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Lt. Dekker Mystery #7
Murder in Gatlinburg
Two detectives retire and are given a vacation to Gatlinburg, Tennessee as part of their retirement gift. They are traveling as part of a bus tour group, but shortly after they leave home they suspect someone has been murdered. One of the detectives (Cy) forgets he is retired and tries to solve the murder of someone whose body has not yet been discovered, while his friend (Lou) must continually remind him that they are now retired. Cy tries to sneak and solve the murder without a body yet being discovered, while enjoying the first vacation he has taken in over thirty years. Humor and mystery abound.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 21, 2014
205 people are currently reading
550 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
May 7, 2015
Standard decker
Nothing spectacular, but easy reading. Too much effort at humor in every paragraph, corny and eventually somewhat distracting. I'm old, but the humor (if you can call it that) was too much for my taste to appreciate it. Maybe in ten more years. I dumped the previous offering because the effort at humor was irritating.
Nothing spectacular, but easy reading. Too much effort at humor in every paragraph, corny and eventually somewhat distracting. I'm old, but the humor (if you can call it that) was too much for my taste to appreciate it. Maybe in ten more years. I dumped the previous offering because the effort at humor was irritating.
March 1, 2021
Cy and Lou, two recently retired homicide detectives, are on a long overdue vacation: a bus trip to Gatlinburg as a gift from their coworkers. The only problem is Cy & Lou seem destined to be in the midst of murder(s). This is a clean, funny, series.
March 30, 2023
This is one of my favourite series.
December 15, 2016
Great description of Gatlinburg. I was reading through the fires and pining for the place. Murder was wrapped up neatly. Not sorry I read it. I hope Gatlinburg is back up and running again very soon.
November 1, 2017
Weak plot, works too hard on the attempted humor and not enough on the plot line. Way too much focus on food, which is typical for his books. I have read several of the books in this series, and in my opinion this one is definitely the weakest.
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September 21, 2021LOVE Cy & Lou!
If memory serves, & it IS beginning to get surley the last few years (!), my very 1st cozy was Steve Demaree's Murder In The Library & cozies moved into my Top 5 genres! Of course, when I found that it wasn't the beginning of the series I had to get the others! I've been reading about Cy & Lou ever since! I love the humor in the stories & that I don't need to "say boo & jump over" profanities every few minutes! These books prove my point that stories (in any medium) do NOT have to be potty mouthed, violent, or sexually explicit to be enjoyable! There have been some changes, some subtle some not so much, that have lessened my enjoyment a bit, but only a little bit. 1st, & this one could totally be ALL on me due to life experiences over the last few years, the humor seems to be getting more childish. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes Cy appear to be very immature. The 2nd is the change that made them more health conscious. Again, not a bad thing, but their earlier eating habits made them who they are in my mind, & was the origin of much of the laughter these guys brought me! As a GRITS, I know how important food is as a part of Southern Hospitality! On to the next in series with Cy & Lou!
If memory serves, & it IS beginning to get surley the last few years (!), my very 1st cozy was Steve Demaree's Murder In The Library & cozies moved into my Top 5 genres! Of course, when I found that it wasn't the beginning of the series I had to get the others! I've been reading about Cy & Lou ever since! I love the humor in the stories & that I don't need to "say boo & jump over" profanities every few minutes! These books prove my point that stories (in any medium) do NOT have to be potty mouthed, violent, or sexually explicit to be enjoyable! There have been some changes, some subtle some not so much, that have lessened my enjoyment a bit, but only a little bit. 1st, & this one could totally be ALL on me due to life experiences over the last few years, the humor seems to be getting more childish. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes Cy appear to be very immature. The 2nd is the change that made them more health conscious. Again, not a bad thing, but their earlier eating habits made them who they are in my mind, & was the origin of much of the laughter these guys brought me! As a GRITS, I know how important food is as a part of Southern Hospitality! On to the next in series with Cy & Lou!
December 17, 2017
Not the most riveting “who done it” out there, but it does have it moments.
Lou and Cy recently retired from the Hilldale, Kentucky homicide division. Their fellow officers pay for a week-long bus vacation to Gatlinburg. Neither of these esteemed detectives have ever ventured out of their confines. You would say the duo are “old school.” They aren’t familiar with cell phones and are each given one to add to their retirement. With a little help from a teenager and girlfriend, they’re able to at least make calls, the occasional text and an odd picture or two. They board the bus and begin their first vacation, ever!
Even though they are retired, Lou is always looking for something amiss from the normal. Before long, his suspicions are supported when a passenger comes up missing.
To go any further would give away too much of the plot and its minor twists and turns. I’m not going to say it’s a page turner, but it will keep your attention.
A big plus, this is one of the few books I’ve read where there is absolutely no profanity.
Four Stars
Lou and Cy recently retired from the Hilldale, Kentucky homicide division. Their fellow officers pay for a week-long bus vacation to Gatlinburg. Neither of these esteemed detectives have ever ventured out of their confines. You would say the duo are “old school.” They aren’t familiar with cell phones and are each given one to add to their retirement. With a little help from a teenager and girlfriend, they’re able to at least make calls, the occasional text and an odd picture or two. They board the bus and begin their first vacation, ever!
Even though they are retired, Lou is always looking for something amiss from the normal. Before long, his suspicions are supported when a passenger comes up missing.
To go any further would give away too much of the plot and its minor twists and turns. I’m not going to say it’s a page turner, but it will keep your attention.
A big plus, this is one of the few books I’ve read where there is absolutely no profanity.
Four Stars
December 14, 2017
This was an enjoyable book. Not a great book, but not offensive or terribly bad either. The story revolves around 2 recently retired homicide detectives who are given a week long vacation tour to Gatlinburg, TN in the Smoky Mountains. As happens in these things, people on their tour bus start to disappear and the detectives forget they're retired and begin investigating. If you've been to the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area, the book is kinda fun because you recognize the places, shops and restaurants they visit in the book. I think that was the most enjoyable part of it, actually. The plot was rather thin and the dialog was more of a comedy routine than anything else. I think the sole purpose of the second cop's existence in the book is to be a foil for the first one's jokes. He really serves no other purpose. But i'm nitpicking. I really did like the book and if you've been to that area i think you'll have fun reading it.
April 9, 2023
Pointless
I'm not sure I can justify reading any more of this series. The mysteries and the situations have been interesting up until the last couple of books, even though the author needs the services of a good editor, plus a refresher of Creative Writing 101. I've been able (just barely) to get past his overuse of the verb "was", and his two main characters calling each other by name in every other sentence (nobody talks that way in real life). But this book and the previous one are a lot of yapping with very little storytelling and no real mystery. I'm mildly interested in seeing what happens to the characters, but for now I'll be moving on.
I'm not sure I can justify reading any more of this series. The mysteries and the situations have been interesting up until the last couple of books, even though the author needs the services of a good editor, plus a refresher of Creative Writing 101. I've been able (just barely) to get past his overuse of the verb "was", and his two main characters calling each other by name in every other sentence (nobody talks that way in real life). But this book and the previous one are a lot of yapping with very little storytelling and no real mystery. I'm mildly interested in seeing what happens to the characters, but for now I'll be moving on.
August 19, 2017
A wonderful funny murder mystery
This is a very good funny murder mystery. It is a very clean story about two retired homicide detectives who go on a vacation. They go on a tour bus and the author takes you on the tour with them. It is as if you are really on the tour with them. Steve Demaree gives the account in a very humorous way. It is a good clean Christian book. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good clean mystery.
This is a very good funny murder mystery. It is a very clean story about two retired homicide detectives who go on a vacation. They go on a tour bus and the author takes you on the tour with them. It is as if you are really on the tour with them. Steve Demaree gives the account in a very humorous way. It is a good clean Christian book. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good clean mystery.
August 24, 2020
Murder in Gatlinburg is a travelogue with a mystery (and eventually murder) thrown in. The author tries to hard to be funny instead of letting the humor flow naturally, but the writing has definitely improved over his earlier books. If you are looking for a murder mystery, you will be disappointed. If you're looking for an easy read about Gatlinburg, TN with two newly retired homicide detectives, give it a try.
March 3, 2023
FANTASTIC! This is probably my favorite book in the Dekker Mystery series. Not only doesn’t Cy know what a vacation is, he doesn’t know how to behave on his gifted vacation to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. And, the dialogue between the two detectives and their bus companions is hilarious. Plus I enjoyed visiting the many sites and restaurants the two cities offer. This awesome book leads my top 10 list.
May 7, 2017
Great story!
The thing I like most about Mr. Demaree's books is they make me read slowly. I usually read pretty quickly so I might not catch everything in the plot that I might need to know. I don't have that problem when reading any of his books. His way of writing makes me want to savor every word. Always great characters and story. Can't wait to read the next book!
The thing I like most about Mr. Demaree's books is they make me read slowly. I usually read pretty quickly so I might not catch everything in the plot that I might need to know. I don't have that problem when reading any of his books. His way of writing makes me want to savor every word. Always great characters and story. Can't wait to read the next book!
February 26, 2018
Quite a turn at the end
I enjoy these books very much. With Cy and Lou you never know what to expect. As a pastor I appreciate the cleaness of the language and the devotional time and prayer each morning. I have purchased the entire series and plan on reading more of this author.
I enjoy these books very much. With Cy and Lou you never know what to expect. As a pastor I appreciate the cleaness of the language and the devotional time and prayer each morning. I have purchased the entire series and plan on reading more of this author.
June 1, 2018
I love the way this author writes!
Imagine being on a week-long bus trip to Gatlinburg and three members of the group are missing when you get ready to return home.
The humor between Cy and Lou is still the same after retirement. They play off each other quite well.
Looking forward to finishing #8.
Imagine being on a week-long bus trip to Gatlinburg and three members of the group are missing when you get ready to return home.
The humor between Cy and Lou is still the same after retirement. They play off each other quite well.
Looking forward to finishing #8.
September 9, 2018
I enjoyed this because we have visited the exact area for over 50years we have even hiked the motor nature trail 3 times, the last when we were 76 years of age. A fun book.
the pancake pantry and applied restaurant are all time favorites. Will read more of his books. I do not have 4more words.
the pancake pantry and applied restaurant are all time favorites. Will read more of his books. I do not have 4more words.
August 8, 2023
Enjoyable and lighthearted
The author's style is not very serious, and the book isn't meant to be a serious thriller. But it's a great diversion and fun to read in a way that doesn't require too much brain activity. It was also fun to read a story set in Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge, places I have been SO many times.
The author's style is not very serious, and the book isn't meant to be a serious thriller. But it's a great diversion and fun to read in a way that doesn't require too much brain activity. It was also fun to read a story set in Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge, places I have been SO many times.
August 8, 2017
Love it
I love the Cy and Lou mysteries. There is no foul language. They are both Christian men and start their day with prayer, devotion time, and Bible study. They both have an awesome sense of humor. Love their banter back and forth.
I love the Cy and Lou mysteries. There is no foul language. They are both Christian men and start their day with prayer, devotion time, and Bible study. They both have an awesome sense of humor. Love their banter back and forth.
August 14, 2017
More humor than mystery.
Thus was an enjoyable read. Plenty of humor along with the mystery of "who done it". What made it most enjoyable is that I have visited most of the restaurants and attractions including Westgate Resort that were mentioned in the book.
Thus was an enjoyable read. Plenty of humor along with the mystery of "who done it". What made it most enjoyable is that I have visited most of the restaurants and attractions including Westgate Resort that were mentioned in the book.
February 4, 2018
The mystery becomes lost in all the information on Gatlinburg, and a couple of communities near by. I begin to skip all the travel information and read only the parts that concerned the murder. Slow read and a little boring.
October 30, 2019
Mountain mystery
Having been to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge AND being a Westgate owner and stayed at this resort it was fun picturing all the places mentioned. And I do love a good who-dun-it.
Having been to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge AND being a Westgate owner and stayed at this resort it was fun picturing all the places mentioned. And I do love a good who-dun-it.
January 16, 2020
Hilarious!
Having been to Gatlinburg many times, I especially enjoyed this book and could visualize all of the locations that Cy & Lou visited on their retirement vacation. As usual, this murder mystery is very humorous and entertaining. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Having been to Gatlinburg many times, I especially enjoyed this book and could visualize all of the locations that Cy & Lou visited on their retirement vacation. As usual, this murder mystery is very humorous and entertaining. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
August 1, 2017
Fun series
Finally retired homicide cops go on a vacation as part of retirement gift. Abundance of rhetoric and tongue in cheek humor between murders. Most enjoyable.
Finally retired homicide cops go on a vacation as part of retirement gift. Abundance of rhetoric and tongue in cheek humor between murders. Most enjoyable.
August 10, 2017
I love these two police officers ,they are good together. What an awesome ending. Waiting on the next book. Just could not put it down.
August 17, 2017
Good
It was a wisecracking buddy book. Two retired and kinda competing cops on a trip. It was pretty 👍 and kept my interest.
It was a wisecracking buddy book. Two retired and kinda competing cops on a trip. It was pretty 👍 and kept my interest.
August 18, 2017
Good
the two gentlemen who were retiring from there police department.this vacation was a gift from there co_workers. they found that vacations are fun.
the two gentlemen who were retiring from there police department.this vacation was a gift from there co_workers. they found that vacations are fun.
September 16, 2017
Not high on my list
Somewhat witty from time to time but overall found this book dull. Don't think I would recommend this book to most people.
Somewhat witty from time to time but overall found this book dull. Don't think I would recommend this book to most people.
January 6, 2018
More travel log than mystery but very good. I am now ready for a trip to Gatlinberg. Also made me want to get to the next in the series to see what they are into next.
April 17, 2019
An enjoyable quick read who dunnit
I really enjoyed this mystery. It made me want to visit Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. I have not read other books in the series but will!
I really enjoyed this mystery. It made me want to visit Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. I have not read other books in the series but will!
April 27, 2019
I read this on a recent trip to Gatlinburg and really enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews