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Annabelle Starkey Mystery #2
No Gun Intended
"The exploration of relationships between parents and their adult children elevates this novel above most humorous mysteries, rewarding readers with an enjoyable read that induces as many warm feelings as it does laughter."—Kings River Life Magazine
Fresh from her introduction to the dangerous world of criminals and cons in Jump the Gun, smart, sexy, and movie-crazy Annabelle Starkey flies to Portland, Oregon, to visit to her newly relocated parents. They, like Annabelle, are rebooting their lives—though the directions their new starts will take are not yet clear. Annabelle is now part of a fledgling detective agency headquartered in New York, home turf to her boyfriend, Mickey, just retired from the NYPD.
Safely arrived at her parents' home, Annabelle is ready to relax when she discovers her backpack has been switched for one holding a gun—a gun linked to a murder. Has she been set up? Or is she simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? The Portland PD isn't sure. Then a frantic young woman appears and claims the gun is hers. And, worryingly, could the man who sat next to Annabelle on the plane be stalking her?
Alarmed—and absent a gun of her own—Annabelle is armed only with wits, wisecracks, and her ability to run. Mickey and streetwise backup Luis rapidly arrive, adding boots on the ground and their seasoned crime-busting skills, but it is Annabelle who pieces together a case traversing Portland's patchwork of communities, proving to herself, her partners, and parents that, as investigator, she's got the right stuff.
Fresh from her introduction to the dangerous world of criminals and cons in Jump the Gun, smart, sexy, and movie-crazy Annabelle Starkey flies to Portland, Oregon, to visit to her newly relocated parents. They, like Annabelle, are rebooting their lives—though the directions their new starts will take are not yet clear. Annabelle is now part of a fledgling detective agency headquartered in New York, home turf to her boyfriend, Mickey, just retired from the NYPD.
Safely arrived at her parents' home, Annabelle is ready to relax when she discovers her backpack has been switched for one holding a gun—a gun linked to a murder. Has she been set up? Or is she simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? The Portland PD isn't sure. Then a frantic young woman appears and claims the gun is hers. And, worryingly, could the man who sat next to Annabelle on the plane be stalking her?
Alarmed—and absent a gun of her own—Annabelle is armed only with wits, wisecracks, and her ability to run. Mickey and streetwise backup Luis rapidly arrive, adding boots on the ground and their seasoned crime-busting skills, but it is Annabelle who pieces together a case traversing Portland's patchwork of communities, proving to herself, her partners, and parents that, as investigator, she's got the right stuff.
213 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 2016
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48 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 28, 2018
A predictable plot, but well done with fun characters and a terrific narration by Hillary Huber
January 14, 2016
This is a sequel to “Jump the Gun” which I have not read. This is a sort of mystery featuring rookie sleuth Annabelle “Bea” Starkey. Bea, her boyfriend Mickey Paxton and former fellow police officer Luis Maldonado formed Asta Investigation in New York. Bea flies to Portland, Oregon, to visit her parents; when leaving the airport her backpack is mixed up with an identical one that contained a gun. As soon as the gun was discovered Bea calls the police and turns over the backpack and gun. Bea’s mother is an emergency room physician who adds an interesting character to the story except I was very disappointed Burke made her extremely foul mouthed: I felt the filthy language added nothing to the story. Bea’s father is a calm, low keyed astrophysicist on sabbatical leave from Stanford University.
Burke provides a positive tour of Portland, Oregon, stating all the service people are so helpful and friendly. The author has created a crazy plot with lots of twists and red herrings that moves at a breakneck pace. Bea uses copious movie references and weird sports metaphors/analogies for which it is obvious she knows nothing about sports. The book is a zany, funny murder mystery that kept me laughing throughout the book. The book makes a fun brake from more serious reading but not sure if I will follow the series. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Hillary Huber does an excellent job narrating the book; she adds just enough humor to her voice while all along being serious.
Burke provides a positive tour of Portland, Oregon, stating all the service people are so helpful and friendly. The author has created a crazy plot with lots of twists and red herrings that moves at a breakneck pace. Bea uses copious movie references and weird sports metaphors/analogies for which it is obvious she knows nothing about sports. The book is a zany, funny murder mystery that kept me laughing throughout the book. The book makes a fun brake from more serious reading but not sure if I will follow the series. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Hillary Huber does an excellent job narrating the book; she adds just enough humor to her voice while all along being serious.
December 19, 2015
This was a pretty funny book. In part because of the sports analogies that the main character uses. She knows nothing, I mean nothing, about sports, but she uses them anyway. "It's the ninth inning in the football game" is one that comes to mind. There are many funnier ones throughout this book.
When her backpack is traded for a backpack with a murder weapon, the chase is on to find out who has her backpack and why the exchange. This is a madcap adventure with lots of laughs and lots of action,.
An entertaining read that for some reason, I was like meh, I'll read it even though I wasn't in the mood for it. It just seemed like it wasn't all that. Turns out, I was totally wrong. Once I got started, I was into it and laughing my way throughout.
Huge thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Net Galley for approving my request and providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. I was highly surprised and glad I requested it.
When her backpack is traded for a backpack with a murder weapon, the chase is on to find out who has her backpack and why the exchange. This is a madcap adventure with lots of laughs and lots of action,.
An entertaining read that for some reason, I was like meh, I'll read it even though I wasn't in the mood for it. It just seemed like it wasn't all that. Turns out, I was totally wrong. Once I got started, I was into it and laughing my way throughout.
Huge thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Net Galley for approving my request and providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. I was highly surprised and glad I requested it.
November 10, 2017
I didn't read the first book in this series, but that didn't cause any issues to understanding the characters in this one. However, it took me a while to warm up to the main character who had far too many lapses in commonsense for me to believe she was capable of solving the crime. That said, her references to movies throughout the book and her lack of knowledge of sports were comical, and her relationships were believable and entertaining. I liked Annabelle's family, although her mother didn't need to cuss to the extent she did. In many cases, it detracted from the scene and seemed unrealistic.
The mystery itself was good and did keep me guessting. There were some elements that would have been impossible to figure out given the information provided, but overall, the story flowed and there were plenty of suspenseful moments to keep me moving through to the end.
The mystery itself was good and did keep me guessting. There were some elements that would have been impossible to figure out given the information provided, but overall, the story flowed and there were plenty of suspenseful moments to keep me moving through to the end.
September 29, 2019
Meh. Much like the first book no one actually solved this mystery, just they accidentally happened to be where things went down, or people explained things. And it's just trying much to hard to be quirky.
May 3, 2018
I like Burke’s quirky characters (including the mother who swears like a sailor) and the Oregon setting. A little too much romance for me.
September 11, 2020
3.5 stars
March 5, 2017
Cute, light read
January 28, 2016
No Gun Intended misses its target by a mile. I liked the premise. I liked the description. I didn't like the novel.
Annabelle Starkey is described by the author as Stephanie Plum light. In reality, she is as similar to Stephanie Plum as Sunny D is to orange juice - similar appearance but lacking substance.
Like Stephanie Plum, Annabelle is a magnet for trouble. Unlike Stephanie, Annabelle is not the brightest bulb. From putting DDS on her business card to denote Dumpster Diving Specialist (who doesn’t know DDS = Dentist) to revealing everything to every suspect she questions, Annabelle is far from an ideal investigator. Her musings and comments are not particularly funny, and her film references didn’t come across as pertinent. Also, unlike any film buff I’ve encountered, she didn’t mention lines from the films, detailed sequences, or inside jokes. On the whole, Annabelle Starkey made me wince rather than laugh, and I personally wondered what on earth her boyfriend sees in her.
Annabelle’s mom is supposed to be comparable to Stephanie’s pistol of a grandmother. That doesn’t work well either. Her mother is a potty-mouthed doctor, ok possible. The dialogue however was simply awkward like the author wrote the dialogue and then changed it/added curses to make it more interesting.
Awkward is a good description of No Gun Intended. The plot was “meh”. It didn’t hold my interest. The premise had potential, but the problem was in the execution. I think Zoe Burke was trying to hard to tailor her ideas to a particular market.
2/5
No Gun Intended is available for preorder and will be released January 5, 2016.
I received a copy of No Gun Intended from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
—Crittermom
Annabelle Starkey is described by the author as Stephanie Plum light. In reality, she is as similar to Stephanie Plum as Sunny D is to orange juice - similar appearance but lacking substance.
Like Stephanie Plum, Annabelle is a magnet for trouble. Unlike Stephanie, Annabelle is not the brightest bulb. From putting DDS on her business card to denote Dumpster Diving Specialist (who doesn’t know DDS = Dentist) to revealing everything to every suspect she questions, Annabelle is far from an ideal investigator. Her musings and comments are not particularly funny, and her film references didn’t come across as pertinent. Also, unlike any film buff I’ve encountered, she didn’t mention lines from the films, detailed sequences, or inside jokes. On the whole, Annabelle Starkey made me wince rather than laugh, and I personally wondered what on earth her boyfriend sees in her.
Annabelle’s mom is supposed to be comparable to Stephanie’s pistol of a grandmother. That doesn’t work well either. Her mother is a potty-mouthed doctor, ok possible. The dialogue however was simply awkward like the author wrote the dialogue and then changed it/added curses to make it more interesting.
Awkward is a good description of No Gun Intended. The plot was “meh”. It didn’t hold my interest. The premise had potential, but the problem was in the execution. I think Zoe Burke was trying to hard to tailor her ideas to a particular market.
2/5
No Gun Intended is available for preorder and will be released January 5, 2016.
I received a copy of No Gun Intended from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
—Crittermom
January 2, 2016
Annabelle Starkey is described by the author as Stephanie Plum light. In reality, she is as similar to Stephanie Plum as Sunny D is to orange juice- similar appearance but lacking substance.
Like Stephanie Plum, Annabelle is a magnet for trouble. Unlike Stephanie, Annabelle is not the brightest bulb. From putting DDS on her business card to denote Dumpster Diving Specialist (who doesn’t know DDS = Dentist) to revealing everything to every suspect she questions, Annabelle is far from an ideal investigator. Her musings and comments are not particularly funny, and her film references didn’t come across as pertinent. Also, unlike any film buff I’ve encountered, she didn’t mention lines from the films, detailed sequences, or inside jokes. Annabelle Starkey made me wince rather than laugh, and I personally wondered what on earth her boyfriend sees in her.
Annabelle’s mom is supposed to be comparable to Stephanie’s pistol of a grandmother. That doesn’t work well either. Her mother is a potty-mouthed doctor, ok possible. The dialogue however was simply awkward like the author wrote the dialogue and then changed it/added curses to make it more interesting.
Awkward is a good description of No Gun Intended. The plot was “meh”. It didn’t hold my interest. The premise had potential, but the problem was in the execution. I think Zoe Burke was trying to hard to tailor her ideas to a particular market.
2/5
I received a copy of No Gun Intended from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
—Crittermom
Like Stephanie Plum, Annabelle is a magnet for trouble. Unlike Stephanie, Annabelle is not the brightest bulb. From putting DDS on her business card to denote Dumpster Diving Specialist (who doesn’t know DDS = Dentist) to revealing everything to every suspect she questions, Annabelle is far from an ideal investigator. Her musings and comments are not particularly funny, and her film references didn’t come across as pertinent. Also, unlike any film buff I’ve encountered, she didn’t mention lines from the films, detailed sequences, or inside jokes. Annabelle Starkey made me wince rather than laugh, and I personally wondered what on earth her boyfriend sees in her.
Annabelle’s mom is supposed to be comparable to Stephanie’s pistol of a grandmother. That doesn’t work well either. Her mother is a potty-mouthed doctor, ok possible. The dialogue however was simply awkward like the author wrote the dialogue and then changed it/added curses to make it more interesting.
Awkward is a good description of No Gun Intended. The plot was “meh”. It didn’t hold my interest. The premise had potential, but the problem was in the execution. I think Zoe Burke was trying to hard to tailor her ideas to a particular market.
2/5
I received a copy of No Gun Intended from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
—Crittermom
January 20, 2016
Annabelle's parents have moved to Portland, so she flies out to visit them. Her problems start when her seatmate spills wine on her sweater. As she settles in for a visit with her parents--who seem to be behaving oddly, too--she finds that her seatmate is following her. Also, there's a gun in her carry-on. As an honest would-be private eye, she reports it to the police, who find that the gun was used to kill a man under mysterious circumstances. Her ex-p0liceman buddy arrives to protect her, and eventually her significant other Mickey also shows up. The good guys keep figuring out what's going on, but then things change and they realize that they really don't know what's going on. Amusing.
December 31, 2015
3.5 stars
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I admit I haven't heard of Zoe Burke before and was excited to read a mystery book with a strong female protagonist. Since this is a second book in the series I went ahead and purchased the first and read it before starting this one.... I'm a weirdo like that:)
Anyway Zoe's style of writing is right up my alley, she is funny and can keep you on your toes. This book as well as the first in the series about Annabelle Starkey is great!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I admit I haven't heard of Zoe Burke before and was excited to read a mystery book with a strong female protagonist. Since this is a second book in the series I went ahead and purchased the first and read it before starting this one.... I'm a weirdo like that:)
Anyway Zoe's style of writing is right up my alley, she is funny and can keep you on your toes. This book as well as the first in the series about Annabelle Starkey is great!
September 6, 2016
I've always been a fan of detective mystery stories, and Burke's novel is no different. Annabelle is an entertaining main character who drives the story forward with her determination. All of the characters for that matter are lovable and humorous, and the situations they find themselves in play wonderfully with the plot. For those of you who loved stories such as Nancy Drew, Boxcar Children, Mandie Mysteries, and so many other classic mystery series, pick up one of Annabelle's mysteries and settle in for a great read.
January 9, 2016
A very light mystery. Tries to be an Enonovich/Stephane Plum but can't get close. Quirky PI,in training, Annabelle, gets the wrong backpack at the airport with a gun in it and that leads,to ll kinds of craziness that will involve her parents and eventually her PI boyfriend Micky from NY. In the end it's the mother of the woman whose backpack Annabelle got who is actually trying to make the girl think she is crazy because she hates her as she is the husband daughter by another woman. Weak
April 21, 2016
Annabelle Starkey is a detective. Sort of. Her boyfriend is a detective. Retired.
In this, the second book of the series, Annabelle visits her parents. Murder, kidnapping, confusion and mayhem combine in a comedy of errors to create a funny and complex mystery. Great characters, interesting plots, action and romance (and a bit of discrete sex) combine to make a book that you'll be hard pressed to put down.
But one thing, at least, is clear: Annabelle is terrible with sports metaphors.
In this, the second book of the series, Annabelle visits her parents. Murder, kidnapping, confusion and mayhem combine in a comedy of errors to create a funny and complex mystery. Great characters, interesting plots, action and romance (and a bit of discrete sex) combine to make a book that you'll be hard pressed to put down.
But one thing, at least, is clear: Annabelle is terrible with sports metaphors.
January 12, 2016
A worthy read. While she's not Stephanie Plum (and frankly, not all the Plum novels are all that great), Annabelle has her good points. I liked this one- it's light and breezy. I'll look forward to more from Starkey. Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc.
March 20, 2017
The perfect combination of twisting plot, full characters, tight writing, smart sense of humor and just enough romance. Her parents are like some of ours, her friends as well. Real life with a murder here or there
Fun!
Fun!
March 9, 2016
Fun story. Choppy writing.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews