Electric Blue

Jane Kelly #2

by Nancy Bush

New York Times-Bestselling A PI-in-training gets drawn into a dysfunctional family fighting over money and murder…   Some days are just weird city. Take today. Jane Kelly, thirtysomething ex-bartender, current process server, and owner of The Binkster, a pug, is dutifully putting in slave-labor hours working for Dwayne Durbin, local “information specialist” (i.e., private investigator), and on the road to becoming a P.I. herself. Next thing she knows she’s socializing with the Purcells, a rich, eccentric family with a penchant for going crazy and/or dying in spectacularly mysterious ways. From what Jane can tell, the Purcells all want Orchid Purcell’s money. And when Orchid turns up in a pool of blood, the free-for-all has just begun. Then when Jane finds a second body, it seems weird city is about to get even weirder—and a lot more deadly… In her second smash outing, Nancy Bush's wickedly funny heroine, Jane Kelly, proves herself a worthy successor to Stephanie Plum, but with a wit, style, and dog that are definitely all her own. “With her clever ability to handle the zaniest of life’s circumstances, Jane won’t disappoint readers.”—Publishers Weekly   “Move over Stephanie Plum, Jane Kelly has arrived!”—Lisa Jackson, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of You Betrayed Me   “[A] funny, feisty, immensely likable new heroine.”—Laura Levine, author of Death of a Gigolo

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Romance, Audiobook, Chick Lit, Humor

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Nancy Bush is a New York Times bestselling author of over forty novels, including the River Glen Series, Nowhere Series, and numerous stand alone novels. She also is the co-author of Last Breath, Last Girl Standing, and the Wicked Series, written with her sister and bestselling author Lisa Jackson, as well as the collaborative novels Sinister and Ominous, written with Lisa Jackson and Rosalind Noonan.

Nancy has called Oregon her home all of her life. She grew up in a small logging community and after graduating from high school, attended Oregon State University where she met her husband, Ken and graduated with a degree in nutrition. They married a few years after graduation and together they have one daughter. After working in banking and the travel business, with her daughter still in diapers, Nancy read an article in Time Magazine about young mothers who, once the last diaper was changed and the final bottle was washed, pulled out their typewriters and wrote romance novels for the then expanding market. Nancy convinced her sister, Lisa Jackson, that they should try their hand at writing.

After writing several successful romance novels such as Lady Sundown, Miracle Jones, Jesse’s Renegade and Scandal’s Darling and a stint writing for one of ABC’s top-rated daytime shows: All My Children, she turned her attention to writing thrillers for Kensington Publishing. Today, her books appear on The New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly national bestseller lists.

In her free time Nancy enjoys walking, working on jigsaw and crossword puzzles and hanging out with family and friends. When she and Ken aren’t visiting their daughter and grandchildren in Southern California, Nancy is busy working on her next book!

Visit https://www.NancyBush.net where you can find a Media Kit with photos and more information.

Reviews

[Mommalibrarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

a real feather-weight by a writer with no style. She drops clues like sledge hammers. As far as characterization - the lead woman private investigator is the only one fleshed out and I cannot tell if it is intentional that she is one thing for a paragraph and then another. All of these character traits are communicated with, 'she thought . . .', 'she liked . . .', etc rather than deduced from her actions, Is she a ditz or is the author?

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a bit disappointed with this second story in the Jane Kelly series. It appears that Nancy Bush overloaded the book with secondary characters that really are useless as far as future books are concerned. Which bums me out i hope UltraViolet is better.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the reviewer, Lisa Jackson, says, "Move over Stephanie Plum and Kinsey Milhone, Jane Kelly has arrived," she's not kidding. Bush's female PI is fiesty, funny, and a bit odd. All 3 books in the growing series are great reads.

[Missy · Rating 2 out of 5]

No Stephanie Plum, but cute in a way. Only read this in the series, and have not bothered to pick up any of the others.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good read, but nowhere as fun as a Janet Evanovich

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books get better and better! Binks is awesome, and I can relate to Jane most of the time...great mystery with a bit of romance thrown in. The Purcells are totally crazy though!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of this Jane Kelly Mystery is in the light side, but I would put a trigger warning for sexual abuse.
For those not familiar with the series, Jane Kelly is a process server that is transitioning to private eye. In the previous book (Candy Apple Red), Jane solved her first murder. In this book, she is sucked into the family drama of one of the rich, eccentric founding families of Portland. Nancy Bush is shooting for a light and breezy character a'la Stephanie Plum, throwing in stories about being constantly broke and looking for her next meal. Add some scenes of her getting dressed and layering on the makeup, drop the Jersey girel, and substitute a pug dog for Rex the Hampster, and there you go. She falls short in colorful supporting characters. I enjoyed the book, but I'd like to see a bit more something.

[AJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a quick read that scratched my itch for a mystery where I didn’t have to put a lot of thought into reading. I didn’t connect with the main character at all, who spent more time hum hawing over a love triangle than doing PI work. Overall I enjoyed the “mystery” and the outcome didn’t necessarily surprise me, though it did feel rushed and almost lazy given the many “secrets” that were revealed in the book. I kind of was anticipating a better twist but given the rest of the book being pretty lack luster I wasn’t shocked with what I got. I won’t be reading any of the other books in this series, but if you’re looking for a quick read you can burn through in a couple of days and put down without any lingering connection to the characters, this book is for you!

[Gary Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's it to ya?

A tangled web of money, deceit, secrets and doggy love, this novel stretches the imagination. How far will one go for family wealth? Who wins in an inheritance fiasco? Shallow people abound and smarmy twists spring forth abundantly in this tale of a junior PI in search of truth and justice. There are many avenues left open for Book #2.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this second book in a series about PI in training Jane Kelly, Jane gets several PI jobs while working with the crazy and troubled Purcell family. Fans of Sue Grafton will appreciate the plot, which involves several generations of a wealthy and weird family. Not a cozy, but a good mystery.

[Janet L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good entry in the Jane Kelly series of books. She is becoming better at the investigation aspect of her job although she can’t make up her mind about how she feels about her boss. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

[Julia Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second installment of the Jane Kelly series and, like the debut novel, was a fun and frothy read. The author manages to add layers to Jane's character and the overall plot was well laid out. I can't wait to read the third installment of this series! Well worth my time!

[Amy K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just really enjoy Jane and Dwayne as characters and the ridiculousness of some of what Jane gets up to. I also love the setting, which is really a character in itself. Super enjoyable summer reading!

[Kaitlynne · Rating 1 out of 5]

i liked the beginning and then i lost interest but still somehow finished it, couldn’t get into it any longer and i felt like the plot was messy and a lot of unnecessary writing. it was a quick read though ✅

[Conni Harness · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is growing on me, I'm sad there are only 3 in thus series. But there appears to be plenty of other work to find and read.

[Alison Horn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did finish it, but it was really light on characterization and believability. Won't read #3.

[Phyllis Barlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book better than Candy Apple Red, but this one...is a little darker than I expected in a light-hearted mystery . I don't want to give anything away, but just be aware this may get a bit intense in places. Looking forward to Ultra Violet.

[Joanne Neeley · Rating 2 out of 5]

When aspiring PI Jane Kelly is asked by the son of Lake Chinook’s wealthiest and strangest families to convince its senile matriarch to give up control of the family fortune, she is faced with a murderous free-for-all as each of the family members scrambles to get their hands on the money.

[April Isabell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Electric Blue
Nancy Bush
Kensington Publishing
Hardcover
ISBN: 0-7582-0907-X



Electric Blue is the second novel in the Jane Kelly mysteries. Jane Kelly is training to be a private investigator or information specialist. She prefers to do research or serving process papers for local lawyers. She is reluctant to go into the business but her employer, Duane Durbin, feels
she has potential. He gives her cases and mentors her.

The lastest case involves the richest family in the Lake Chinook's area. The Purcells founded real estate in the 1800's and continue to build their real estate empire. The family also has mental illness in the genes. Duane finished a divorce case of one of the Purcells and assigns Jane to take the case of her cousin, Jasper "Jazz" Purcell. Jazz is a an extremely hansome man, too hansome for Jane's own good. Jazz asks Jane to keep an eye on his grandmother, Orchid (the females in the family have flower names). Orchid also controls the family money, is suspicious about her children and is losing her sanity.

Jane agrees and walks into a battle of sibling who feel they are entitled theto the Purcell fortune. Unfortunately, Orchid disappears then dies soon after Jane arrives. Jane learns about the family history. Most of the mystery centers on Jazz's mother dying in an asylum and the cover up by the institution and the family. The father molested the girls and the brothers raped their sisters. Then there is Jazz's wife killed in an accident, which also gave Jazz short term memory loss.

The story is further complicated when Logan, Jazz's 12 year old son is the sole recipient of the entire fortune. The sibling are either for him or against him. An unexpected arrival helps Jane finish the mystery of the Purcell family, which will continue in a part two of the family drama.

Many peole will compare this series to the Stephanie Plum Series but I like Jane Kelly better. I mostly like the sense of humor Nancy Bush gives the character and she made Jane independent with a potential love interest in Duane. The interactions Jane has with her family (her brother Booth and mother), her best friend Cynthia and her job has a confortable feel as if you know these people. If you are interested in light mysteries, I would recommend this series.

[Taryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starting to find Jane Kellys annoying as a character. She over thinks and not in a good way.

[Vicky · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Electric Blue” is Nancy Bush’s second Jane Kelley mystery. This one was slightly better than the first one. At least she kept “who done it” unclear until the end in this one. But there was still far too much fluff to maintain an interesting level of tension.

In this story, Jane is investigating the strange machinations of the Purcell family at the behest of Jasper “Jazz” Purcell, her latest object of lust. While babysitting the family matriarch, Orchid, the old woman disappears. Blamed for her disappearance, Jane undertakes to find Orchid. When she does, the family holds a celebration, only to discover Orchid dead in her room. This is just the latest in a series of strange events surrounding the family. Off the payroll, Jane can’t leave the underlying mystery alone and continues to search for answers to her questions. In the meantime, her attraction to her boss/partner continues to grow, causing problems for her as she tries to decide between the rich, handsome Jazz or handsome “I’m there for you” Dwayne. All this is done through an alcohol haze that would put a wino to shame.

While the underlying mystery is intriguing, Ms. Bush buries it in so much description and inanities that it becomes a chore to get through at times. Do we really need to know every single road she takes from place A to place B? Do we need to know that the only things in her fridge are bottles of wine that she imbibes on a more than regular basis? Do we really need to know all the details of her dealings with her mother, brother, and his fiancé? Especially when they have absolutely nothing to do with the underlying mystery? A little less description and more dialogue and tension would help the books be more interesting.

If you’re looking for a light read that doesn’t task your mental abilities, these books are for you. But if you want a serious mystery with high tension, you’d be better off elsewhere. These stories are good beach or weekend relaxation fare, nothing more.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so I had these books on my Kindle for quite awhile. I just read the first in the series and actually found it quite funny. This is the second in the series and I really think it was good. It's not exactly a cozy mystery but sort of a chick lit mystery. The main character, Jane, is very funny and I love the relationship she has with her boss, Dwayne Durbin. I also like the recurring scenes when Jane brings him something to eat and he is out on his patio which the door to won't slide all the way open because his apartment is so small and cramped. The patio door is actually blocked by furniture. This kind of quirky little thing really makes the story more endearing. I think I have the third book in the series and I am definitely going to look into whether or not Nancy Bush is going to write more of these books. 4 stars!!

And for those of you who read this and know of my mess up with my Women of Mystery Challenge...I said I was going to sit here and read this until I was done. I didn't put my kids to bed....just a quick kiss goodnight and I actually finished it. Not by 1 am but as I am writing this it is 1:28 am. Not too bad for kicking a books butt in one night!! LOL!!

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

its a lady detective only shes just starting out so not really experienced. im not reading it order which i hate doing but the others didnt come in time.

she is sucked into this dysfunctional rich family, all the daughters are named after flowers. she is supposed to see if the grandma is in her right mind tho why anyone would ask a inexperienced detective that is not making sense. the guy who hired her is very handsome (of course). there is the man she is working for and a pug dog in the book too.

nothing much going on yet. but i just started it at lunch yesterday and didnt read it last night, just this morning.

there were too many people in the rich family, it got too confusing, all the girls were named after flowers

the lady dective was attracted to her partner, instead falls for the rich guy who had a head injury. she ended up 'breaking off' with him after his failed memory he didnt remember liking her anyway. she should have stuck with the partner.

her dog got run over when she let her out the door but shes ok

i already got the other 2 of this series to read, dont know if i will read them all the way thru

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in a series about Jane Kelley, a sometimes PI and process server in Oregon.

This book finds her wrapped up in figuring out who killed Orchid Purcell, the matriarch of the Purcell family with a bunch of messed family members and they have the history to prove it!

This has been an interesting series. They are pretty good, I would probably give them more like a 3.5. However, there is Dwayne who is Jane's boss and apparently quite the hunk who is making things interesting. Will they hook up in a future book?

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

First in a fun series about a female process server/Infromation Specialist Jane Kelly in Lake Chinook Oregon. Jane is dithering about her future plans. Should she take the plunge and become a private investigator? Not quite as outrageous as the Stephanie Plum series (and perhaps not quite as funny) nor as polished as Kinsey Millhone the series is still entertaining and the characters well-developed. A nice summer read for mystery lovers.

[melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tried this book before I read Candy Apple Red and didn’t like it. But after I got to know the characters, I thought I should give it another try. I’m glad I did. Bush writes an interesting, twisting mystery, with a large cast of characters to choose from. Jane is quirky, independent, and owns a pug. What more do you need out of a heroine? A great read to dig in with as the weather is turning…

[Sarah Bauman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second of the Jane Kelly series of books was another hard to put down one. In this book you meet the Purcell family, who are a bit on the eccentric side. You find the family all basically fighting over the matriarch, Orchid's money and fighting among each other. Jane uses her own whit and determination to find out who is the cause of deaths that have happened and many other circumstances. Great book, good read and worth picking up.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like the core group of characters - Jane, her dog, her boss. I didn't care about the secondary characters in this book. Also, there wasn't really any mystery here. At no point was I turning pages to see "whodunit". Again, I like Jane but I'd recommend the first one in the series over this one

[Holly Booms Walsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

A light romp of a read. Like Stephanie Plum, but without all the endearing characters - since her life is harder to identify with than Stephanie's oddball but familiar family and friends. I doubt I'd search out the rest of the series.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane has been hired by the local oddball family, the Purcells, to help assess the state of mind of their matriarch, Orchid Purcell. Orchid is haunted by her daughter's death at a local sanatorium and at other times, seems very cognizant.