The Connecticut Corpse Caper

Triple Threat Mysteries #1

by Tyler Colins

A week-long stay in a creepy Connecticut mansion is replete with hidden passageways, disappearing corpses, and quirky inheritance recipients. And if that's not enough to make for hair-raising moments on the secluded, storm-bound estate, how about a ghost named Fred?

The stipulation in the will of Jill-Jocasta Fonne's aunt reads: if a guest leaves early, his or her share will be divided among those remaining. The first one to leave - permanently - dies just hours after arriving.

Soon, people start dropping like flies. Donning amateur sleuth caps, Jill and her associates, Rey and Linda, attempt to solve the mystifying murders. Others jump in, and the bumbling and stumbling - and mayhem - begin.

Praise:

★★★★★ - "Will keep you amused - and guessing - from beginning to end."

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Ebooks, Amazon, Fiction

598 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2015

About the author

Tyler Colins is primarily a writer of fiction and blog posts, and a sometimes editor and proofreader of books, manuals, and film/television scripts. She’ll also create business plans, synopses, film promotion and sales documents.

Fact-checking and researching, organizing and coordinating are skills and joys (she likes playing detective and developing structure).

Her previous aim: to provide smiles and chuckles while offering twisty turns in her Triple Threat Investigation Agency series.
Her current aim: to traipse around the world of rock-n-roll.

Feel free to friend her on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/tyler.colins.9 (@tysnewgig). You can also find her on Instagram, BlueSky, and LinkedIn, among others.

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always excited when I get back to reading a cozy mystery, especially when it's part of a series where I can truly invest in the characters and setting. I chose The Connecticut Corpse Caper, the first book in the Triple Threat mystery series published in 2016, written by Tyler Colins, after reading the description. I'm a fan of the macabre and horror movie genres and am always interested in stories where the main character is invited to a mysterious house in order to collect an inheritance. Though I knew this book wouldn't be dark, and it wouldn't contain anything gory, the plot and setting were enough to buy it from Amazon last month. I'd been following the author's blog for several months and was very curious to see what a full length novel might be like. I was definitely glad I chose to read it and found a new series with some fun and quirky characters who like to push the envelope just a little bit!

In this caper, Jill, has been offered an opportunity to collect $200K if she stays at her late aunt's house for one week, along with several other guests who are each competing for the full inheritance. If someone leaves (for ANY reason), their share is entered back into the pool thus upping what the others have the opportunity to collect! Some of the guests are friends and neighbors of her dead aunt, others are family members and boyfriends. By the end of the tally, there are ~12 people subjected to the silly / dastardly plans of an older woman who liked to play tricks, even in her death. Between a ghost who haunts the place by singing and a slew of fake and real dead bodies popping up in the strangest of places, this caper has you guessing all the way thru. It felt a bit like Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, as one by one, visitors keep dying. But many secrets are also unraveling to a backdrop that felt something like the movie Clue.

I enjoyed the book a lot. I liked all the characters and the setting was very clear -- almost too descriptive at times as it builds the entire picture for you without much room to invent your own backdrop. Jill re-builds a friendship with her cousin, and by the end of the book, they are in a very different place from whence they started. Perhaps one's a killer. Perhaps they find out family secrets. Or maybe only one survives. I won't spoil anything, but this book is a clear kick off for a new mystery series where a trio of ladies investigates crimes.

Colins has a strong grasp of building a world for her characters to play in. She delivers quirky, funny dialog that makes you want to slap them sometimes purely for the comical laughs that take take away from the villainous murders happening around everyone. Picture a head chopped off... a vampire-like death, and a sea of meals made only from mushrooms. Now that'd be the death of me! Perhaps the most vivid of the slew is the cute names Jill and her boyfriend have for one another given his career as a pastry chef. I'm glad to see how it all ends between those two! Ha... curious? You'll have to read the book to find out.

I look forward to picking up more from this author and encourage anyone who's a fan of humor, murder mystery, Clue or large casts to pick up this entry novel into the Triple Threat mystery series. It has lots of potential and I am excited to see what happens in the next one.

[Lynda Dickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jill Fonne, a meteorologist and wannabe investigative reporter, visits the estate of her deceased aunt, Mathilda Raine Moone, in Connecticut. Jill is one of several people invited to stay in the "haunted" mansion for a week, in order to receive their share of the inheritance. If any of them leaves early, their share will go to those remaining. Then the bodies start dropping. Who will be next? And what is the killer's real motive?

The author dedicates this book to those who enjoy old-school whodunits. And what a great job she does! She uses her impressive vocabulary and clever metaphors and similes to create a creepy, yet humorous, opening scene that sets the tone and mood for the rest of the book. With a friendly ghost, strangely themed dinners, numerous dead bodies, secret passages, and a cast of eccentric characters with complex backstories, this book will keep you amused and guessing, from beginning to end.

When Jill states, "Let’s not get any crazy notions about quitting our day jobs and becoming private investigators," you know that's exactly what will happen. Keep an eye out for the next adventure featuring Jill, Rey, and Linda - Can You Hula Like Hilo Hattie? - in which they begin their careers as PIs in Hawaii.

I received this book in return for an honest review.

Full blog post (11 February): https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...

[Scot · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh.

And a sigh.

How did this book get to almost 4 out of 5 stars in the ratings? What has happened to discerning reading?

I am sorry, but I found this book very poorly written, constantly trying too hard and throwing words around without any thought for logic, distinct character development, editing to avoid repetition, or believable setting or social interactions, even on the most basic levels. It was a mess. I forced myself to keep reading and hoped things would get better about halfway through when an important transition reined in the recklessness some. It did help a bit. Still, it took effort to push on.

Why? Well, I never cared about any of the characters, all so shallow -- even the narrator! -- and speaking with the same voice, a constant trying too hard to be witty or clever, but always failing, missing the mark, being trite, obvious, inane, yet very self-satisfied and smirky. Always smirky. The kind of people you would gravitate away from quickly if you were introduced to them at a party in real life.

And all the name dropping of designer clothes or products, constant long descriptions of what everyone is wearing for no useful purpose, while the plot doesn't advance but circles aimlessly or wanders into the wall. The mansion in Connecticut they must stay in to try and win their share of the legacy from the wacky recently deceased aunt is unbelievable in the vague descriptions of rooms and how they move around in it. Similes, when attempted, are painful in the way they have nothing to do with tone or ambiance but are just that same infernal smirky voice shouting "look, I know a popular or classic movie" (or a song, or TV show, or rapper, or book, etc.).

There are so many irritating aspects, but I'll end this complaint with just two more: when characters do die, which happens periodically, the others in the book are immediately joking about it in their smirky voices no matter their relationship to the deceased. So lighthearted and nonchalant about everything. Yeah, right. Finally, the narrator, a weather person on TV who calls herself a meteorologist, has brought her boyfriend on the trip. His behavior constantly suggested he was gay to me, and an outrageous queen at times. Let me be clear here: there's nothing wrong with that if that is who he is, but it just doesn't work as her love interest, and was super icky when they would banter lovey dovey pet names associated with pastries. Ewww.

Life is not so long that you should spend some time reading this book when there are plenty of other better written cozy mysteries with the same sort of basic plot out there that you could read instead. I have pushed myself through this volume to report back on it so you need not suffer as I did.. Good luck with your reading choices!

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first thought when reading THE CONNECTICUT CORPSE CAPER is that it was a cross between the movies, Clue and House on Haunted Hill. You know, rambling, haunted mansion, weird, creepy butler, a cast of characters very different from each other all there to get a piece of a fortune. As I continued to read, the Clue description is the one that stuck closer to the story.

Author Tyler Collins inserts a lot of humor and more than one body into this tale, and her style of writing makes for a fast read. Before I knew it, I was at the end of this whodunit, and surprised with who had done it.

I think you’ll find this a fun read. Along with the two movies I mentioned above, THE CONNECTICUT CORPSE CAPER also takes on a Charlie’s Angels feel that will certainly be the set up for the future books in the Triple Threat Mysteries.

[Alayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an intriguing mystery, which was what kept me reading it. It had far too much in the way of descriptive writing, which detracted from the plot. It was meant to be funny, but I didn't find it so. It was like a cross between "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie, The Addams Family, and the Keystone Kops, but without the humour. Not one I'll be following up.

[Sandi Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

More in my next Good Reads blog at https://www.sandiwallace.com/blog/.

[Shelle Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Jill Fonne, and group of relatives and family friends are invited to spend a week at her deceased haunted aunt’s Gothic estate it seems like an easy way to inherit $200,000, until of course people start dying. Jill begins to suspect that the her fellow guests are connected in ways that they haven’t been forthcoming about and she soon discovers that the house and the grounds hide secrets of their own. What is the motive? It is a race to find the murderer or murderers before they can strike again. Will anyone survive to inherit? Classic Story line!

The opening chapter of this book proved to be quite the hook with its description of the Moone estate, it immediately pulled me in. The book couldn’t be anything else but a murder mystery and it delivered nicely on a classic inheritance plot full of world class characters , clever plot twists, fiendish secrets and of course bumbling amateur sleuths who blundered into as much trouble as they did evidence, not to mention a cool creepy house that seemed to grow secret passage ways.

I did find the story entertaining and at times quite humorous however, I do have to admit it often seemed to try too hard to homage the classic Hollywood Whodunnits, leaving it, at times, to read a bit more like a B movie screenplay than a Cozy mystery. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but I honestly couldn’t tell if it was intentional or not.

I do think that the three sleuths have a bit of chemistry and that bodes well for future installments of the Triple Threat Series. And, kudos are indeed warranted for the coolest character names in any Cozy ever.

3

I did receive a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of mystery dinners and black and white movies about spending nights in haunted houses, this tribute to well known detective noir is a great escape read. There are plenty of characters and a ton of fascinating backstory which provides convincing motive.
Is the house just haunted or is it cursed? Which of these unusual families is loonier?

The Moone family had its eccentricities and turned a love of pranks and jokey novelties into a successful business. Aunt Mattie was the last resident of the creepy Gothic mansion where hopeful inheritors gather for a weeklong adventure. A couple are family, along with best friends, others are neighbors and business associates, plus the elderly household staff.

I was fascinated by the house itself which played a major role in the story. Who doesn't wish for a secret passage or hidden room to explore. Even the weather cooperated to add atmospheric elements. When the first death occurs, there is doubt as to if it was accidental or murder.
As the bodies start adding up, the only question is who among them has reason to kill, or is someone else hidden behind the walls? Murders continue while law officers are in residence.
Could all these killings be related or is there more than one murderer under this roof?

You may need a score card, as in the game of Clue, to keep track of all the connections and consequences. While one aspect of the novel may be predicted, twists are added to distract you.
In the end, we believe more adventure may be in the works.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free. I am voluntarily posting this review and all opinions expressed herein are my own.

I wanted to love this book, unfortunately I did not. There is plenty to like about it - there is some good humor/cultural references; interesting characters and a good premise for a mystery. I was expecting something along the lines of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None." As I listened to this book [and this is absolutely no fault of the narrator] - I found there were too many characters to keep track of; too many scenes with an overwhelming amount of description; and I found myself getting lost - a lot. Perhaps this would have been a better experience if I had read the book. I will not be continuing with this series.

The narrator, Cindy Piller, did a great job. I would certainly listen to another of her narrations.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a hard time really getting into this book. I'm not sure why, as the writing is good and there is humor. But once I hit about 40% of the way through, I was hooked. I kept thinking, "Isn't the book over yet?" but no, there'd be 30% left to go. I did enjoy reading the story.

[sandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

British Literature

I spent days going through this convoluted story, and finally gave up and skipped to the end. The solution was not satisfying. Don't waste your time. I hate to pan a book, but this one isn't worth your time.

[Rita · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried but it felt like each sentence had 6 adjectives added just to increase the word count. I can appreciate the author including items that are current now but over time it may just date the story line. The constant nicknames for the two main characters just grated on my soul.

[Susan Ferguson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jill Fonne’s Aunt Mat has died and she has divided her estate among nine friends and relatives equally on condition they spend a week at the Moone Estate. Matt and her husband Reginald were big pranksters and Marty has left her home ready for them. Along with Jill and her boyfriend Adwin are her cousin Reynalda and her friend Linda, Marty’s lawyer Thomas Saturn, brother-in-law Jensen Q. Moone, friends and neighbors Prunella and Perceval Sawyer and long time friend May-Lee Sonit. Things begin to go bad quickly when they discover at the end of the evening that Thomas Saturne has died where he sat. Then they discover secret passages in the house. Rey and Jill decide they are going to solve the crime before everyone is murdered after they find Joseph’s body. Adwin and Linda reluctantly assist. Rey and Jill hone in on the others one by one coming up with reasons for the murders and a few how’s, but not many. And it goes on from there.
Entertaining with Rey and Jill coming up with improbable reasons and suspects. It just takes them awhile to get close to the right one. I did like Adwin - he has such a nice personality, although he and Jill keep calling each other by the names of sweets since Adwin is a pastry chef. Some of the others in the group are threatening them by the end for that reason.
The book and mystery just seem to run a little long. This is the first in a series, so the next will probably be a little tighter.

[Suzanne Hare · Rating 5 out of 5]

The heirs are gathered at the spooky mansion of an eccentric deceased old widow. They are all promised a quarter million dollars if they stay for the week. The creepy house proves to be full of frightening gags and eerie if not interesting food. Everyone is actually settled in for the duration until one of them is found dead. Then the search for clues begins as they all become amateur sleuths.

This is a creepy good mystery set in a suitably eerie place. The characters are well crafted and eclectic and a bit quirky, each with a great personality. The narrative is from the niece’s point of view and is helpful in finding out clues, theories and interesting facts about the various characters. The setting is well described and helping to set the mood. The mystery is full of surprises, numerous clues, a multitude of suspects, and twists and turns that build up the suspense and keep you on the edge of your seat until the final moments.it is a well written and preformed mystery.

I received this book for free from audible and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Linda Rorex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Triple Threat mysteries series by Tyler Collins. Jill Jocasta Fonne is a meteorologist competing for a $200K inheritance along with six other guests to stay at her late aunt Mathilda Raine Moone’s haunted mansion in Connecticut for one week. The only catch is if anyone leaves then they forfeit their portion to those who remain. But when one guest dies the body count starts to rise. Jill’s best friends Rey and Linda help her unravel the mystery. A ghost named Fred haunts the place by singing. There are hidden passages and disappearing corpses, ghoulish pranks and eccentric personalities. The Connecticut Corpse Caper is a delightfully quirky cozy mystery that delivers chills and chuckles in equal measure. Set in a haunted mansion where eccentric guests compete for an inheritance, the story quickly spirals into a whodunit as bodies begin to pile up—and one ghost refuses to stay silent. With its blend of classic mystery tropes, offbeat humor, and supernatural flair. I really enjoyed this cozy paranormal mystery novel.

[Krystyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminiscent of Clue and Murder by Design

A good read but could have done with some funnies being thrown in. A plot (that is similar to so many others) - an inheritance, a week long stay on a country estate, a snowstorm and loads of murder. The characters are just a bit too OTT and could have done with a bit of toning down so that the resemblance to Clue wasn't quite so strong. However we have a plot with a plot. Someone has been killing of members of the family over some time. The second plot is the replacement of original works of art with fakes and the murders of the people that have come to stay and thus get their inheritance. Affairs, rejected lovers and a need for control are the driving forces. But are the both sets of killings carried out by the same people/person? If not then who and how? Can she and the other two young women catch and stop the killer before their names join the victim list?

[Jo Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gallivanting around in a very, very old mansion with many, many secret passages. I have always wondered how secret passages between rooms can be so well hidden. For very space for a passage or room, there must be space taken from a room or rooms. It becomes obvious that there is too much space between walls. But i'm being a party pooper. Also with these cozy murder mysteries, (memo to self: how is murder cozy)? how do people manage to stay calm and search for clues when a psycho murderer is a part of those who are conveniently stranded in said mansion. Limited number of people and one more and one more gets bumped off, like a hatchet for beheading. Bump, head hits the floor. That happened and i was around, i'd be finding a way through the ice and snow and out of there. But our intrepid heroines march right on through the passages as if being poisoned, blow darted, and knifed is just ho hum. It's fun if you're the cozy murder mystery reader.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Connecticut Corpse Caper is the first book in the new Triple Threat Mystery series by Tyler Colins. It's a good, solid start to the series.

I like the three main characters in this series, though in this first book, they were just three of several viable murder suspects and potential victims. I think Rey, Jill, and Linda will make an excellent private investigative team and I look forward to reading more about them. I did know who the villain was fairly early on - or at least one of them. It was nice to get to see that I was right in the end, though.

This book really needed the more in-depth style of setting descriptions and Ms. Colins delivered beautifully. There was only one time I was a little confused about which secret passageway led to which room, but for the most part, Ms. Colins' descriptions made it easy to follow.

I felt the plot line dragged a bit here and there, but it wasn't horrible. It was, however, part of the reason I only gave the book 4 stars instead of 5. All in all it was a decent start to the series and I do look forward to reading more from this author.

*** Thank you to Tyler Colins for an ARC of this title. I was not compensated for my review. All opinions and conclusions are my own. ***

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's a corpse or two or more between friends and family

What a wonderfully well written cozey mystery with a murder or two or more, an array of vibrant, colorful, and unique characters good, bad and some indifferent but all truly a bit odd in various ways. I couldn't put this little ditty down until the last who done it was outed and believe me I did not see that coming even though I usually have an idea within the first few chapters, Mmmmm. Acquire " The Connecticut Corpse " today for hours of entertainment. 😀Kat

[Judi Politte-Downs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. The descriptions were so full of adjectives that one could see absolutely every detail. Add i read, I wondered if it was written for a movie with so much detail. The twists and turns kept me in suspense. When I got to the point of "come on, just figure it out, I'm exhausted" you see as I read I became the characters. Anyway, that was when the author revealed the killer. The book would everything up and was totally enjoyable. I did not give 5 stats because I was so tired after playing all the roles in my head. I guess that is a sign of a very good author.

[Michele Northwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Agatha Christie type murder mystery - but more humorous: A big house, an expected inheritance, snowstorms that prevent people leaving the estate, and various deaths which put everyone else in the house under suspicion.
The characters are wacky and over the top. When they turn into amateur sleuths to try and discover just exactly what is going on in the big old house, it made for interesting reading.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in the series and the first time reading this author. The main character is Jill. She ends up going to her Aunt's place to stay there until she gets $100,000 for staying there. It is all part of her will. Only after 3 days and 3 murders and a dozen hidden passageways. With no idea who is involved, Jill starts asking questions and getting some answers but not enough. Can she figure this out before it's too late ?

[Kathie Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book but it bogged down in places!

There was too much wandering around in secret passages, and it just dragged in spots. If you continue it was interesting but I didn't need to know about every secret passage and cobwebs and dust. In addition the villain changed back and forth and they couldn't decide who was really a villain and if they should be turned in. Sorry but If you kill people you are a villain and should go to jail!

[Julie Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this story and found it to be an entertaining read.

It is threaded with 'bumbling' humour, where several characters are invited to a large house so to inherit...but then trouble begins

The story is well-written and fast-paced, and though it has a farce-like feel, that only added to the humour.

Worth a look.

[Eirlys · Rating 4 out of 5]

A caper indeed

An engaging story with many twists and red herrings. Jill, relatives and friends of her deceased aunty, Matt, are all summoned to stay at the family estate. They were a mixed bunch of characters who interacted with each other in suspicious ways. Funny and intriguing story.

[Elaine B. Conn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was hard to read. I know it's fiction, but why so many dead people. Also, it was supposed to take place in CT and half of the time you would have thought it was taking place in England. And the sheriff's "New England accent" was so fake. I'm from New England and we sound nothing like the sheriff. I skipped so much of the story. I would not read anything by this author again.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an old fashioned who done it: a group of people in a big old scary house, a ghost who roams the hall, weird noises, wild storm outside….but in my opinion it tried a bit too hard. I would like to have seen a bit of strong editing to cut down a lot of the descriptive trivia that I feel bogged the storyline down.

[Tamara Blackwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun

When her recently deceased aunt's will dictates a week-long stay in her haunted mansion, things get interesting fast for Jill and others who may benefit from Aunt Mat's death. A funny, twisty mystery that keeps you guessing.

[Roxanne Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is typically out of my genre preference but I found it to be intriguing, a somewhat twisted multiple murder mystery that will keep you guessing. Wonderfully engaging characters and sprinkled with a good dose of humor to keep things off balance.

[Amber Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy mystery

This at first seemed a lot like a parody and an enjoyable one at that. Everything about this book is kooky, from the characters to the mystery itself. A fun read that is very bizarre.