Granny Bares It All

Secret Agent Granny #4

by Harper Lin, Sara Morsey (Narrator)

I’m Barbara Gold. Age: 70. Height: 5’5”. Eyes: blue. Hair: gray. Weight: none of your business. Specialties: Undercover surveillance, small arms, chemical weapons, Middle Eastern and Latin American politics. Current status: Retired widow and grandmother.

Ex-CIA agent Barbara Gold witnesses a woman being struck down by a car in broad daylight. It was no hit and run but plain, cold-blooded murder.

After some sleuthing, Barbara discovers the strangest fact yet about sleepy Cheerville, New England: there’s a nudist colony on the edge of town, and the victim was an active member. Barbara must go on the hardest mission of her career—bare her 70-year-old body for all to see—in order to solve another bizarre murder mystery.

Read the hilarious 4th book (30,000 words) in the Secret Agent Granny mystery series.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Adult

Audible Audio

Published January 31, 2019

About the author

Harper Lin is the 3x USA Today Bestselling Author of several popular cozy mystery series—8 and counting!

When she’s not reading or writing mysteries, she loves going to yoga class, hiking, and baking with friends and family. 


Be the first to hear about early bird discounts and new book releases by signing up for Harper's Newsletter: https://goo.gl/R7XmFR

www.harperlin.com

Reviews

[Emmalynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great episode in the “retired” life of an ex CIA operative and grandmother. After witnessing a hit and run, Granny ventures into the world of … gulp.. a nudist colony to find the killer. Granny is not shy about her thoughts on that idea, but she’s venturing in anyway, because isn’t finding a killer more important than her.. modesty?? Lol. With a little help from that incompetent Cheerville Police Chief, new friends at the colony, Granny is ready to do some uncovered investigating to unmask a killer.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read

[Lexy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this book was good

[beachbum bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

for my thoughts on this book and other cozy mysteries subscribe to my YouTube channel @:https://t.co/Jx58B4KNW5?amp=1 ...more

[Angie Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 this was my favorite so far. Granny ends up at a nudist colony while looking for a murderer in Cheersville…I’m calling it Murderville. Short, easy, entertaining reads. I was stopping at book 2 tonight and instead just finished book 4. 😬 Who needs sleep.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cozy mysteries, for me, always constitute an ideal palate cleanser, and this is why I picked GRANNY BARES IT ALL; it sounded like a hoot, and a bit of welcome brainless fun. I got all that, and more; so mission accomplished, Harper Lin!

We have, of course, the habitual inefficient local police force, and our amateur detective, Barbara Gold – the granny of the title – but what made this book special and more realistic than I expected was the fact that Barbara is a former CIA agent, albeit with creaking joints, and fingers that aren’t as nimble as they once were. I felt it all added up to make Barbara a very interesting character. The nudist camp, where some of the action takes place, felt genuine, and I could commiserate with Barbara’s anxiety and initial discomfort. What surprised me though was that the inane jokes about sagging appendages did not happen; instead we are treated to some astute observations on how we view ourselves and others.

GRANNY BARES IT ALL is very well written, the editing is flawless, crisp descriptions abound, and the characters are well-drawn; I particularly enjoyed Liz, and I hope we will see more of her in future instalments. GRANNY BEARS IT ALL was the first book I read in this series, so it definitely stands on its own, and I’m planning to read more because this was really fun and way more intelligent than I expected. In fact, GRANNY BARES IT ALL could be read if only for every mention of “Fatbergers”; this is totally hilarious. I wonder if it’s ongoing in the series, if not, I hope it does because the possibilities are endless!

I give 4 ½ stars

[Giovanna Jansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 ⭐️
Goed, grappig en gevat!

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun cozy series and I enjoy it.

What is unique about this series is that the main character is a 70-year-old grandmother named Barbara Gold. She's also a former secret agent who - in the famous words of Liam Neeson in "Taken" - "has certain skills" that make her uniquely capable and qualified to investigate the murders that - funny thing - keep happening in her nice, quiet, friendly little suburban town, which she moved to to be closer to her son, his wife and her grandson.

It all makes for some very funny and entertaining situations, as Barbara tries to do her investigating while also pretending to be just an ordinary Granny, rather than a kick-ass amazing investigator.

These are fun books that star a strong female character, who, for once isn't a 30-something woman who has left, or been left by, a good-for-nothing boyfriend/husband and I really appreciate that. The trope of the wronged woman who moves to a small town to get away from said good-for-nothing is tired IMO and I like it when an author writes something different and more interesting, which Harper Lin has definitely done. If you like cozies but are interested in something a little unique, give this series a try. Barbara Gold is an absolute hoot!

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Granny sees a woman run down by a car and realizes it is not a hit-and-run but murder. She finds out more about Cheerville than most people knows. She has to join the local nudist colony to find the murderer.

Barbara has her work cut out for her as she hunts for the murderer. She is unsure of joining the nudist colony and she lets the reader know how she feels. I would feel the same way and I'm not in the same shape as an ex-CIA agent. It is so realistic. But she perseveres and does her job with a little help from Cheerville's chief of police.

With the ending, I have to get the next one but I have to wait. I don't like that.

[Artist_carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was funny, I really enjoyed it, I love the characters so. Barbara is again just trying to enjoy time with her family and her retirement, however when someone is hit by a car, Barbara tries to solve the case in the process she gains a friend. I received an advanced readers copy and chose to review all of the opinions expressed are mine.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another quick, fun, easy to follow installment in the series - just a nice, cozy read (or listen) and a total riot...this Granny will go to any lengths to solve a case, like going undercover at a nudist colony.. 😂

I'm sad the rest of the series isn't available on Storytel yet..hope they're added soon!

[Kellene · Rating 3 out of 5]

A retired secret agent goes naked several times at a nudist colony to solve the murder of someone she's never met? This one might stretch a bit too far for my taste, but this series is such a fun read that it was okay. The solution left me cold, but still an enjoyable romp in "nature".

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara is a witness to a fatal hit and run accident. Only she doesn't believe it was an accident. She ends up joining a nudist colony to find out more about the victim. Little did she realize, that she is also among a killer. This is a funny story that will have you laughing through out the whole thing. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

[brenda janowiecki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little old granny going under cover at a nudist resort? This story literally had me laughing out loud and another fantastic story line. If you haven’t read a granny book yet, you need to try one.

[Riya · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*

[Bobbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun book in this delightful series. Granny Barbara is a hoot.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has by far been the most jaw dropping thing Granny has done and I admit to being a bit unsure about it all. The whole story had me laughing out loud. I have really enjoyed this series and this book has added a lot of fun to it. I look forward to reading the next book in this fun loving series.

[Sarah Nealy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 My favorite so far in the series. Made me laugh out loud so many times!😂

[Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story. This was easily my favorite installment of the Secret Agent Granny series that I read this week. It is unclear if I liked this one more or less than the first novella, since I read book one over a year and a half ago, but that one may take the lead from nostalgia alone. I really, really enjoyed this story though. It had everything I love about the Granny series plus more.

I loved the setting of a nudist colony. This was such a unique detail that I've never encountered in a book before, and I found it extra entertaining since it was an elderly woman going undercover at the colony. I was also much more invested in this story now that the gambling ring of the last few installments finally concluded, plus this one did not focus so much on Barbara's relationship with Octavian. I thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading this novella. As much as I love these stories for their short length, I almost wish this one was longer since I was so thoroughly enjoying the uniqueness of this premise and setting.

The one downside to this story was its insensitivity to overweight individuals, gender identities, and people of color. There were drastically fewer offensive lines in this novella than in the last two Granny installments I read, but it was still not perfect and these comments should still be acknowledged.

Order of My Fav Granny Books:
Granny's Got A Gun (#1)
Granny Bares All (#4)
Granny Strikes Back (#3)
Granny Undercover (#2)

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, the books in this series aren't great literature, but they are certainly entertaining :) It was one of the first series I encountered whose main character is *not a 30-something starting over in a small town to recover from a bad breakup or any of a multitude of reasons someone that age would need to start over. Instead, Barbara is a 70-year-old widow, a retired CIA agent who has mad skills that most of us might never even think about.

In the very first few pages of this book, Barbara witnesses a deadly hit and run 'accident' that she is sure is no mere accident. Not wanting to let a killer get away with murder, she takes it upon herself to investigate... and said investigation leads her directly to a nudist colony she never even knew existed. Instead of the expected sophomoric jokes about wrinkles and body parts sagging, we get some rather insightful thoughts on how we view ourselves... and others.

There were several possible suspects to think about, even though some of their motives were rather thin. The killer *was on my list, but nowhere near the top, so the reveal was surprising.

I need to read a few more books by this author in the next several months for a reading challenge, but I'm not sure if I'll return to this series or go with something from one of her other series instead. Either way, I'm eager to read the next book in this one, if only to see what Hollywood throws into Barbara's path :)

[Bonnie J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. I love this series and hope it continues through many more books. Barbara is not your average Grandma and her instincts kick in when danger is near. When she sees a woman run down by a car, she pursues the culprit, but is unable to catch them. Now the game is afoot and she is determined to get to the bottom of this murder. What she didn't plan on was that it would point her right into the middle of the Nudist Colony. Not one to give up easily, she joins in and starts digging deeper and deeper until she uncovers something she wasn't expecting to find. Combining all of this with a new boyfriend, a teenage grandson, a cute little kitten and all of the aches, pains, creaks and other issues that occur as we get older and her plate is pretty full. This was an enjoyable mystery that I just could not put down.

[Tena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Granny is at it again! A fun mystery filled book about a quite suburban town where Barbara has moved to retire and be near her family. On a routine outing to help a friend, she becomes involved helping the local police. Who doesn't seem to want the help. And this leads to baring it ALL! Barbara's past training from her previous retirement kicks in and she is out to solve another mystery. A fun filled read that will keep you reading and laughing out loud at times. Don't miss out on all of Granny's other adventures. This book can be read as a stand alone. You will want to read the rest of the series because Barbara is always helping out! I received an advanced readers copy of this book.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Barbara Gold retired from the CIA and moved to the town where her son and grandson lived, she never dreamed there would be so much call for her former work skills. Keeping her CIA training and former status under wraps was equally difficult. Fortunately she was able to keep her secrets for the most part. And when she had to fall back on old talents, there was always a lot of funny memories about how much easier things used to be,

This is an enjoyable series that finds Barbara relaxing and enjoying replaying career moments of her life more and more as time goes by. Be sure to catch up with the other books in the series if this is your first one!

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

America's Miss Marple didn't impress and, being American, she was required to be armed which was disappointing since I didn't really see a need for the gun at any point. But I guess an unarmed investigator would be un-American, wouldn't it? Miss you, Jim Rockford.

The story was weak and the characters wooden and stereotypical. For such a short story it felt like it would never end. Indeed, had it not been a short story I would have abandoned it. The end, when it came, was hardly worth waiting for in my ever-so humble opinion.

[Michelle "Champ" · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Harper's and read every single book. Every book seems to me like it could be a stand alone. I thought this one was brilliant! Harper took this story to a completely new scenario. Granny (Barbara) gets deep into an unofficial undercover role in an unlikely place...a nudist colony. This was such a fun ride. I believe that it can act as a stand alone, but you won't be sorry if you read the whole series.

[Linda Lundy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my favorite book so far in the Secret Agent Granny series. I was delightfully surprised at the story that unfolded. Barbara has a new murder mystery to solve that is full of fun, excitement and mystery. Along the way Barbara meets a new friend with a secret background that might also be a comrade in arms. So many surprises along the way with some very interesting twists and turns. I wasn't able to stop reading once I got started. Absolutely loved this book!

[Sherrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Granny Bares It All

Ohh wow!! I've enjoyed this series from the beginning with its cloak and dagger senior citizen-Barbara Gold.
I love seeing Barbara tackle the issues facing many senior citizens: money, loss of youth/middle age and moving forward after life changing events. The comedy of Barbara's "inner talk" with herself--often snarky comments and observations, is believable and the plot twists keep me reading and waiting for the next book

[SD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Granny starts her day on a car chase with a 97 year old passenger and later joins a nudist camp. How’s that for a start ;-)

Another fun read from the Harper Lin, Secret Agent Granny series. The town of Cheerville certainly is a not a sleepy New England town, first the gambling ring (Granny Under Cover) and now a nudist colony.

I never thought about agents getting old, neither did 70-year-old granny Barbara. It is a fun story and with a new character I hope we see again.

Enjoy!

[Mary Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Harper Lin for the book in exchange for an honest opinion. This was another entertaining story about Barbara, a retired CIA member. Barbara has such a wonderful, amusing attitude about losing some of her covert abilities. She still has her skills, but some take longer now. A very enjoyable, light-hearted series.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any book by Harper Lin is sure to be a winner, this one is no exception. This is the 4th book in the Secret Agent Granny Series and each one gets better and better. This book is full of surprises and great characters. I LOVE Granny! The humor in these books is great it keeps me laughing, out loud sometimes! Wonderful cozy mystery that will keep you coming back for more.