Black & White & Dead All Over

by Anna Castle

What happens when the Internet service provider in a small town spies on his clients' cyber-lives and blackmails them for gifts and services?

Murder; that's what happens.

Penelope Trigg moves to Lost Hat, Texas to open a photography studio and find herself as an artist. Things are going great. She's got a few clients, some friends, even a hot new high-tech boyfriend. But when Penny submits some nude figure studies of him to a contest, she gets hit with a blackmail letter in her inbox. "Do what I want or your lover's nudie pix get splattered across the Internet." The timing couldn't be worse, so Penny is forced to submit to the blackmailer’s demands. Then people start dying and all the clues point to her. She has to rattle every skeleton in every closet in Lost Hat to keep herself out of jail and find the real killer.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Amazon

288 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2015

About the author

Anna Castle writes the Francis Bacon mysteries and the Professor & Mrs. Moriarty mysteries. She has earned a series of degrees -- BA in the Classics, MS in Computer Science, and a Ph.D in Linguistics -- and has had a corresponding series of careers -- waitressing, software engineering, grammar-writing, assistant professor, and archivist. Writing fiction combines her lifelong love of stories and learning. She physically resides in Austin, Texas and mentally counts herself a queen of infinite space.

Reviews

[Carrol Kuhlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for serious literature or a tight, totally believable, thrill ride mystery skip this one. If, on the other hand, you, like me, are looking for a total escapist fun read, this is your book. Ya, there are a lot of commas in that last sentence. I loved every silly minute of this story! The comma comment was for the comma police.

[Carol Stanley-Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

RECEIVED FREE THROUGH GOODREADS FIRST READS.

You know when you start a book and it pulls you into the vortex?? Well, this is one of those can't put it down reads, that takes you for a thrilling ride!!

It's a mystery, humorous and a tad romantic.

Please read....

[Tulay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my kind of mystery.

Have to admit, skip some pages, for me it was like written by some teenager. Repeated "me second, me third" told me what I got in to. Small town in Texas, most everybody in town had secrets. Really it was waste of my time.

[Amber Foxx · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Anna Castle’s way with words. The first person narration of this book has so much personality, humor and style, I could have enjoyed it for the writing alone, but the setting, characters and plot are equal to the words. The fictional town feels true to the region, a mix of Anglo and Hispanic, of Southern and Western. Athletic, witty, and independent, photographer Penny Trigg stands out among cozy mystery protagonists, and the book as whole is refreshingly free of the features that have made many cozies too much alike in recent years. If you’re allergic to cuteness, no worries. You can read this book with pleasure.
Being a little too impulsive for her own good, Penny makes some decisions that get her in trouble, and her path to getting out of it leads her into the citizens of Lost Hat’s secrets, the investigation of two murders, and of course, more trouble.
The first character to die was so real and likeable, I had no discomfort at all with Penny’s involvement in finding out why he died and who did it. Amateurs’ motives need to be plausible, and her stakes are high. She has additional good reasons to investigate murder and blackmail, as does her new friend Krystle, an equally original character, not the typical sidekick. I especially loved the scene where Krystle talks Penny into a reckless attempt at sleuthing, and Murphy’s Law kicks in with hilarious results.
There's a third member of the sleuthing trio: intelligent, cautious, and self-effacing Tillie. She's an asset as well as a contrast. Their investigative teamwork ranges from adventurous and funny to patient and still funny, and their encounters with their suspects take the reader on a colorful tour of Lost Hat. I didn’t figure out whodunit. The last two suspects stayed in the running right up until the end.
The romantic subplot is tightly integrated into the mystery plot, as are Penny’s work as a photographer and her boyfriend’s computer expertise. Every element serves the story and gives the reader’s reasons to care what happens.
I seldom binge read a series, but I’m already on the second book. Stay tuned for the next review.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penelope Trigg is a photographer who is an artist and always looking for the perfect shots. When her boyfriend provides her with the perfect model (naked and in bed no less) she shoots a roll of black and white photos that are worthy of being entered in a contest. Shortly after emailing them off, she finds herself the victim of blackmail from the local man who is the Internet Provider Server for her small town of Lost Hat, Texas. When things get ugly and a friend of hers dies suddenly, she is convinced it is murder and a case of the wrong person getting the poison. For awhile she goes along with the chores her blackmailer gives her, but she gets fed up and wants to tell her boyfriend and find the proof for the blackmailer to be hauled to jail. She meets another gal who is being blackmailed and the two of them team up to try and find the proof. Eventually she includes her friend and coworker as well to help prove who the blackmailer is before Penny is arrested for murdering him.

What a fun book of little town gossip and people knowing each other but surprisingly, not all of their secrets. The three gals make a good investigative team that are willing to try about anything to get the blackmail documentation. Just when you think you have it all figured out you are lured into a last minute situation that I never saw coming. It was exciting right down to the last few pages! All the characters were wonderfully developed and their different personalities made for interesting reading. Definitely interested in reading the next book in the series!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read one of Ms Castle's Francis Bacon mysteries and enjoyed it but didn't like this as much although there were some similarities. In both, a small group of friends are trying to solve a murder -- they're enthusiastic but easily distracted. The friends don't have a well thought out plan and their investigation goes off in different directions before it is finally solved. Penny was a bit irritating.

No graphic sex or violence

[Lori Tatar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to say right off the bat that I sometimes struggle with first-person narratives. I have found that most authors cannot pull this off in an appealing and meaningful way. That being said, Black & White & Dead All Over by Anna Castle is no exception. I found it vacuous and sophomoric, maybe more appealing to a YA audience. Regardless, I am still grateful to Goodreads for supplying my copy.

[Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know people who lived in small towns, but I'm a city girl, and I read novels like Black & White & Dead All Over to find out what the nostalgia is all about. This book gives us a look at the dark underbelly of small town life, where an unscrupulous person can gain inordinate control.

[Patricia Thayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent way to spend a Summer day.

Found this as a free book, but it's not one with just a few pages. Excellent, intriguing storyline with likeable characters. It kept me interested to the end. I will be reading the whole series as they come out. Just purchased the second too.

[Lauren Dare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the author via voracious readers only. I loved this story and all the quirky characters. I was drawn into the mystery the kept me guessing from the get go. A great mystery read.

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

B & W & Dead All Over

I don't read many mysteries, so I was delighted to find how enjoyable this was. Most of it was hilarious! I recommend this to anyone looking for a light, amusing book. 😊

[Beckie Gaskill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect ending!

Only the best can bring a reader along on a journey like this to accuse someone so unexpected and make it believable. And then add an extra twist! I would recommend Black and White and Dead All Over to all Who Don If lovers!

[Geri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book even though it took awhile to finish. (injured hand was in the way) Greg was a bad person and deserved what he got. All the characters were interesting and I was surprised at who the real killer was. I find that I am going to have to read more of this series.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cute murder mystery novel. I enjoyed reading it and it never got boring for me. I would absolutely continue reading the series and any other books by this author.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so funny, Kristin was the best. I love a good revenge book.


I would read more by this author.

Thanks for the laughs.

Cherie'

[Jean Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

Story of I say to much it will ruin the story.. MAke sure you read this one. Interesting from start to finish

[Lisa Tollard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable Read

Well developed characters with a good storyline. The mystery had you guessing until the very end. I am looking forward to reading more from this author

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew! I have a new-to-me favored author! Plotting good, no grammar/spelling problems (something for which I will deduct stars) that I noticed. Situation -most- believable.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun little read for a rainy afternoon, not deep at all, just what I needed to get me out of my heavy reading slump!

[Michelle Foley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed story line and the characters, so much potential for more stories in this little community and didn't guess the identity of the killer till the end.

[Maggie Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fluffy little confection of a book, tremendously fun to read. Anna Castle writes very well and she really knows Texas. As a seventh-generation Texan myself, and passionate about my home, I was thrilled to see someone who could use the details so effectively—from the architecture to the clothing to the dialogue. The characters are believable and, in some cases, familiar. The settings are perfectly rendered. Even the food is spot on. I would have been happier if the medical details had been as well, since this was a murder mystery. Also, I was disappointed that the readers were never told if Penny won the competition. But, if you don’t look too closely, this is an entertaining ride and a satisfying conclusion.

[S.j. Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

i picked up this book at an artist and author event in my town and i like support independent authors when i can. The story wasn't especially original, but the thing i enjoyed the most was the character descriptions. If you've ever lived in small town, particularly a small Texas town, you KNOW these folks! You relate to them right away. The plot unfolded in a rather clunky and formulaic way, but the overall effect was fun.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read that I finished easily in less than a day. I found a lot of it to be less than realistic and I had a hard time finding empathy for the heroine however it is a good escape mystery and I can almost promise that you won't even think about the perpetrator until the last 20% of the novel.

I won this novel in a contest.

[Barb Foerst]

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a great cozy mystery set in Lost Hat Texas. Penny is a photographer who has moved into her great aunt's house. She takes some great nude pictures of her boyfriend to enter into a black...