Angela Cray Gets Real:

by Dara Carr

Unemployed ex-party girl Angela Cray is back living with her no-nonsense mother in Phoenix. After coming within air-kissing distance of a felony charge, Angela is determined to make something of her life. When a sympathetic neighbor offers her work, Angela jumps at the opportunity. She figures it won't be hard to track down a missing fiancE last seen with two Lady Gaga lookalikes. After all, one of her superpowers is finding badly behaved men.

But the trail of the runaway groom has more twists than a bride's updo. And when Angela uncovers secrets that people will kill to keep hidden, she has to decide the price she's willing to pay for success.

Angela will need to call upon all her charm and cunning--and the deities of her ancient Samoan ancestors--to make sure this professional growth opportunity doesn't kill her first.

Angela Cray Gets Real was a finalist for a Freddie Award for Writing Excellence from the Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

298 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 16, 2018

Reviews

[Sabine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.45 awesome stars

I loved this book.
Angela is not your regular female protagonist but more like an anti-hero. She is more out of jobs than in jobs. But she is a very likeable and warmhearted gal.
When her neighbour and friend the elderly Iona passes suddenly away Monalisa, her granddaughter and lawyer, moves into the house and offers Angela to investigate a missing fiancee for one of her clients. She is not going to screw up this job and is gung-ho to find him no matter what it takes... And, whoa it takes a lot....
Angela doesn't always make the smartest decisions but that just contributes to the fun of this roller coaster ride.
When I read the description I did not expect to like the story as much as I did! A wonderful surprise.

A great first installment in this series and I can't wait to meet Angela again.

I requested this book from NetGalley and am thankful that Xpresso Book Tours and the author provided me with a copy.

[Joni · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all my reviews, visit my blog at http://ladyjbookishnook.blogspot.com

Angela Cray Gets Real by Dara Carr is a great cozy mystery set in Phoenix, Arizona. I won’t spoil anything but this has one of the funniest opening sentences ever. It contained many “laugh-out-loud” moments for me. I was interested throughout the book and the ending did not disappoint.

The main character, Angela Cray, is a down-on-her-luck girl who has a new job investigating for a lawyer. Angela’s character was believable and likeable. Because of her own flawed characteristics she makes a great investigator of shady people lol. She also finds herself getting into a few binds along the way. I enjoyed how the author used humor throughout the book.

This was a great opener to hopefully a series of more Angela Cray mysteries. I would definitely read more from Dara Carr and recommend it to anyone who loves a good cozy mystery with some humor mixed in. Five out of five stars for Angela Cray Gets Real!!!

Thank you Dara Carr, Marvelous Mayhem Books, and Cozy Mystery Review Crew for providing me with a print advance review copy of this book to read.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say that I had trouble getting into this book. Angela Cray Gets Real by Dara Carr is different and at times moves very slow.
Angela Cray after some bad choices finds herself needing work and Monalisa hires her to do some detective work for her and to help find their client Charise's fiance Kevin who is missing. Though Angela, who has had some bad relationships, thinks Kevin is just blowing Charise off needs the job and so she puts her feelings to the back of her mind to look for Kevin. Angela finds trouble, secrets, lies and criminals in her hunt to find him and she gets in over her head but sticks to it.

The character Angela seems to be a jumbled mess and likes to whine, at times I wanted to shout at her to get a backbone and quit feeling sorry for herself. It took me until the middle of the book to get somewhat intriqued enough to keep reading. Angela doesn't make the smartest of decisions either while trying to solve the mystery of the missing fiance Kevin that she has been hired to find. An example is when she confronts one of the Gaga lookalikes that was last seen with him and gets herself into a dangerous situation that could be deadly. Midway through the book it gets more intense and interesting and kept me reading. Finally Angela seems to be getting her legs under her in finding Kevin and even solving a secret or two along the way. I give it 3 stars because it is slow to start but develops into a better story at the end. I still think if you like a dysfunctional, flawed main character who seems to find herself as she struggles to find the missing fiance and a different kind of mystery with more than one scenario to solve then you will want to read this one.

I received this book for my honest opinion and review.

[Janine Villanueva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really loved this book! At first I was a little worried that I would get annoyed with the main character, Angela Cray, but as the story went on, she grew on me. Angela is hired to assist on a missing person investigation, after being unemployed and implicated in a crime she was innocent of. As she becomes further involved in the investigation, it balloons into something much more serious. We follow Angela on this bumpy ride as she tries to get to the bottom of the case, stay alive, and even watch her mature along the way.

This definitely was a funny story and kept me interested to very end. As the elements in the investigation changed, I really was guessing towards the end and was surprised at the outcome. Now I’m wondering what Angela will do next. She makes me want a “power cocoon “ of my own and to adopt a “Hedgie” as well (you’ll have to read the story to figure that one out). Angela is a character that I definitely want to follow!

I highly recommend this book, especially if you’re looking for something fun and different.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel and voluntarily posted an honest review.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angela Cray gets Real is the first book in Dana Carr’s Angela Cray series is a humorous story which gives the reader a sense that future books will be as enjoyable. Although this book is not the usual cozy mystery that I love reading it rather a deeper mystery in which the dangers are interwoven generously with laugh out loud humor. This definitely was a funny story and kept me interested to very end. As the clues in the investigation changed, I started guessing towards the end and was surprised by the outcome.

This is a great book and well worth the read and I highly recommend this book to other readers and hope to read additional books in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angela Cray Gets Real by Dara Carr is a mystery novel where we are introduced to none other than, Angela Cray. Angela is back at home, jobless, carless and wondering where her life is going after a close call with the law after her last job went belly up. Her last boss and boyfriend almost got her sent to prison because of his illegal activities and now she is on the path of trying to get her life back in order. So when a sympathetic neighbor offers her a job, she jumps at the opportunity. The neighbor, Monalisa, is bit of a strange woman, but she has a loveable dog, Boo, whom Angela takes to immediately. This first job that Monalisa and Angela take on is a missing person’s case. Charise, the fiancée, is looking for her missing fiancée, Kevin. She hasn’t heard from him in over a week, and so she is concerned because this is not like him at all. The case seems pretty straight forward. To both women, it appears like a case of cold feet or change of mind for the groom-to-be, but Charise wants answers. The fiancée was last seen with two Lady Gaga lookalikes, but as Angela soon learns things go deeper than they appear and have more twists than anyone could have foreseen. It doesn’t take long for Angela to start running into roadblocks, dead ends and more trouble than she can handle. What once looked like an easy straight forward case is now turning into a dark complex situation. Where there are a lot of players invested with dark secrets that they do not wish to have to come to light.
Angela Cray Gets Real is the first book that I have read by Dara Carr. This is a unique mystery novel that is filled with danger and lots of twists and turns. Discovering why Kevin has seemingly disappeared and cut off contact with his fiancée, Charise, takes the forefront of the story. Charise wants answers and Angela is determined to find them. While in the process, she begins to piece together more than she bargained for when she agreed to work with Monalisa. Angela is an interesting character. Despite her less than ideal situation, she doesn’t back down or make excuses for not being able to do. She pushes forward despite it all. I like this about her character. When she needs to stop and reflect, or even take a rest she does that. She doesn’t push herself to the point of breaking. I like that the author sprinkles in some humorous moments into the story.
Each of the characters in this story is different and unique in their own way. They each leave their own impression and are important in their own way. We get some background on what transpired with Angela at her day spa job, but I was hoping to learn more. While the story flows smoothly, there are moments of where I feel it becomes a bit dull and I lose some interest. I do like how true to reality this story stays. Angela doing things that are dangerous and risky, Monalisa ever being the legal mind and assessing the legalities of some of the things that Angela does and warning her of straying too far. Readers will find that there is an oddity concerning Monalisa, but I love that the author eventually explains why this is, and that it is not a character flaw in Monalisa’s overall personality.
This story has more than a few twists and turns, and it is these things that kept me engaged the most throughout the story. Every time the author handed me another twist in the story, I wanted to know what was going to happen next. While there are a couple moments in this book that I am disappointed in how things go or end, I have to say that it added to my enjoyment. I don’t like stories that are predictable, and this book satisfies that desire in me. I love a mystery novel that keeps me guessing as to who the masterminds are in the story, and this book does exactly that. The author does a fantastic job at hiding who the real dangers are until the very end. We don’t get complete closure concerning everything, but we get enough to satisfy the storyline.
Initially, I was prepared to give this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars, but the more I contemplated this story, the more I realized it deserves the 5 out of 5 stars. The author meets all the requirements of this story. She gives us a situation to be solved, and then it becomes a complicated web of deception, danger and so many secrets all around that put the main character in danger on all sides. This story is layered with mystery, and each layer must be pulled back in order for each part to be discovered and the truth uncovered. So while this book is not full of humorous moments, romance and light situations, it is worth reading and I think that those who do will enjoy this book.
I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. If you are looking for a fun, cozy mystery that will entertain you with light moments, and mild danger this book won’t be for you. But if you are looking for a multi-layered mystery with interesting characters then I recommend you check this book out.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was fresh, humorous with some sad tones, and worth the read. Angela is not your average sleuth. Yes, she is down and out but has a pluckiness about her. She realizes she needs to take responsibility for herself and her actions. She needs to find a steady job, not be a burden to her mother, and get on with her life. I am not going to belabor the story. I liked learning about the pacific island culture upbringing from a Samoan perspective, some of their traditions and Angela’s hopes. Angela is inventive using what is at her disposal to solve her dilemmas.

She is a pity hire at first for Monalisa, a forensic lawyer. Monalisa agrees to help a friend’s daughter find her missing fiance. Thus Monalisa passes the task onto Angela. The things that seem strange in the beginning are unfolded in the story. I constantly learned things throughout the book.

Living in Arizona but not in Phoenix, I could picture the streets of Phoenix, the art gallery/botanical garden with a Dale Chihuly exhibit, marvelous memories and the forest outside of Prescott. Angela is braver than I. I would not ride many streets in Phoenix on a bicycle.

Great start to a new series. I am looking forward to the next one. Lots of twist and turns and Moorea turns out to be not your average mom.

I do remember at about 90% way through the story asking myself "How is she going to get out of this?" So give this story a chance.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the mystery, the characters are fun they made me smile. It did take me a little while to get into it but once I did it was enjoyable. There are some surprising twists that I didn’t see coming. I had a hard time picturing the scenes in my head. I thought some more detail was needed in some areas and not so much in others. I did like that Angela was down to earth and admitted to her faults. It was a nice mystery and enjoyed watching her go through the hoops and trying to stay alive. I think most will enjoy this read.

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[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a little while to get into Angela Cray Gets Real, but once I did, I enjoyed this fun mystery. I really appreciated that Angela is somewhat of an anti-hero, and is working on being “normal” just like the rest of us. Thankfully, she’s not doing so well on the “normal” thing, and is just as messed up as the rest of us. LOL. I definitely would not have guessed whodunit, and I felt like the story was engaging (once I got past the first few pages).

One thing that disappointed me, is that there was not much description of the characters or the place they inhabited. While the story was entertaining, I felt like the people and the landscape were very two dimensional. I usually end up with a picture in my head of the characters and the environment they live in, but I never really got that with this book. There seemed to be lots of descriptions of the secondary characters, but not much about the main characters. I’m fairly familiar with the City of Phoenix and the surrounding area, and there were a number of times in the book that I felt like the author could have expanded on, to the advantage of the story.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was fun, entertaining, and a good way to spend some down time!

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and entertaining with laugh-out-loud scenes, original plot, unique situations, and a variety of distinctive characters. This mystery is told in the first person by Angela, a likeable young woman who can't keep a job, partially because she doesn't have any marketable skills and apparently because she doesn't make good decisions. We meet her as she is living with her soon-to-be-remarried mother and is mourning the loss of her elderly friend, Iona. Her car was repossessed after she lost her last job, so she rides a bike - in Phoenix, AZ! She is hired to assist a forensic accountant (who is also Iona's granddaughter) and this is where the mystery begins. Angela is given the assignment of finding a missing fiancé and we're along for a most entertaining read! Angela's observations and personal asides are hilarious as the plot thickens and the characters continue to provide surprises throughout the novel. The last part of the book kept me on the edge of my seat, and the novel concluded with a most satisfying ending. Angela did indeed "get real" and I look forward to reading where that takes her in book #2. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I had been following my 50 page rule I would not have finished this book. However there was just enough to keep me curious that I stuck with it. Even by about 40% I had doubts. Yes, it was a slow start, at least for me. Having said that, I found that it did improve and had a good conclusion. The jury is still out as to whether or not I will read the next in the series. I might give it a try just to see if Angela has developed some common sense, among other improvements in her crazy life.
Angela is not at all what one would picture for a private detective. She has no real marketable skills and has not been blessed with a lot of common sense. When the granddaughter of a dear friend who has recently died hires her to track down the missing fiancee for her client, Angela is just very glad to have a paycheck and figures she will learn on the job. And that gets her into trouble, big time - the dangerous kind of trouble.
The setting is not the normal one - who thought a 20 something woman could succeed as a PI, in Phoenix, AZ while riding a bike. The story is from Angela's point of view and there were many times I just wanted to shake her while asking "What were you thinking?"

[Rosemary K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angela Cray is desperate to get her life on track so she takes a job that makes her realize her potential. Can Angela find a missing fiancée? He was "abducted" by two skimpily clad celebrity impersonators brandishing a toy gun. She has no experience as an investigator but that won't stop her. Things get really weird with Angela on the case. I laughed at her technique. How many investigators do their surveillance on a bicycle? I couldn't put this book down. The action was non stop. The twists were unexpected and the ending was a shock. I never saw it coming. The touch of romance added a little spice to this mystery. I loved that Angela was both vulnerable and strong. Her sassy attitude and determination are why I liked her. I definitely want to be along on her next adventure. I enjoyed Dara Carr's writing style. She has an inventive imagination that I enjoyed immensely.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has got to be one of the funniest books I've read in recent memory. I love having laugh out loud moments while reading.

Angela Cray Gets Real is the first book in a series. I love that there is a sense of history right off the bat. I'd read a prequel and I'm definitely going to follow Dara Carr on Amazon so I am notified of new releases. I hope there are many more books in the series.

The characters feel authentic and I love the mystery. It's not the light airy cozy or the gritty, deeply dangerous thriller that I usually read. Instead, it's somewhere in the middle with its danger laced liberally with humor.

I won a beautiful paperback copy in a contest and voluntary chose to review it.

It is a great book and well worth the read.

[Vani Chitkara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angela Cray is back at home, jobless, carless and wonders what to do to bring her life back at the right track after miserably losing her last job. So, when the sympathetic neighbor of Angela, Monalisa, offers her a job, she readily accepts the offer to find Charise's missing fiance. Angela starts investigating the case but realises that things are deeper than they appear and have twists that no one could have foreseen. Angela soon starts running into more trouble.

Angela is an interesting character and is more like an anti hero than a protagonist. She is pretty straightforward and doesn't makes excuses for the things she can't do. I really loved her character and it brings more light to the story. It's my first read by the author but it surely won't be the last.

[Meesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angela Cray needs to get something more than Real!! This was a great story. It was very well written with very interesting characters but I have to say that there were so many times I was shaking my head at Angela's actions!! Yikes, how many times do you put yourself in harms way without even realizing it until it's almost too late???
Needless to say this book was interesting and quite a page turner. Even though I wasn't absolutely fond of the main character I think I need to read more books just to see if she gets a little more common sense!
I'd check it out if I was you....

[Rhonda Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Mystery

The book was very entertaining. Angela kind of fell into a job investigating for an attorney. She has no experience as a P.I. It was fun seeing how she evolved from little confidence to solving the mystery. She was persistent, that's for sure. The pace for the first half of the book was slow. There was a lot of internal dialogue of Angela. some of it was useful information. But most of it just felt like useless chattering. The pace picked up in the last half of the book. The mystery itself was very interesting, well worth the time to read it.

[Elaine M. Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved "Angela Cray Gets Real!" The eponymous heroine is the most original character since Carl Hiaasen's Skink. Angela Cray is a combination of hilarious observations, self-deprecating humor, stubborn determination, clever sleuthing and unswerving loyalty to friends living and dead, human and canine. I hope that this is.the first book in a long series of detective novels starring Angela Cray.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of mysteries these days but this book may have gotten back in that track. Smart, sassy, modern, laugh-out-loud funny, cleverly plotted, great sense of place, and populated by a memorable and endearing set of characters. I loved this book and am hoping for more Angela Cray adventures.

[Gerri Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great!

This character is great, I want to read more of her adventures! I think Angela Cray rates right up there with Prescious Ramotswe, Miss Julia, and Agatha Raisin. She's a unique individual, and is interesting even when she's making bad decisions. (No, don't take that bag, this won't end well!). I hope this is the first of a series.

[Esti Weiland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced excitement, humorous dialog, surprising twists, interesting characters.

This is a thoroughly entertaining book if you're looking for light reading, nothing scholarly, just a lot of fun. Enjoy.

[James Gribble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good writing—fun reading!

Cleverly written and an engaging plot. Angela’s antics left me moving through this book faster than I expected. Quirky and well developed characters add to the enjoyment of the novel. Great summer read—can’t wait for Angela’s next adventures!

[Courtney Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It gets real

This book was well written, had a strong plot, had some serious parts in it, and also contained some comedy. I would definitely recommend this book to someone. I can’t wait for the next one!

[Patricia A. Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really fun read!

I love this character. This was fun to read and I am eager for the next book. Hurry up Angela Cray book 2!!!

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read

Mysteries aren't my usual fare but I'm glad I picked up this one. I liked the cbaracters! Here are three more words

[Chantelle Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light bedtime or beach book

Ideal light read, interesting story without being too heavy. I would recommend it. It has slight mystery aspects to it too.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great page turner

Data Cart is a master at the twists and turns of this mystery. Angela Cray is a great detective. She figured everything out. I highly recommend this book.

[Angela Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put the book down. Too bad I had to work. I read it while I was at work 🤫

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kindly sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for my honest review, so thank you for sending this my way!

I really enjoyed this! It took a while for the action to really start happening but I was never left bored and I was anxious to see what happened. I don't read a ton of mystery/thriller books so I was really glad that I enjoyed this one! Some of the twist were a little obvious with Angela, but others took me completely by surprise!

I will say, the only reason that I docked the rating down is because it seemed like there was a lot of unnecessary judging of most of the characters from Angela. I know that we, as humans, tend to judge people based on their appearances and how we interact with them, but sometimes it just felt unnecessary. I also didn't like how bratty Angela seemed throughout this entire book. She seemed to always long for the life she USED to have and not the life that she has currently. This got a little bit annoying, but I enjoyed the thriller and mystery aspect more so that made up for it!

If you are looking for a thriller that you are just starting out with or want a quick read that you can read in one or two sittings, I would recommend this one.

[Gabrielle Karras · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like the madcap stories of Carl Hiaasen you will love Angela Cray gets Real by Dara Carr. This crime novel is way too fun not to take seriously. The story centers around Angela Cray, an unemployed former medical day spa professional who is currently living with her mother, the no nonsense Moorea in a small house in Phoenix, AZ. Desperate to get out her mom's home into her own apartment, Angela agrees to take a job with MonaLisa Walker, an attorney and family friend. What appears to be a straight forward job of helping MonaLisa track down a missing fiance with cold feet turns into something darker and more perilous. The novel is simply a page turner. It has a wide range of off beat hilarious characters, plenty of snappy dialogue and clever plot twists. I highly recommend this book.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the mystery, the characters are fun they made me smile. It did take me a little while to get into it but once I did it was enjoyable. There are some surprising twists that I didn’t see coming. I had a hard time picturing the scenes in my head. I thought some more detail was needed in some areas and not so much in others. I did like that Angela was down to earth and admitted to her faults. It was a nice mystery and enjoyed watching her go through the hoops and trying to stay alive. I think most will enjoy this read.
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