The Ladybug Song

Isabel & Alma Trumbo #3

by Ed Lynskey

Phyllis Garner, the kooky and funny bag lady, refuses to accept her best friend Ladybug Miles’ death is an accidental drowning in the Coronet River. The blustery, know-it-all Sheriff Roscoe Fox has officially called it that way. However, Phyllis holds it was murder, plain and simple. No matter how much Sheriff Fox tries sway her thinking, she refuses to budge. So, she asks her friends Isabel and Alma Trumbo to do their crafty snooping in small town Quiet Anchorage, Virginia. Phyllis hopes they can root out the truth about what happened to Ladybug and bring her killer to justice. Phyllis’ devoted niece Sammi Jo also pitches in to assist the sisters, and the game is afoot. Isabel and Alma reach out for aid from the elderly but spry Three Musketeers warming their wooden bench in front of Main Street’s flower shop. The bonus for dog lovers comes when Isabel and Alma’s adorable, mischievous beagle Petey Samson plays a big role. The mystery plot takes a couple of surprising end twists before they can bring it to a satisfactory close. The Ladybug Song, the third book in the popular, well-received Isabel and Alma Trumbo Cozy Mystery Series, delivers the usual delightful small town setting, gentle humor, and good-hearted amateur lady sleuths who never say slow down or quit until it’s finished. Join Isabel and Alma when they set off on solving their latest mystery as amateur sleuths that is as fun and challenging for them as it is for the reader.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery

Kindle Edition

First published May 30, 2014

About the author

Ed Lynskey is a crime fiction author who writes the P.I. Frank Johnson Mystery Series and the Isabel and Alma Trumbo Cozy Mystery Series. His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Ladybug Song" by Ed Lynskey.

The Trumbo sisters, Alma and Isabel, thought they had closed down their detective agency...that is until the body of their friend, Ladybug, was found in shallow waters. Everyone in the town of Quiet Anchorage is shocked at this recent discovery, but the Trumbo sisters and friends of ladybug are bit more than shocked. They all agree that this is murder.
Soon the close knit group of the Trumbo sisters, Phyllis (the town bag lady), and Sammi Jo are on a hunt...a hunt for clues. Phyllis was the hardest hit by these shocking developments since Ladybug was her best friend. The gang of sleuths soon finds that Ladybug had divorced from her most recent husband and that shortly thereafter he had committed suicide by jumping off the golden Gate Bridge.

I totally enjoyed this story and find it to be the best yet of the Trumbo Sisters series. The childhood of Alma & Isabel is explored giving the characters more depth.

A true cozy and highly recommended to all true cozy lovers.

[ღ Carol jinx~☆~☔ʚϊɞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great detective story. Ladybug Miles has been found dead of an apparent drowning at the local swimming hole. Her best friend, Phyllis doesn't think it is an accident. She asks her friends, two little old sister sleuths to find out what really happened.
The bumbling Sheriff, Roscoe, actually enlists their help on this case so he can frame and arrest Phyllis while they are busy snooping around. Ossie, Blue and Willie, aka "The Three Musketeers" who spend most of their time catnapping in front of the floral shop, are also on the case. Just about everyone helps Isabel and Alma but the star of the show is Petey Samson and his powerful beagle nose. The dialogue of the characters was humorous and endearing. I ended up wanting to read more about these scrabble playing ladies and the old codgers on the porch.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being 67 I just love these two sisters. They are sharp and sassy and honest to a fault (if that's possible). The cast of characters - especially those 3 lovely old gentlemen - are fun to read about and the sheriff, who ought to know better than to mess with this bunch of seniors, is just the right foil.

[Yvonne Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Ladybug Miles ends up dead, and her best friend Louise (Sammi Jo's Aunt) is arrested for the murder, Alma and Isabel must once again prove Sheriff Fox has arrested the wrong person.
These two elderly ladies have a way of getting to the bottom of trouble. With the help of their
friends, the Sheriff had better get his act together!!
These mysteries are everything a cozy mystery should be.

[Sue Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoyed this.

This is a lovely, cozy, comfortable read. The sisters prove once again that they can outwit the sheriff and get to the truth. So nice to see age and experience celebrated. A must-read for fans of cozies. Very well written book.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the characters in this delightful cozy mystery series. Isabel and Alma Thurmbo are two elderly sisters who stick their noses into the drowning death of the Ladybug. There is a Sheriff that is less than competent. They of course solve the murder in their own way.

[Beth Yeary]

Another murder solved by Alma and Isabel and friends. The gang of detectives keep growing with every book.