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Working Stiffs Mystery #1
Trudy, Madly, Deeply
Human lie detector Charmaine Digby is having a bad year. After eating her way through a divorce, she's out of work and up to her eyeballs in debt. In need of a life makeover Char comes home to the senior citizen haven of Port Merritt, Washington, and is ecstatic when she parlays her eye for lies into a job as the County Coroner's new assistant. But her joy is short-lived when a hunky doctor at the hospital reports the suspicious death of Trudy, Port Merritt's beloved Story Lady. Even more stunning, Trudy isn't the only recent patient whose heart mysteriously stopped.
Is it mad to think that dear old Trudy could be the latest victim of a serial killer?
With no physical evidence of foul play, Char's on the case, much to the irritation of Detective Steve Sixkiller, who doesn't want her to stick her pretty nose for trouble in his investigation. But she's a woman on a mission to uncover the truth, and she'd better keep her eyes open or the next body on the way to the morgue could be hers....
Is it mad to think that dear old Trudy could be the latest victim of a serial killer?
With no physical evidence of foul play, Char's on the case, much to the irritation of Detective Steve Sixkiller, who doesn't want her to stick her pretty nose for trouble in his investigation. But she's a woman on a mission to uncover the truth, and she'd better keep her eyes open or the next body on the way to the morgue could be hers....
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2013
1641 people are currently reading
2226 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Delaney
15 books122 followersWendy Delaney writes fun-filled cozy mysteries and is the award-winning author of the Working Stiffs Mystery series. A longtime member of Mystery Writers of America, she's a Food Network addict and pastry chef wannabe. When she's not killing off story people she can be found on her treadmill, working off the calories from her latest culinary adventure. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Wendy lives in the Texas Hill Country with the love of her life and is a proud grandma.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 261 reviews
April 28, 2019
A fun afternoon read that included humor as well as a great cozy mystery. I definitely be reading more of this series.
May 21, 2016
I really wanted to like this book more but I found the plot to have many gigantic holes in it. Charmaine the main character has the ability to tell when a person is lying and gets a job as a deputy coroner in the district attorney's office after moving back to her hometown following a messy divorce. Well almost immediately I liked Char and I really liked her love interest Steve, Port Merrit's lone detective. What I really didn't like was that the entire novel lacked any consistent steam. I felt like I had to drag myself from chapter to chapter waiting for something important to happen. Charmaine gets it into her head that this one person is the murderer and there's nothing anybody can say or do to convince her otherwise. Then when her theory gets blown out of the water by Steve, she gets thrown back to square one. So after reading about 70% of this novel on my Kindle, I quickly skimmed the rest of the pages just to see who the real murderer was, then I put the book down with relief. I won't be picking up the next book in this series, even if I did like the chemistry between Char and Steve.
August 15, 2017
Uneven
For me, the premise of being able to "read" people and the cluelessness of Char just didn't work. There were a lot of characters introduced but not much depth. The plot seemed to drag too much for me as well. The amount of time spent away from the new job as a deputy coroner and doing her own thing we're not realistic. Not thinking that I will spend any more time with Chow Mein and steve
For me, the premise of being able to "read" people and the cluelessness of Char just didn't work. There were a lot of characters introduced but not much depth. The plot seemed to drag too much for me as well. The amount of time spent away from the new job as a deputy coroner and doing her own thing we're not realistic. Not thinking that I will spend any more time with Chow Mein and steve
August 12, 2025
You have to give it to Wendy Delaney; I found this murder mystery silly, but serious in the sense that murder should be taken seriously. The witticisms and the sarcastic patter between some characters made for realistic dialogue amongst friends. I think because the novel read smoothly and yet moved at a glacial pace, this kind of was a mixed bag.
Trudy, Madly, Deeply is the first book in the Working Stiffs Mystery series. It shows some promise with an intriguing amateur detective / County Coroner's investigative assistant that has a fascinating affectation. Char (or Chow Mein as her best friend calls her) has the ability to detect lies. Clearly, conversations with her will be a difficult chore.
Charmaine Digby was hired primarily for her conversational ability, but her additional ability makes her a very useful investigative tool. The story was fascinating, but I need to see more before I can do better than middle-of-the-road, 3 stars.
Trudy, Madly, Deeply is the first book in the Working Stiffs Mystery series. It shows some promise with an intriguing amateur detective / County Coroner's investigative assistant that has a fascinating affectation. Char (or Chow Mein as her best friend calls her) has the ability to detect lies. Clearly, conversations with her will be a difficult chore.
Charmaine Digby was hired primarily for her conversational ability, but her additional ability makes her a very useful investigative tool. The story was fascinating, but I need to see more before I can do better than middle-of-the-road, 3 stars.
June 7, 2019
This was a first for me as far as a main character's unusual job goes. I have to say I've never run into a human lie detector as a cozy sleuth before. There were some really fun and quirky characters too. I got such a kick out of uncle Duke, he was a hoot sometimes. Some of the crazy stuff that happened and the wild-hair ideas that Char got about who was killing off senior citizens were sometimes downright funny. I could see this playing out as a comedy mystery on TV, especially the showdown with the killer which was almost hilarious but very effective. At least Char did get to the bottom of why five recently deceased senior citizens appeared to have died the same way. Maybe even Ben, one of her bosses at work will have a little more respect for her now...or not. I'll probably eventually continue reading in the series. I'm interested in Char and Steve's relationship growing and what happens with her washed-up actress mom who was dating Char's old biology teacher.
September 18, 2013
This book will make you laugh, a lot.
Char is quite a character. She’s carrying a few extra pounds and leaps before she looks. This made her very real for me. We all wish we could be like the women on those fashion magazines, but in reality, most of us don’t. And when we hit the mid twenties and up, us women tend to carry a few extra pounds.
I’m like Char, and really don’t worry about it. She tries to diet, but filling in at the local restaurant and helping bake all those yummy muffins doesn’t help there.
The most important part of any story or movie is the characters. I like plenty of them and got that with this book.
From the senior center and Tango Tuesday, to the local gym, to the local restaurant, Duke’s Cafe, where you can catch the latest gossip, there are so many characters to fall in love with.
My favorites, besides Char and her sexy best friend Detective Steve Sixkiller, are Char’s gram and the raucous elderly waitress, Lucille, at Duke’s Cafe.
These two ladies take no sass, steal the show when they enter a scene, and remind me so much of people I know and love. You can relate to all of the characters and may even recognize a few from your own neighborhood!
Char’s leap first, look later, way of investigating gets her in pickle after pickle in her new job at the prosecutor’s office , and Steve has his hands full keeping an eye on her and keeping her out of trouble. She may be a human lie detector, but her ability to tell if someone is lying or not could also make her a target.
And there’s Char’s mom, Marietta, the actress and diva of drama. She becomes Char’s back up. There’s a scene in the book with a taser that I could see clearly and had me laughing out loud.
I didn’t forget about Trudy. You know, Trudy from the title of this book? Well, she doesn’t have a big part in this story because she’s already dead when it starts. Her death is just the beginning as it may not be from natural causes. Char is personally connected, as Trudy is her great-aunt Alice’s close friend, and she plays nosy parker to find out the truth.
Suspicious death, maybe murder, a rumor of romance, tango anyone. All fun ingredients for this cozy mystery.
Something really great about this story. It doesn’t end here as this is the kick off book for The Working Stiffs Mysteries series. More fun, quirky characters to fall in love with.
I have a soft spot for cozy mysteries and Trudy, Madly, Deeply stole my heart.
~~
A couple of scenes I liked:
“You’re blushing.”
“I know.”
“It’s cute.”
“Yeah, well, I’m a cute girl.”
and
“I’ll bring dessert.”
“Chow mein, you’ll be the dessert.”
~~
I was provided with a copy of this book for my honest review. I'll gladly be buying more of Wendy's cozy mysteries.
Char is quite a character. She’s carrying a few extra pounds and leaps before she looks. This made her very real for me. We all wish we could be like the women on those fashion magazines, but in reality, most of us don’t. And when we hit the mid twenties and up, us women tend to carry a few extra pounds.
I’m like Char, and really don’t worry about it. She tries to diet, but filling in at the local restaurant and helping bake all those yummy muffins doesn’t help there.
The most important part of any story or movie is the characters. I like plenty of them and got that with this book.
From the senior center and Tango Tuesday, to the local gym, to the local restaurant, Duke’s Cafe, where you can catch the latest gossip, there are so many characters to fall in love with.
My favorites, besides Char and her sexy best friend Detective Steve Sixkiller, are Char’s gram and the raucous elderly waitress, Lucille, at Duke’s Cafe.
These two ladies take no sass, steal the show when they enter a scene, and remind me so much of people I know and love. You can relate to all of the characters and may even recognize a few from your own neighborhood!
Char’s leap first, look later, way of investigating gets her in pickle after pickle in her new job at the prosecutor’s office , and Steve has his hands full keeping an eye on her and keeping her out of trouble. She may be a human lie detector, but her ability to tell if someone is lying or not could also make her a target.
And there’s Char’s mom, Marietta, the actress and diva of drama. She becomes Char’s back up. There’s a scene in the book with a taser that I could see clearly and had me laughing out loud.
I didn’t forget about Trudy. You know, Trudy from the title of this book? Well, she doesn’t have a big part in this story because she’s already dead when it starts. Her death is just the beginning as it may not be from natural causes. Char is personally connected, as Trudy is her great-aunt Alice’s close friend, and she plays nosy parker to find out the truth.
Suspicious death, maybe murder, a rumor of romance, tango anyone. All fun ingredients for this cozy mystery.
Something really great about this story. It doesn’t end here as this is the kick off book for The Working Stiffs Mysteries series. More fun, quirky characters to fall in love with.
I have a soft spot for cozy mysteries and Trudy, Madly, Deeply stole my heart.
~~
A couple of scenes I liked:
“You’re blushing.”
“I know.”
“It’s cute.”
“Yeah, well, I’m a cute girl.”
and
“I’ll bring dessert.”
“Chow mein, you’ll be the dessert.”
~~
I was provided with a copy of this book for my honest review. I'll gladly be buying more of Wendy's cozy mysteries.
November 29, 2020
A book to make you think, puzzle and try to figure it out.
A family with friends and people who are loving and supportive. There are mysterious deaths taking place at the local Hospital that can’t be explained. The whole idea is a puzzle. Why? Who?
A family with friends and people who are loving and supportive. There are mysterious deaths taking place at the local Hospital that can’t be explained. The whole idea is a puzzle. Why? Who?
July 14, 2017
Charmaine Digby is a former pastry chef turned process server turned waitress who returns to her childhood home to lick her wounds after a divorce. She helps out at her uncle’s popular café while waiting to find a real job. Her unique skill as a human lie detector (or freak, according to some of her former classmates) helps her land a 30-day trial period job as the County Coroner's new investigative assistant. She’s excited to get away from serving cheeseburgers and pie. A doctor at the local hospital reports the suspicious death of Trudy, a Digby family friend and one of several elderly patients at the hospital whose heart mysteriously stopped. Char’s attached to some of these people, and something just doesn’t seem right, so she uses her lie-detecting skill to find the guilty party.
This finally bubbled up to the top of my TBR pile and I gave it a go. I really enjoyed it. The characters are interesting (particularly Char and her once-famous mother, who insists on injecting herself into Char’s investigation, and Char’s bff and town Detective Steve Sixkiller), the plot made the time on the elliptical fly by, and the dialogue and some of the descriptions of situations occasionally caused me to laugh out loud.
This was a fun read and I’m pleased to see there are three more in the series to be read. (I prefer series because if I’m going to make an emotional investment in a character, I want him or her to be around for a while.) I want to see if Char succeeds in her new career, and what happens with her and Steve, and whether the hot Italian doctor is a stumbling block to Char’s happiness.
This finally bubbled up to the top of my TBR pile and I gave it a go. I really enjoyed it. The characters are interesting (particularly Char and her once-famous mother, who insists on injecting herself into Char’s investigation, and Char’s bff and town Detective Steve Sixkiller), the plot made the time on the elliptical fly by, and the dialogue and some of the descriptions of situations occasionally caused me to laugh out loud.
This was a fun read and I’m pleased to see there are three more in the series to be read. (I prefer series because if I’m going to make an emotional investment in a character, I want him or her to be around for a while.) I want to see if Char succeeds in her new career, and what happens with her and Steve, and whether the hot Italian doctor is a stumbling block to Char’s happiness.
May 18, 2019
Wel een aardige muder mystery die me qua humor en schrijfstijl een beetje deed denken aan Stephanie Plum.
Het verhaal was leuk, maar er had wat mij betreft wat meer mogen gebeuren. En jezus, hoeveel koffie drinkt Char wel niet? Ik kreeg ook tijdens het lezen zoveel honger want ze eet echt te veel en te vaak.
Leuk om zo tussendoor te lezen maar geen geweldig verhaal.
Het verhaal was leuk, maar er had wat mij betreft wat meer mogen gebeuren. En jezus, hoeveel koffie drinkt Char wel niet? Ik kreeg ook tijdens het lezen zoveel honger want ze eet echt te veel en te vaak.
Leuk om zo tussendoor te lezen maar geen geweldig verhaal.
October 17, 2025
cute cozy mystery. Char is funny and the mystery wasn’t an obvious whodunnit.
February 25, 2019
A good first entry into a new mystery series.
October 2, 2013
Well, this is yet another book that grew on me. When I began reading it, I wanted to like it. After all, it is set in the Pacific Northwest--I always want to support my "peeps." But I truly struggled to enjoy the characters and the story. I was hoping with all my heart that I would finally take delight in the book.
As I have recommended in my reviews countless times, don't give up on a book--especially during the first quarter to third of the book. There are situations that dictate a somewhat slow beginning, and this is the first in the series. Therefore, the author spends the necessary time to introduce the characters, conflict, etc. It is very common for the first in a series to not be as good as subsequent ones, and I do believe this will happen in later books.
Once the story got going, I found all the things that make a fantastic mystery--humor, romance, and suspicion. Furthermore, since the author focused attention on senior citizen murders, I was engrossed. There are not many mysteries that deal with the wrongful deaths of elderly people. Although I can't identify with Char, I would venture to say that all of us have known someone like her!
In addition to the slow pace, I have one more minor criticism. I am not marking the book down for this reason, but it is something I need to point out for cozy mystery lovers like me. When I think of cozy mysteries, I think of minor profanity and no sex scenes. There are no sex scenes in the book, but there are some suggestive phrases (which are very tasteful). The profanity was much more rampant than I am used to reading in cozy mysteries. Some of the profanity is rather hardcore. While I could have done without the profanity, it was not overly problematic for me because of how it was used and who used it. But I did weary of it to a degree. Understand, this is just a caution for potential readers. I would certainly look for the next book in the series!
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
As I have recommended in my reviews countless times, don't give up on a book--especially during the first quarter to third of the book. There are situations that dictate a somewhat slow beginning, and this is the first in the series. Therefore, the author spends the necessary time to introduce the characters, conflict, etc. It is very common for the first in a series to not be as good as subsequent ones, and I do believe this will happen in later books.
Once the story got going, I found all the things that make a fantastic mystery--humor, romance, and suspicion. Furthermore, since the author focused attention on senior citizen murders, I was engrossed. There are not many mysteries that deal with the wrongful deaths of elderly people. Although I can't identify with Char, I would venture to say that all of us have known someone like her!
In addition to the slow pace, I have one more minor criticism. I am not marking the book down for this reason, but it is something I need to point out for cozy mystery lovers like me. When I think of cozy mysteries, I think of minor profanity and no sex scenes. There are no sex scenes in the book, but there are some suggestive phrases (which are very tasteful). The profanity was much more rampant than I am used to reading in cozy mysteries. Some of the profanity is rather hardcore. While I could have done without the profanity, it was not overly problematic for me because of how it was used and who used it. But I did weary of it to a degree. Understand, this is just a caution for potential readers. I would certainly look for the next book in the series!
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
August 23, 2013
Trudy, Madly, Deeply was like Stephanie Plum falls into the Hot Fuzz script, BUT BETTER! Delaney's style of writing is fun, laugh out loud, brilliance. The plot is just enough to keep you guessing 'What the heck is happening in Port Merritt?", the characters are memorable and real, and the writing is flawless. I didn't find one typo in the whole dang thing, which is really hard to do, even for the best books.
Delaney wrote a colorful main character, affectionately referred to as Chow Mein, by the local hunk police officer, who's suffering from low self esteem after a divorce and can't stick to her diet. Who can't identify with that last one? She's back in her hometown to lick her wounds and becomes surrounded by a cast of unusual characters while sticking her nose into the mysterious death of a local senior. Her childhood friend, who happens to be a sexy hunk she can't stop lusting for, is the investigator on the case and many scenes include the two sparring about his shortsightedness and her interference. Funny stuff.
Delaney's style is fun and fast, making me wonder 'where does she get this stuff?" more than once. The location of Port Merritt, was picturesque and a fun backdrop for this cozy mystery. I loved this book.
I highly recommend Trudy, Madly, Deeply to anyone who likes to laugh with their entertainment.
Delaney wrote a colorful main character, affectionately referred to as Chow Mein, by the local hunk police officer, who's suffering from low self esteem after a divorce and can't stick to her diet. Who can't identify with that last one? She's back in her hometown to lick her wounds and becomes surrounded by a cast of unusual characters while sticking her nose into the mysterious death of a local senior. Her childhood friend, who happens to be a sexy hunk she can't stop lusting for, is the investigator on the case and many scenes include the two sparring about his shortsightedness and her interference. Funny stuff.
Delaney's style is fun and fast, making me wonder 'where does she get this stuff?" more than once. The location of Port Merritt, was picturesque and a fun backdrop for this cozy mystery. I loved this book.
I highly recommend Trudy, Madly, Deeply to anyone who likes to laugh with their entertainment.
July 30, 2013
Charmaine has a very unique talent. She knows when someone is not telling the truth. When she gets a job in the Prosecutor's office she is thrown right into an investigation of the death of one of her great-aunt's dearest friends who had died in the hospital. When Charmaine or Char as her friends and family call her gets too involved in the "official" police investigation she is told to step away from it by her long time next door neighbor Detective Steve Sixkiller but as you will come to know...Char never does what she is told to do and gets more deeply involved especially when there had been other deaths in the same hospital of other elderly patients. The cast of characters in this story are a fun and loving bunch...each bringing charm and wit to the story. Ms Delaney delivers a wonderful story full of fun...romance...murder and mystery. This is the first book in the Working Stiffs Murder Mystery series and I am so looking forward to all of the future books. This is such a unique story line that has many possibilities and it will be fun to follow along with the author on what is surely going to be a fun and long running series! Kudos to you Ms. Delaney on such an awesome debut story and I for one will be a long time fan!
January 16, 2016
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Wouldn’t you love to be able tell when someone is lying to you? Charmaine Digby has that gift and it comes in handy as she sticks her nose right into the middle of something Detective Steve Sixkiller wants her stay away from. He isn’t even sure if foul play is involved at first and doesn’t need any help from her for his investigation.
This was a very entertaining story. Char doesn’t spend much time in her office as she knows where she can keep up on all the gossip, Duke’s Café, her uncle’s diner. It’s the place where she may hear something that could help her solve these senseless killings. Char is spitfire and very funny. She is also a woman with curves and is dealing with it and a certain detective has taken notice.
I was really surprised to learn the author saw a story on 60 minutes that gave her the premise for this story and she gave it her own cozy twist. I am looking forward to more of Char’s adventures! Sex, Lies, and Snickerdoodles comes out next month!
August 12, 2013
Trudy, Madly, Deeply was a warm, approachable and suspenseful mystery. This was absolutely one of the best examples of a snuggle up on the couch with a cozy afghan and hot cup of tea. I loved the characters, both primary and background. I enjoyed the setting of the small town, the cafe, the courthouse. Wendy did an exceptional great job of crafting tension between Charmaine and her mother (who deserves her own book, just ask her), her grandmother and her romantic interest Steve Sixkiller (I grin at his name every time). Honestly, I was not certain "who done it" until the very end. On a personal note, I live in a small community primarily populated by retirees. I own and operate and restaurant/cafe and this book could be my sliding door life (don't tell my husband). Terrific light mystery with a dash of romance.
August 29, 2018
I enjoyed this book a lot. Charmaine Digby scores a job as the County Coroner's new investigative assistant. A doctor reports the suspicious death of Trudy, a family friend and one of several elderly patients at the hospital whose heart mysteriously stopped. Charmaine works to find the killer with no help from Detective Steve who is also a romantic interest. The plot was very interesting and a lot of great characters and suspects. This is a personal opinion but I wish cozy authors would not focus so much on the sexual tension between the two main characters. Sometimes I feel like it is just thrown in there and no reason for it. Other than that I really enjoyed the book and will probably try the next one.
September 5, 2018
Chamaine Digby has recently returned to her hometown after a humiliating divorce from her husband. She has been working at her uncles cafe but has decided she wants to put her skills as a human lie detector to the test as a Deputy Coroner investigating deaths. The first one hits close to home when Trudy, a friend of her great aunt's dies under what is deemed natural causes but seems a bit suspicious. With the help of her actress mother and a colorful cast of characters Char dives into solving the case, even though it has not been classified as a mysterious death. Through her digging she finds that Trudy's death was the latest in a line of strange deaths.
This was a fun read. I liked the characters, but I would have liked to see a little bit more of Char as a human lie detector.
This was a fun read. I liked the characters, but I would have liked to see a little bit more of Char as a human lie detector.
August 5, 2013
Char has the ability to be able to read people’s faces and tell if they are telling the truth. She can even tell if they are telling the truth but holding something back. This ability comes in handy in her new job working for the County Prosecutor as well as her quest to find out who has been murdering people at the hospital.
The characters are all well developed and highly entertaining. This book is well written and extremely funny.
I highly recommend this book and I’m looking forward to reading more of her work.
The characters are all well developed and highly entertaining. This book is well written and extremely funny.
I highly recommend this book and I’m looking forward to reading more of her work.
August 21, 2013
This was an enjoyable story, the start of a new mystery series. Char gets a new job working at the District Attorneys/coroners office. Her first case is to help investigate a claim of foul play connected to a recent death in the hospital of elderly Trudy. As she digs deeper, it appears that there were other unexpected elder deaths. Is there a connection? Can her lie detection intuition ferret out the truth? Enjoyable characters in this story. Looking forward to another Char adventure.
July 24, 2025
Charmaine "Char" Digby is divorced and living in the den of her grandmother's house. Things are looking up with a new job working as an investigative assistant for the County Coroner. When a doctor flags a seemingly normal death as suspicious, Char finds herself at odds with her old friend Detective Steve Sixkiller when her investigation clashes with his.
I enjoyed the main character, who was a delightful mix of sarcastic wit and self-deprecation. Although this is the first in the series and, by default, needs to introduce all the regular players, it was a straightforward task to keep track of everyone.
The route that Char took to solve the mystery, while not standard police procedure, resonated with me. She tried one theory, ran it to its logical end, discarded it and then repeated the process. This approach makes a lot of sense. I was cheering for her the entire way!
Trudy, Madly, Deeply is a well-rounded cosy, perfect for those of us who love an oddball main character.
I enjoyed the main character, who was a delightful mix of sarcastic wit and self-deprecation. Although this is the first in the series and, by default, needs to introduce all the regular players, it was a straightforward task to keep track of everyone.
The route that Char took to solve the mystery, while not standard police procedure, resonated with me. She tried one theory, ran it to its logical end, discarded it and then repeated the process. This approach makes a lot of sense. I was cheering for her the entire way!
Trudy, Madly, Deeply is a well-rounded cosy, perfect for those of us who love an oddball main character.
July 27, 2025
Cute yet deadly
Light hearted murder mysteries are good to read occasionally amongst the serious gory types. I like a good mystery but not a steady diet of blood and details......throw in some romance and enjoy.
My only issue is trying to remember each character, and there are several! But the author works in a clue to help identify the character before too long.
Light hearted murder mysteries are good to read occasionally amongst the serious gory types. I like a good mystery but not a steady diet of blood and details......throw in some romance and enjoy.
My only issue is trying to remember each character, and there are several! But the author works in a clue to help identify the character before too long.
September 25, 2025
10 STARS FOR TRUDY! Don't under estimate Char
"Char"what a great character and she does end up having a few men interested in her. While she irritated others. Steve was one of those that she did both. Lol. It made for an interesting/fun mix.
Detective Steve Sixkiller- what a great name. He's not glad to see her when she shows up at the station unannounced. But he KNOWS she wants something because she brought doughnuts ! He calls her, Chow Mein and a lousy liar. It's a nickname he gave her in 3rd grade. That name me smile. I also liked that I thought he probably was a Native American Indian, with that name. Turns out, he was. I liked that this nationality had a part in this great story. And he really enjoyed winding Char up as much as she also irritated him and for the most part he could see right through her. He was a great character.
It became clear to me very quickly, just why this was an award-winning series. I loved it and "most" of the people in it. I can't wait to read more in this series by this author !
"Char"what a great character and she does end up having a few men interested in her. While she irritated others. Steve was one of those that she did both. Lol. It made for an interesting/fun mix.
Detective Steve Sixkiller- what a great name. He's not glad to see her when she shows up at the station unannounced. But he KNOWS she wants something because she brought doughnuts ! He calls her, Chow Mein and a lousy liar. It's a nickname he gave her in 3rd grade. That name me smile. I also liked that I thought he probably was a Native American Indian, with that name. Turns out, he was. I liked that this nationality had a part in this great story. And he really enjoyed winding Char up as much as she also irritated him and for the most part he could see right through her. He was a great character.
It became clear to me very quickly, just why this was an award-winning series. I loved it and "most" of the people in it. I can't wait to read more in this series by this author !
June 12, 2017
Fun fast read
I bought this book on a whim and am glad I did . Relatable dun characters in a fast -paced, well-loved story. Char has a slightly different job , and that added interest.
I bought this book on a whim and am glad I did . Relatable dun characters in a fast -paced, well-loved story. Char has a slightly different job , and that added interest.
July 23, 2018
Fun and not predictable.
July 27, 2025
Wow
Funny, irreverent, and intriguing, I love this book. It kept me guessing. I highly recommend this book. It had lots of twists and turns.
Funny, irreverent, and intriguing, I love this book. It kept me guessing. I highly recommend this book. It had lots of twists and turns.
October 1, 2025
Great characters
I enjoyed reading this book. I loved the characters Ms. Delaney wrote in her book. Lucille was great, loved her. You really need to read this funny mystery book. Thank you
I enjoyed reading this book. I loved the characters Ms. Delaney wrote in her book. Lucille was great, loved her. You really need to read this funny mystery book. Thank you
March 28, 2017
Disclaimer: This book was acquired from BookBub at a promotional price via Amazon. This is an honest review for which I am receiving no compensation of any kind. All opinions are fully my own.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review
My review:
Total comedy spoof! If it weren't for the fact that people are dying here, I'd have laughed through the whole thing. Charmaine is a laugh a minute with her constantly dropping by her great uncle's diner (don't give up your day job) and grabbing food to feed everyone so she can get information out of them or bribe them to do something to help her solve this case that nobody's working. She damn smart, too!
And Detective Sixkiller is just trying to keep her out of trouble and danger when he insists that there is no case. He likes the donuts and coffee and he's pretty taken with her, too! Love his nickname for her, "Chow Mein".
I recommend this one for those of you who like lots of humor and just a touch of romance with your murder. Definitely a fun read!
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review
My review:
Total comedy spoof! If it weren't for the fact that people are dying here, I'd have laughed through the whole thing. Charmaine is a laugh a minute with her constantly dropping by her great uncle's diner (don't give up your day job) and grabbing food to feed everyone so she can get information out of them or bribe them to do something to help her solve this case that nobody's working. She damn smart, too!
And Detective Sixkiller is just trying to keep her out of trouble and danger when he insists that there is no case. He likes the donuts and coffee and he's pretty taken with her, too! Love his nickname for her, "Chow Mein".
I recommend this one for those of you who like lots of humor and just a touch of romance with your murder. Definitely a fun read!
September 27, 2013
4 STARS
I was very entertained by reading this mystery. The heroine was a hard caring worker. The other characters were a hoot. It is a good cast of characters. I have been in the mood for reading a lot of mysteries lately. I did not guess who the murder was.
The mystery is set in Port Merritt, Washington population 5,000. It has a small friendly community feel to the story. One scene takes place on a ferry. I have always wanted to ride on one I can just see Charmaine in her car not wanting to get out and go to the bathroom and see someone she just does not want to run into their.
Charmaine has moved back into her grandmother's house after her divorce. She has been looking for work and not having much luck. To fill in while she is looking she is working for her great uncle, Duke at Duke's Café. Char uses the café's coffee and muffins as bribes and for excuses to get into see people.
Char has one really special talent she can tell when people are lying to her. She hopes to work for the Chimacam County Prosecutor office. Lots of people know her from working at Duke's Café on and off through the years. She gets a thirty day trial.
Steve Sixkiller is the police detective and lives across from her grandmothers. They are friends. Steve keeps telling her to but out of his way. That their is no case yet. The results will take 6 to 8 weeks to see if a murder or death of natural causes. Steve gets very frustrated with her showing up all over and finding out facts he already knows. Steve eats a lot at Duke's Café too.
Char's mother Marietta is a actress and has come for the funeral of Trudy. She is planning on staying for a week. While she is their Char gets moved to the foldout bed in the study. It is not to comfortable.
Char's Great Aunt Alice is Duke's wife and the baker at Duke's Café. She is not feeling well but she won't go to the doctor or hospital after all the healthier patients are dying right before going home.
Lucille is a long time waitress at Duke's Café. She is always seeing conspiracies all around her. She thinks something is going on at the hospital too. I like Lucille.
Lots of humor, drama, great relationships, with a touch of romance, tango lessons and action makes a great read. I hope their is a book two coming out soon.
I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it as part of her blog tour.
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