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River Valley Mystery #1
Deadly Neighbors
When Marsha Calloway's daughter is accused of a crime she didn't commit, Marsha is determined to find the real culprit. She enlists the help of her Cadillac driving mama, the man who ditched Marsha at her high-school graduation but kept her heart, and a bumbling police officer. Folks around River Valley are having things disappear while they are sleeping with their eyes open. Seems everyone has a dream and not enough funds. Someone is determined to kill for that dream. Will River Valley's cast of colorful characters live to see another day? Can Marsha find out who the thief is before she becomes one of the sleep walkers?
- GenresMysteryCozy Mystery
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 10, 2012
78 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Hickey
463 books325 followersWebsite at www.cynthiahickey.com
Also www.forgetmenotromances.com
Multi-published and Amazon and ECPA Best-Selling author Cynthia Hickey had three cozy mysteries and two novellas published through Barbour Publishing. Her first mystery, Fudge-Laced Felonies, won first place in the inspirational category of the Great Expectations contest in 2007. Her third cozy, Chocolate-Covered Crime, received a four-star review from Romantic Times. All three cozies have been re-released as ebooks through the MacGregor Literary Agency, along with a new cozy series, all of which stay in the top 50 of Amazon’s ebooks for their genre. She had several historical romances release through Harlequin’s Heartsong Presents, and has sold close to a million copies of her works since 2013. She has taught a Continuing Education class at the 2015 American Christian Fiction Writers conference, several small ACFW chapters and RWA chapters. You can find her on FB, twitter, and Goodreads, and is a contributor to Cozy Mystery Magazine blog and Suspense Sisters blog. She and her husband run the small press, Forget Me Not Romances, which includes some of the CBA’s best well-known authors. She lives in Arizona with her husband, one of their seven children, two dogs, two cats, three box turtles, and two Sulcata tortoises. She has eight grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer”.
Also www.forgetmenotromances.com
Multi-published and Amazon and ECPA Best-Selling author Cynthia Hickey had three cozy mysteries and two novellas published through Barbour Publishing. Her first mystery, Fudge-Laced Felonies, won first place in the inspirational category of the Great Expectations contest in 2007. Her third cozy, Chocolate-Covered Crime, received a four-star review from Romantic Times. All three cozies have been re-released as ebooks through the MacGregor Literary Agency, along with a new cozy series, all of which stay in the top 50 of Amazon’s ebooks for their genre. She had several historical romances release through Harlequin’s Heartsong Presents, and has sold close to a million copies of her works since 2013. She has taught a Continuing Education class at the 2015 American Christian Fiction Writers conference, several small ACFW chapters and RWA chapters. You can find her on FB, twitter, and Goodreads, and is a contributor to Cozy Mystery Magazine blog and Suspense Sisters blog. She and her husband run the small press, Forget Me Not Romances, which includes some of the CBA’s best well-known authors. She lives in Arizona with her husband, one of their seven children, two dogs, two cats, three box turtles, and two Sulcata tortoises. She has eight grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer”.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 22, 2020
I read this once several years ago and decided to reread it now as part of my going through my Kindle project. The story is interesting and fairly well told, but I hope the author has corrected a few blips like the grandmother's age and Duane's eye color changing, and timing issues like being just after supper and suddenly late and totally dark.
This may be classed as a mystery, but it's much more like chick-lit. Marsha is 34, married for six years and a widow for ten, and she has a fifteen-year-old daughter -- but her thinking and voice seem very teenage to me. I'd look for more maturity and stability from someone who's been through all that. With her constant smart-mouth comments, her attitudes toward her mother and her daughter, her furies, her amazing clumsiness, her grabbing for a candy bag whenever she feels stress, she would have been more believable as an older sister of her daughter. How many 34-year-old women can get their hair so tangled in a telephone cord that they can't move?
The religious angle in this story is slim. Marsha seems to go to church at her mother's insistence. She has issues with several women at church, and with the idea of Duane being there. When he asks if she wants to hear why he's started she isn't interested. At one point she corners the villain, tasers them and slaps them twice and punches them in the jaw just to get even for causing her these problems, which doesn't come across as very Christian.
In all fairness, Marsha does recognize her faults like jumping to wrong conclusions. To his credit the hero, Duane, declares his interest when they first meet and keeps on loving her in spite of her pushing him away so much. I felt sorry for him, actually. Hopefully in the next book of this series Marsha has learned something about anger management and grown up some.
This may be classed as a mystery, but it's much more like chick-lit. Marsha is 34, married for six years and a widow for ten, and she has a fifteen-year-old daughter -- but her thinking and voice seem very teenage to me. I'd look for more maturity and stability from someone who's been through all that. With her constant smart-mouth comments, her attitudes toward her mother and her daughter, her furies, her amazing clumsiness, her grabbing for a candy bag whenever she feels stress, she would have been more believable as an older sister of her daughter. How many 34-year-old women can get their hair so tangled in a telephone cord that they can't move?
The religious angle in this story is slim. Marsha seems to go to church at her mother's insistence. She has issues with several women at church, and with the idea of Duane being there. When he asks if she wants to hear why he's started she isn't interested. At one point she corners the villain, tasers them and slaps them twice and punches them in the jaw just to get even for causing her these problems, which doesn't come across as very Christian.
In all fairness, Marsha does recognize her faults like jumping to wrong conclusions. To his credit the hero, Duane, declares his interest when they first meet and keeps on loving her in spite of her pushing him away so much. I felt sorry for him, actually. Hopefully in the next book of this series Marsha has learned something about anger management and grown up some.
August 3, 2019
A good read but just a shame it was sooo obvious as to who the culprit was
A nice plot but just wish that it hadn't been so obvious as to what was going to happen and who the culprit was. It just spoilt it a bit for me. Nice characters with the inevitable Mean Girls, love interest and crime.
She had married the younger brother of her high school crush on the rebound after getting dumped. Now ten years after his death the brother shows up only for her teenage daughter to be accused of theft by her high school nemesis. He wants to get to know her daughter better. But is that all he wants. Plus the town is suffering from a series of thefts that have left a couple of dead bodies and victims who do not remember. Including her! Can she work out who the culprit is and will she survive to tell the tale?
A nice plot but just wish that it hadn't been so obvious as to what was going to happen and who the culprit was. It just spoilt it a bit for me. Nice characters with the inevitable Mean Girls, love interest and crime.
She had married the younger brother of her high school crush on the rebound after getting dumped. Now ten years after his death the brother shows up only for her teenage daughter to be accused of theft by her high school nemesis. He wants to get to know her daughter better. But is that all he wants. Plus the town is suffering from a series of thefts that have left a couple of dead bodies and victims who do not remember. Including her! Can she work out who the culprit is and will she survive to tell the tale?
June 30, 2020
Cute, clean cozy mystery. Good book.
June 22, 2023
This is a clean cozy with a few laugh out loud moments. I look forward to more in the series.
August 18, 2012
OHHH FUN!! A new suspense author for me to read! Cynthia Hickey writes a delightful story in this first River Valley Mystery. Marsha Steele lives at home with her mother, and her daughter. A widow for the past ten years, she is not sure how she feels about the fact that her first love has returned to town. The fact that he is/was her brother-in-law feeds into the fact that her feeling are muddled.
His return however is not the big news in town, the big news in town is someone needs money. Actually it seems lots of someones are needing money. However how will she clear her daughter's name after she is accused in two of the thefts that have occurred in the small town of River Valley Arkansas. A list of the suspects seems the way to begin, there is Kyle, whose sister stole money from him before she disappeared from town, then there is Melvin, Kyle's good buddy who is trying to save money to start a landscape business. Add in Billy, her daughter new squeeze, who is really wanting to attend summer football camp, the curvy Marilyn who is a local dog walker, intent on raising money to head to Hollywood for her big break in the movies. Another person needing money is Stephanie, the ladies ministry leader at church who is saving money to adopt a baby. Yes lots of people need money, but would any of them steal it? When people start dying in town, the whole mystery takes a big shift. Robbery is one thing, but murder, someone is desperate and the small town local Barney Fife only seems to want Marsha to keep her nose out of it all.
A great story, lots of action and lots of suspense. Of course as a suspense fiction fan, I have my idea who "dunnit" and was happy to see that I was right. You will enjoy this book, as you follow the clues to who is causing all the trouble in town. 204 pages $1.99 e-book format 4 stars.
His return however is not the big news in town, the big news in town is someone needs money. Actually it seems lots of someones are needing money. However how will she clear her daughter's name after she is accused in two of the thefts that have occurred in the small town of River Valley Arkansas. A list of the suspects seems the way to begin, there is Kyle, whose sister stole money from him before she disappeared from town, then there is Melvin, Kyle's good buddy who is trying to save money to start a landscape business. Add in Billy, her daughter new squeeze, who is really wanting to attend summer football camp, the curvy Marilyn who is a local dog walker, intent on raising money to head to Hollywood for her big break in the movies. Another person needing money is Stephanie, the ladies ministry leader at church who is saving money to adopt a baby. Yes lots of people need money, but would any of them steal it? When people start dying in town, the whole mystery takes a big shift. Robbery is one thing, but murder, someone is desperate and the small town local Barney Fife only seems to want Marsha to keep her nose out of it all.
A great story, lots of action and lots of suspense. Of course as a suspense fiction fan, I have my idea who "dunnit" and was happy to see that I was right. You will enjoy this book, as you follow the clues to who is causing all the trouble in town. 204 pages $1.99 e-book format 4 stars.
July 26, 2015
This is the second Cynthia Hickey book I’ve read and I enjoyed it. It held my attention, and I laughed at Marsha's antics. The storyline and characters are well developed. It’s a good mix of romance and mystery without relying on the use of graphic violence, sexual encounters, or inappropriate language. People have lost their memory for brief periods of time and are missing money, jewelry, cars, and even animals. Marsha's daughter is accused of many of the thefts and Marsha is determined to find out who is committing the crimes and why. The stakes get higher when a murder is committed and Marsha's life is threatened. It is a fun read with humor, a little romance drama, suspense … who could ask for anything more? This is a clean and safe read. I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series.
February 8, 2017
It was a bit cheesy. But sometimes I like cheesy so it was Ok.
April 18, 2015
Murder she wrote in overalls
I loved this Christian cozy mystery starring Marsha. A thirty something widow. This mystery was so funny as Marsha bumbled her way through wearing overalls and fly away hair, eating M&Ms.
I loved the interaction between all the characters.
The story flowed well and kept you on the edge of your seat.
Cynthia I look forward to reading more of your books.
I loved this Christian cozy mystery starring Marsha. A thirty something widow. This mystery was so funny as Marsha bumbled her way through wearing overalls and fly away hair, eating M&Ms.
I loved the interaction between all the characters.
The story flowed well and kept you on the edge of your seat.
Cynthia I look forward to reading more of your books.
January 23, 2013
A rather klutzy woman is reunited with the love of her life while her daughter is accused of stealing. Run-ins with the local cop are pretty funny. Good story.
June 11, 2016
Humorous
April 13, 2015
Good
the way the people keep being robbed bad the strange way it happened.the people that were being robbed county understand.
the way the people keep being robbed bad the strange way it happened.the people that were being robbed county understand.
May 3, 2015
Deadly Neighbors
Fast paced, humorous, with a touch of clean romance. It is well written and will prove to be a must read series
Fast paced, humorous, with a touch of clean romance. It is well written and will prove to be a must read series
July 19, 2015
a very funny read
February 7, 2017
Loved the cover illustration. I figured out who done it by the midway point. Love the Grandma, she is great.
September 25, 2013
fun suspenseful clean read with quirky characters. enjoyed it.
January 21, 2016
Good first in a series. Loved the characters.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews