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Charlie Parker #17
Alibis can be Murder
Here’s what others are saying:
“... suspenseful storytelling with sensitive portrayals of complex family relationships.” –Booklist
“Shelton’s engaging story, likable heroine, and comfortable prose make this a good choice.” – Library Journal
The weather turns to spring, and Charlie faces a pair of puzzles. Against Charlie’s better judgment Ron, her PI partner, takes a cheating-spouse case that turns into a comedy of errors involving a star football player and his wife’s petty vengeance. Meanwhile, Charlie’s neighbor Elsa has a bad feeling about a family up the street. Is it a case of the neighborhood busybody having too much time on her hands, or is there truly something sinister happening with twin teen girls who’ve been left with too much money and not enough supervision? Charlie finds herself remembering what her own teen years were like as she tries to decipher what the twins are up to.
Praise for the Charlie Parker series:
“Charlie is just what readers want.” –Booklist
“Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.”--The Midwest Book Review
“... suspenseful storytelling with sensitive portrayals of complex family relationships.” –Booklist
“Shelton’s engaging story, likable heroine, and comfortable prose make this a good choice.” – Library Journal
The weather turns to spring, and Charlie faces a pair of puzzles. Against Charlie’s better judgment Ron, her PI partner, takes a cheating-spouse case that turns into a comedy of errors involving a star football player and his wife’s petty vengeance. Meanwhile, Charlie’s neighbor Elsa has a bad feeling about a family up the street. Is it a case of the neighborhood busybody having too much time on her hands, or is there truly something sinister happening with twin teen girls who’ve been left with too much money and not enough supervision? Charlie finds herself remembering what her own teen years were like as she tries to decipher what the twins are up to.
Praise for the Charlie Parker series:
“Charlie is just what readers want.” –Booklist
“Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.”--The Midwest Book Review
ebook
First published June 4, 2017
About the author
Connie Shelton
118 books312 followersMy love of books started with weekly trips to the library as a child and from the moment I learned to read I can't remember a time that I didn't have at least one book going. For the past 25 years, that list has grown to include what I'm reading and what I'm writing at any given time.
I began writing my Charlie Parker series when my husband and I lived on Kauai, then continued them in my home state of New Mexico. Charlie lives in Albuquerque and manages to travel to a variety of locations, wherever her investigation business and her husband's helicopter business take them. My second series featuring Samantha Sweet, the 50-ish woman who breaks into houses for a living, is set in Taos, New Mexico.
In addition to reading and writing, I've traveled quite a lot, taught writing courses, and been a speaker at a whole lot of mystery conventions and writing conferences. In my spare time I also love to paint, draw, cook and spend time at the beach.
Series:
* Charlie Parker Mystery
I began writing my Charlie Parker series when my husband and I lived on Kauai, then continued them in my home state of New Mexico. Charlie lives in Albuquerque and manages to travel to a variety of locations, wherever her investigation business and her husband's helicopter business take them. My second series featuring Samantha Sweet, the 50-ish woman who breaks into houses for a living, is set in Taos, New Mexico.
In addition to reading and writing, I've traveled quite a lot, taught writing courses, and been a speaker at a whole lot of mystery conventions and writing conferences. In my spare time I also love to paint, draw, cook and spend time at the beach.
Series:
* Charlie Parker Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 29, 2017
Series: Charlie Parker #17
Publication Date: 6/4/17
Connie Shelton creates warm, very relatable characters in this series and you come to care about them as friends. You love spending time with them and sharing their adventures. Shelton’s descriptions of Albuquerque and New Mexico pull you right in and make you feel like you are seeing that mountain or hiking down that trail. These books are all excellently written.
We learn a bit more about Charlie’s history after her parents died. There are several flashback paragraphs that go back to those years after she was orphaned and was living with an elderly neighbor. I love how ‘gram’ dealt with the teenage Charlie who was, of course, straining to free herself from her bonds. Then, you see the two of them fifteen years later and they are as close and loving as a real grandmother and grandchild.
The relationship between Drake and Charlie is really special. He is a man who isn’t threatened by a strong woman and is happy to let her be herself. Yes, he worries for her safety at times, but then she worries for his as well. He isn’t over protective and doesn’t try to tell her what to do. They have a really great partnership.
Charlie owns RJP Investigations with her brother Ron. Ron is a licensed private investigator and Charlie is a CPA who takes care of their books (as well as the books for Drake’s helicopter business). Although Charlie isn’t supposed to be an investigator, she often gets sucked into Ron’s cases for one reason or another.
We have two cases this time – one involves a retired football quarterback and the other involves Charlie’s young neighbor that she used to babysit. The football player’s case has Ron trying to track down a very valuable Superbowl ring. In that one, you have infidelity, disrespect, and a swindler that is way over the top. The neighbor’s case has Charlie trying to assure that both of her young twin neighbors are well. Gram is sure that there is a problem because she hasn’t seen the once inseparable twins together in months. Charlie thinks the girl may just have run away and the twin is covering for her – but – she is young and Charlie wants to assure she is safe. In that one, you have disinterested parents, bullying, sexting and many other unsavory things.
I hope you’ll read this story and enjoy it as much as I have. I would really suggest that you read the books in order because you will come to know and understand all of the characters so much better if you do. You could read this one as a stand-alone book and enjoy it, but having all of that background just adds to the enjoyment.
Publication Date: 6/4/17
Connie Shelton creates warm, very relatable characters in this series and you come to care about them as friends. You love spending time with them and sharing their adventures. Shelton’s descriptions of Albuquerque and New Mexico pull you right in and make you feel like you are seeing that mountain or hiking down that trail. These books are all excellently written.
We learn a bit more about Charlie’s history after her parents died. There are several flashback paragraphs that go back to those years after she was orphaned and was living with an elderly neighbor. I love how ‘gram’ dealt with the teenage Charlie who was, of course, straining to free herself from her bonds. Then, you see the two of them fifteen years later and they are as close and loving as a real grandmother and grandchild.
The relationship between Drake and Charlie is really special. He is a man who isn’t threatened by a strong woman and is happy to let her be herself. Yes, he worries for her safety at times, but then she worries for his as well. He isn’t over protective and doesn’t try to tell her what to do. They have a really great partnership.
Charlie owns RJP Investigations with her brother Ron. Ron is a licensed private investigator and Charlie is a CPA who takes care of their books (as well as the books for Drake’s helicopter business). Although Charlie isn’t supposed to be an investigator, she often gets sucked into Ron’s cases for one reason or another.
We have two cases this time – one involves a retired football quarterback and the other involves Charlie’s young neighbor that she used to babysit. The football player’s case has Ron trying to track down a very valuable Superbowl ring. In that one, you have infidelity, disrespect, and a swindler that is way over the top. The neighbor’s case has Charlie trying to assure that both of her young twin neighbors are well. Gram is sure that there is a problem because she hasn’t seen the once inseparable twins together in months. Charlie thinks the girl may just have run away and the twin is covering for her – but – she is young and Charlie wants to assure she is safe. In that one, you have disinterested parents, bullying, sexting and many other unsavory things.
I hope you’ll read this story and enjoy it as much as I have. I would really suggest that you read the books in order because you will come to know and understand all of the characters so much better if you do. You could read this one as a stand-alone book and enjoy it, but having all of that background just adds to the enjoyment.
June 6, 2017
Connie Shelton's characters are exactly the kind of people that I enjoy reading about because I can relate to them. Charlie Parker as an adult is a strong, intelligent and kind woman but in Alibis Can Be Murder, it was especially interesting to see flashbacks to the angry teenager facing the drastic changes in her life when her parents were killed in an accident. Needless to say the mystery plot is as intriguing and complex as earlier books; I have no doubt that I will be rereading this book I have the others.
Even years of working with her brother's detective agency and being caught up in murder investigations doesn't prepare Charlie for the strange happenings in her own neighborhood. What seems like a simple assignment to photograph a couple of young women that she used to help babysit is a greater challenge that she expects leading her to wonder if there is more to the situation than she first thought. In another case Charlie's great love for her husband and personal ethics makes it really difficult for her to understand the ex-Superbowl player and his wife who pull the agency into their games.
I was pleased to have the change to an Advanced Readers Copy and hope that I was able to help just a bit. Reviewing is my idea just as the review is my own thoughts.
Even years of working with her brother's detective agency and being caught up in murder investigations doesn't prepare Charlie for the strange happenings in her own neighborhood. What seems like a simple assignment to photograph a couple of young women that she used to help babysit is a greater challenge that she expects leading her to wonder if there is more to the situation than she first thought. In another case Charlie's great love for her husband and personal ethics makes it really difficult for her to understand the ex-Superbowl player and his wife who pull the agency into their games.
I was pleased to have the change to an Advanced Readers Copy and hope that I was able to help just a bit. Reviewing is my idea just as the review is my own thoughts.
July 6, 2017
Here we have the latest offering in the Charlie Parker series, a twisty tale involving twins, a marital spat among the wealthy, a cabin in the woods, and a purloined super bowl ring! It's all woven together with expert finesse by Connie Shelton, complete with a satisfying ending that ties all the loose strings together. This book is also Shelton's personal commentary on social media, and the perils they present to young people and their exposure to real world ills. Young girls, it seems, are especially vulnerable to the predations and temptations social media and sexting offer, an undercurrent in this book. Shelton explores this current dilemma in some detail. Though the solution to her main mystery--the (apparent) disappearance of a twin leans toward a stretch, it is necessary in any novel to suspend disbelief. Readers do it all the time, and the resolution here serves to highlight the dangers mentioned above. When teens run out of ideas, they become desperate just like adults do, without the resources to regain their agency.
A good read by a master story teller.
A good read by a master story teller.
June 9, 2017
Intriguing Plot, Fascinating Characters!!
Charlie Parker finds herself entangled in two intense investigations. First, her Gram, the neighbor who raised Charlie when her parents died, is concerned about their twin teenage neighbors. She feels something suspicious is going on & asks Charlie to investigate. The second case is taken on by Charle's P.I. brother Ron. It involves cheating, lies, & stolen property. Both cases wind & twist with just the right blend of action, emotion, & edge. I had a very difficult time putting this book down! It was definitely a captivating read!!
Charlie Parker finds herself entangled in two intense investigations. First, her Gram, the neighbor who raised Charlie when her parents died, is concerned about their twin teenage neighbors. She feels something suspicious is going on & asks Charlie to investigate. The second case is taken on by Charle's P.I. brother Ron. It involves cheating, lies, & stolen property. Both cases wind & twist with just the right blend of action, emotion, & edge. I had a very difficult time putting this book down! It was definitely a captivating read!!
October 23, 2026
Another good addition to this series. This time Charlie and her brother Ron get involved in two cases. The first one involves a famous former football player and his wife that are feuding and fighting all the time. When she sells his super bowl ring, things get even worse?
The second case involves Charlie's twin neighbors on the street because their aunt is worried about them and she wants is to find out if they're okay. This turns into a very dark mystery and Charlie survives some dangerous situations trying to get to the bottom of it.
The second case involves Charlie's twin neighbors on the street because their aunt is worried about them and she wants is to find out if they're okay. This turns into a very dark mystery and Charlie survives some dangerous situations trying to get to the bottom of it.
June 19, 2017
I love the Charlie Parker books
These are such satisfying books to read. Charlie is a believable character and the mysteries are always a little quirky but interesting. The social media aspects of this story are sobering but the issue was presented in a thoughtful way without being preachy. The other on-going characters are fun to revisit and I love the relationship between Charlie and Drake.
These are such satisfying books to read. Charlie is a believable character and the mysteries are always a little quirky but interesting. The social media aspects of this story are sobering but the issue was presented in a thoughtful way without being preachy. The other on-going characters are fun to revisit and I love the relationship between Charlie and Drake.
July 9, 2017
Twists abound
Great read that takes you on a journey through NM and more!
Wonderful interweaving plots and enough twists to keep you guessing.
Great read that takes you on a journey through NM and more!
Wonderful interweaving plots and enough twists to keep you guessing.
January 23, 2018
Another great addition to this interesting series.
August 23, 2020
Alibis in this case are good
Very exciting story. Never saw this storyline going the way it did. Good job in writing this, look forward to the next one.
Very exciting story. Never saw this storyline going the way it did. Good job in writing this, look forward to the next one.
January 14, 2021
All is van be
This story is amazing. I loved it. It has something for every one's taste. If you like mysteries, you must read this.
This story is amazing. I loved it. It has something for every one's taste. If you like mysteries, you must read this.
August 19, 2021
Sad commentary on social media. But so true.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2024
Much better story without a parallel story from an unknown character. I liked the story of teenage Charlie.
April 13, 2019
mel pb 12/05/19 finally on Hoopla
Read
March 7, 2019Always enjoy "visiting" Charlie and her husband again
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews