Best Served Cold

Trailer Park Mystery #3

by Jimmie Ruth Evans

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Cat in the Stacks mystery series, a novel about a single mom, wits, grits, double shifts... and murder!

A Trailer Park Mystery (#3)

Kountry Kitchen Southern cooking recipes included!

During a night shift waitressing at the Kountry Kitchen, Wanda Nell Culpepper sees a shocking customer in her section of the diner—her long-lost brother, Rusty. Wanda and Rusty haven’t talked since their dear mama passed on, and Wanda thinks it’s high-time for a reconciliation. But Rusty has his own reasons for coming back to their small hometown... and it seems stirring up trouble is one of them!

Then a man is found murdered—the same man who was involved in a highly visible argument with Rusty just hours before he was killed! And Rusty is nowhere to be found...

But Wanda Nell knows her baby brother couldn’t kill anyone. So she’s got to find Rusty and the real killer before the mess starts smelling like weeks-old hush puppies!

Wanda Nell and her shotgun-toting buddy Mayrene are wonderful people to get to know. A down-home treat!– #1 New York Times bestseller, Charlaine Harris

FLAMINGO FATALE is the Southern cozy at its best.– Lane Wright, revewingtheevidence.com

As down-home and appealing as fried green tomatoes, grits, and sweet tea. Heroine Wanda Nell Culpepper is a steel magnolia to cherish.– Carolyn Hart

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

also writes as Dean James, Honor Hartman and Miranda James

Reviews

[Teddi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is well written but im not sure I'd call this a cozy.
Wanda Nell (good grief on the names) just seems to get more aggressive and takes a lot of dangerous chances while people let her get away with it all. I actually don't think I like her all that much.
Anyway, it's a decent story. Just don't expect it to be light.

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a dependable cozy mystery series. I like it and will continue reading it.

[Camilla Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. Love the author.

[Dennis Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and the entire series!

[deborah metcalf · Rating 5 out of 5]

enjoyed reading about wanda and her brother's adventure to the truth

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.99 starz

[Nan Hurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author and every book he writes!

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heroine Wanda Nell Culpepper works two jobs to support her daughters and grandson in their modest trailer park home in Tullahoma, Mississippi. In this, the third in the series, Wanda Nell's brother Rusty shows up after a ten-year absence and won't say why he's come. Then some bad things start happening and soon Wanda Nell is investigating to clear her brother of a possible murder charge. The solution to the mystery lies twenty or so years in the past. Although you will find humor, salty Southern language and characters, and even a few recipes tacked on at the end, these books are by no means "cozy" if that denotes avoidance of the dark side of life. "Evans" (who is really Dean James) has a remarkably clear-sighted viewpoint on the good and the bad in Deep South culture. In Wanda Nell Culpepper he has created one of the real heroines of the New South.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diner waitress Wanda Nell has plenty on her plate already--her two daughters, her biracial grandson, and her gay son. But when her estranged brother arrives in Tullahoma, she's glad for the chance to work out their problems. Unfortunately, Randy doesn't want to confide in her, and after a man he's quarreled with is murdered, Randy suddenly disappears. The local law considers him a suspect, but Wanda Nell is afraid he's a victim. She mobilizes her forces--which include a shotgun toting neighbor--and searches for her missing brother, uncovering secrets about Tullahoma and about her own family. A terrific series.

[Tisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3rd installment of the Trailer Park Mystery series. I was hoping I would like Wanda Nell better in this story. I guess in cozy mysteries there has to be an aggressive personality to get in trouble and in this series that person is Wanda Nell. This time the mystery is her brother Rusty. He is back in town after many years getting in arguments with old classmates. Then there is a murder. Did Rusty kill him? Wanda Nell doesn't think so.

[Sabine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanda Nell has developed to be a great character and I love reading more about her and her family and friends. The story is well paced and kept my interest. The only thing I was not overly happy with is that we are well into the second half into the book and still don't have a clue what her brother Rusty has gotten himself into. Dead bodies show up and we don't have a clue what it is all about. Once we are introduced to what is going on I cared a lot more about the mystery itself.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series keeps getting better with each book. I love Wanda Nell and her family and friends. The town she lives in reminds me of the town that I live in and the story lines are always interesting.
This book touched upon some darker issues, but was well written and came together nicely in the end. I look forward to reading more about Wanda Nell and her adventures.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, but it wasn't as good as the others. I didn't like the brother storyline. I didn't like that her best friend wasn't in on the fighting crime part of the story more. I missed the other characters. I didn't like that we didn't really get introduced to the bad guys more. I would have like to see Wanda Nell fighting with the sheriff more.

[Holly Booms Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hokey and heartwarming as always, but this one wasn't as good as the previous book int eh trailer park series, or at least it didn't make me care about it as much as the storyline of the last one did. Still a good quick cozy mystery with lots of Southern humor.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the thirs installment of this series, we learn that Wanad Nell has switched to diet coke, her boyfriend drinks heineken and her daughter eats honey nut cheerios! Lots of product placement and the same old stereotypes.

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanda Nell Cullpepper...what fun...I love these books.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evans is the Southern Janet Evanovich. Wanda Nell and her gang are quite a group.

[Cindi Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. It's nice to meet another member of Wanda Nell's family too. Hopefully Rusty and her stay close.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

better than the previous one.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

..fun

[Cherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has been an enjoyable series of mysteries. Predictable but still fun. Great characters.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one wasn't as good as the other two in the series plus it's a long time in between books so....

[Martha Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Held my interest ,I thought it was a very good book.

[Mary Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in this series that I have read, and I enjoyed it. It is a good, quick, easy read. I did have problems with some of the situations, but I can make excuses for them.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Another good mystery with Wanda Nell getting involved when her brother Rusty comes back to town and stirs up some trouble.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series. I love reading books based in the south with all the colorful characters. This is a quick read & very entertaining. I can't wait to read the next one!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am liking the characters more and more--very "family-like!" Looking forward to the next book!