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Consignment Shop Mystery #3.5
Dead Man Walker
It’s springtime in Savannah, the azaleas and magnolias are in bloom, and Reagan Summerside’s consignment shop, the Prissy Fox, is bustling with customers out to enjoy the beautiful weather. On a day like today, what could go wrong?
As a mortician beautician and housekeeper, Mercedes is no stranger to corpses or messy bathrooms. But the last thing she expects to find in a client’s bathtub is a dead body! Now she’s a murder suspect and it seems like her life is going down the drain. She turns to local lawyer Walker Boone to get her out of hot water.
But Walker has his own surprising connections to the dead man in the tub, and now he needs Reagan’s help to clear his own name—and keep him alive…
As a mortician beautician and housekeeper, Mercedes is no stranger to corpses or messy bathrooms. But the last thing she expects to find in a client’s bathtub is a dead body! Now she’s a murder suspect and it seems like her life is going down the drain. She turns to local lawyer Walker Boone to get her out of hot water.
But Walker has his own surprising connections to the dead man in the tub, and now he needs Reagan’s help to clear his own name—and keep him alive…
71 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 3, 2015
65 people are currently reading
570 people want to read
About the author
Duffy Brown
13 books729 followersDuffy Brown loves anything with a mystery. While others girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. She has two cats, Spooky and Dr. Watson, her license plate is Sherlok and she conjures up who-done-it stories of her very own for Berkley Prime Crime. Duffy’s national bestselling Consignment Shop Mystery series is set in Savannah and the Cycle Path Mysteries are set on Mackinac Island.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
February 20, 2015
A full star off for really shocking editing: missing words, misspelled words and a couple of gaps in the scene. Otherwise, I liked the story and I really liked what she did here: setting up the scene and the suspects for the mystery taking place in the next book, Demise in Denim. She has me looking forward to seeing what happens next, with Boone and Reagan finally working together?
Full review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/111444...
Full review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/111444...
January 16, 2016
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I have seen this listed as Book 3.5 and Book 4 depending which site you’re on. What I call it is a prequel to Book 4, or teaser, or torture!! It is so good! but man Duffy and Berkley! this is so hard! Demise in Denim comes out April 7 and I am virtually standing here tapping my foot waiting for that day to arrive.
I absolutely llloooovvvvvveeeee these characters and look forward to visiting them so much. This time Walker has himself in a bathtub load of trouble and Reagan is doing everything she can to get him out of it. But she may land herself in trouble right along with him!
What really makes the book fun was that it is told Walker’s point of view instead of Reagan’s. He sees things like a man which as women know is totally and completely different. They seem to find unusual things of great importance and twist things more to their own advantage…right? It had to be very interesting for Duffy to write.
As you can see this story is really a novella and believe me it ends much too soon but I know Duffy will reward our patience tenfold but my foot is still tapping :) I highly recommend you grab a copy of this very fast read with this warning – be prepared to laugh out loud and get ready to join me impatiently waiting for Demise in Denim. We may need to start a support group.
February 26, 2015
Calling this one 3.5 stars, but going the extra 1/2 since I like this series so much! Love the characters and this was a good buildup for the next book in the series, DEMISE IN DENIM, which comes out in April. There were editing problems with this, but I'll overlook them as I was fighting a cold while I was reading it and it kept my mind off the fact that my head was all stuffed up! If you read this series, you'll want to read this! Recommend!
April 22, 2015
This was an enjoyable read. That big cliff hanger ending was amazing. I'm so glad I didn't start reading this when it first came out, having to wait for Demise in Denim to be released would have be agonizing. I liked that Walker Boone is the voice in this story. It was nice to hear his point of view about the people that live in Savannah especially, his feels about Reagan.
Looking forward to continuing this story in Demise in Denim.
Looking forward to continuing this story in Demise in Denim.
January 29, 2018
Dead Man Walker by Duffy Brown was a short and easy read. I loved that Ms. Brown wrote this one from Walker Boone's perspective. It was great to be inside his mind for a change. Since I am so far behind in this series, I had grabbed this one and Demise in Denim from the library at the same time. I'm so glad I did since this one ends on a cliff hanger that would have had me totally frustrated. I loved it and I'm on to the next one.
February 1, 2015
When local lawyer Walker Boone gets a call for help from his housekeeper, Mercedes, he runs to her aid. He is more than a little shocked to discover one of her clients dead in his bathtub. Mercedes needs a lawyer and she chooses Walker. However, it’s not so cut and dried for Walker. The victim happens to be a man he hates. Suddenly, the tables are turned and he is the number one suspect in the murder.
With some help from consignment shop owner, Reagan Summerside, Walker is intent on finding out who really is responsible for the murder.
Dead Man Walker is a novella in the Consignment Shop Mystery series. It’s #4 and really whets your appetite for book #5, Demise in Denim. However, it’s not a long wait as it will be released in April. If you plan to read book #5, you definitely need to read this novella. It picks up right where the novella leaves off and gives you some background to the storyline.
The novella is told in the first person from Walker’s point of view. That surprised me when I started reading as the Consignment Shop Mystery series is written in first person and told in Reagan’s point of view. So, this is a unique change and it works very well. I wasn’t sure it would, but it did. There is much more of Walker in the novella…it’s his story and his storyline for the next book. Reagan didn’t have much to do in Dead Man Walker, but I suspect that will change tremendously in Demise in Denim.
Although Walker is the lawyer who represented Reagan’s ex in their divorce, there are many sparks of romance flying between these two. I expect Reagan will be right there defending him.
With each book, the characters become more and more fleshed out. This is an enjoyable series that keeps getting better all the time.
FTC Disclosure: NetGalley and the author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
With some help from consignment shop owner, Reagan Summerside, Walker is intent on finding out who really is responsible for the murder.
Dead Man Walker is a novella in the Consignment Shop Mystery series. It’s #4 and really whets your appetite for book #5, Demise in Denim. However, it’s not a long wait as it will be released in April. If you plan to read book #5, you definitely need to read this novella. It picks up right where the novella leaves off and gives you some background to the storyline.
The novella is told in the first person from Walker’s point of view. That surprised me when I started reading as the Consignment Shop Mystery series is written in first person and told in Reagan’s point of view. So, this is a unique change and it works very well. I wasn’t sure it would, but it did. There is much more of Walker in the novella…it’s his story and his storyline for the next book. Reagan didn’t have much to do in Dead Man Walker, but I suspect that will change tremendously in Demise in Denim.
Although Walker is the lawyer who represented Reagan’s ex in their divorce, there are many sparks of romance flying between these two. I expect Reagan will be right there defending him.
With each book, the characters become more and more fleshed out. This is an enjoyable series that keeps getting better all the time.
FTC Disclosure: NetGalley and the author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
February 5, 2015
The only issue I had with this novella, was that it was WAY too short! Luckily for her readers' Duffy Brown's next book comes out in March. I love that Dead Man Walker was from the point of view of Walker Boone, instead of Reagan, the usual narrator. The reader was able to get a glimpse into Walker's life and past in this (did I mention WAY too short) novella. Walker is an anti-hero, in the vain of Mr. Darcy or Han Solo. He isn't sure he wants to get involved or do the right thing, but somehow he always manages to step up and be the man you know he is. The mystery is going to only get better in the follow up book, Demise in Denim, due out in March.
February 3, 2015
I love these characters! I love the action! I love the setting! I love Bruce Willis! My only problem is I have to wait until Demise in Denim comes out to find out what happens next. Great, funny read! I highly recommend all of Duffy Brown's books.
September 5, 2017
A great addition to the series. It was fun to see things from Boone's point of view and to learn more about his character.
February 26, 2021
Even though a short very good.
May 4, 2015
Duffy Brown sure does know how to write a an awesome mystery with a whole lot of humor. Dead Man Walker is part of the Consignment Shop mystery series. I love this series and all the characters. It's always fun to visit Prissy Fox to catch up on the mischief Reagan has been into, maybe give BW a pat on the head, and find out the latest gossip.
This fine mystery starts out when Mercedes finds one of her clients dead in his bath tub. She calls her friend and lawyer Walker Boone just in case she is in need of legal council. This would have all been just fine if the handsome Walker Boone didn't have a connection to the dead guy.
Of course Reagan Summerside and Aunt Kiki jump in to try to save the day. I love these two characters. Reagan has a way of getting herself into so much trouble and then finding the most hilarious ways to get out of it. She and her pleather purse get out of some sticky situations that tend to leave me breathless and followed by a case of the giggles. Aunt Kiki is usually around for the action. Everyone should have an Aunt Kiki in their life. She is just adorable and so much FUN!
Walker soon finds himself in trouble with the law as their main suspect. Reagan is on the case though and finds there are a whole lot of people that might have wanted this fellow dead. He wasn't the most loved man in town and there are a few people that are happy to hear he's gone.
Things get pretty wild near the end of the story and Duffy Brown leaves us with on major cliff hanger. I suggest picking up a copy of Demise in Denim when you purchase Dead Man Walker. It will save you some time wondering what is going to happen next! I however read Dead Man Walker a few months ago before Demise in Denim was out.
I really enjoyed Dead Man Walker just as I have all the books in this series. I love the quirky characters that have so much charisma and southern charm.
If you love a great mystery with plenty of humor, suspense, and likable characters then you should check out the Consignment Shop Mysteries. I think you will enjoy them. I know I have. Each book works just fine as a stand alone if you have not had a chance to read the previous books in the series.
I was given the opportunity to read Dead Man Walker so that I may share my thoughts with you. As always it has been my great pleasure to share my thoughts with you on this great book.
This fine mystery starts out when Mercedes finds one of her clients dead in his bath tub. She calls her friend and lawyer Walker Boone just in case she is in need of legal council. This would have all been just fine if the handsome Walker Boone didn't have a connection to the dead guy.
Of course Reagan Summerside and Aunt Kiki jump in to try to save the day. I love these two characters. Reagan has a way of getting herself into so much trouble and then finding the most hilarious ways to get out of it. She and her pleather purse get out of some sticky situations that tend to leave me breathless and followed by a case of the giggles. Aunt Kiki is usually around for the action. Everyone should have an Aunt Kiki in their life. She is just adorable and so much FUN!
Walker soon finds himself in trouble with the law as their main suspect. Reagan is on the case though and finds there are a whole lot of people that might have wanted this fellow dead. He wasn't the most loved man in town and there are a few people that are happy to hear he's gone.
Things get pretty wild near the end of the story and Duffy Brown leaves us with on major cliff hanger. I suggest picking up a copy of Demise in Denim when you purchase Dead Man Walker. It will save you some time wondering what is going to happen next! I however read Dead Man Walker a few months ago before Demise in Denim was out.
I really enjoyed Dead Man Walker just as I have all the books in this series. I love the quirky characters that have so much charisma and southern charm.
If you love a great mystery with plenty of humor, suspense, and likable characters then you should check out the Consignment Shop Mysteries. I think you will enjoy them. I know I have. Each book works just fine as a stand alone if you have not had a chance to read the previous books in the series.
I was given the opportunity to read Dead Man Walker so that I may share my thoughts with you. As always it has been my great pleasure to share my thoughts with you on this great book.
February 6, 2015
Dead Man Walker by Duffy Brown
A Consignment Shop Novella
There are two sides to every story. When it comes to the Consignment Shop mysteries by Duffy Brown we've only heard Reagan Summerside's version of things, including her thoughts on that low down, albeit sexy, sometimes helpful, scum of a lawyer, Walker Boone. Until now. Duffy Brown has given us Dead Man Walker, a novella that acts as a bridge between last year's Pearls and Poison and the upcoming Demise in Denim. For this novella Boone has taken the reins. Dead Man Walker is told from Walker Boone's point of view and we finally see what he really thinks about Reagan.
Dead Man Walker starts with a naked corpse in a bathtub. From there things get interesting. Man hungry twins, a snake in the grass developer, society players, and the unwanted "help" of Reagan keep Walker Boone on his toes. As Boone looks into the murder he delves into the life of a hated man and discovers some secrets from his own past.
Dead Man Walker is another laugh out loud journey through Savannah with a myriad of lovable eccentric characters. Having the story told from Boone's point of view changed the flavor somewhat, but I enjoyed the change; not quite as wacky (unless Mercedes or KiKi are involved) but still wittily sarcastic. There are two sides to every story and I'm glad we got to hear Boone's.
A Consignment Shop Novella
There are two sides to every story. When it comes to the Consignment Shop mysteries by Duffy Brown we've only heard Reagan Summerside's version of things, including her thoughts on that low down, albeit sexy, sometimes helpful, scum of a lawyer, Walker Boone. Until now. Duffy Brown has given us Dead Man Walker, a novella that acts as a bridge between last year's Pearls and Poison and the upcoming Demise in Denim. For this novella Boone has taken the reins. Dead Man Walker is told from Walker Boone's point of view and we finally see what he really thinks about Reagan.
Dead Man Walker starts with a naked corpse in a bathtub. From there things get interesting. Man hungry twins, a snake in the grass developer, society players, and the unwanted "help" of Reagan keep Walker Boone on his toes. As Boone looks into the murder he delves into the life of a hated man and discovers some secrets from his own past.
Dead Man Walker is another laugh out loud journey through Savannah with a myriad of lovable eccentric characters. Having the story told from Boone's point of view changed the flavor somewhat, but I enjoyed the change; not quite as wacky (unless Mercedes or KiKi are involved) but still wittily sarcastic. There are two sides to every story and I'm glad we got to hear Boone's.
January 12, 2015
In this book it's told from Walker Boone's point of view anyone who is anyone knows that Walker Boone is the lawyer that helped Reagan's ex-husband when he divorced Reagan and again in the first book when Reagan's ex was on the chopping block for a crime he didn't commit.
This book starts off right away with a murder having been committed and Walker being at the scene of the crime along with Mercedes a mortician/housekeeper who seems to be on the hook for the murder mind you Reagan isn't far behind in this book she wants to consign some furniture she was suppose to consign prior to his death.
Somebody is determined to silence Walker and he has to have Reagan help keep him alive and figure out who killed the victim Conway Adkins. Will he find out before he meets his own demise?
Such a good book and I loved every bit of it and can't wait to see what happens next. Ms. Brown needs to get back at it so we can find out who the killer is and what happened with Boone!! I love visiting this southern community they are so great and I always find myself wanting to go back there more and more frequently!
This book starts off right away with a murder having been committed and Walker being at the scene of the crime along with Mercedes a mortician/housekeeper who seems to be on the hook for the murder mind you Reagan isn't far behind in this book she wants to consign some furniture she was suppose to consign prior to his death.
Somebody is determined to silence Walker and he has to have Reagan help keep him alive and figure out who killed the victim Conway Adkins. Will he find out before he meets his own demise?
Such a good book and I loved every bit of it and can't wait to see what happens next. Ms. Brown needs to get back at it so we can find out who the killer is and what happened with Boone!! I love visiting this southern community they are so great and I always find myself wanting to go back there more and more frequently!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2015
3.5 stars
The Consignment Shop Mysteries feature the shop owner, Reagan Summerside, as the main character and sleuth but Dead Man Walker is a departure, told from the point of view of Reagan's kinda sorta occasional boyfriend, Walker Boone. When cleaning lady Mercedes is in danger of being accused of murdering a client, Walker steps in and, before long, he's identified quite a few people who had varying reasons to want Conway Adkins dead. Unfortunately, he's also made himself a target for a few attempts on his own life and found out a startling piece of news. Next thing he knows, Detective Aldeen Ross is on her way to arrest him for killing Conway.
This novella is a nice introduction to some of the characters in the series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Readers should be aware that this particular crime is not resolved as this is a lead-in to the next full-length novel, Demise in Denim, coming out in April. I'm looking forward to continuing the sleuthing then.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, January 2015.
The Consignment Shop Mysteries feature the shop owner, Reagan Summerside, as the main character and sleuth but Dead Man Walker is a departure, told from the point of view of Reagan's kinda sorta occasional boyfriend, Walker Boone. When cleaning lady Mercedes is in danger of being accused of murdering a client, Walker steps in and, before long, he's identified quite a few people who had varying reasons to want Conway Adkins dead. Unfortunately, he's also made himself a target for a few attempts on his own life and found out a startling piece of news. Next thing he knows, Detective Aldeen Ross is on her way to arrest him for killing Conway.
This novella is a nice introduction to some of the characters in the series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Readers should be aware that this particular crime is not resolved as this is a lead-in to the next full-length novel, Demise in Denim, coming out in April. I'm looking forward to continuing the sleuthing then.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, January 2015.
August 9, 2015
The quality that I absolutely love about Duffy Brown's writing is her ability to write quirky, hilariously funny, and spot-on colloquial conversations. The characters she dreams up are so amazingly unique and the situations they find themselves in are brilliantly creative. DEAD MAN WALKER is no exception, but this one, unlike the others in the series, is written from the perspective of tall, handsome, and dangerous Walker Boone himself. A man is murdered and Walker wants to clear the obvious suspect. He has no way of knowing that he is going to become the prime suspect, for reasons I will not disclose here. He has to get away, and the last we see of him, he's tooling away on Reagan's pink motor scooter and wearing her helmet with the glitter and the scent inside of cotton candy (which she paid extra for.) We'll have to read DEMISE IN DENIM to find out how it all resolves. Once again, Duffy Brown has created a delightful, frothy confection that I could not put down until it was finished.
February 4, 2015
This delightful novella was just the thing I needed to fill the void while waiting for Duffy Brown’s new full length Consignment Shop Mystery, DEMISE IN DENIM.
Unlike like the other books in the series, this novella, DEAD MAN WALKER, is told from the point of view of attorney Walker Boone instead of series protagonist, Reagan Summerside. I found this to be very fun! It was nice to be in a different character’s head and see how he viewed things.
Don’t let the length of this story fool you. Ms. Brown packed a lot of mystery, charm, and excitement into this shortened version from her series. Her writing is up to her usual standard, and her wit just as sharp.
Fans of the Consignment Shop Mysteries are going to love this short story.
NOTE: If you don’t have an eReader, both Amazon and B&N have free apps you can load to your computer that will enable you to read this book.
Unlike like the other books in the series, this novella, DEAD MAN WALKER, is told from the point of view of attorney Walker Boone instead of series protagonist, Reagan Summerside. I found this to be very fun! It was nice to be in a different character’s head and see how he viewed things.
Don’t let the length of this story fool you. Ms. Brown packed a lot of mystery, charm, and excitement into this shortened version from her series. Her writing is up to her usual standard, and her wit just as sharp.
Fans of the Consignment Shop Mysteries are going to love this short story.
NOTE: If you don’t have an eReader, both Amazon and B&N have free apps you can load to your computer that will enable you to read this book.
February 26, 2015
Dead Man Walker is 3.5 in the A Consignment Shop Mystery series.
This novella is a lead in to book #4 Demise In Denim due out in April of 2015.
This book novella give Walker Boone a chance to be in the spotlight of this light hearted series.
Boone is called to the Conway Adkin's home by Mercedes, a housekeeper by day and a mortician/beautician by night and a recurring character in this series. Upon arriving Boone finds Adkins dead in his bathtub, having been shot. As the police begin to investigate his death, information surfaces that points to Boone. With the help of Reagan Summerside, Boone has to go into hiding.
Looking forward to reading Demise in Denim to see how this story unfolds and to see if there will ever be any kind of relationship between Reagan and Walker.
This novella is a lead in to book #4 Demise In Denim due out in April of 2015.
This book novella give Walker Boone a chance to be in the spotlight of this light hearted series.
Boone is called to the Conway Adkin's home by Mercedes, a housekeeper by day and a mortician/beautician by night and a recurring character in this series. Upon arriving Boone finds Adkins dead in his bathtub, having been shot. As the police begin to investigate his death, information surfaces that points to Boone. With the help of Reagan Summerside, Boone has to go into hiding.
Looking forward to reading Demise in Denim to see how this story unfolds and to see if there will ever be any kind of relationship between Reagan and Walker.
February 7, 2015
Ohmgoodness!!!! Talk about a cliff hanger! Duffy Brown shame on you. I can’t believe you left us hanging like that. What a great book!!! You have scheming, questions of paternity, murder, and of course the tension between Walker and Reagan. What more could you ask for? You get so much more with Duffy Brown’s books and this one won’t let you down. I’m not sure I want to wait until March to find out what happens. This is one of my favorite series and this book has got to be one of the best so far. Well done Duffy!!!
May 9, 2017
Dead Man Walker by Duffy Brown is the prequel to Demise in Denim in the Consignment Shop Mystery series. Lawyer Walker Boone is called in by Mercedes when she finds the body of one of her cleaning clients. He soon becomes prime suspect. Told from Walkers point of view, it was a little confusing in parts as we have become used to Reagan. Otherwise a great introduction to the next book and funny and entertaining as usual.
February 11, 2015
This is only about 4 chapters long. It left me hanging, I turned the electronic page expecting the next chapter. nope not there.
I enjoy Duffy;s books, I have huge crush on Boone Walker. (yummy). I will be buying the next book in this series to find out how this one ends.
I liked the book, I do not like books that leave me hanging like that.
I enjoy Duffy;s books, I have huge crush on Boone Walker. (yummy). I will be buying the next book in this series to find out how this one ends.
I liked the book, I do not like books that leave me hanging like that.
February 5, 2015
This short story is the lead in to Duffy Browns next book Demise in Denim.
Conway Adkins has been murdered and there are plenty of suspects.
This is a great series with humor and characters that keep you wanting to know more about them.
Can not wait for the book in April.
Conway Adkins has been murdered and there are plenty of suspects.
This is a great series with humor and characters that keep you wanting to know more about them.
Can not wait for the book in April.
April 6, 2015
Great short story!! What a teaser!! :)
May 4, 2019
Duffy Brown has created another wonderful story just for me.
Walker is an attorney in Savannah. He came up from nothing with a little help from his friends. There is a gang leader who kept him straight and made sure he finished law school. A lady judge who helped pay for his schooling. And many people from all levels of society who admire him. In short, he is a well loved child of Savannah.
Well, OK, maybe not everyone in Savannah loves him.
In this story, Walker is the one who narrates and gives us his perspective.
Reagan is a divorcee who owns her own resale clothing store. Walker took her to the cleaners in her divorce. They are now – not friends – not lovers – but two people who are something to one another. Neither one of them is quite sure what that is, yet.
This story is part of a series,. If the reader is not familiar with earlier books in the series, relationships and events are explained in order to keep everything clear.
Walker is called in to help a woman who finds a dead body. She is afraid she will be blamed for the gun shot in the man's head.
But, she is cleared, because the clues all lead to Walker. He argued with the man. Of course most of the people in town argued with the man. He was not a warm and cuddly kind of guy. It appears that there are clues being piled up to make Walker look like a murderer.
Turns out the dead man was filled with surprises even after he is dead.
The only thing I did not love about this book, Walker is seen disappearing into the night on a pink scooter, wearing a helmet which smells like cotton candy.
I love this series.
I love Ms Brown's writing. I love the way she creates characters who are fun to be around. In short, I really liked this novella.
Walker is an attorney in Savannah. He came up from nothing with a little help from his friends. There is a gang leader who kept him straight and made sure he finished law school. A lady judge who helped pay for his schooling. And many people from all levels of society who admire him. In short, he is a well loved child of Savannah.
Well, OK, maybe not everyone in Savannah loves him.
In this story, Walker is the one who narrates and gives us his perspective.
Reagan is a divorcee who owns her own resale clothing store. Walker took her to the cleaners in her divorce. They are now – not friends – not lovers – but two people who are something to one another. Neither one of them is quite sure what that is, yet.
This story is part of a series,. If the reader is not familiar with earlier books in the series, relationships and events are explained in order to keep everything clear.
Walker is called in to help a woman who finds a dead body. She is afraid she will be blamed for the gun shot in the man's head.
But, she is cleared, because the clues all lead to Walker. He argued with the man. Of course most of the people in town argued with the man. He was not a warm and cuddly kind of guy. It appears that there are clues being piled up to make Walker look like a murderer.
Turns out the dead man was filled with surprises even after he is dead.
The only thing I did not love about this book, Walker is seen disappearing into the night on a pink scooter, wearing a helmet which smells like cotton candy.
I love this series.
I love Ms Brown's writing. I love the way she creates characters who are fun to be around. In short, I really liked this novella.
March 2, 2015
This little e-book is a strange item indeed. First, and most important, it is the next installment in the brilliant, hilarious Consignment Shop Series from Duffy Brown. On that basis alone, the release of this …er… book is cause for elation. I have a bit of a problem with the way it turns out, though, which I will tell you about in a minute.
The marketing materials, blurbs, and so forth, tell you this is a “novella,” which is a shorter-than-a-novel long story. It features Walker Boone, the bad-boy romantic interest in the first three books of the series. This time, Walker is the viewpoint character, so we are privileged to know what he is thinking and seeing. All the others are written from the viewpoint of Regan Summerside, the sexy but impetuous owner of a consignment shop. In her earlier adventures, we met the wonderful cast of characters who keep the complex series of wildly unlikely events delighting us, the readers.
After three books, changing the viewpoint character to a male—even temporarily—involves substantial risks. Think about it: Up to this point, Walker Boone is a seeming superhero who somehow knows everything that’s going on. He shows up at just the right moment and saves the heroine—repeatedly. Now, in this story, we will find out what he knows, what he thinks, what he does, and how he does it. The magic (or lack thereof) will be revealed. It may take a lot of the romantic mystique out of the character.
The second risk is that Ms. Brown, the author, may not be up to the challenge of showing us how this amazing man thinks.
Now, let’s talk about the story itself. It opens as Walker’s once-a-week housekeeper calls him when she finds a dead body at another client’s house. The victim is a low-life rich guy whose fingers are in a lot of pies that upset a lot of people. For semi-logical reasons, the police quickly lock in on Walker as the primary suspect.
We encounter three or four people tripping over each other trying to investigate the killing themselves because they know Walker didn’t do it and for other reasons of their own. Of course, our old friend Regan is one of them.
In the defining scene, Regan comes to Walker’s rescue in a nice reversal of the normal way things have worked. She takes Walker’s hat, coat, and hot car and gives Walker her pink scooter (named Princess) and pink helmet with glitter. Walker scoots off to hide, while the police chase Regan in hot pursuit, thinking she is Walker. It’s a wonderful scene.
Now comes the problem I warned you about. The story moves right along, adding suspects and complications, building situations with lots of promise for funny resolutions. Then it stops. It STOPS! Right in the middle of the story! Walker is off hiding somewhere with the scooter. Suspects abound. There are clues everywhere. It’s not fair to just stop and tell us the rest of the story is in the next book. This is not a novella. A novella is a story—you know, beginning, middle, and an end. This is just a lonely beginning. A good one, a fascinating one, yes, but no one told me I was getting a book which was really just the first few chapters of a longer book that will be coming out in a few months. That’s not right, people!
Have you watched an hour-long drama, perhaps an NCIS, that didn’t seem to be wrapping up? Then at the end of the hour, the screen said, “To Be Continued.” I always hate that. This is the same feeling.
To add to the confusion, when the Walker-narrated portion stops in the middle of a page, we are told that the next book, Demise in Denim, will continue the story. Then it gives us a few pages from the start of that book, which continue the story we have been reading, but it is now from Regan’s viewpoint. First we are shocked by the story stopping in mid-stream, followed immediately by an equilibrium-disturbing change in viewpoint for the next few pages. Oh, I was not a happy man when I got to that point.
I think the author’s legion of fans (which includes me!) could blame the publisher for this odd decision to give us an unsatisfying, incomplete story masquerading as a novella. Marketing people occasionally come up with bizarre ideas like this. Unfortunately, I have a couple of other complaints—admittedly minor ones—that have to fall to the author.
One is the way Walker thinks. I am a man, unlike probably 75 percent or more of the people who will read this book. I know how a man thinks and how a man wants to pretend he thinks. There were several times when Walker’s thoughts were decidedly unmanly. The way those thoughts were expressed would embarrass most men. Most female readers would not know the difference—but those instances brought me up short and took me right out of the story.
Another minor problem was pacing. A half-dozen times, I turned a virtual page and found myself confused. I turned back to the previous page to be sure I hadn’t accidentally skipped a page. Only once was a skipped page the cause of the momentary confusion. As I thought about these matters, I decided that the problem was that the author had to compress things too much to keep the novella short. We know how that turned out. The story was not resolved at all, so it could have stopped at any time.
Now, lest these complaints turn you off completely, I need to come back to reality and give up my idealistic notions of publishing fair play. This e-book is (a portion of) the next story in the Regan Summerside-Walker Boone series of absolutely delightful mysteries. Does it have the undeniable madcap magic of the first three books in the series? Oh, yes, it does. Am I dying to find out what happens when I get the actual book that (hopefully) finishes the story? Yes! Do I hope that Duffy Brown’s legion of adoring fans will control their outrage and fail to mount a crusade to Roy, Utah, to destroy this infidel of a book reviewer? YES! Please be kind.
After all, what’s the point of a book review that doesn’t tell you what the reviewer really thinks? I assure you that when the story is eventually completed in the next book, we will all be deliriously happy and very willing to overlook a few curious problems in the slightly unpolished story fragment we were given a few months before the real book is due to be published. Satisfaction awaits—just not right now.
The marketing materials, blurbs, and so forth, tell you this is a “novella,” which is a shorter-than-a-novel long story. It features Walker Boone, the bad-boy romantic interest in the first three books of the series. This time, Walker is the viewpoint character, so we are privileged to know what he is thinking and seeing. All the others are written from the viewpoint of Regan Summerside, the sexy but impetuous owner of a consignment shop. In her earlier adventures, we met the wonderful cast of characters who keep the complex series of wildly unlikely events delighting us, the readers.
After three books, changing the viewpoint character to a male—even temporarily—involves substantial risks. Think about it: Up to this point, Walker Boone is a seeming superhero who somehow knows everything that’s going on. He shows up at just the right moment and saves the heroine—repeatedly. Now, in this story, we will find out what he knows, what he thinks, what he does, and how he does it. The magic (or lack thereof) will be revealed. It may take a lot of the romantic mystique out of the character.
The second risk is that Ms. Brown, the author, may not be up to the challenge of showing us how this amazing man thinks.
Now, let’s talk about the story itself. It opens as Walker’s once-a-week housekeeper calls him when she finds a dead body at another client’s house. The victim is a low-life rich guy whose fingers are in a lot of pies that upset a lot of people. For semi-logical reasons, the police quickly lock in on Walker as the primary suspect.
We encounter three or four people tripping over each other trying to investigate the killing themselves because they know Walker didn’t do it and for other reasons of their own. Of course, our old friend Regan is one of them.
In the defining scene, Regan comes to Walker’s rescue in a nice reversal of the normal way things have worked. She takes Walker’s hat, coat, and hot car and gives Walker her pink scooter (named Princess) and pink helmet with glitter. Walker scoots off to hide, while the police chase Regan in hot pursuit, thinking she is Walker. It’s a wonderful scene.
Now comes the problem I warned you about. The story moves right along, adding suspects and complications, building situations with lots of promise for funny resolutions. Then it stops. It STOPS! Right in the middle of the story! Walker is off hiding somewhere with the scooter. Suspects abound. There are clues everywhere. It’s not fair to just stop and tell us the rest of the story is in the next book. This is not a novella. A novella is a story—you know, beginning, middle, and an end. This is just a lonely beginning. A good one, a fascinating one, yes, but no one told me I was getting a book which was really just the first few chapters of a longer book that will be coming out in a few months. That’s not right, people!
Have you watched an hour-long drama, perhaps an NCIS, that didn’t seem to be wrapping up? Then at the end of the hour, the screen said, “To Be Continued.” I always hate that. This is the same feeling.
To add to the confusion, when the Walker-narrated portion stops in the middle of a page, we are told that the next book, Demise in Denim, will continue the story. Then it gives us a few pages from the start of that book, which continue the story we have been reading, but it is now from Regan’s viewpoint. First we are shocked by the story stopping in mid-stream, followed immediately by an equilibrium-disturbing change in viewpoint for the next few pages. Oh, I was not a happy man when I got to that point.
I think the author’s legion of fans (which includes me!) could blame the publisher for this odd decision to give us an unsatisfying, incomplete story masquerading as a novella. Marketing people occasionally come up with bizarre ideas like this. Unfortunately, I have a couple of other complaints—admittedly minor ones—that have to fall to the author.
One is the way Walker thinks. I am a man, unlike probably 75 percent or more of the people who will read this book. I know how a man thinks and how a man wants to pretend he thinks. There were several times when Walker’s thoughts were decidedly unmanly. The way those thoughts were expressed would embarrass most men. Most female readers would not know the difference—but those instances brought me up short and took me right out of the story.
Another minor problem was pacing. A half-dozen times, I turned a virtual page and found myself confused. I turned back to the previous page to be sure I hadn’t accidentally skipped a page. Only once was a skipped page the cause of the momentary confusion. As I thought about these matters, I decided that the problem was that the author had to compress things too much to keep the novella short. We know how that turned out. The story was not resolved at all, so it could have stopped at any time.
Now, lest these complaints turn you off completely, I need to come back to reality and give up my idealistic notions of publishing fair play. This e-book is (a portion of) the next story in the Regan Summerside-Walker Boone series of absolutely delightful mysteries. Does it have the undeniable madcap magic of the first three books in the series? Oh, yes, it does. Am I dying to find out what happens when I get the actual book that (hopefully) finishes the story? Yes! Do I hope that Duffy Brown’s legion of adoring fans will control their outrage and fail to mount a crusade to Roy, Utah, to destroy this infidel of a book reviewer? YES! Please be kind.
After all, what’s the point of a book review that doesn’t tell you what the reviewer really thinks? I assure you that when the story is eventually completed in the next book, we will all be deliriously happy and very willing to overlook a few curious problems in the slightly unpolished story fragment we were given a few months before the real book is due to be published. Satisfaction awaits—just not right now.
June 9, 2022
I enjoyed this tremendously more than I expected. Brown writes some really witty, biting dialogue that meshes really well with the satirical tone of cozy mystery. It seems to embrace the exaggerated circumstances of an already unbelievable genre. The setting of Savanah is also really fun. I particularly liked the scenes within the Plantation Club.
But the best aspect of this story was a likable male protagonist. It's extremely hard to find cozy mysteries with a male protagonist, so I was literally jumping for joy when I started this and realised Walker was our POV. My excitement kind of dampened when I looked up other entries in the series and got the impression that the other entries focus of Reagan. I might be wrong, but I would have loved to have a male-POV cozy. I guess you can’t win all the time.
The one thing that kind of cooled the ending for me was… the lack of one. If you can imagine the typical graph of plot progression, this story ends at the climactic peak. With no conclusion. I’m not sure if this story was supposed to bleed into one of the full-length novels, but it left me more than perplexed.
In any case, I’m extremely interested in continuing this series.
But the best aspect of this story was a likable male protagonist. It's extremely hard to find cozy mysteries with a male protagonist, so I was literally jumping for joy when I started this and realised Walker was our POV. My excitement kind of dampened when I looked up other entries in the series and got the impression that the other entries focus of Reagan. I might be wrong, but I would have loved to have a male-POV cozy. I guess you can’t win all the time.
The one thing that kind of cooled the ending for me was… the lack of one. If you can imagine the typical graph of plot progression, this story ends at the climactic peak. With no conclusion. I’m not sure if this story was supposed to bleed into one of the full-length novels, but it left me more than perplexed.
In any case, I’m extremely interested in continuing this series.
July 12, 2017
What the author did with this short addition is keep it fresh while still giving the reader all of what she loves about these books. Though the previous three books are told from Reagan's point of view, this one is from Boone's. Not only is the reader treated to seeing things through his eyes, they learn a bit more about the mysterious gang member turned lawyer. For me, this was a mixed bag. Part of Boone's appeal is his secretive nature and the unknown parts of his past he hasn't shared with Reagan. Though there is still a ton to learn, part of that has been lost and he's not quite so mysterious anymore.
One of the best parts of Dead Man Walker is seeing Boone interact more with people from his former life, like Big Joey.
The cliffhanger ending on this one is superb and the reader gets a short excerpt from the next book in the series, Demise in Denim. While I'm not usually a fan of the cliffhanger ending in a series, here it works well because Boone's story naturally flows into Reagan working to clear his name in the next book.
One of the best parts of Dead Man Walker is seeing Boone interact more with people from his former life, like Big Joey.
The cliffhanger ending on this one is superb and the reader gets a short excerpt from the next book in the series, Demise in Denim. While I'm not usually a fan of the cliffhanger ending in a series, here it works well because Boone's story naturally flows into Reagan working to clear his name in the next book.
June 3, 2019
Dead Man Walker and Demise in Denim are really two parts of the same story. I really liked both of them, but wonder why they weren't in the same book. I had no clue who was the murderer until the very end. Literally the culprit wasn't revealed until almost the last page. I'm already reading the next in the series and hope there will be many more.
July 30, 2021
This is part of the Consignment Shop Mystery series. I think it is 3.5 since it seems to be a later add in. Told from Walker's perspective, instead of the main character, Reagan, the story seems more stilted and less substantial. It isn't as funny as the other books either. Still, I love this wacky and adorable series so I couldn't have skipped this book in any case.
January 31, 2022
I gave this book 4 stars only because it’s too short! It’s told by Walker Boone’s point of view.
Reagan is still a great and funny character unfortunately Aunt Kiki is not in this one much.
It looks like Reagan and Walker might get their act together in this one. The story does not end
It picks up in the next one. A great series.
Reagan is still a great and funny character unfortunately Aunt Kiki is not in this one much.
It looks like Reagan and Walker might get their act together in this one. The story does not end
It picks up in the next one. A great series.
December 13, 2018
A great teaser!
This is a great teaser into the next book in the series “Demise in Denim”. It’s written from Boone’s perspective rather than Reagan’s. That gives some insight into Boone’s thoughts regarding Regan. I can’t wait to get started on “Demise in Denim”!
This is a great teaser into the next book in the series “Demise in Denim”. It’s written from Boone’s perspective rather than Reagan’s. That gives some insight into Boone’s thoughts regarding Regan. I can’t wait to get started on “Demise in Denim”!
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