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Clamming Up
29-year old Kate O’Malley discovers that working for a peeping pervert and a verbose hostess can bring adventure, mystery, love and major trouble to her life. Set in quirky Tofino, British Columbia, Clamming Up is packed with adventure, laughs, romance and a murder mystery that unfolds with tantalizing suspense. Characters abound, relationships grow, and the sharks start circling, literally.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 27, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 25, 2015
Lee-Anne Stack really knows how to write a good time. Her characters, business partners Kate and Pearl, take their two-woman home reno business to Tofino, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, to do a job for a rather... memorable couple.
Kate Nia O'Malley is quite a character. She tells the story, and her narrative voice moves things along briskly, with considerable verve. The opening scene gets things off with a bang and they don't slow down much until the final epilogue (the last of three).
As Kate and Pearl work on the interior of a guest house -- sawing, nailing, mudding, sanding and painting -- romance and adventure swirl around them. Two personable guys make the scene -- doctor Colin and boat owner Andrew -- leading to fun times. Sitting on my couch, I vicariously went surfing, diving and clamming (of course!), and enjoyed superlative meals in a variety of situations. The book reads as fast as a screenplay; much of the narrative is carried by snappy dialogue. These women are quick with a comeback!
The mystery is fairly subtle until the last few chapters. The death of a fisherman before the book starts casts a shadow over the characters, especially Andrew, since the dead man was his uncle. The presence of some shady (but colourful) characters adds a bit of menace. Sinister hints accumulate to the bursting point, precipitating a frantic search and final denouement. To be quite frank, I found the resolution of the mystery a bit weak, but that didn't matter because getting there was so much fun. The characters are distinct and memorable, and their interactions with one another are almost more important than the plot. This is a fun read, perfect for beach, bath or boat.
I was a beta-reader for this book months ago, but this review is based on my recent reading of the published book.
Kate Nia O'Malley is quite a character. She tells the story, and her narrative voice moves things along briskly, with considerable verve. The opening scene gets things off with a bang and they don't slow down much until the final epilogue (the last of three).
As Kate and Pearl work on the interior of a guest house -- sawing, nailing, mudding, sanding and painting -- romance and adventure swirl around them. Two personable guys make the scene -- doctor Colin and boat owner Andrew -- leading to fun times. Sitting on my couch, I vicariously went surfing, diving and clamming (of course!), and enjoyed superlative meals in a variety of situations. The book reads as fast as a screenplay; much of the narrative is carried by snappy dialogue. These women are quick with a comeback!
The mystery is fairly subtle until the last few chapters. The death of a fisherman before the book starts casts a shadow over the characters, especially Andrew, since the dead man was his uncle. The presence of some shady (but colourful) characters adds a bit of menace. Sinister hints accumulate to the bursting point, precipitating a frantic search and final denouement. To be quite frank, I found the resolution of the mystery a bit weak, but that didn't matter because getting there was so much fun. The characters are distinct and memorable, and their interactions with one another are almost more important than the plot. This is a fun read, perfect for beach, bath or boat.
I was a beta-reader for this book months ago, but this review is based on my recent reading of the published book.
August 1, 2017
A keeper for my book collection. This book reminded me of hanging out with my girlfriends at the cabin on the lake; minus the murder mystery of course :) A fun read.
March 27, 2021
I just finished reading Clamming Up. It is a fantastic read. I laughed, snort-laughed, teared up and tensed up. The author is very down to earth in her language and experiences. I enjoyed every word.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews