Take Three: Savannah Martin Mysteries 4-6

Savannah Martin Mystery #4-6

by Jenna Bennett

Savannah Martin has always been a good girl, doing what was expected and fully expecting life to fall into place in its turn. But when her perfect husband turns out to be a lying, cheating slimeball—and bad in bed to boot—Savannah kicks the jerk to the curb and embarks on life on her own terms. With a new apartment, a new career, and a brand new outlook on life, she’s all set to take the world by storm.


If only the world would stop throwing her curveballs...


Set contains the following three books:


CLOSE TO HOME - #4


Savannah's late.


The kind of late that comes with midnight feedings and the pitter-patter of little feet. And while it's a circumstance that should make everyone happy - now she can finally settle down and marry Todd Satterfield, the way everyone's been hoping and praying! - it isn't Todd's baby. And Rafe, whose baby it is, didn't sign on for fatherhood.


Add in the murder of Savannah's sister-in-law Sheila, the trial of Sheila's friend Marley, and the disappearance of Rafe's twelve year old son David - the kid he never knew he had! - and things get complicated fast. And there is worse to come: When Rafe comes back to Nashville to help look for David, and learns that Savannah's pregnant, things do not work out the way Savannah had hoped.


In the end, she's left with nothing she wanted and a whole lot of trouble she didn't, and for once, Rafe's not there to save the day.


A DONE DEAL - #5


Silver bells, silver bells...


It's Christmas time in Nashville, and all Savannah wants to unwrap on Christmas morning is Rafe Collier. Unfortunately, things don't look so good. He's back in town, but not alone: on his arm is a stunning brunette, just the kind of woman Savannah always suspected was his type.


When Alexandra Puckett asks her help in figuring out a way to stop Maybelle Driscoll from marrying Alex's father Steven, Savannah jumps on the chance. It'll give her something to think about other than Rafe and the mysterious Carmen, and anyway, she doesn't like Maybelle much herself.


Between investigating Maybelle's past, helping her clients Aislynn and Kylie buy a house, and stalking Carmen and Rafe, Savannah soon has her hands full. And that's before someone starts gunning for her. Suddenly it's not a question of unwrapping anything on Christmas morning anymore; it's a question of whether she'll even survive to see another Christmas.


CHANGE OF HEART - #6


It’s late February, just two months after Savannah Martin and Rafael Collier finally worked things out between them, and Rafe is already sneaking out of bed in the wee hours.


Catching fellow realtor Tim Briggs rinsing blood from his hands in the office sink makes for a welcome distraction, and when Tim disappears just as one of his clients is found dead in a nearby park, Savannah throws herself into the investigation with abandon.


But even the murder mystery taking place right under her nose can’t completely distract her from worrying about personal problems. Has Rafe changed his mind about their relationship, or is something else going on? And what are the chances of Savannah coming out of this latest debacle with her life – and her heart – intact?


Also included is an excerpt of Savannah Martin mystery 7, Kickout Clause.

Genres: Cozy

ebook

First published May 21, 2014

About the author

Jenna Bennett writes the USA Today bestselling Cutthroat Business mysteries featuring Southern Belle and new-minted real estate agent Savannah Martin in Nashville, Tennessee.

As Jennie Bentley, she writes the New York Times bestselling Do-It-Yourself Home Renovation mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime, featuring designer and amateur sleuth Avery Baker and her boyfriend, handyman Derek Ellis, who renovate houses in Waterfield, Maine.

She also writes a variety of romance for a change of pace.

aka Jennie Bentley

The DIY series:

FATAL FIXER-UPPER (November 2008)
SPACKLED AND SPOOKED (August 2009)
PLASTER AND POISON (March 2010)
MORTAR AND MURDER (January 2011)
FLIPPED OUT (October 2011)
WALL TO WALL DEAD (September 2012)
HOME FOR THE HOMICIDE (December 2013)

The Cutthroat Business series:

A CUTTHROAT BUSINESS (May 2011)
HOT PROPERTY (June 2011)
CONTRACT PENDING (July 2011)
CLOSE TO HOME (September 2011)
A DONE DEAL (December 2011)
CONTINGENT ON APPROVAL (November 2012)
CHANGE OF HEART (May 2013)
KICKOUT CLAUSE (October 2013)

Soldiers of Fortune series:

FORTUNE'S HERO (December 2012)

Various:

ISLAND GETAWAY (October 2012)
VIRGINIA CREEPER (October 2013)
BEFORE YOU (March 2014)

Reviews

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Close to Home
I’m a little torn about this book. I thought the villain was pretty obvious very early in the story and it was frustrating for me watching everyone else stumbling around completely overlooking what I was seeing. However, I really appreciated seeing all the emotional growth Savannah goes through in this volume, I just wish it could have been done in a way that didn’t seem quite so painful. Though, growth often is. Now, I’m very curious to see what the future has in store for Savannah since the present is so rocky.
A Done Deal
This ends at the place I’ve kind of been waiting the whole series so far for. And it really is the Happy For Now ending I’ve been hoping to see. I know there are dozens of books yet to come and I realize that there’s going to be all kinds of things to muck with my joy, but I’m so happy with where this book leaves them right now. The mysteries were thoroughly entertaining, but I thought the villain wasn’t a terribly big surprise. Though, I hung in there just to see what it would take for them to finally be unmasked.
Change of Heart
This was such a disappointment after the high of the last couple stories. In this book Savannah was the most annoyingly insecure jealous woman I’ve ever had the misfortune of reading. I give the author huge credit for giving me mysteries that I couldn’t outthink, but Savannah and the terrible miss-characterizations of the Lifestyle drove me mental.

[Mary Stenvall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy these light mysteries, more romance than mystery, highly enjoyable. Makes a break from the darker stories. I can't do them in a row, Savannah is so timid at times it's irritating and soo insecure in her relationship with Rafe that I need a break. You've got the man, girl, get on with it!

[Kathy Nuss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to put down the books!

The Savannah Martin mysteries are not only enjoyable and interesting, they are not filled with bad language and gory violence like many mysteries. Savannah is innocent and quirky but her curiosity gets her into sticky situations. Although she was raised as a southern belle, she refuses to remain so to her mother's chagrin.

[Patty McClain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

I love all the characters and how they’ve tried to adapt to Rafe. I would recommend these books to everyone. You can’t put them down, you want to finding out what’s next.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addicting

I am totally addicted to this series. Great stories filled with mystery and intrigue. I am off to get next set.

[Short, Sweet and Cozy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series!

[Sherry Herndon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving entire series!

Characters are entertaining and being from the south, understand Savannah completely! We just didn’t talk about certain things. She is cute!!

[Trish Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good triple box set. Have already purchased the following two box sets!!!!

[Marie Major]

Awesome series

Great books, keeps me interested most books don't hold my attention, can't wait for the next book, starting it now

[B-cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: read sample so was given first few chapters of book no. 4

Plenty of who done it with a bit of naughty flirting and romance while continuing on relationships with primary characters. Would have read on it full books were available to me.

[Nancy]

Boxed set of the second 3 Cutthroat Business mysteries featuring Southern Belle turned Realtor Savannah Martin

Savannah has always been a good girl, doing what was expected and fully expecting life to fall into place in its turn. But when her perfect husband turns out to be a lying, cheating slimeball - and bad in bed to boot - Savannah kicks the jerk to the curb and embarks on life on her own terms. With a new apartment, a new career, and a brand new outlook on life, she's all set to take the world by storm. If only the world would stop throwing her curveballs...

CLOSE TO HOME - book #4

Savannah's late.

The kind of late that comes with midnight feedings and the pitter-patter of little feet. And while it's a circumstance that should make everyone happy - now she can finally settle down and marry Todd Satterfield, the way everyone's been hoping and praying! - it isn't Todd's baby. And Rafe, whose baby it is, didn't sign on for fatherhood.

Add in the murder of Savannah's sister-in-law Sheila, the trial of Sheila's friend Marley, and the disappearance of Rafe's twelve year old son David - the kid he never knew he had! - and things get complicated fast. And there is worse to come: When Rafe comes back to Nashville to help look for David, and learns that Savannah's pregnant, things do not work out the way Savannah had hoped.

In the end, she's left with nothing she wanted and a whole lot of trouble she didn't, and for once, Rafe's not there to save the day.

The murderer is the obstetrician. And Savannah doesn't know if she wants to keep the baby or not.
Rafe realizes she's pregnant but thinks it is Todd's baby.
A DONE DEAL - book #5

Silver bells, silver bells...

It's Christmas time in Nashville, and all Savannah wants to unwrap on Christmas morning is Rafe Collier. Unfortunately, things don't look so good. He's back in town, but not alone: on his arm is a stunning brunette, just the kind of woman Savannah always suspected was his type.

When Alexandra Puckett asks her help in figuring out a way to stop Maybelle Driscoll from marrying Alex's father Steven, Savannah jumps on the chance. It'll give her something to think about other than Rafe and the mysterious Carmen, and anyway, she doesn't like Maybelle much herself.

Between investigating Maybelle's past, helping her clients Aislynn and Kylie buy a house, and stalking Carmen and Rafe, Savannah soon has her hands full. And that's before someone starts gunning for her. Suddenly it's not a question of unwrapping anything on Christmas morning anymore; it's a question of whether she'll even survive to see another Christmas.

Rafe is undercover and Carmen and company get caught.

CHANGE OF HEART - book #6

It’s late February, just two months after Savannah Martin and Rafael Collier finally worked things out between them, and Rafe is already sneaking out of bed in the wee hours.

Catching fellow realtor Tim Briggs rinsing blood from his hands in the office sink makes for a welcome distraction, and when Tim disappears just as one of his clients is found dead in a nearby park, Savannah throws herself into the investigation with abandon.

But even the murder mystery taking place right under her nose can’t completely distract her from worrying about personal problems. Has Rafe changed his mind about their relationship, or is something else going on? And what are the chances of Savannah coming out of this latest debacle with her life – and her heart – intact?

Rafe is helping a stripper get rid of her boyfriend. The wife of the client and her brother are the murderers. Tim is safe.

[Peggy Twigg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still enjoying this series! These books kept my interest, just like the first three books. Savannah Martin was brought up to be a "proper Southern lady". She's supposed to everything right, and not take a walk on the wild side. In 'Close to Home', she definitely takes a walk on the wild side. She is pregnant, with Rafe's baby. Rafe is off in Atlanta, on a job. He only comes back because she has Detective Grimaldi call him about his now 11 year old boy, who her and Dix have found. When something intense happens to the baby that sends him running back to Atlanta, she is left alone again. While she is trying to dig up info as to why her sister-in-law was murdered, she comes across another case. Marley Cartwright is accused of killing her baby boy. Savannah visits with Marley. There are a lot of surprises and truths that come out of that visit. Read this book and see what excitement Savannah is caught in the middle of....again! In "A Done Deal", Rafe comes back from Atlanta, but not to be with Savannah. He's has a pretty lady on his arm, Carmen. Carmen works for Hector. Savannah doesn't find that out until she goes to LaHavana. That is where she is kidnapped... while the cops are raiding the place. Even though she is kept safe, things go south from there. Someone is following Savannah, and it seems like they are trying to kill her. Two of her clients end up in wreck because someone thought their car was hers. Then things get even stickier, when she is kidnapped... again. There is lots of excitement in this book... just like the previous books in this series. In "Change of Heart", Savannah and Rafe... together again. Savannah walks in the office early to find Tim, her co-worker/boss,washing blood off of his hands. Things begin to unravel, when one of Tim's clients turn up dead. Savannah gets right in the middle of things. She's trying to figure out why Tim has disappeared and if he's guilty of murder. During the investigating, several more people turn up dead. Savannah ends up in another sticky situation with Rafe.
The books in this series are all captivating. The story flows very smoothly, and the plot thickens. I didn't want to put these books down.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are highs and lows when it comes to rating this....

I have managed to read all 6 Savannah Martin mysteries. At the time of this rating, there are 4 more already in print, with another one due to be released. With my rating only happening in what can be seen as early in the series, I felt I needed to make mention of my thoughts and feelings so far....

While the writing is alright, I happen to have issues with the progression of the stories. Especially regarding the constant review of stories past being done. The mention of previous stories being summarized makes it more likely that I will skip the next 3 books and start again there. Simply put.... Too much repetitive internalized thought. There have been more than a handful of times of which I wanted to throttle the main character, Savannah. Nobody that smart (a woman on the path of being a lawyer) can be that clueless and naive. I do love Rafe's portrayal. Definitely a worthy character to read even after the mystery of who he is professionally.

In book number 5, A Done Deal, I felt that the book was taking a turn for the better. By book 6, I was back to wanting to throttle Savannah or throw my kindle against the wall.

I can honestly say that I can give a rating of this series (up to and including book 6), a solid 3 star rating. While this book and this series does mirror Ms Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, it also loses its steam just as quickly and tends to fall flat more often than not. I guess this series is not for me.

[Kathryn Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

#4, 5, 6.
#4 was very good and kept moving along. It had two different mysteries that somehow came together at the end.
It kept me going and so instead of reading something else and then coming back to #5, I went straight to 5. It was not as good. So to be done with it all i did #6 next. It was even worse. About 25% "story" and the rest was mind-numbing and repetitive. "Oh Rafe, I love you." "I just want you." "I can't bear to lose you." and so on. I hate that whiny female crap.

[Gabi Eagon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three good stories

I liked these stories with Rafe and Savannah getting to know each other better. I was starting to get seriously annoyed by her insecurities and constantly guessing what Rafe was doing. But I think she's maturing finally.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall.....Awesome!

I love this series! I wish Savannah would get some confidence! She is a strong character except when it comes to Rafe. It's fun watching her find herself! She's getting there. Thanks for the great series!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series!!!

I love this series!!! The characters are great and the plot and subplots hook me right into the books. A wonderful, fun escape!

[Elizabeth Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

Jenn Bennett has done it again! Another great book in her Savannah Martin series! Love me some Rafe and Savannah