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Turn Key Condition
To make ends meet, Maggie, a divorcee with three sons, takes creative moonlighting to the limit. While cleaning a model home with her friend, Jane, she discovers a naked dead man with a donut over his genitals. The dead man is a married contractor who had once groped Maggie.
Maggie and Jane get caught up in the investigation to the annoyance of the police officer first on the scene. The Hispanic cop responds with pithy Mexican proverbs to Maggie’s sleuthing efforts.
Then Maggie’s ex rolls into town scheming to sell the family home out from under her with the help of an unscrupulous realtor, who is a suspect in the murder. When her sons pop up into the crosshairs of the killer, Maggie sharpens her survival skills to protect them and bring down the murderer.
TURN KEY CONDITION features a heroine who stares down danger with the humor and grace gained from an earlier detour into life’s darkness.
“There’s more fun than malice in this domestic murder mystery; readers will enjoy not only the sleuthing but following Orange County single mom, Maggie, as she goes about doing the many odd jobs that it takes to keep her family of three sons afloat...A wide range of zany secondary characters circle around Maggie and the plot, each adding something whacky to the mix. The repartee between Maggie and Jane is genuinely funny and the entire production is…an appealing mystery comedy.” – Publishers Weekly Review
Maggie and Jane get caught up in the investigation to the annoyance of the police officer first on the scene. The Hispanic cop responds with pithy Mexican proverbs to Maggie’s sleuthing efforts.
Then Maggie’s ex rolls into town scheming to sell the family home out from under her with the help of an unscrupulous realtor, who is a suspect in the murder. When her sons pop up into the crosshairs of the killer, Maggie sharpens her survival skills to protect them and bring down the murderer.
TURN KEY CONDITION features a heroine who stares down danger with the humor and grace gained from an earlier detour into life’s darkness.
“There’s more fun than malice in this domestic murder mystery; readers will enjoy not only the sleuthing but following Orange County single mom, Maggie, as she goes about doing the many odd jobs that it takes to keep her family of three sons afloat...A wide range of zany secondary characters circle around Maggie and the plot, each adding something whacky to the mix. The repartee between Maggie and Jane is genuinely funny and the entire production is…an appealing mystery comedy.” – Publishers Weekly Review
226 pages, ebook
First published July 16, 2014
7 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 26, 2014
I like this book very much. You could loosely shelve it as a police whodunnit—but with a more than generous dollop of civilian help, courtesy of the likable main character. The author’s writing is deft and authentic on all counts, whether she’s speaking of the ins and outs of selling real estate, police procedure, or professional wedding cake decorating. The stuff about the wedding cakes is uniquely fascinating, by the by. Who knew?
None of the action is wasted; it all goes towards moving the plot right along and/or building suspense. The main character who largely tells the story is my favorite, but all of the characters are totally believable; they are rounded individuals who add to the story without getting in the way of the mystery. I want to know who did it, but I also want to know what will happen with these interesting and sometimes comical characters.
This novel ends by hinting at a second situation (which will result in another book), but this author, unlike so many of the self-published, was careful to ensure that this first book stands alone. Bravo!
None of the action is wasted; it all goes towards moving the plot right along and/or building suspense. The main character who largely tells the story is my favorite, but all of the characters are totally believable; they are rounded individuals who add to the story without getting in the way of the mystery. I want to know who did it, but I also want to know what will happen with these interesting and sometimes comical characters.
This novel ends by hinting at a second situation (which will result in another book), but this author, unlike so many of the self-published, was careful to ensure that this first book stands alone. Bravo!
November 13, 2014
Turn Key ConditionI liked this book. We meet Maggie Chessman, a single mother of three teenage boys, who takes second job to a new level. The story starts off with a murder but this book is more about Maggie and the assortment of friends and family who surround her. When her ex-husband comes back with his own agenda, these people rally around Maggie and the boys. Harry Chessman's plan falls apart as he inadvertently helps this group, along with new found friend, Officer Tuna, solve the murder mystery. It would be good to have a sequel. The adventures of Maggie would be a fun read. I enjoyed it!
September 4, 2014
This was an interesting story about a single mother who finds a dead body on one of her many jobs. Maggie works WAY too hard in my opinion, having a full-time job to begin with she also does various side jobs, but it shows her dedication to her family that she is willing to sacrifice any semblance of a social life for them. I want to see more development in her relationship with Officer Rocha, which I have a feeling will come in a later story. Once in a while there were a few details that were difficult to follow when the characters were speculating about who committed the murder and why, but overall it was well-written.
November 23, 2022
Quirky Characters, Deadly Shenanigans
This was a typical cozy mystery. The characters were great, sassy, and curious, and the plot moved along at a decent pace.
I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their personalities. There were some memorable traits and some heavy moments. I like Maggie; she is fierce. I hope she continues as the leading lady throughout the series.
I enjoyed the way this story was told and the fact that Tuna welcomed Maggie’s opinion. It was fantastic having a lead male character be genuinely supportive and kind. I hope he stays in the series too.
The action takes off almost immediately and stays pretty evenly paced, making the book hard to put down because you feel like you’re just about to solve the case in every chapter.
I am interested in seeing how this storyline progresses and getting to know the characters even more.
This was a typical cozy mystery. The characters were great, sassy, and curious, and the plot moved along at a decent pace.
I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their personalities. There were some memorable traits and some heavy moments. I like Maggie; she is fierce. I hope she continues as the leading lady throughout the series.
I enjoyed the way this story was told and the fact that Tuna welcomed Maggie’s opinion. It was fantastic having a lead male character be genuinely supportive and kind. I hope he stays in the series too.
The action takes off almost immediately and stays pretty evenly paced, making the book hard to put down because you feel like you’re just about to solve the case in every chapter.
I am interested in seeing how this storyline progresses and getting to know the characters even more.
September 19, 2023
ML Ortega brings us a really fun cozy mystery with a great main character in Turn Key Condition! When single mom Maggie discovers a dead body in the model home she’s cleaning, it’s up to her to sleuth out whodunnit (or who ‘doughnut’ since the body had one on his crotch), all while keeping her family afloat. Maggie is really fun, and Ortega never misses a great opportunity to install some dark humor amongst the impromptu investigation. But I also really enjoyed how Maggie was a very real person with a real family and problems, bringing this novel home with a heart. If you love mysteries with a healthy dose of bleak comedy balanced with real and genuine characters, come figure out who doughnut with Turn Key Condition!
August 5, 2014
This was an enjoyable book.
You have a single mother of 3 boys who is trying to make ends meet. She works at the school during the day, she makes wedding cakes, she digs through garbage for items to sell on ebay, she does lawn set up for Realtor's, and she helps clean houses with her friend Jane when she needs her. This mother is a busy busy one. But I enjoyed Maggie as a character because she never let anything get her down. How she was able to do it all alone with raising 3 boys is amazing. But when she takes on a job with Jane at a house that is part of a development she gets more than she bargains for. There is a dead man, and he is somebody she knows.
Now the dead man seems to have a shady life. There are things going on behind close doors that with all the speculation and theories it makes Maggie uncomfortable. Though you get a glimpse of why it makes her act differently when it is all brought up you don't truly get what causes her to be this way. I am thinking maybe in another book we will be getting answers maybe? Especially since her brother comes into the scene once he hears of what Maggie discovers. At first I thought he might have been a bit crazy but there is a reason why Maggie's brother is very protective of her.
Now the first officer on the scene his nickname is Tuna why it is Tuna I have no clue. But Maggie's boys are hoot with trying to give him another name. You can tell Tuna has a crush on Maggie as he goes out of his way to help her out especially when Maggie's ex husband comes back into the picture. And Maggie has to deal with his deceiving ways once again. Thank goodness for Tuna though because the killer of the contractor that Maggie found has one of her sons in his sights. Now when the killer became unveiled I had a feeling that was who it was, so for me it wasn't a HUGE surprise.
Overall a good book, you have romance, a murder, a mystery trying to figure out who it is and a bit of humor. There is really not a lot of action except towards the end but nothing that is like WOW action! Maggie is a strong character who is likable. I hope there is a book two as I want to learn more about Maggie and her past. Not only that I wonder if there will be a relationship between Maggie and Tuna and if there will be more mystery's' to solve.
You have a single mother of 3 boys who is trying to make ends meet. She works at the school during the day, she makes wedding cakes, she digs through garbage for items to sell on ebay, she does lawn set up for Realtor's, and she helps clean houses with her friend Jane when she needs her. This mother is a busy busy one. But I enjoyed Maggie as a character because she never let anything get her down. How she was able to do it all alone with raising 3 boys is amazing. But when she takes on a job with Jane at a house that is part of a development she gets more than she bargains for. There is a dead man, and he is somebody she knows.
Now the dead man seems to have a shady life. There are things going on behind close doors that with all the speculation and theories it makes Maggie uncomfortable. Though you get a glimpse of why it makes her act differently when it is all brought up you don't truly get what causes her to be this way. I am thinking maybe in another book we will be getting answers maybe? Especially since her brother comes into the scene once he hears of what Maggie discovers. At first I thought he might have been a bit crazy but there is a reason why Maggie's brother is very protective of her.
Now the first officer on the scene his nickname is Tuna why it is Tuna I have no clue. But Maggie's boys are hoot with trying to give him another name. You can tell Tuna has a crush on Maggie as he goes out of his way to help her out especially when Maggie's ex husband comes back into the picture. And Maggie has to deal with his deceiving ways once again. Thank goodness for Tuna though because the killer of the contractor that Maggie found has one of her sons in his sights. Now when the killer became unveiled I had a feeling that was who it was, so for me it wasn't a HUGE surprise.
Overall a good book, you have romance, a murder, a mystery trying to figure out who it is and a bit of humor. There is really not a lot of action except towards the end but nothing that is like WOW action! Maggie is a strong character who is likable. I hope there is a book two as I want to learn more about Maggie and her past. Not only that I wonder if there will be a relationship between Maggie and Tuna and if there will be more mystery's' to solve.
September 26, 2014
Reviewed by: Sandra
Member of Livin la vida Latina
Review: What could be more fun than cleaning celebrity homes at night? How about finding a dead body—naked!? All he had was a donut over the genitals. By the way, I also thought that the “donut” was a Krispy Kreme donut—you know, the kinds you find Homer Simpson salivating over. I actually thought that would’ve been funnier. Oh, well.
Right off the bat, the mystery of the dead body is presented to the reader, but then it immediately deviates to the background information of the two main characters, slowing the pace of the story. In fact, I wonder if this was even necessary since we return to that very scene at the end of chapter 1.
Still, the reader will enjoy Maggie’s biting wit. What I liked best about her was the humor she had about the whole situation. There’s a dead man in the middle of the room and all she can think of is getting paid for the night. Well, yeah! And what’s the harm of taking a photo to possibly sell to the tabloids? Hey, easy money! The struggle to make a buck is something we can all relate to.
Moving on, Maggie could not shake the wonder of who the killer was. Perhaps she was obsessing a little too much about it, which then resulted in an in-depth speculation that included every minute character in the book. Who could’ve done such a thing? How did they do it? And, most importantly, why?
As we get down to the nitty-gritty of the case, I found my curiosity waning. Perhaps it was the languorous details concerning the victim’s real estate entities. Then there was all this talk about the Taliban, KGB, CIA, and SEAL—nothing really that tickled my fancy. The austere approach of Officer Fortunado “Tuna” Rocha (the Hispanic cop) was a stark contrast to Maggie’s neurotic ingenuity. Did that make them a great team? Not necessarily. I felt that their chemistry was off-synch. Maggie and Jane were the dynamic duo, but, unfortunately, they knew zilch about solving crimes.
Overall, this was an okay read. I was allured by the peculiar fashion of the murder (in fact, the entire story centered on that hilarious anecdote) and entertained by the occasional quips between the characters, but I wasn’t completely fulfilled by the fatuous plot development and general flow.
Member of Livin la vida Latina
Review: What could be more fun than cleaning celebrity homes at night? How about finding a dead body—naked!? All he had was a donut over the genitals. By the way, I also thought that the “donut” was a Krispy Kreme donut—you know, the kinds you find Homer Simpson salivating over. I actually thought that would’ve been funnier. Oh, well.
Right off the bat, the mystery of the dead body is presented to the reader, but then it immediately deviates to the background information of the two main characters, slowing the pace of the story. In fact, I wonder if this was even necessary since we return to that very scene at the end of chapter 1.
Still, the reader will enjoy Maggie’s biting wit. What I liked best about her was the humor she had about the whole situation. There’s a dead man in the middle of the room and all she can think of is getting paid for the night. Well, yeah! And what’s the harm of taking a photo to possibly sell to the tabloids? Hey, easy money! The struggle to make a buck is something we can all relate to.
Moving on, Maggie could not shake the wonder of who the killer was. Perhaps she was obsessing a little too much about it, which then resulted in an in-depth speculation that included every minute character in the book. Who could’ve done such a thing? How did they do it? And, most importantly, why?
As we get down to the nitty-gritty of the case, I found my curiosity waning. Perhaps it was the languorous details concerning the victim’s real estate entities. Then there was all this talk about the Taliban, KGB, CIA, and SEAL—nothing really that tickled my fancy. The austere approach of Officer Fortunado “Tuna” Rocha (the Hispanic cop) was a stark contrast to Maggie’s neurotic ingenuity. Did that make them a great team? Not necessarily. I felt that their chemistry was off-synch. Maggie and Jane were the dynamic duo, but, unfortunately, they knew zilch about solving crimes.
Overall, this was an okay read. I was allured by the peculiar fashion of the murder (in fact, the entire story centered on that hilarious anecdote) and entertained by the occasional quips between the characters, but I wasn’t completely fulfilled by the fatuous plot development and general flow.
August 15, 2014
A single parent, Maggie is struggling to raise three boys on her own. Times are hard, the economy hasn't recovered, and new homes are hard to sell. Aside from working at the local school, Maggie hooks up with her friend, Jane, to clean model homes. Commiserating with each other, as only the best of friends can do, they set out one evening to scrub down a model home in a new subdivision.
Jane takes the downstairs, Maggie the upstairs. Everything runs smoothly until it doesn’t. This time, Maggie discovers more than she anticipates. A dead man with a lock around his genitals, but it’s not just any lock, it’s a donut lock, one realtors use to put around a door.
After calling the cops and then her kids, Maggie takes a few pictures of the dead man, because you never know when you might earn a little money from a newspaper or magazine. Still, the shots make her nervous when she talks to the police, and she leaves that part out of story.
Soon after, Maggie discovers the murderer is targeting her sons and she must find the killer before his dreadful aspiration is achieved. Maggie's 'mother bear' instincts are let loose and she will do anything to make sure the murderer is brought to justice before he succeeds.
I gave Turn Key Condition 5 stars because of the novel's humor, suspense, and originality. The prose is excellent, nothing is left hanging, and the ending is perfectly satisfying. Except, I hope to hear more from Jane and Maggie. They make an excellent team and the ending just hints at a possible sequel.
Ms Ortega is a phenomenal writer who uses her talent to capture the reader's attention immediately. The story flows, is well formatted, and thoroughly edited. I really enjoyed Turn key Condition and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a crime novel saturated with humor and suspense.
Jane takes the downstairs, Maggie the upstairs. Everything runs smoothly until it doesn’t. This time, Maggie discovers more than she anticipates. A dead man with a lock around his genitals, but it’s not just any lock, it’s a donut lock, one realtors use to put around a door.
After calling the cops and then her kids, Maggie takes a few pictures of the dead man, because you never know when you might earn a little money from a newspaper or magazine. Still, the shots make her nervous when she talks to the police, and she leaves that part out of story.
Soon after, Maggie discovers the murderer is targeting her sons and she must find the killer before his dreadful aspiration is achieved. Maggie's 'mother bear' instincts are let loose and she will do anything to make sure the murderer is brought to justice before he succeeds.
I gave Turn Key Condition 5 stars because of the novel's humor, suspense, and originality. The prose is excellent, nothing is left hanging, and the ending is perfectly satisfying. Except, I hope to hear more from Jane and Maggie. They make an excellent team and the ending just hints at a possible sequel.
Ms Ortega is a phenomenal writer who uses her talent to capture the reader's attention immediately. The story flows, is well formatted, and thoroughly edited. I really enjoyed Turn key Condition and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a crime novel saturated with humor and suspense.
January 10, 2015
Maggie a divorced mother of three sons, Adam, Benjamin and Caleb is willing to do almost anything to earn extra money. In addition to her regular job, she makes wedding cakes, sells things on ebay and helps her good fried Jane in her cleaning business.
Maggie is going to help Jane clean the model homes one night when the come across a dead man. Maggie finds him in the bedroom completely naked except for a donut (not the kind you eat) over his genitals. She remembers Mitch Thompson grouping her one time and knows who he is immediately.
After calling the police to report the crime she is introduced to “Fortunado Rocha” who is know to his friends as “Tuna.” They form a rather close friendship and he even gets to meet and help her children.
Trying to solve the crime is a matter for the police but in addition to having to make a statement she finds her ex is back in town and that could only mean one thing, “trouble”
We learn things abut Maggie, her past, her ex and who might possibly be the killer? Many people could of wanted him dead and we learn about a lot of friends, family and other people who knew him.
It is a good read but I found it very hard to get into, it took me more then one hundred pages to find myself wanting to continue. Don’t think you will guess the killer but you might want to try.
Maggie is going to help Jane clean the model homes one night when the come across a dead man. Maggie finds him in the bedroom completely naked except for a donut (not the kind you eat) over his genitals. She remembers Mitch Thompson grouping her one time and knows who he is immediately.
After calling the police to report the crime she is introduced to “Fortunado Rocha” who is know to his friends as “Tuna.” They form a rather close friendship and he even gets to meet and help her children.
Trying to solve the crime is a matter for the police but in addition to having to make a statement she finds her ex is back in town and that could only mean one thing, “trouble”
We learn things abut Maggie, her past, her ex and who might possibly be the killer? Many people could of wanted him dead and we learn about a lot of friends, family and other people who knew him.
It is a good read but I found it very hard to get into, it took me more then one hundred pages to find myself wanting to continue. Don’t think you will guess the killer but you might want to try.
November 24, 2014
Turn Key Condition opens with the discovery of a dead body which is not unusual for novels in this genre. What is unusual is that the body is found naked with a peculiar accessory added to the male victim’s most private of body parts.
The discovery of the body of property developer Mitch Thompson sets the tone for an entertaining mystery. The novel features a likeable protagonist in Maggie, a single mother struggling to raise three boys on her own. There is plenty of witty and authentic sounding banter between Maggie and her friend Jane, and between Maggie and her brood of teenage boys.
Maggie, with the help of her boys, her best friend, and a patrol office who may be smitten by her, engage in speculation about the crime and manage to inadvertently stumble over clues and ultimately solve the mystery of who killed Mitch and how his private parts came to be adorned the way they were.
Turn Key Condition is a fun novel to read. It effectively blends humor, mystery, dumpster diving, cake making, interior decorating, and the creative use of doorknob lock.
The discovery of the body of property developer Mitch Thompson sets the tone for an entertaining mystery. The novel features a likeable protagonist in Maggie, a single mother struggling to raise three boys on her own. There is plenty of witty and authentic sounding banter between Maggie and her friend Jane, and between Maggie and her brood of teenage boys.
Maggie, with the help of her boys, her best friend, and a patrol office who may be smitten by her, engage in speculation about the crime and manage to inadvertently stumble over clues and ultimately solve the mystery of who killed Mitch and how his private parts came to be adorned the way they were.
Turn Key Condition is a fun novel to read. It effectively blends humor, mystery, dumpster diving, cake making, interior decorating, and the creative use of doorknob lock.
June 4, 2021
Wow... I will start out by saying this is another Genre that I have not read before. As soon as I started reading I was hooked on this book. I will have to say Jane and Maggie are the craziest best friends and reminds me of me and my sister. The book was a very easy read and I was able to follow it through. It was a love connection that was made but it was subtle. Maggie was a no nonsense single mother of 3 kids, who father was nowhere in sight. She struggled to made ends meet by taking on several side jobs as well as her full time job. And she made it look like a piece of cake. I myself did not think I would be able to read a book without a lot of romance in it.. But, reading this proved me wrong. I think M.L. Ortega did a great job describing the surroundings and letting you know who everyone was. It is a story that you can relate to everyday life. I recommend this to anyone. And to all ages. A job well done. I will be on the look out for more of the book bearing your name!
September 21, 2014
I really enjoyed this mystery thriller that includes a lot of personal connections, both friends and family. Jane cleans homes and has her friend Maggie help her some times. When they go to clean a place they find a dead body and the mystery begins. The reader learns a lot about the cutthroat job of Realtor's and those whose jobs are connected with that industry, Readers also learn a lot about family connections both good and bad. I loved this story because it was more than just a murder/mystery it had a life story behind it.
January 20, 2015
+Turn +Key +Condition is a +Murder +Mystery novel which turns around a lot of times on its axis. The story starts with a couple of cleaning ladies finding a dead body in a posh "for sale" house and goes on to describe the steps of solving the mystery.
However, by the end of the novel, there are a lot of +QUESTIONS you feel are +unanswered. Yes, the mystery gets solves +satisfactorily, but you don't feel content on reading it because of those questions.
For more, go to Turn Key Condition
However, by the end of the novel, there are a lot of +QUESTIONS you feel are +unanswered. Yes, the mystery gets solves +satisfactorily, but you don't feel content on reading it because of those questions.
For more, go to Turn Key Condition
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews