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Miss Fortune Universe
The Fish Bomb Caper
It's a stinky situation in Sinful. A box of rotten fish is placed under Celia's car and a highly illegal device explodes, totaling the car. Gertie was seen in the area but says she didn't do it, but only Fortune and Ida Belle believe her and there are no other suspects. The Swamp Team Three has to solve the crime in forty-eight hours before Gertie is arrested and faces a five-year prison sentence.
What readers have said about Stephen's other Miss Fortune books:
Of the many other authors who contribute to this series Stephen John is one of my favorites. He continues with the main characters and weaves a series of intrigue and chaos into his story.
I have now read a few of these stories by this author and this one I enjoyed most of all. The regular characters are back, joining a couple of newbies who prove to be interesting as well. Once again, the crime solving aspect of the story proves intriguing. It left me fulfilled and more than ready to read the next chapter in this particular writer's Miss Fortune setting. Great stuff.
I absolutely love this series! Fortune has lost a dear friend which broke my heart, but she has also made some new friends as well. As always there is comedy, action, and a dash of love tossed in.
Definitely a must read!
While staying true to Ms. DeLeon's canon, Mr. Mayfield carves out a very nice niche for himself. I've come to really enjoy his stories featuring these characters and this one is a doozy.
A well-structured mystery, and probably the most literary of the Kindle Worlds Miss Fortune Mysteries I've read so far.
I loved this book as much as I loved the original books by Janet DeLeon. I wish he would write more.
89 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 20, 2019
256 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Stephen John
11 books14 followersSteve is a retired business executive and former sports journalist who now writes cozy mysteries with a twist of sass and suspense. His Miss Fortune novels—set in the beloved world created by Jana DeLeon—blend small-town charm with fast-paced adventure, earning him six #1 rankings in Amazon’s action/adventure category.
Steve’s fiction career began in 2008 with Amazon’s Kindle Worlds, where he was invited to craft stories using established characters. His sharp dialogue and tightly woven plots quickly made him a fan favorite in the Miss Fortune universe.
Beyond cozy mysteries, Steve has co-authored two thrill-packed titles—Devil’s Face and Gray Ghost—with bestselling author David Wood in the Dane Maddock Action Adventure Series. He also collaborated with Jesse Jacobson on Rainhorse, a gritty Western tale of justice and redemption. His standalone novel Night Music showcases his range, blending suspense and emotional depth in a story all his own.
Steve’s first book, Deal Me In, is a nonfiction deep dive into the lives of twenty poker legends, commissioned by Phil Hellmuth himself. His time with poker and sports celebrities—including Doyle Brunson, Jennifer Harman, Johnny Chan, and basketball stars like LeBron James and Rajon Rondo—inspired him to keep telling great stories.
When he’s not writing, Steve enjoys life in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, children, and grandchildren. You might also catch him performing in the Seattle music scene with his acoustic duo, Latitude 47—proof that good stories and good tunes never go out of style.
Steve’s fiction career began in 2008 with Amazon’s Kindle Worlds, where he was invited to craft stories using established characters. His sharp dialogue and tightly woven plots quickly made him a fan favorite in the Miss Fortune universe.
Beyond cozy mysteries, Steve has co-authored two thrill-packed titles—Devil’s Face and Gray Ghost—with bestselling author David Wood in the Dane Maddock Action Adventure Series. He also collaborated with Jesse Jacobson on Rainhorse, a gritty Western tale of justice and redemption. His standalone novel Night Music showcases his range, blending suspense and emotional depth in a story all his own.
Steve’s first book, Deal Me In, is a nonfiction deep dive into the lives of twenty poker legends, commissioned by Phil Hellmuth himself. His time with poker and sports celebrities—including Doyle Brunson, Jennifer Harman, Johnny Chan, and basketball stars like LeBron James and Rajon Rondo—inspired him to keep telling great stories.
When he’s not writing, Steve enjoys life in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, children, and grandchildren. You might also catch him performing in the Seattle music scene with his acoustic duo, Latitude 47—proof that good stories and good tunes never go out of style.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 18, 2022
Mixed Feelings (CONTAINS SPOILERS)
"The Fish Bomb Caper" gave me very mixed feelings. I utterly enjoyed the first half. Pages 16-20 had me laughing so hard I started to wheeze!
The second half started okay, but ended with me pretty upset by the deviations in how Mr. John writes Fortune from the way Jana DeLeon writes her.
Fortune was not just a CIA agent. Fortune was a CIA assassin. BIG difference. Fortune runs descriptors through her head and assigns threat levels based on how hard it would be to kill or disable them. She does not say things like "oh goodness." She has worked deep undercover and has killed many very bad men in a number of ways. She is a former Hand to Hand Combat instructor at Quantico. She taught other agents how to kill with their hands, because it's either master the skills, or wind up dead.
This is the yet another book in the series in which Fortune has been tossed around by a big guy and sustained a head injury that put her in a coma for two days.
Fortune, as created by Jana DeLeon, is not a klutz. She is not a flirty girl. She is a stone cold killer.
I have purchased and read all of the Miss Fortune series by Jana DeLeon, and am now working my way through the fan generated novels/novellas. I read very quickly and finish one, sometimes two or three a day. I've spent most of the last two months reading about Swamp Team Three, so perhaps I'm overly picky. It's just that these three women are such strong badass women; to have them not written to character and portrayed as less
capable irks me.
This is still a good story & funny as hell. The first 20 pages alone are worth the price of the book if you're looking for a cure to the pandemic blues. Give it a read. See what you think.
"The Fish Bomb Caper" gave me very mixed feelings. I utterly enjoyed the first half. Pages 16-20 had me laughing so hard I started to wheeze!
The second half started okay, but ended with me pretty upset by the deviations in how Mr. John writes Fortune from the way Jana DeLeon writes her.
Fortune was not just a CIA agent. Fortune was a CIA assassin. BIG difference. Fortune runs descriptors through her head and assigns threat levels based on how hard it would be to kill or disable them. She does not say things like "oh goodness." She has worked deep undercover and has killed many very bad men in a number of ways. She is a former Hand to Hand Combat instructor at Quantico. She taught other agents how to kill with their hands, because it's either master the skills, or wind up dead.
This is the yet another book in the series in which Fortune has been tossed around by a big guy and sustained a head injury that put her in a coma for two days.
Fortune, as created by Jana DeLeon, is not a klutz. She is not a flirty girl. She is a stone cold killer.
I have purchased and read all of the Miss Fortune series by Jana DeLeon, and am now working my way through the fan generated novels/novellas. I read very quickly and finish one, sometimes two or three a day. I've spent most of the last two months reading about Swamp Team Three, so perhaps I'm overly picky. It's just that these three women are such strong badass women; to have them not written to character and portrayed as less
capable irks me.
This is still a good story & funny as hell. The first 20 pages alone are worth the price of the book if you're looking for a cure to the pandemic blues. Give it a read. See what you think.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2022
Interesting plot, but…
After reading the reviews I knew going in that there were some inconsistencies. There is just something not quite right with the characters, which means the character interactions are off. Sure, Carter and Fortune can clash at times, but their interactions and motives in this novella are skewed. Then there was the histrionic fit that Celia throws in Francine’s - a hissyfit of epic proportions if ever there was one. Yet, it isn’t quite in character.
The story spent very little time on the actual investigation and takedown, and things wrapped up odd. So, while I liked this plot in theory, I couldn’t truly get into it as everything was just warped in some way or another 🤷🏻♀️
After reading the reviews I knew going in that there were some inconsistencies. There is just something not quite right with the characters, which means the character interactions are off. Sure, Carter and Fortune can clash at times, but their interactions and motives in this novella are skewed. Then there was the histrionic fit that Celia throws in Francine’s - a hissyfit of epic proportions if ever there was one. Yet, it isn’t quite in character.
The story spent very little time on the actual investigation and takedown, and things wrapped up odd. So, while I liked this plot in theory, I couldn’t truly get into it as everything was just warped in some way or another 🤷🏻♀️
February 1, 2023
Gertie is actually innocent in this disaster
Someone puts a box with fish guts and a m 100 fire cracker under Celia's car and Gertie gets blamed since she walked past the car. Now Fortune, Ida Belle and Carter need to find the real prankster. Some people have real anger management issues.
Someone puts a box with fish guts and a m 100 fire cracker under Celia's car and Gertie gets blamed since she walked past the car. Now Fortune, Ida Belle and Carter need to find the real prankster. Some people have real anger management issues.
December 23, 2020
Beginning was hilarious
The beginng was absolutely hilarious worthy of Jana DeLeon's version of her Miss Fortune series.
He is a good writer and this book held my interest all the way through.
The beginng was absolutely hilarious worthy of Jana DeLeon's version of her Miss Fortune series.
He is a good writer and this book held my interest all the way through.
January 16, 2022
Interesting and entertaining
Read
November 21, 2023WONDERFUL
Loved the book. Getting ready to get another. I've probably read about 20 something!!! Love the new author as well!
Loved the book. Getting ready to get another. I've probably read about 20 something!!! Love the new author as well!
May 22, 2024
Another home run for Stephen John. I do love all the Miss Fortune books!
September 6, 2021
not good
October 1, 2019
This book starts off with a bang (literally), and once again Gertie is in the hot seat. And of course it has to do with her arch-nemesis, Celia. It’s always fun to watch these two go a few rounds, and when fish guts and M100s are involved, all bets are off. But thank goodness she has Fortune racing to the rescue. And what a race it is. With almost nothing to go on, and only 24 hours to prove her friend’s innocence, she takes off for New Orleans. Of course she solves the mystery, but not before more hilarious shenanigans ensue. I love these books. They’re so much fun and remind me of those madcap movies so popular decades ago. This book is the perfect one to kick back and relax with. It’ll definitely brighten your day and give you more than a few laughs.
October 2, 2019
One of my favorites in the miss fortune world
I really enjoyed this book. Fortune has to save Greta from jail and she looks pretty guilty . This adventure since it involves Gretie is will be wild one, some funny parts like Gertie at the bar in middle of this mystery . Hard to do review without giving story plot away. This one was pretty true to characters in original series but for them drink tea instead of the pots of coffee they drink. But I tea drinker so that was fine with me . Lol
I really enjoyed this book. Fortune has to save Greta from jail and she looks pretty guilty . This adventure since it involves Gretie is will be wild one, some funny parts like Gertie at the bar in middle of this mystery . Hard to do review without giving story plot away. This one was pretty true to characters in original series but for them drink tea instead of the pots of coffee they drink. But I tea drinker so that was fine with me . Lol
October 2, 2019
Very good cozy mystery short story. Punchy dialog, well-developed storyline, with lots of twists and turns. No sex or overtly foul language. Great banter between two little old ladies.
November 17, 2019
Not the best.
The dialogue was not right. Its as if the author never read a Fortune Redding book in it entirety.
I'll skip future novellas by this author.
The dialogue was not right. Its as if the author never read a Fortune Redding book in it entirety.
I'll skip future novellas by this author.
December 28, 2019
Great time spent with the characters of Sinful, Louisiana. Well done story and lots of fun to watch how the mystery plays out and, of course, is solved.
A fun read!
A fun read!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews