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The Trouble with Sisters and Snipers
Forty-year-old Becca Baum is more of a trouble magnet than a troublemaker. After retiring early and moving back to her hometown of Hankerville, Louisiana, she’s looking forward to getting settled in the apartment above her sister’s garage. Younger sister Licia is a recently widowed mother of two who’s trying to give Becca a little grace regarding her former profession. While Licia struggles with the nondisclosure agreement her sister signed to receive her pension, Becca is working on shifting her colorful language to a kid-friendly vocabulary, a struggle she’s determined to master for the sake of her sister and nieces.
Unfortunately, the former profession becomes an issue when Becca stumbles across a dead body, disrupting an outing with her niece and landing her in a detective’s interrogation room. She quickly learns that law enforcement officers are unwilling to gloss over the taboo topic of her past. They don’t appreciate her effort to dodge their questions, but two captivating cops can’t disguise their fascination with Becca. The seemingly nonstop criminals threatening Becca’s family make working with local LEOs a necessity, further fueling her hidden attraction to the lovable lawmen. With bullets flying, Becca is committed to protecting her sister and nieces while maintaining her composure around the headache- inducing hunks. That is, unless a ruthless killer with a taste for vengeance changes the plan.
Unfortunately, the former profession becomes an issue when Becca stumbles across a dead body, disrupting an outing with her niece and landing her in a detective’s interrogation room. She quickly learns that law enforcement officers are unwilling to gloss over the taboo topic of her past. They don’t appreciate her effort to dodge their questions, but two captivating cops can’t disguise their fascination with Becca. The seemingly nonstop criminals threatening Becca’s family make working with local LEOs a necessity, further fueling her hidden attraction to the lovable lawmen. With bullets flying, Becca is committed to protecting her sister and nieces while maintaining her composure around the headache- inducing hunks. That is, unless a ruthless killer with a taste for vengeance changes the plan.
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First published July 11, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 28, 2026
⭐ 3.5/5
Becca Baum is a 40-year-old retiree who moves back to her Louisiana hometown to be near her sister Licia and her two nieces. Within days she's found a body, dodged bullets, and caught the eye of two charming lawmen. Cozy mystery, romantic comedy, and family story all rolled into one.
The heart of this book is the family. Becca and Licia's sisterly bickering is warm, funny, and completely believable. Licia is a devoted mom who won't curse even mid-shootout, and Becca is the trouble-magnet aunt trying (and failing) to keep her language clean. The nieces are scene-stealers. Addie is a wise-beyond-her-years teenager, and ten-year-old Paisley is a tiny genius with a hamster, a sharp memory, and a mission to marry off her aunt. A grumpy shotgun-toting neighbor turns out to have a heart of gold, and the loyal Rottweiler is an instant favorite.
The banter sparkles, the action is fun, and the love-triangle flirting will make you smile. Beneath the laughs are tender moments about grief, family, and learning to let people in.
Why 3.5? I loved the characters and the humor, but a few running jokes repeat a lot over a long book, and the mystery itself is lighter than the family fun. It's a series opener, so it leaves you curious about what's next for the Trouble with Sisters gang.
Becca Baum is a 40-year-old retiree who moves back to her Louisiana hometown to be near her sister Licia and her two nieces. Within days she's found a body, dodged bullets, and caught the eye of two charming lawmen. Cozy mystery, romantic comedy, and family story all rolled into one.
The heart of this book is the family. Becca and Licia's sisterly bickering is warm, funny, and completely believable. Licia is a devoted mom who won't curse even mid-shootout, and Becca is the trouble-magnet aunt trying (and failing) to keep her language clean. The nieces are scene-stealers. Addie is a wise-beyond-her-years teenager, and ten-year-old Paisley is a tiny genius with a hamster, a sharp memory, and a mission to marry off her aunt. A grumpy shotgun-toting neighbor turns out to have a heart of gold, and the loyal Rottweiler is an instant favorite.
The banter sparkles, the action is fun, and the love-triangle flirting will make you smile. Beneath the laughs are tender moments about grief, family, and learning to let people in.
Why 3.5? I loved the characters and the humor, but a few running jokes repeat a lot over a long book, and the mystery itself is lighter than the family fun. It's a series opener, so it leaves you curious about what's next for the Trouble with Sisters gang.
January 4, 2019
This book has a lot going for it.
The narrator, Becca, has a mysterious past, but has returned home to help support her recently widowed sister and two young nieces. After having been there merely a week, Becca becomes accidentally embroiled in a murder investigation and associated crimes.
The pacing and plot were very well handled. I didn't feel that the story's forward motion stalled out anywhere, although I did find the ending to be a bit rushed and too pat for my taste. There was one odd scene jump early on that just came out of nowhere and took me awhile to find my bearings. (A bit of space to show the jump would have helped with that).
The character development gets high marks - even minor characters were interesting enough to make me want more of them. I want a whole series about Fred. I am not even kidding about that. (He's the best character I've read in a long time). I also found that Addie and Paisley came across as fairly realistic for their ages, and were also interesting in their own right. The world also needs more Darrin. I did feel that certain law enforcement officers were the weakest links for me. The lack of professionalism really stretched credibility for me, as well as the fact that I felt the line between "innocent flirting" and "sexual harrassment" had been smudged to the point that it was creepy. I also found that these characters were handled rather superficially - there's very little about what really makes them tick, which is a shame as I think they had the potential to be great characters, if only they were more realistic.
There was one scene that had me laughing out loud. In fact, I read it to my waitress (I was on my lunch break and I'm friendly with her) and she was, likewise, in stitches. It's one of the funniest things I've ever read. (I wish this style and level of execution had been more consistent throughout the book, but I realise that would be exceedingly difficult to execute!)
So, while there are a couple of areas that I think could have improved the book, by far and large, it's a really enjoyable read, and definitely a great addition my library! I will definitely read more from this author!
I received a copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only.
The narrator, Becca, has a mysterious past, but has returned home to help support her recently widowed sister and two young nieces. After having been there merely a week, Becca becomes accidentally embroiled in a murder investigation and associated crimes.
The pacing and plot were very well handled. I didn't feel that the story's forward motion stalled out anywhere, although I did find the ending to be a bit rushed and too pat for my taste. There was one odd scene jump early on that just came out of nowhere and took me awhile to find my bearings. (A bit of space to show the jump would have helped with that).
The character development gets high marks - even minor characters were interesting enough to make me want more of them. I want a whole series about Fred. I am not even kidding about that. (He's the best character I've read in a long time). I also found that Addie and Paisley came across as fairly realistic for their ages, and were also interesting in their own right. The world also needs more Darrin. I did feel that certain law enforcement officers were the weakest links for me. The lack of professionalism really stretched credibility for me, as well as the fact that I felt the line between "innocent flirting" and "sexual harrassment" had been smudged to the point that it was creepy. I also found that these characters were handled rather superficially - there's very little about what really makes them tick, which is a shame as I think they had the potential to be great characters, if only they were more realistic.
There was one scene that had me laughing out loud. In fact, I read it to my waitress (I was on my lunch break and I'm friendly with her) and she was, likewise, in stitches. It's one of the funniest things I've ever read. (I wish this style and level of execution had been more consistent throughout the book, but I realise that would be exceedingly difficult to execute!)
So, while there are a couple of areas that I think could have improved the book, by far and large, it's a really enjoyable read, and definitely a great addition my library! I will definitely read more from this author!
I received a copy of this book through Voracious Readers Only.
August 7, 2026
Who Murdered Dirk? . . .
Becca Baum retires from a mysterious job that she can't talk about. She returns to her hometown and moves in with her sister, Alicia ("Licia") and her nieces. We start the story with someone shooting at the sisters as Becca fires back and Licia lays prone in the grass keeping her head down. Becca returns fire to keep the attacker from trying to move in closer to them, but she was running low on ammo. Someone is threatening her family but the state and local police are working harder to gain Becca's affection or just perhaps trying to discover what she did in her last job that she won't discuss. Will Becca solve the mystery of why they are under attack? And will we find out what job she retired from to be that "sharp" in reading clues?
The story continues on as Becca also runs into an issue when she and the girls go down to the creek to take pictures for Addie's photography project. As she took pictures, she saw something bobbing in the creek water covered in a tarp and before Becca could redirect Addie's attention elsewhere, Addie recognized that she was seeing a human foot sticking up! A Sheriff's deputy finished his questions as a State Police SUV pulled up. Several uniformed troopers were talking with the medical examiner but they nodded to the newcomer who had an angry expression. He then crooked his finger but could have been calling the deputy, Addie, or Becca. He was attractive but very grouchy. Apparently he was angry they moved the body. She had to ask his name when he didn't offer it: Detective Carter with the Louisiana State Police. Yep, he was angry they moved "his" body. The victim had been shot in the forehead. She recognized his class ring from her high school graduating class and water messes up evidence, so she chose to remove Dirk Poche from the creek. (Carter tried to bulldoze her with rude questions, but she had a perfect answer for each one.) Then he took them down to the station, where the police were mostly interested in her expertise and want to know about her past. Because this isn't the end of the attacks, and Becca will stay close to protect her family as she investigates.
The characters were well-depicted and the humor kept me chuckling throughout the story.
Becca Baum retires from a mysterious job that she can't talk about. She returns to her hometown and moves in with her sister, Alicia ("Licia") and her nieces. We start the story with someone shooting at the sisters as Becca fires back and Licia lays prone in the grass keeping her head down. Becca returns fire to keep the attacker from trying to move in closer to them, but she was running low on ammo. Someone is threatening her family but the state and local police are working harder to gain Becca's affection or just perhaps trying to discover what she did in her last job that she won't discuss. Will Becca solve the mystery of why they are under attack? And will we find out what job she retired from to be that "sharp" in reading clues?
The story continues on as Becca also runs into an issue when she and the girls go down to the creek to take pictures for Addie's photography project. As she took pictures, she saw something bobbing in the creek water covered in a tarp and before Becca could redirect Addie's attention elsewhere, Addie recognized that she was seeing a human foot sticking up! A Sheriff's deputy finished his questions as a State Police SUV pulled up. Several uniformed troopers were talking with the medical examiner but they nodded to the newcomer who had an angry expression. He then crooked his finger but could have been calling the deputy, Addie, or Becca. He was attractive but very grouchy. Apparently he was angry they moved the body. She had to ask his name when he didn't offer it: Detective Carter with the Louisiana State Police. Yep, he was angry they moved "his" body. The victim had been shot in the forehead. She recognized his class ring from her high school graduating class and water messes up evidence, so she chose to remove Dirk Poche from the creek. (Carter tried to bulldoze her with rude questions, but she had a perfect answer for each one.) Then he took them down to the station, where the police were mostly interested in her expertise and want to know about her past. Because this isn't the end of the attacks, and Becca will stay close to protect her family as she investigates.
The characters were well-depicted and the humor kept me chuckling throughout the story.
September 12, 2026
This is a fantastic start to the Trouble With Sisters Mystery series! Rebecca Baum (Becca) moved back home to Hankerville, Louisiana when she retired & moved in with her younger sister, Felicia Young (Licia). Licia’s hubby died (in bed with another woman) so she helps with her 10 & 15 year old nieces, Paisley & Addison (Addie), and one of the ways she helps is by using altered curse words. State Patrol Detective Cute Butt (Bass Carter) arrived to investigate when a sniper shot at Becca & Licia, he calls her Becca Bomb. Deputy Gorgeous Hair (Nuno Aucoin) met with the sisters & girls after their home was broken into. Geez…what is in the water that makes these hot men & why wasn’t it in the water when she lived there before? One niece was Team Nuno cuz she liked his hot nephew, the other is Team Bass, but let’s get back to what else is going on. Why did a sniper shoot at Becca & Licia? Why does Becca have such great shooting skills? Was Becca a secret agent or an assassin like Licia thinks, or a stripper like Cute Butt thinks & that’s why she signed an NDA? Who was floating in the stream & why did someone kill him? Who’s the perv motherducker that rode up to Addie in a Ford to ask for the phone pix she took at the stream? Will Mr. Hipster the hamster be a lethal weapon after Paisley finishes training him? And if he is, who will he take down first? Who broke into the house? Will Darrin Stephens the Rottweiler that Clark Kent gave Becca be able to take care of anyone who tries to harm the girls? Why was another shiskyhead sniper waiting for them at the house? You hafta read this book to find out! This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it won’t be the last since I really liked the humor! I loved how the sisters spoke to each other since that’s how my sisters & I speak to each other, so yes, this book made me smile & laugh out loud! I look forward to seeing how things turn out for the 2 sets of sisters…and which LEO wins Becca’s heart. I got this funny cozy mystery from Book Sprout & this is my review.
December 23, 2018
I received a review copy of this book from the author through Voracious Readers. Wow! I loved this book! The story captured me right from the start and didn’t let go until the very end. Not only is this story fast paced and intriguing - it is downright funny at times. The plot has a decent mystery with enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat and the action scenes are exciting and very well written. The author has created characters that are all engaging and likeable. Becca is a force to be reckoned with and a fantastic heroine and the two LEOs (law enforcement officers), Nuno and Bass, are both hot and swoon worthy. The supporting characters are all loveable and quirky and fit into the story nicely. Witty and sharp writing brings the characters to life, and the romantic innuendo and funny and sometimes sarcastic banter between the main characters was incredibly entertaining. The chemistry between Becca, Bass and Nuno is electric! My only disappointment is that the story ended and I wanted more! Hopefully, there will be a sequel- and I will be first in line to get it. A fantastic read!
July 19, 2026
Becca has been away from Huntsville for two decades. Not even her sister heard from her once in that whole time. There are questions that she can never answer because upon retiring from her work she signed an NDA. She lives in the apartment over Licia's garage and is enjoying to get to know her nieces Abby and Paisley. Both girls are not only smart but made me laugh as their shenanigans.Taking Abby to the beach starts a cascade of danger, murder, shootings where ever she goes.The local sheriff Nuno and the state police officer Bass are both on the case. Not just the crimes, but trying every way they can to trip Becca into giving up her secrets. They both fall for her and asking anything, even for a date her signature response is “Uh, NO”. Are all the killings related to each other? Are they related to Becca returning home? Of the two totally hot officers, will she choose? I could and probably will read this book again, it was that good!
January 28, 2019
I was given a complimentary copy from Voracious Readers Only and the author. The story had lots of action and suspense, with a little romance and humor on the side. I was hooked with the first sentence. I loved the characters, Becca for her strength, Bass and Nuno for their pursuit of Becca and the way they were always there at the right time, Licia for always correcting Becca about her language, and the nieces for how they each have a favourite suitor for their aunt. My favourite line in the story was "The gum-popping, over-boobified, platinum-blonde bimbo at the front desk put down the emery board she was using to smooth (or sharpen) her claws before giving us her attention along with an annoyed sigh." The author used great descriptions through out the story. Can't wait to see what's instore Becca and the others.
August 10, 2026
loved it !! what a great start for this new series !! love Becca, Licia, Addie and Paisley... and let's not forget Detective Carter and Sheriff Nuno !!!! this is a wild murder mystery... Becca has retired early and went back home to live in the apartment above the garage at her sister's place.. her brother - in - law has died... and she'll help with her nieces Addie and Paisley... also, there's an NDA about her retirement.. so, she can get her bene's... on one such an outing with the nieces they, stumble over a dead body... and this is what happens... she meets both Detective Carter and Sheriff Nuno, who are both shockingly handsome, over the dead body... and they both take an interest in her !! this was so good !!!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 23, 2026
This was a fun read and a good at introducing Becca who has retired from her mysterious job with a NDA, she has moved back to her hometown of Hankerville living in a apartment near her sister and nieces, her sister Licia who has been recently widowed is happy but also is curious to what Becca has being doing for the last 20 years as are most people in her hometown with an array of rumours and ideas being bandied about. While helping her niece Addie with an school assignment they stumbled upon the corpse of Dirk an old high school classmate of Becca's which lead to all kinda of hijinks and introduces two law men who vie for her attentions while also wanting to know about her past career. This was fun and I love it but it the pace dragged a little but I would love to continue this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 12, 2026
I blurb sounded pretty funny. So I gave it a read because of that. I also saw this on amazon and I had it in a wishlist to read later. I unfortunately got sick in the middle of reading this so a first I was reading at a good pace but then it slowed down a lot. It took a while to get though it if I wasnt sick and read this at my normal pace I think I would like it more. Some part were pretty funny and I liked the FML, her family and friends. Uh the ML’s were kinda annoying. With them repeatly asking the FML what her old job was. They did start to get better near the end. I think when I am better I will reread this.
I give this a 3 out of 5 Stars.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I give this a 3 out of 5 Stars.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 16, 2026
Clearly, I wasn't the target audience for this book. the creepy LEOs who immediately behaved inappropriately were ridiculous. I know we are supposed to suspend disbelief, but their behavior was out of bounds and the lead character made no sense. There was nothing humorous about this book, and the insta-lust by two male characters was over the top. We know nothing about the lead character but she had blond hair, has a mysterious past, can handle a gun, and loves her sister and nieces. There was no way to bond with her at all. The convoluted ending was rushed and too pat.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 31, 2026
The Trouble With Sisters And Snipers, by Ivy Carol Key is book one of the Trouble with Sisters Mystery series. Becca retires from a mysterious job and move to Louisiana to be with her recently widowed sister, Licia, and nieces. What should have been a peaceful move is anything but. Someone is threatening her family but the state and local police chiefs spend more time competing for Becca's affections while trying to discover her past employment. Is Becca going to be able to solve this mystery and protect her family by herself?.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 7, 2026
Book 1 of The Trouble with Sisters Mystery Series. And a FANtastic start it is! Look forward to more from this world.
'With bullets flying, Becca is committed to protecting her sister and nieces while maintaining her composure around the headache-inducing hunks, unless a ruthless killer with a taste for vengeance changes the plan.'
The characters were very appealing and likeable and quirky and mysterious and compelling. Plot was intriguing and exciting and well paced. World building was excellent and solidly drawn. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
'With bullets flying, Becca is committed to protecting her sister and nieces while maintaining her composure around the headache-inducing hunks, unless a ruthless killer with a taste for vengeance changes the plan.'
The characters were very appealing and likeable and quirky and mysterious and compelling. Plot was intriguing and exciting and well paced. World building was excellent and solidly drawn. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 20, 2026
What a fun book. If you need a book to just lift your spirits, this is the one, every pages read gave me a little smile, because it's just so cool to read.
It's starts with a shootout, talk about starting with a bang.
Each character is delightful. Two lots of sister relationships, snd one very persistent detective Carter and Sheriff Nuno adding a lot of energy to their lives.
The story moves at a good pace with lots of humour in it.
It has a great plot to keep you interested with amazing banter between the characters.
I smiled so much with this book it was an absolute joy to read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
It's starts with a shootout, talk about starting with a bang.
Each character is delightful. Two lots of sister relationships, snd one very persistent detective Carter and Sheriff Nuno adding a lot of energy to their lives.
The story moves at a good pace with lots of humour in it.
It has a great plot to keep you interested with amazing banter between the characters.
I smiled so much with this book it was an absolute joy to read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 4, 2018
Like-able characters and good plot. There weren’t any holes
I’m the story that I could spot (I’ve been having that issue with a few books lately.) The LEO terminology and actions seem to be on par.
The first half of the book uses the f-word a lot. While I understand it’s fairly common with LEO’s to do so, it’s continual usage was a bit much for me.
The other issue I had was the Detective’s continual propositioning of the main character. I felt it was over the top and if I had been her I would have reported him for sexual harassment.
I’m the story that I could spot (I’ve been having that issue with a few books lately.) The LEO terminology and actions seem to be on par.
The first half of the book uses the f-word a lot. While I understand it’s fairly common with LEO’s to do so, it’s continual usage was a bit much for me.
The other issue I had was the Detective’s continual propositioning of the main character. I felt it was over the top and if I had been her I would have reported him for sexual harassment.
July 23, 2026
Oh I have questions!! WHAT IN THE WORLD DID BECCA DO BEFORE RETIRING???!!!!! I cannot blame either lawman for being curious and trying to get her to tell them!
Cute series starter but I will say I felt like the explanation got a little convoluted. Lots of people yet don’t know with dotted lines to other people we don’t know makes it a little hard to follow at times.
I also read The Adorable Agents series by this author and while I did like those books better, this series has great potential.
Cute series starter but I will say I felt like the explanation got a little convoluted. Lots of people yet don’t know with dotted lines to other people we don’t know makes it a little hard to follow at times.
I also read The Adorable Agents series by this author and while I did like those books better, this series has great potential.
August 7, 2026
What a fun mystery to read! Becca Baum moves back to her hometown after 20-some years in a secret line of work and signing an iron clad NDA. we follow Becca as she adjusts to live with her sister and two nieces… and stumbles into a murder that makes them all targets. Add in two local law enforcement officers who are stupid attractive and make becca question whether she should stay single and sort out her life… and funny, cozy, chaos is enjoyed by all (except maybe Becca, but really she’s still happy).
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 29, 2026
Book 1 of The Trouble with Sisters Mystery Series. I had fun with this book, the author has a gift of putting you in the story, while adding humor throughout. The mystery was enjoyable, the potential love interest were fun (complete with nieces having opinions of who Becca should choose), and you can see the care between the sisters. I can’t wait for the next book!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 20, 2018
Wow!!! I so LOVED this book!! and there better be sequels! There is so many ways this can continue...
l surprisingly loved the first person narrative and the *gasp*yuck* romantic dynamics.
We need to see more of Reggie and Darren and find out what's up with that although is also good not knowing🤔
This book has everything I look for and more.
Kuddos!
I received a free copy of this book from the author through Voracious Readers Only in exchange for my honest review.
l surprisingly loved the first person narrative and the *gasp*yuck* romantic dynamics.
We need to see more of Reggie and Darren and find out what's up with that although is also good not knowing🤔
This book has everything I look for and more.
Kuddos!
I received a free copy of this book from the author through Voracious Readers Only in exchange for my honest review.
August 6, 2026
I thought this was a really fun and cute book. It was a great mystery and I really needed to know what she did before going to live with her sister. And the investigators seemed to be just as invested as I was in wanting to know too. I laughed, and had an absolutely great time with this one.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 9, 2026
I loved it from the first page and the chemistry between the sisters and the local law enforcement makes the story a page turner. In addition we have the older neighbour and the two daughters/nieces who are not blind to the romance for the older sister.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 22, 2018
This book grabs you write away. I enjoyed reading it and will read others from this author. I received this book free from Voracious Readers and did not sway my review of this book.
July 28, 2026
Fast paced comedy with lots of laughs.I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews