Up in Smoke

Glock Grannies #1

by Shannon VanBergen

Nikki is a flirtatious six-time divorcee. Geraldine is her quirky grandmother. Mix in a bunch of gun-toting grannies, an outrageous retirement home, and an unsolved mystery and there's bound to be some excitement. Follow along as Nikki and the cast of retirement home vigilantes work to solve the mystery before everything goes up in smoke.
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Up in Smoke is part of the Glock Grannies Cozy Mystery series. If you like fun cozy mysteries and outrageous characters, you are going to love Up in Smoke.

Buy Up in Smoke and start solving your next mystery today!

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

170 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 9, 2017

About the author

Shannon is a mother, wife, artist, and USA Today Bestselling Author. When she's not busy taking care of her family, she does everything from creating art with melted crayons to painting in the rain to writing entertaining stories under several different pen names. Her first mystery series features a flirtatious sleuth, a cooky grandma, and a retirement home of gun-toting vigilante grannies. Her stories are sure to entertain.

The first two books in the Glock Grannies Cozy Mystery Series have made the USA Today Bestsellers list a combined three times.

To learn more about Shannon's new books, and to claim a free cozy mystery starter library, visit:
http://www.fairfieldpublishing.com/co...

Reviews

[Sabine · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED IT! One of the best reads in 2017! It is fairly short but the characters are loveable and always good for a chuckle. The only thing that bugged me was Nikki, being a 30 something is already 6 times divorced?!!? ... seriously???
Nikki is coming to Florida to stay for a while with her grandmother in her retirement community. Instead of playing cards like other old ladies the "Glock Grannies" protecting their town when the police has their hands full with other crimes.
The mystery about the arson and a murder kept me interested from the first page to the last. A very entertaining read.
I sure hope there will be more Glock Grannies adventures in our near future.

[Laura LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First book in a new series was a very quick read. Not to much depth in the characters. Hope it will get more interesting as there are 7 books in this series. I will read the next one just out of curiosity to see where it will go.

[Doward Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Nikki as she takes a vacation from her life in a small farm town in Illinois. She is actually running away from her approaching wedding to "Husband Number Seven." Arriving in Miami to visit her Grandmother Dean, she finds that her grandmother's antique shop has just had a fire. As Nikki settles in, she meets her grandmother's friends at the retirement village and realizes they have some kind of a secret that she is being excluded from. When the shop fire is discovered to be arson, Nikki works with a hunky fireman and sexy detective to find out what is going on and then a murder happens. I loved all of these wonderfully wacky characters because they made me laugh. The arson and murder were well plotted with an ending that caught me by surprise. I can't wait to read more about these endearing elderly characters as they keep Nikki, the fireman and detective on their toes with their escapades.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful humorous and mystery book. Having a story a retirement aged people is so intriguing. Loved it.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun fast read (170 pages); a palette cleanser between books :)

[Tasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cozy with a mystery that is a bit more complex then your normal cozy.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was amusing. I even laughed out loud . so much better than some "elderly sleuths" that are just bickering

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This can be viewed as a prequel to a series, I suppose. It's on the short side, about 100 virtual pages in the ebook edition, and it gives us the lay of the land, setting up for the series. Young Nikky (30+) from rural Illinois has had 6 marriages and divorces; now she is taking some time away from fiancé number 7 to be sure by visiting her grandma Geraldine (70+) in small town Florida for an extensive stay. Granny and her buddies sure have some secrets, as well as knowing absolutely everything going on in town.

One of the best things about this book, to me, is that Geraldine bears an uncanny resemblance to someone I knew, right down to the early years of singing/dancing/acting and the photo albums full of pictures. So I felt an odd kind of personal connection here.

The writing style, Nikky's first-person account, is breezy and lightly humorous throughout. I got this as a freebie and enjoyed it so much that I bought the next two in the series and started on number two right away...

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book received from publisher for honest review.

I thought I had been sent this through NetGalley, but I cannot find it now. Oh well, on with the review. The only reason I didn't give this a one star is because I enjoyed the mystery and that it was something different than a murder. The main character was a bit off putting, she thought she was Elizabeth Taylor and could marry and divorce multiple times without consequences. Her excuse was there was nothing else to do in a small town. Her grandmother was one of those who refused to be called Grandma but still tried to run the main characters life like a loving grandmother, you're a grandmother get over it. Add in the portrayal of how the rest of her family treated her, and for me, it became a hot mess and detracted from the storyline. I will not be trying more of this series.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't read too many cozy mysteries, but I do enjoy them once in a while. This one has some very interesting characters and some suspense. It was a bit slow moving, but I did find it entertaining.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly the story I needed. This is a low stress, cute story that I treat myself to when I walk. The mystery isn't obvious and the characters are entertaining.

[Brianna Kinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

These grannies were quite hilarious! Taking down the town’s predators while wearing ski masks to hide their identities? Priceless! Also, who has a clothing line just for their cats???

[Justine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this for one of my book clubs. Fortunately it was a short read, and didn’t require too much thought. I was not fond or entertained by the characters or plot.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!!! Nikkie Rae Parker is picked up at the airport by and elderly lady named Hattie Sue Miller. Hattie drives like an Indy 500 driver, and sometimes falls asleep at the wheel with her eyes wide open. Nikkie is there to visit her Grandmother Dean who owns an antique store, or should I say did. She is standing next to Fireman Joe who takes Nikkie's breath away. Grandmother never calls Nikkie, her granddaughter, she is always her daugther's daugther. Nikkie is there because she has been married six times, and is enaged to another person from their small town. She doesn't want to make anymore mistakes, but she is a tad bit boy crazy. This story has so much character to it, I really can't do it justice in a review. You must read it to find out about the "Glock Grannies" and what they really are doing and why. Everyone has a secret and their are secrets abound in this book. Check it out for yourself!

[Patricia Grogan Bugher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery, Florida, Ladies of a certain age

This is book number one in the Glock Grannies Cozy Mystery Series. It’s about older ladies who live in a retirement village in Florida and, in their spare time, solve crimes that the police haven’t. Very interesting read and pretty funny to boot. Quick and easy reading with delightful characters.

[Pastor McKeiver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious... Loved these "glock" carrying grannies. Can't wait to read the next one.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story! It was fun and funny, although it took some time to get around to the mystery. The characters don't actively investigate, as they would in, say, an Agatha Christie mystery. They make discoveries in more of an indirect way, but it was still fun. The humor kept the slow pace from dragging or boring me. The story is filled with quirky, offbeat characters that literally had me laughing out loud. A fairly short story, great for anytime you want a light read and a laugh. I'm actually kinda sad the story is over - I was having so much fun! I can't wait to read the rest of the series. :)

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humor, cats, grannies, and a flawed protagonist made this a highly entertaining read! When Nikki moves to Florida to move in with her grandmother in a retirement community while she sorts her life out, retirement living does not go according to plan. Grandma's antiques shop is burned and the suspicion is that Grandma did it for the insurance money. Now, Nikki has to prove to the law that Grandma Dean had nothing to do with the fire. But with bogus clues being planted, it isn't looking good.

I really enjoyed this book as a light diversion from all the lousy stuff happening in the real world and look forward to the rest of the series!

[Julie Hillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grandma is my hero

A cute cosy mystery following Grandma Dean and her exploits with the Glock Grannies and her daughter's, daughter. Murder and mystery is a good old fashioned "whodunit"

[Bryna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy fun read

I enjoy Cozy Mysteries when I want a carefree read. This one was quick, fun and had the cleverness Cozy Mysteries are known for. Simple and fun. I'll continue on with more in this series.

[JuniorCocoa · Rating 2 out of 5]

No.

[Loretta TheMoodyRedhead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kinda cute first book of this series. Nikki is trying to figure things out for herself before she marries her fiancé Bo. She temporarily moves in with her mother’s mother, Geraldine Dean while she “finds herself”.

Nikki has been married SIX times and she’s only 24! (Or close to that age anyway) Bo will be lucky number 7 IF she decides to return home to wed him. Nikki definitely has a lot of growing up to do first.

Geraldine is a hip older lady who dresses impeccably well and carries herself with style and grace. Nikki is nothing like her. Geraldine used to be a Hollywood starlet and still plays the part.

Geraldine is also a sleuth and is part of a neighborhood vigilante group called Glock Grannies. All of the grannies carry guns - just as their name states - and when police justice isn’t good enough they take matters into their own hands cleaning up their town and sending the crooks to the pokey.

The first day Nikki is in town, Geraldine’s antique store is aflame and Nikki hears her grandmother whispering with her friends about money and what they’ll do with it. Is Geraldine the arsonist and thief?!

Nikki wants to get to the bottom of things, but is she willing to turn her grandmother over to the cops? And why is Bo posting pictures with a pretty lady on his social media? Has he already moved in and decided not to wait for Nikki to figure her life out?

So far, so good. Not exactly five star material, but there are some funny parts and fun, too!

Next book is #2 The Root of all Evil

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nikki Rae Parker flew to Miami to stay with her Grandmother Dean for a while. She was engaged after six previous marriages and needed time to think. She was met at the airport by Hattie Sue Miller a friend of her Grandmother. Geraldine's shop had gone up in flames and she could not come to the airport. Nikki was described as my daughter's daughter to Joe Dellucci, a fireman on the scene by her grandmother who wanted to be called anything but Grandmother. Mrs. Dean lived in a senior's complex that had a pool in the center. It was the open concept home which was in contrast to the small rooms of the farmhouse in Central Illinois where Nikki grew up. When they return to the shop the next day Nikki meets Detective Owen Russell who tells them the fire was arson. The first mystery is who burned down the shop. Geraldine rents a different location and starts to fill it from a storage unit she has, while a friend was bringing the second load to the new location, the boxes that were left there were stolen. The last mystery is who killed Perry London, who came into Mrs. Dean's shop all the time, in the new store. There is also the secretive group that Mrs. Dean belongs to which Nikki finds out is called the Glock Grannies (a neighborhood watch group that solves crimes and gives any reward they get to someone who needs the money. This is my last book for this year's Alphabet Soup Challenge.

[Karen Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nikki goes to spend a little time with her grandmother to think about life, she is on the cusp of becoming engaged to her 7th fiance, having already worked her way through six husbands. She arrives in Miami on the same day her grandmother's antique shop suffers a fire and has to close, both for the arson investigation and for repairs to the shop. Alarmed at the idea her grandmother is suspected of having started the fire for the insurance money Nikki decides to investigate but knowing nobody except her grandmother's friends, the local fireman and the police detective means she is at a loss. After a second incident where her grandmother loses some property and then Nikki finds a dead body at her grandmother's new shop the pair decide to take a short break. While on the break Nikki finally puts all the little bits together and works out what the different crimes have in common. while she and her grandmother look for the evidence they are ambushed by the killer/arsonist/thief but the police arrive just at the right time.
After all the fuss has died down Nikki decides to stay on with her grandmother and make a new life for herself away from the temptation of all the men in her home town.
A great read if you are having an evening to yourself, easy to read without violence, sex or bad language. Will be looking out for more in this series.

[A.M. · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the heroine:

I got off the phone and sunk down into the mattress. As tired as I was, Trevor’s comment kept me from falling asleep. The fact that I had married and divorced two of his brothers, plus another four men in our little town, was what had me running off to Florida. Well, that and the fact that I was on my way to marriage number seven. (p. 19).

Trevor is also her brother in law through marriage to her sister.
Then, she eyes off every single guy she is introduced to even though she’s on her seventh engagement. *makes a face*
None of it makes any sense. Her grandmother wants her to call her Coco, which isn’t her name. The writing is very repetitive and it’s too short for that.
I get they are trying for a comic attempt, but it falls flat for me.

“You can’t tell anyone about it,” he said sternly. “It’s a secret.”
“Well, if it’s a secret then why do you know about it?”
“Because,” he said, standing tall and puffing out his chest, “Irene sings like a bird in bed. She spills all her secrets.”
“Ewww!” I shouted. TMI! (p. 44).

Is she twelve?
Technically it’s a dnf at 30% but this is bad.
1 star

[Emily G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fairly short novel about Nikki, who goes to stay with her Grandma Dean in Florida to gain some perspective on her upcoming seventh marriage in the small Illinois town she grew up in.

I was drawn to this cozy mystery because it featured people not letting age define them, and Geraldine Dean and her friends did not disappoint. Nikki herself though seemed like a mass of contradictions to me. She describes herself as nothing to write home about and obsessed with carbs, yet the little black dress Grandma Dean loans her fits like a glove and all the good looking men in town are interested, not to mention the six ex-husbands who married her. Yes, she was a likeable enough character but not enough for me to want to read any more of this series, especially as the crimes solved themselves in the end! 3 stars

[Krystyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The newest recruit

A good read that just missed out on being funny. The plot is a nice mix of murder, arson and family life with independent characters that you start getting to know and like.
Her mother has sent her to her Grandmother's - after 6 failed marriages and one could be engagement needs to be digested before she made her mind up. She got there to see her gran's business gutted by a fire. Worse it was arson. The police seem to think that she set the fire intentionally but there things start cropping up like the dead body in the new shop. Will they be satisfied that the dead man set the fire or is there a cold blooded killer still at large? What about the hunky fireman and handsome detective she has met here or her could be fiance back home?

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glock Grannies #1

If you like Janet Evanovich, you will like this series by Shannon VanBergen. Grannie's granddaughter has come to stay with Grannie at her retirement residence to get some space from her new boyfriend she is serious about. Nikki arrrives just in time to see Grannie's antique shop caught on fire with the fire department working to put it out. Grannie is fairly vain when it comes to calling her Grandmother, especially in front of all the hot men in town. This is a new experience for Nikki, so she is in for the adventure. I enjoyed reading this first in the series book and will look into other books like this one!

[Rhonda Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Start to Fun Series

I actually read this book in the box set of the first 3 books in the series. But since I bought this one, I wanted to give it a review as well. The characters are fun and quirky and you would not believe they were in their 70's. I wish my retirement was so interesting. The block grannies go out and solve crimes the police are not interested in, or that have an impact on their friends and neighbors. Serious crimes, like murder. One new member is Geraldine's granddaughter. She has an interesting back story of why she just moved in with her grandmother. I loved the book.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nikki went to stay with her Grandma for awhile. Her grandmas had sent a friend of hers to pick her up from the airport. When they got there she seen her Grandmas business was on fire. What was going on? Her grandma had lots of money and lived in a beautiful house with a pool and all. Police decided later on it was arson. Something weird was going on with her grandma and her friends hush hush so called card game nights .Nikki was determined to find out what they were really up to. They all were in for a few surprises at the end of the book.