Suckered

Rylie Cooper Mysteries #2

by Stella Bixby

There had been two men in that boat. Two. Rylie is positive . . . ish.

Living with her parents may be driving her crazy, but not crazy enough to start conjuring up men in her mind—regardless of how long it had been since she’d had a date.

As an urban park ranger, Rylie is practically surrounded by men all day, every day. Making up more in her head would only complicate her life further.

When she confronts the one man remaining in the boat, he’s more eager to discuss her online dating profile than any possible wrongdoing. But he’s the last thing on her mind when bodies start turning up.

With a hardened criminal just escaped from prison as a prime suspect, Rylie is only too eager to let Luke handle this investigation. That is, until he arrests the guy she’s dating on suspicion of murder.

Caught between two men, Rylie takes it upon herself to dive in and do some digging of her own. But the truth isn’t always so forthcoming and could leave her jobless and . . . headless.

Fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series and Meg Cabot’s Heather Wells Mysteries will love this second installment of the Rylie Cooper Mystery series.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Murder Mystery, Ebooks

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 2, 2018

About the author

Stella Bixby is a native Coloradan who loves to snowboard, pluck at the guitar, and play board games with her family. She was once a volunteer firefighter and a park ranger, but now spends most of her time making up stories and trying to figure out what to cook for dinner.

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Reviews

[Sabine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced and fun. The story "suckered" me right in. Couldn't stop reading. Off to read book #3 now...

[Lindsaysbooklove · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS BOOK!! Suckered is the second book in Stella Bixby’s “Rylie Cooper Mystery Series”, and I loved it so much. The story continues with Rylie trying to land a full time job as a park ranger and trying to manage building a career, moving out of her parents basement and maintaining her love life. Of course there is trouble everywhere this character looks, but with the comedic breaks, sparks of romance and thrilling mystery that makes you want to figure out who dun-nit, this book is such a wonderful read! I am usually stuck in between genres while I am reading but this one gives the reader so many styles mixed into one and it works soo well. I read the first book, Catfished and fell in love with the main character (and all of the supporting characters are so easy to connect with and visualize as real people from the readers everyday life) and instantly found myself anxiously waiting for this second book and it definitely adds to the love for this series. As soon as I finished the second book, I wished this book series was just like a Netflix series that I could binge all the way through as soon as I could because I enjoyed reading it so much, I just didn’t want it to end! I highly recommend this book and the first one in the series.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun!

Rylie is back! Finding dead bodies and earning more nicknames. Lots happening at the park this time. Romance and laughs kept me glued to my kindle. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for Rylie next!

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though I didn't really care for the first one in the series, I decided to go ahead and listen to the next two installments since they were a boxed set of audios. They are pretty short and the narrator does a nice job. The second in the series was a little better than the first. 2.5 stars

[Jennifer Jansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic cosy mystery read in the Rylie Cooper Mystery series.
Loving this series and all the characters.

[Emmanuella Osei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but Obvious

I enjoyed this book, but the protagonist infuriated me. She latched onto this man she went on TWO dates with and refuses to go against him. The twist was also really obvious to me.

[Rhonda 🌒🌕🌘 🐈‍⬛ · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌟4/5
❤️‍🩹3/5
🥰3/5
🌶️0/5
🔎3/5
😰3/5
🎭😂3/5
🎭😭0/5
👻0/5
🔬0/5
🔫2/5
🏥0/5
✍🏼5/5
🥱0/5
🏃🏻‍♀️5/5
🌎5/5
💁🏻‍♀️5/5
🙅🏻‍♀️

⚠️⛔️TRIGGERS:⛔️⚠️
Courtesy of StoryGraph

Violence
Murder
Death
Gun Violence
Gaslighting

🤔🧐🤯MY THOUGHTS:🤯🧐🤔

Yes, I know I’m currently working my way through this series backwards but I think I’ll be ok as long as too much time doesn’t lapse between me finishing book 2 and starting book 1. It’ll make sense. I just really want book 1 now because I like this series.

🗯️💬BOOK BLURB:💬🗯️

There had been two men in that boat. Two. Rylie is positive . . . ish.

Living with her parents may be driving her crazy, but not crazy enough to start conjuring up men in her mind—regardless of how long it had been since she’d had a date.
As an urban park ranger, Rylie is practically surrounded by men all day, every day. Making up more in her head would only complicate her life further.

When she confronts the one man remaining in the boat, he’s more eager to discuss her online dating profile than any possible wrongdoing. But he’s the last thing on her mind when bodies start turning up.

With a hardened criminal just escaped from prison as a prime suspect, Rylie is only too eager to let Luke handle this investigation. That is, until he arrests the guy she’s dating on suspicion of murder.

Caught between two men, Rylie takes it upon herself to dive in and do some digging of her own. But the truth isn’t always so forthcoming and could leave her jobless and . . . headless.

Fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series and Meg Cabot’s Heather Wells Mysteries will love this second installment of the Rylie Cooper Mystery series.


🌎📖OVERALL REVIEWS📖🌎
Courtesy of Storygraph

COMMUNITY REVIEWS
SUMMARY OF 37 REVIEWS

Moods
mysterious 100%
lighthearted 75%
funny 50%
adventurous 25%
Pace
fast 75%
medium 25%
Plot- or character-driven?
Plot: 66% | A mix: 33%
Strong character development?
Yes: 66% | No: 33%
Loveable characters?
It's complicated: 50% | Yes: 50%
Diverse cast of characters?
It's complicated: 50% | Yes: 50%
Flaws of characters a main focus?
No: 50% | Yes: 50%
Average rating
4.03 ⭐️

RATING KEY:

🌟 Stars - based on the overall plot and theme or idea of the book
❤️‍🩹 Emotions - based on how emotional I got while reading
🥰 Romance - based on how well I got invested in the love story aspect
🌶️ Spice - based on how the sex scenes were portrayed and written as well as the number of sex scenes
🔎 Mystery - based on how well it kept me guessing who, how and why
😰 Scared🫣/Anxious😱 - based on how scared or anxious the book made me while reading
🎭 Comedy😂/Tragedy😭
-based on if I laughed or if there was a tragic event and how it affected me. I will mark the Masks with either a C or T to indicate Comedy or Tragedy
👻 Spooky😵‍💫/Creepy🧟‍♀️ -based on if this had any occult or paranormal themes and if those elements creeped me out or gave me anxiety!
🔬 Sci-Fi -based on the Science Fiction in the book as well as the Dystopian elements.
🔫 Action/Thriller -based on if I thought this was more of a spy action type of thriller.
🏥 Medical Content -based on the amount and the accuracy of any medical content or if the book is supposed to be a medical style thriller.
✍🏼 Writing Style -based on if I enjoyed the writing style or not and how the author portrayed the world, characters, concept, plot etc.
🥱 Boredom -based on if I was bored if it held my interest or if I’d rather be doing something else 😴.
🏃🏻‍♀️ Book Pacing -Based on how quickly I thought the book moved.
🌎 World Development -Based on how well I liked the world development of the story.
💁🏻‍♀️ Character Development -Based on how well the characters were fleshed out and if I hated or loved with a passion.
🙅🏻‍♀️ DNF -based on if the book is just stupid, boring, chilgdish, overly ridiculous etc.

**rounded up or down based on how the book left me feeling and because Goodreads doesn’t offer half stars.

***Triggers are listed most to least severe.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The "Rylie Cooper Mysteries" are a wonderful new mystery series for those who are looking for a light, quirky mystery with great characters! This book will make you laugh at the most unexpected moments. It will also keep you glued to your seat until you have solved the mystery, and then keep coming back for more to see what happens with Rylie next.

I feel like I am constantly searching for a fun, light mystery, that is smartly written. You would think with the whole Cozy Mystery genre, it would be easier. However, I have found that there are a lot of books that try and fail to live up to the hype. If you have read books by Shannon VanBergen (Glock Grannies); Kate Benitez (Amateur Womens Sleuth); or Chelsea Field (An Eat, Pray, Die Humorous Mysteries), you will love this new series by Stella Bixby.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was good, very nancy drew esque vibes- but I am starting to get a bit annoyed with the description of every male character that comes into the scene. It is always the main character saying how hot they are or that they are attractive etc and it is constant to the point that it takes away from the story. I thought the twist on this one was good, but I just overall felt a little annoyed with the book. So I gave it one star less then the first book. It is the same writing style, like I don’t think it changed from book 1 to 2 but my tolerance was lower in book 2. and things just don’t add up like her new boyfriend Garrett takes her to the football game and they meet Eli who is the quarterback and then she ends up at Eli‘s mom‘s house in an unrelated incident? And then Eli is there even though he’s never there? Like wtf makes no sense and was a weird tie in.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rylie Cooper is one of the most amazing park rangers imaginable. From YouTube fame (snake wrangling a rattler look-alike) to putting herself out there on Tinder, she isn't afraid to take action. Of course ex-boyfriend Luke isn't very happy about that when it means making herself the target of a high level drug dealer. Life is never dull around her, as she proves time and again. It takes a dating app to almost put her off her game.
I love the characters in the books, the predicaments, and Rylie's determination for justice for all. But I especially like the fact that there are more books in this terrific series to read!

[Ken Finlay · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Suckered", second in the Rylie Cooper series, is a fast and fun read, marred by errors which should have been caught.
A deranged killer has escaped from prison and is on a rampage, but not for long!
The novel has a seriously suspect ending in that Stella Bixby grabs at a straw and decides that the oldest plot twist in the world is just what she is looking for. It didn't work for me as, indeed, some of the other strange events (the head in the box that she never smells?)
On the bright side Rylie has an eventful life, just the thing for me on a Summer day when Covid is still about.
It's formulaic fluff and has all the depth of a tissue. Still, it passed an hour or so.
2 Stars.

[Roger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suckered: A Rylie Cooper Mystery (Rylie Cooper Mysteries Book 2), my first read from new author Stella Bixby. An enjoyable mystery that caught my attention with the blurb that made me think of Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon books. “I received a free You tube version of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. The biggest problem with You tube books is the fact that the reading speed is so slow, but I understand some people read slowly. “The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer temp Park Ranger Ryli Cooper just went viral for all the wrong reasons according to her boss.
She hit YouTube on a video of her mishandling and getting bit by a snake and destroying a young kids sand castle at the same time.
Of course, there's another body in the park.
At least this time Ryli wasn't the one to find the headless woman.

Developed characters, and a good bit of humor keeps the pages turning.

[Chris Blackton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fluff Piece

This was a quick read fluff piece but still worth the read. I sometimes feel the need to read something light now and then to escape life (this horrible virus that is attacking us) and to change it up from an intense book that I have read. I will definitely read the next in series.

[Kimberly Gordon-Bercich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Luck

Rylie is a sh!t magnet. If she didn't have bad Luck she wouldn't have any luck at all. Nikki is so much fun to hate. She is the Regina George of Prairie City. The Luke and Rylie history is frustrating. Not sure what to think on Garrett. Want to see more Marlene. She was fun!

[Maribelle McCrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rylie is my kinda woman! Stella Bixby does a great job making Rylie an everyday girl and yet she's kinda of quirky too. The mystery portion is the real deal, but the humor makes even the most dangerous parts of the book feel like you won't die along with the characters. Suckered is another winner for Stella! Can't wait to see what happens next.

[Candy Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

suckered made me snicker

I really enjoy this series. Part Stephanie Plum type character trying to find her way in her career. She often stumbles across dead bodies and ends up poking her nose into the investigation. The storyline is developing nicely and I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Nancy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second a very entertaining series. It is a mystery that reads quickly and has a lot of humor and 'heart' in it. In the story, Rylie finds another dead body, or should we say, bodies, and thinks that the man she is dating is surely innocent of the crimes, even with all the evidence pointing to him. There are some good twists and turns in this satisfying read.

[Anne Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one a lot more than the first. The mystery was engaging this time and I really liked the character development with the male characters. My only thing is, I guessed the big reveal early on. It is one that has been done in books and tv shows many times and it seemed really obvious. I really like the character dynamics and this book was a quick read.

[Neena Christianson Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

YouTube

Kylie was having a bad day trying to catch a snake and all the action was caught on video, the up loaded to YouTube. Throw in a new romance and some dead bodies, and you have another average week hour the Summie.

[Rebekah(fiction.addiction.1994) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!!!

I loved this read! It's short and sweet and Rylie Cooper is spunky and awesome. She has a great attitude and I'm glad she found Garrett because she deserves happiness and pining for Luke isn't worth her time.

[Diane Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read

Short, but full of fun as our firefighter turned Park ranger continues making impressions with her skills of snake- handling, boat-driving, and observation. She seems to be growing, too. Looking forward to the next one.

[Rebecca Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story is good but the twist isn’t

The story is good. I enjoy the characters a lot, which is why I kept reading it, but I figured out the killer by like chapter 5. So don’t go in expecting to be surprised. Just read to enjoy Rylie and her friends.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun, quick read!

[Chantel Sampino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept up the fun

I have so enjoyed this series! Book 2 kept the mystery and hilarity going nonstop! Looking forward to digging into the 3rd book!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun easy read!! I love Stella Bixby books!! Well written and easy to follow the relatable characters!! Couldn’t put the book down until I was done with it!!

[Keri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Rylie Cooper series, each book keeps you really engaged and wanting more. I have read both books in the same day because I just can’t put them down!!!

[Debi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

Great story and characters. Can't wait to read the next book.

[kc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so enjoying this light, humorous, mystery series on the adventures of a park ranger.

[Ashley Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

In love with this series

I can't wait to continue reading this series. I am just in love with your work . Awesome work. Rylie Cooper is hilarious.