Gusty Lovers and Cadavers

Raina Sun Mystery #2

by Anne R. Tan

Gusty Lovers and Cadavers
Book 2 of the Raina Sun Mystery series.

Graduate student Raina Sun thought she knew what she was getting herself into when she volunteered to take the new foreign-exchange student shopping on the last weekend before Christmas. But between a riot for the last hot toy of the season and an abandoned baby, the holiday is a season for mayhem, and sometimes it doesn’t pay to be a Good Samaritan.

Raina wants to re-unite the infant with his family, but calling the mysterious phone number in the diaper bag leads to more questions than answers. A strange man claims to be the child’s father, and his alleged mother turns up dead.

The local police are more interested in keeping the town’s good name out of international news than to consider if there’s foul play. And to make matters worse, she has less than a week to find his real parents before the FBI takes over the case.

Raina summons her sleuthing skills to protect this baby and soon discovers everyone has a few skeletons in their closets. With her pimp-cane-toting grandma, she faces an ex-boyfriend bringing sexy back, and a murderer determined to hide the truth.

For readers who like fun cozy mysteries, quirky characters, and a dash of humor.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Christmas, Ebooks, Fiction, Amazon, Cozy

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 11, 2015

About the author

Anne R. Tan is a USA Today bestselling author. She writes the Raina Sun Mystery series, the Lucy Fong Mystery series, and the Cedar Woods Mystery series. Her humorous cozy mysteries feature Chinese-American amateur sleuths dealing with love, family, and life while solving murders. Her books feature diverse characters and relationships because everyone deserves to be an armchair detective.

A Note from Anne:

My books are my legacy to my children. Unfortunately, they would not grow up in the San Francisco Bay Area like I did. Without a cultural hub to keep the language and philosophies alive, our family would lose this part of our heritage in one generation. My children are visitors to this rich culture, just like my readers. At its core, I always felt Chinese culture is about family and community. I hope you’ll enjoy your time with Raina Sun, Lucy Fong, and their large dynamic family.

Thank you for supporting my art,

Anne R. Tan

Reviews

[Melissa]

Another homerun with Raina Sun. Anne Tan does it again with Raina's sleuthing ways and a crazy cast of characters. We find her a few months after the first book, now at the holidays. A random woman in the mall thrusts a baby on her and tells her she will be right back, only to never return. Raina quickly finds that the baby and mom are in danger and soon so is she. Mom ends up dead and it all leads back to where Raina is working for the holidays to fill in for a friend. Wanting to reunite the child with his family, Raina works to solve the mystery on her own, normally one step ahead of her ex-husband Matthew the cop and his partner. We get to see Raina's grandmother, Po Po in full ninja mode, never disappointing. We also get to see a little more into the history of Raina's family, the family secret and how she is dealing with it all. The cast continues to develop and make you want to know more about each of them. While this is a murder mystery, it is light and funny. I really enjoyed the next installment in the series and can't wait to read more.

[Ria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't very keen on this, to be honest as it was obviously part of a series I don't think it held up well as a stand alone read as lots of situations were referred to of which a casual reader who just picked up one novel wouldn't have a clue about.
But apart from that which was obviously my fault, the story seemed rather involved and I don't know, it just didn't seem that exciting or went anywhere really.
I felt lots of characters were thrown in and then the culprit was unmasked and the whole thing was solved in a few pages at the very end and not only that the main characters relationship was left in question and is held over to the next book.
Overall for me not the best mystery I have read.
Ok but not great.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started a bit slow but quickly picked up speed. There are great characters, believable dialogue, a tight plot, and lots of wonderful humor. Clean and very entertaining!!

[Lynn Hallbrooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first book in series so much that I wanted to see what would happen in this one.

This is an Amateur Sleuth Murder Mystery.

Raina Sun is at the mall waiting on a foreign exchange student to go holiday shopping. Another woman claims to need to use the restroom and saddles Raina with a baby. Moments later, Raina's search for the woman has her on a path toward danger and revealed secrets.

I really enjoy how Ms. Tan brings the characters to life. Yes they are quirky at times but they also share deeper emotions from time to time making them believable.

Warning: This is for Mature Audiences due to Violence and Adult Situations.

[Jai · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those mystery solving woman with a feisty grandmother stories.
Light on lovers and cadavers. An easy read.

[Diane McVehil · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was free, I just needed a garbage book to fall asleep to at night. Did the trick.

[Tari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd been wanting to get to this book, so what better time than around Christmas since that's when this takes place. I absolutely love Raina's Grandma, Po Po. She's such a hoot from her disguises to her frail old lady collapsing act...and her stink bombs are pretty unforgettable! lol

Po Po and Raina had a complicated case on their hands. I had someone in mind that I just didn't trust, and it turned out I was right to feel that way. The showdown was good with Raina being her effective self. Po Po got in some classic lines then too. The very end was a little sad, but since this is only the second book, I'm not giving up hope! ;)

[Lyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up the first because the heroine is a grad student (as I once was), but I picked up the second (this one) because of terrific characters and the way the author brought me into a world that is vaguely familiar - but mostly foreign to me. Raina Sun, grad student and amateur sleuth, is Chinese-American and has a complex relationship with the meanings of these terms. Not only do I get the joy of reading about identity (a pet theme of mine) but I get to learn more about Chinese culture. This outing, I learned about Joss paper. I love being entertained and educated at the same time.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas approaching was the back-drop for this cozy mystery that starts with an abandoned baby. Unlike some other stories of amateur detectives, Raina's choices and adventures feel reasonable and possible. I really enjoyed "meeting" Raina and her grandma Po Po again, and am looking forward to the next book - set in the Chinese New Year.

[Evelyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did manage to get over halfway through this book before I had to give up. I could find nothing to engage me either with the characters or with the plot. Raina's grandmother, Po Po, was mildly interesting, but even she seemed two-dimensional. I don't know where the title came from. I hate to give only one star, but that's all I have to offer here.

[Syrdarya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raina is out Christmas shopping when a woman gives her a baby and disappears. Raina goes undercover as a maid to find out what happened to the mother, and her Po Po is more than willing to help.

We see more of Raina's extended family in this book, and Raina's attempts to protect her Po Po about Raina's grandfather's past cause some issues.

I very much enjoyed the book! It was very funny in places, and the mystery held some surprises.

[CONNIE BALTHROP · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the way Raina and PoPo work together to get things done.

[Calene Deusenberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book wonderful fun characters. I was laughing out loud. Can’t wait to read more in the series

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who killed Sui Yuk and why??? Families are often intertwined, aren’t they??? I enjoyed the story and recommend the book.

[Linda Rorex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raina Sun returns again in another mystery adventure with her grandmother Po Po for more comical relief. Raina is a graduate student who volunteers to take a foreign exchange student shopping the weekend before Christmas. Raina finds an abandoned baby after a shopping spree melee turns into a riot. When Raina calls the number on the diaper bag she finds a mysterious man who claims to be the father and the mother is dead. Raina tries to find the rightful parents while protecting the baby. I really enjoyed this fantastic cozy mystery novel.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the way this really revolved around Chinese culture. It made all the difference to the mystery as well as Raina's problems with her ex-boyfriend and her grandmother. Won't give a spoiler, but the murderer really took me by surprise. Biggest problem is the book's title. I know the series titles play on weather because of Raina's name, but somehow I just couldn't remember this title and don't really know that it fit that well.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book better than the first book in the series.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Rainy still hasn't resolved the issue of her Grandfather's multi-million inheritance and his second family in China.

Subbing in as a housekeeper for her friend Sonja while Sonja is on her honeymoon, Rainy discovers that the resort has a tourist section, and a second section that has wealthier pregnant foreign nationals trying to give their babies a leg up by being born in th US and getting citizenship.

She accidentally stumbles into a baby theft and subsequent murder while shopping at Target / Bullseye. A young Chinese woman hands her a baby while she goes to the restroom, then doesn't return. A small riot over a popular toy ensues, instigated by grandmother PoPo.

Various break-ins, assaults and kidnapping scenarios follow. Along the way Raina's good friend Brenda gets arrested, and Rainy and PoPo end up at odds. PoPo claims she can no longer trust her formerly favorite granddaughter, and throws an accusation at her of only being after grandfather's money. The same insult hurled at her by the rest of her family. Poor Raina made him a deathbed promise to help out however she could, not realizing it meant giving his money to his other family in China, a family his wife knew nothing about.

PoPo refuses to let Raina expose the truth about the money to the rest of her family, because it is an embarrassment to PoPo.

What's a girl to do when immersed in a culture where family is everything when family turns their back on her? She tries her clumsy best to give the baby handed to her by a stranger back his family.

Still at odds with Matthew, her ex, she finds herself fairly hauntingly alone in the end.
Sometimes duty doesn't have very warm rewards. And an isolated new beau with few family connections is pretty cold comfort for the loss of her heart and Grandmother PoPo.

[Timeout · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* Improvement on book 1, on to book 3!

This is a better book than the first. The plot line is  one I've not really come across before. Whilst I know a little about Chinese culture, it was interesting to have more background to help explain some of the difficulties faced by (mostly) women and in a family hierarchy. A plot surrounding children being swapped could have been a minefield and possibly to heavier subject for a light hearted crime/romance/comedy book, but it works well. The writing isn't as choppy as book 1 and flows better.
Some of the other issues I had with the first book are still present. Raina shows a bit more step in this but there are still parts when she turns into a blithering idiot. I hope this continues to change. At least she is getting better at dealing with Matthew. He still treats her as a useful backup but you can see jealousy creeping in so it might change. Blue's appearance was brief but intriguing so I hope more comes of that.
As for Po Po, as could have screamed that she allows Raina to be treated the way she is. Yes, she's just but knowing Raina has been put in an awful situation, she should support her.

Overall, it's quite a charming series so far, even with some of the faults. If you want a quick, easy and fun read, give it a go.

[Hsu Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC - I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest!
Raina was just minded her own business, when someone asked to look after her baby while she goes on the bathroom.
What is Raina to do ?
When the woman takes too long in the bathroom, Raina goes look for her.
She disappeared.
Raina founds out that she is a chinese national coming to US to have her baby.
She was staying at the birth & wellness center were Raina was working during the holiday.
Isn't that just a coincidence?
Raina feels responsible for the baby, BL.
She is trying to solve the puzzle so that she can reunite BL w/ his mother.
On a side note:
I really wish that Raina could just tell her whole family about her grandfather's other family.
Po Po should not feel ashamed.
In fact, she should be angry, livid that her husband lied to her all this years.
Back to the mystery:
I loved the storytelling.
The characters were also great.
( Matthew should just grow up )
Great ending!

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

E-Reader. Mystery / Fiction

Raina Sun is winter break from college.  She lives in a small town, Gold Springs.  Where her Gandmother, lives in retirement village.  She her call Pa Pa. 

She took a job for her friend Sonia, @ Gold Springs Birth Resort.  Which owned by Cecelia Wangner.  Cecelia put too perfume, & Raina has allergies.

Raina works with Lucille, a Mexican woman.  But she can speak english.  They maids carts to use put clean sheets, towel & other things they, to clean bungalows on the property.

Raina & Pa Pa went shopping at Bulleyes.  Two men were fighting over Jingle me doll.  While they fighting, the guy had doll dropped on floor. And Pa Pa picked up & paid for the doll in cash.

While Raina was standing there, young Chinese woman asked Raina hold her baby.  She said she needed use potty. She put the small baby & let go, so Raina put up arms out, so baby won't fall flood.  Her name is Sui Yuk Linana.

There are too many characters to list in this book.

Read this really good book to end.

I hope you will enjoy this book as I did!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story with humor thru out the book. A Chinese lady named Raina was waiting for her foreign student to meet her . In the meantime a lady comes up to her and hands her a baby and said she'll be right back she needed to go to the bathroom ASAP. The lady never came back. And this is how it starts out . Raina was working temporary at a birthing center. She had a X boyfriend Matthew who she still cared about who was a cop.The story gets more involved due to the baby , whose was it , why didn't the lady come back for him . Po Po Raina's grandma and her decided to do some investigating on their own. Finding out a lot of it was involved in the birthing center where numerous Foreign woman came to have their babies in America. But it seemed to many women there were suppose to have had stillbirth. Matthew told her to stay out of it but she didn't want this child to be sent back to China and put into a foster home. Lots of laughs with Po Po .

[Tex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gusty Lovers and Cadavers continues the formula of a successful read from book 1, Raining Men and Corpses. The team, Raina, the protagonist and her grandmother, PoPo are still the fun-loving characters that made you laugh. Since it was the Holidays the team was down one member, Eden, who was on vacation. Raina matured and her circle of interaction was widened by the author. While at the same time creating a deeper, richer narrative that once again washed over the reader as if they were in the book. The author when building her infrastructure for the series to allow room to maneuver what, who, and how. The strategy paid off with another page turner full of various antics, emotions, family and an abundance of laughter as the main ingredient. (Note: "I received a free copy of this book that I voluntarily chose to review.") Gusty Lovers and Cadavers is a lighthearted page turner that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. -Tex.

[Robin Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Every year I plow through a bunch of Christmas books/stories to put myself in the Christmas mood. They are usually fluffy and fun and just what I need. This particular book was just a meh for me. BUT I did learn something astonishing. I never knew that there was such a thing as a Birthing Industry or Birthing Tourism. This is where pregnant women come to our country to give birth in birthing resorts so that their babies will automatically be given US citizenship. The benefits are enormous. The children, when they grow up, can travel anywhere using their US passports. They can get US, rather than International, tuition rates at the best universities in the world. And if they work part-time in the US, even if it is occasionally, they are still eligible for Social Security from OUR country, no matter where they reside when it is time to retire. This is heavily advertised in Asian countries (I say Asian countries because that is the focus of THIS book. This could also be going on in other countries but the book doesn't go into that).

[Timothy VanderWall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raina Sun and her eccentric grandmother, Po Po, are at it again. They can't seem to do much without getting involved in a death. This time, Raina is helping an exchange student to pick out some Christmas gifts when a baby is thrust into her arms by a woman who desperately needs to use the little girls room. The woman never comes back; and her body is found as the victim of a hit-and-run accident soon afterward. Thus begins the adventure. Who was the lady? Who is the baby? Is it a coincidence that the lady was killed? What does this have to do with the birth clinic that specializes in rich foreigners? Will Raina's ex-boyfriend cop put up with her sticking her nose into "police business"?
This book has lots of questions to ponder and lots of misdirection to work through. In all it was a pleasant light read.

[LittlePiscesReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review here:
www.chinasorrows.wordpress.com/2019/0...

I thought it was really good. Crime and cosy mysteries still aren't really my genre but I did enjoy Raina's sleuthing. I was invested enough to keep track of her investigating and I did have a hunch about the guilty party. I am still reading it for its character centric writing though and on that front it's still amazing. I loved how her relationship with her ex kept progressing and I was rooting for her all the way. The way things went with her family, her popo especially, had me wholeheartedly.
I maintain that while Raina's determination to get the baby back to his birth mother was admirable but it was argued for uncomfortably, even hurtfully here and there. For that reason I'm not giving it five stars.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay

I was intrigued by the story and the main characters who are Chinese American, since I don't know much about Chinese culture. That part was interesting, the story not so much. I get the family honor piece because I have studied Japanese culture that has a similar culture of family honor. The writing is pretty pedestrian but I admire anyone who can write a book. It could use some proofreading and some editing to make the story crisper. I got bored at times and had to force myself to keep reading as I prefer to read a book to its end before writing a review. I didn't read the previous book in the series but that wasn't a drawback, and the mystery is complete, no cliffhangers. I doubt I will read more in the series but you may enjoy it.

[Michelle Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raina and Po Po get involved in some crazy antics while shopping at the local mall. Po Po ends up with a much sought after doll while two other customers fight over it. When they realize that they had both lost it to a little old Asian lady, the chase is on. While Raina waits for her friend's foreign exchange student to do some shopping, a woman drops a baby off in her arms while going to the bathroom. Mom doesn't come back out and Raina is left with baby boy and his diaper bag. A note inside has a # to call in case of emergency and the man that shows up ends up getting a dose of Po Po. Matthew is his usual self, chasing Raina but not wanting a commitment and not wanting to get involved with her drama.
Great read with lots of humor and nonsense to make you laugh.

[Lauren Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5

I had read book one quite a while ago, but I remembered a lot about the characters and story, which says something for how memorable it is. I really liked the complex characterization that builds over books. It is also genuinely funny to me. The first book was good, but this one was definitely an improvement. The only criticism I would have is that I think the author tried to do a little bit too much, and the book would have benefitted by doing a little bit less. I would have rated it 4.5 or 4 until the end. But the improvement between book 1 and 2 was so great that I am really looking forward to reading other books by the author in the series and her next series because I'm sure she will only continue to grow and improve as a writer.

[J Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

A baby???

Raina Sun is temporarily filling in for her friend as a maid at The Gold Springs Birth Resort. Po Po is still unwilling to reveal Raina’s deceased grandfather’s secret second family in China so Raina is preparing herself for another miserable holiday season with her extended family. They believe she schemed to inherit the three million dollars he left her in his will but she is bound by a promise to use it to care for his second family. The temporary job will help her pay bills and buy ramen noodles but Raina didn’t envision an unexpected baby complicating her future.

This is a fun cozy series. It is well-written and has plenty of humor in addition to good mystery. I enjoy the addition of traditional Chinese culture that adds depth to the storyline.