – a crazy bunch if ever there was one.
And then there is the mystery of the local panty burglar!
It's a fun, fast read.
3 Stars.
With Maria's wedding just days away the groom disappears, but not before sending Nina a mysterious package.
And then the body of his boss turns up in Maria's garden!
What follows is a tangled investigation which didn't really grip me.
What I did like was Nina's family, friends and neighbours – a crazy bunch if ever there was one.
And then there is the mystery of the local panty burglar!
It's a fun, fast read.
3 Stars.
August 31, 2020
Not a bad second book. It's been awhile since I read the first one, and I can't completely remember it, but this one had a pretty good mystery and some interesting characters. Trying a little too hard for quirky and I've accidentally read too many cozies with weddings lately. I worry quite desperately about how cavalier everyone is about buying and giving away animals and not quite taking care of them, but it is fiction after all.
December 5, 2017
Well, this was a nice surprise! I was expecting what I class as a "cosy-murder" mystery...something on the lines of Agatha Raisin where everything is nice & gentle but instead found it full of quirky characters that could be relations of Grandma Mazur.
I liked Nina's character & would be happy to read more of her adventures....can't say fairer than that!
I liked Nina's character & would be happy to read more of her adventures....can't say fairer than that!
August 9, 2025
A whole lotta drama and then some
If you like your stories with a bit of mystery, lots of suspense and friends & family testing your boundaries left and right, this book is for you. I gotta admit, I started rolling my eyes as more and more “OMG, no way” moments kept cropping up like a bad penny. But it was a good story. Over the top for sure but good.
If you like your stories with a bit of mystery, lots of suspense and friends & family testing your boundaries left and right, this book is for you. I gotta admit, I started rolling my eyes as more and more “OMG, no way” moments kept cropping up like a bad penny. But it was a good story. Over the top for sure but good.
May 31, 2022
Heather (Blake) Webber is one of my very favorite authors! I loved book 2 in the Nina Quinn series. There are quirky characters, Nina’s wacky family, a little romance, humor and murder. The perfect combo!
February 16, 2025
I could not put this book down! So many twist and turns. I’m usually pretty good at figuring out who did it but Heather Webber caught me by surprise. She is an awesome writer!!!! Thanks for writing this book it should be made into a movie as all her books should be. Onto the next.
July 27, 2017
Good writing, well developed characters but I just could not get in to this book.
September 21, 2017
A nice, pleasant, entertaining read. I'm heading on to the next in the series.
October 21, 2017
Fun...mystery series .... love the characters and all that goes on in the books.... looking forward to the reading the next book in the series.
January 25, 2018
Loving this series!!
November 8, 2019
An enjoyable cozy mystery, with some garden design ideas and info on poisonous plants for dogs.
August 16, 2020
An easy who done it. Fast read, funny, but holds your attention. Great summer read
February 14, 2021
Loved it! A little slow at the start but a lot of fun to read.
May 3, 2021
Still love this series. It makes me go water my lawn. :-)
May 27, 2021
I knew what was going on as soon as her sister read the guest list. But then, I have a background in in finance and a suspicious mind...
March 1, 2022
I just love her books they are so amusing
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews