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Killer Focus
A pink slip, a birthday card, new neighbors...Piper Avery thought her week was bad-then she found the body on the beach!
Piper had no intentions of getting involved, but undercover cop Joel Stevenson, inadvertently challenged her. And, well, she had no choice, did she?
Piper and the spaniel Daisy, a surprise birthday gift and a bit of a diva, begin to investigate and are soon caught up in more than they are prepared for. Joining forces with Joel and his K-9 partner, Scout, they work to solve the murder-before Piper becomes the next victim.
And while Piper is looking for the murderer, she is also adjusting to her mother and mother-in-law as neighbors while getting her photography gallery ready to open. It might turn out to be more of an adventure than Piper is prepared for.
Grab a copy and find out if Piper makes it through her first adventure!
172 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 24, 2019
About the author
Victoria L.K. Williams
50 books431 followersFun Cozy Mysteries, Paranormal Mysteries (with a fantasy twist) all set on the Florida Coast. A Romantic Christian Series, with a strong sense of family set in upstate New York. These are the stories Victoria writes.
A hopeless animal lover, Victoria adds plenty of cats and dogs in each book, and her love of gardening shows through the characters. As a storyteller, it is important for Victoria to draw the reader into the story; to make you feel the sultry tropical heat or the numbing cold of the north.
Victoria and her husband live in South Florida and own a landscape garden service. Two feisty cats make themselves at home, usually on her desk as she writes.
A lover of a good mystery, she is an avid reader and likes to be outdoors. When she is not reading, you may find her working on a needlepoint project.
Visit her website to learn about new and upcoming books.
http://www.VictoriaLKWilliams.com
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 16, 2020
My Cozy Crate box came with a code to download this cozy mystery. It’s book one in Mrs. Avery’s Adventures. It truly was just the light, quick read I needed this week.
I really like the MC, Piper. She has a very sophisticated manner to her that just drew me in. I was intrigued by her former job and it was clear she was a very accomplished woman. She’s also a widow of twenty years and a mom of two adult boys. I liked the fact that the story started out with her 50th birthday celebration. It was a great way to meet all the side characters in one place. Mooney’s beachfront establishment sounds like a great place to gather with friends. The mothers are hand down my favorite. This is Piper’s mom and mother-in-law who just so happened to become roommates and purchased a house across the street from Piper. You better believe they are all up in her business and would love nothing more than to set Piper up. Their connections throughout town will definitely come in handy for our amateur sleuth.
On a side note, I adored the birthday tradition where Piper receives a hat and matching heels every year. The reasoning behind it was very sweet!
Don’t let the short length of the book fool you. The characters were well developed and the storyline progressed quickly, but was very smooth. The mystery was well done. It kept me guessing for a bit as more and more clues fell into place. When a story involves the potential of dirty cops, it adds an extra layer of just who can you trust.
Joel and his protective K-9, Scout are a great duo and a great love interest for Piper and her new dog, Daisy. The four paired up nicely to work through this case. Joel had the perfect mysterious vibe about him and I was definitely shocked to learn who he is related to in town.
I like the setting and would be interested to see how Piper’s new gallery as well as the stores along the renovated promenade fair as they begin to open.
I really like the MC, Piper. She has a very sophisticated manner to her that just drew me in. I was intrigued by her former job and it was clear she was a very accomplished woman. She’s also a widow of twenty years and a mom of two adult boys. I liked the fact that the story started out with her 50th birthday celebration. It was a great way to meet all the side characters in one place. Mooney’s beachfront establishment sounds like a great place to gather with friends. The mothers are hand down my favorite. This is Piper’s mom and mother-in-law who just so happened to become roommates and purchased a house across the street from Piper. You better believe they are all up in her business and would love nothing more than to set Piper up. Their connections throughout town will definitely come in handy for our amateur sleuth.
On a side note, I adored the birthday tradition where Piper receives a hat and matching heels every year. The reasoning behind it was very sweet!
Don’t let the short length of the book fool you. The characters were well developed and the storyline progressed quickly, but was very smooth. The mystery was well done. It kept me guessing for a bit as more and more clues fell into place. When a story involves the potential of dirty cops, it adds an extra layer of just who can you trust.
Joel and his protective K-9, Scout are a great duo and a great love interest for Piper and her new dog, Daisy. The four paired up nicely to work through this case. Joel had the perfect mysterious vibe about him and I was definitely shocked to learn who he is related to in town.
I like the setting and would be interested to see how Piper’s new gallery as well as the stores along the renovated promenade fair as they begin to open.
November 6, 2020
Victoria LK Williams
Killer Focus (Mrs Avery's) Adventures Book 1.
Loved this first book in the series and am wanting to read next book
I started reading and found myself not being able to put it down.
I loved Piper, she's so smart and observant and a great asset for Joel! I adored the mothers and family around Piper.
I really am looking forward to be able to read the whole series.
Killer Focus (Mrs Avery's) Adventures Book 1.
Loved this first book in the series and am wanting to read next book
I started reading and found myself not being able to put it down.
I loved Piper, she's so smart and observant and a great asset for Joel! I adored the mothers and family around Piper.
I really am looking forward to be able to read the whole series.
January 28, 2020
A fun cozy mystery with a clever heroine, alluring beach town setting, two meddlesome mothers, and a couple of baffling murders. There's even a potential love interest for the heroine who just celebrated her fiftieth birthday. Throw in two pooches who are as protective as they are loving, and you have a cozy mystery that can't be beat. Enjoyed every minute of it!
July 21, 2022
Religious! Absoultly not.
Its religious, don't know how that slipped past me. As if that wasn't bad enough, which it is, it has such poor editing and formatting.
Its religious, don't know how that slipped past me. As if that wasn't bad enough, which it is, it has such poor editing and formatting.
June 27, 2022
I loved the book. I liked the characters the mothers , the cute dogs and Piper. It was so good. I recommend it.
July 2, 2022
Pelican Harbor, FL
Piper, with the help of Scout & Daisy, 2 dogs that are smarter than the criminals, is a crime solving wonder
Piper, with the help of Scout & Daisy, 2 dogs that are smarter than the criminals, is a crime solving wonder
October 6, 2022
I really enjoyed this book! I will definitely read the rest of this series. And loved that it was set on the beach in Florida, my favorite place! I would definitely recommend this book!
October 2, 2023
Entertaining cozy mystery with good likeable characters, cute dogs and meddling mothers. I like this authors books and this is a good one.
April 20, 2024
Cute quick read. I enjoyed the characters: Piper and her dog Daisy, Joel and his dog Scout, Piper‘s two meddling mothers, and an intelligent police chief… all work together to catch a killer.
June 28, 2019
I originally posted this review on my blog Owl's Book Nest
I was lucky enough to get an Advanced Copy of this book before it came out and I am happy I did! It is no secret that I love cozy mysteries but all cozies are not created equal. I’m serious, some cozies that I have read were horrible and made no sense at all. This book on the other hand was very refreshing! Piper is a 50 year old woman who sold her business and was trying to figure out what to do next when her godmother made her an offer she could not refuse. Her godmother is trying to revitalize a plaza near the beach and was hoping that Piper would take photos of the area and show case them in her gallery.
While taking a walk and taking candid photos in the town she ends up witnessing an altercation between these 3 men and something in her gut told her to take pictures of it. Later on she ends up going to take pictures of the beach when she notices that someone was laying down behind an umbrella. What made that strange was that it was raining a little bit ago, and while looking closer she realize that there was blood beginning to pool underneath him. That is what sets this cozy mystery into motion.
The pacing of this book was perfect. There wasn’t a moment that I felt like I was getting filler. Every moment built upon itself and I could not put this book down. In fact I ended up reading this book in one sitting! Piper was a smart and clever main character. She was intuitive and very observant which is why the Chief believed that she would be an asset to helping Joel. She knew everyone in the town, so it honestly just made sense that she would help so that Joel wouldn’t give up his cover.
I really enjoyed that the murder was just one piece of the puzzle in this book. Yes, it was the main focus but it lead to them being able to figure out who in the police station was helping out the “bad guys”. It was honestly brilliant how everything came together at the end. I am really looking forward to reading the rest of this series when it comes out later this year.
I was lucky enough to get an Advanced Copy of this book before it came out and I am happy I did! It is no secret that I love cozy mysteries but all cozies are not created equal. I’m serious, some cozies that I have read were horrible and made no sense at all. This book on the other hand was very refreshing! Piper is a 50 year old woman who sold her business and was trying to figure out what to do next when her godmother made her an offer she could not refuse. Her godmother is trying to revitalize a plaza near the beach and was hoping that Piper would take photos of the area and show case them in her gallery.
While taking a walk and taking candid photos in the town she ends up witnessing an altercation between these 3 men and something in her gut told her to take pictures of it. Later on she ends up going to take pictures of the beach when she notices that someone was laying down behind an umbrella. What made that strange was that it was raining a little bit ago, and while looking closer she realize that there was blood beginning to pool underneath him. That is what sets this cozy mystery into motion.
The pacing of this book was perfect. There wasn’t a moment that I felt like I was getting filler. Every moment built upon itself and I could not put this book down. In fact I ended up reading this book in one sitting! Piper was a smart and clever main character. She was intuitive and very observant which is why the Chief believed that she would be an asset to helping Joel. She knew everyone in the town, so it honestly just made sense that she would help so that Joel wouldn’t give up his cover.
I really enjoyed that the murder was just one piece of the puzzle in this book. Yes, it was the main focus but it lead to them being able to figure out who in the police station was helping out the “bad guys”. It was honestly brilliant how everything came together at the end. I am really looking forward to reading the rest of this series when it comes out later this year.
May 28, 2019
Piper Avery sold her advertising business, and the new owner has let her know she is no longer needed. Widowed, her sons living half a country away, and her mother's (hers and her late husbands) are now moving in together across the street from her. She knows her life will never be the same.
Charlotte, Piper's godmother (a rich and savvy businesswoman) has bought a declining mall in the area, is pouring money into it, and has set one of the spaces aside for Charlotte to open a photography gallery. while sitting in the open area trying to get some shots for her new business, she notices an argument between an older man and two younger ones. Later that day, Charlotte finds the older mans body on the nearby beach. When a young woman is murdered, and it is discovered that she had given a statement on the man's death the day before, and that she had been sitting with Piper when it happened. Piper is suddenly thrown into investigating herself, not only because she will feel safer, she was instructed to stay away from it by the investigating officer.
Ms. Williams is a new author for me. I'm finding it to be a little slow paced, but there is some humor in it, (mainly the main character's mother & the mother of her deceased husband who are and have been best friends since college) and the story is holding my interest throughout.
Charlotte, Piper's godmother (a rich and savvy businesswoman) has bought a declining mall in the area, is pouring money into it, and has set one of the spaces aside for Charlotte to open a photography gallery. while sitting in the open area trying to get some shots for her new business, she notices an argument between an older man and two younger ones. Later that day, Charlotte finds the older mans body on the nearby beach. When a young woman is murdered, and it is discovered that she had given a statement on the man's death the day before, and that she had been sitting with Piper when it happened. Piper is suddenly thrown into investigating herself, not only because she will feel safer, she was instructed to stay away from it by the investigating officer.
Ms. Williams is a new author for me. I'm finding it to be a little slow paced, but there is some humor in it, (mainly the main character's mother & the mother of her deceased husband who are and have been best friends since college) and the story is holding my interest throughout.
October 11, 2019
What a marvelous aray of caracters surrounding this mystery. Piper has sold her advertising business, turned the the corner on half a century taken in a cute year old puppy, started on a new business venture with a new photo gallery in the works, discovered a dead body on the beach, became involved with a murder mystery, mom and mother-in-law move in across the street, meats an attractive detective and Piper's first week into her fifties hasn't even ended. Who's the victim on the beach, will Piper cope with having her two moms as niebours, and will she figure out what's really happening in her beloved beach resort town before i'ts to late and what happens with the good looking detective. These are all things you really will enjoy finding the answers to and what happens with daisy the puppy. 😊Kat
November 7, 2020
Victoria LK Williams
Killer Focus (Mrs Avery's) Adventures Book 1.
Loved this first book in the series and am wanting to read next book
I started reading and found myself not being able to put it down.
I loved Piper, she's so smart and observant and a great asset for Joel! I adored the mothers and family around Piper.
I really am looking forward to be able to read the whole series.
Killer Focus (Mrs Avery's) Adventures Book 1.
Loved this first book in the series and am wanting to read next book
I started reading and found myself not being able to put it down.
I loved Piper, she's so smart and observant and a great asset for Joel! I adored the mothers and family around Piper.
I really am looking forward to be able to read the whole series.
June 21, 2019
This book includes a rich cast of likable and multi-layered characters that I can't wait to meet again! The Florida setting was picturesque and truly inviting. The plot was masterfully woven into an intriguing tale of murder and mayhem. I highly recommend this book!
Read
December 8, 2023Cozy Mystery
Piper Avery is a fiesty Lady....screwed over by her employer. She's at a crossroads on what to do next.
Her Godmother Charlotte saves the day......
Great bantering between Piper and Joel as they work together or not to solve a murder.
On to the next installment!
Piper Avery is a fiesty Lady....screwed over by her employer. She's at a crossroads on what to do next.
Her Godmother Charlotte saves the day......
Great bantering between Piper and Joel as they work together or not to solve a murder.
On to the next installment!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews