The Executed Executive

Nosy Parkers Mysteries #4

by Gena Webb

Mary Wright is living a predictable life as a secretary in San Antonio, Texas. But when her boss is murdered, Mary goes into full-blown Girl Detective mode. A chance encounter with a charming private investigator gives her hope that she can solve the case even if the police can’t. If not, she’s in trouble, because the killer seems to have set his sights on her.Inspired by the famous Girl Detective, the members of the Olentangy Heights Girls' Detective Society, affectionately known as the Nosy Parkers, spent their formative years studying criminology, codes, and capers. Opportunities to practice their unique skills were thin in their little corner of post-WWII suburbia, so they eventually grew up to pursue more sensible careers. Yet mysteries seem to follow them wherever they go.

Genres: Mystery, Crime

294 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2020

About the author

Gena Webb aka Kay Wyont



Gena Webb’s passion has always been writing, but through the years it took second place to her other endeavor—serving her country. Born in California, she enlisted in the Air Force a few years after high school graduation. Her first assignment was as a computer operator in Omaha, Nebraska.

Eventually, she ended up in San Antonio, Texas, where she retired after serving more than 23 years. Eight months later, she got bored being a bum and went back to the Air Force where she served in a civilian capacity for another 19-plus years.

If Gena’s learned anything in her life, it's this: God is in control, He has a plan, and that plan includes only what is best for us. Although her books aren't "preachy" by any stretch of the imagination, she does tend to put that concept into her novels. Everyone could occasionally use a gentle reminder to live by faith, don't you think?

She currently lives in San Antonio with her wonderful, supportive husband of many years. Her children/stepchildren are scattered throughout the country, although their one daughter lives two houses away. This comes in handy when they want to travel, since she doesn't have to walk too far to feed their indoor kitty babies and the 4,000 stray cats that have taken up residence in the yard. That might be a slight exaggeration, but there are quite a few.

Gena Webb also writes under the pen name of Kay Wyont. Both of her series (The Misadventures of Miss Write and Alamo City Mystery) are set in San Antonio. They are liberally sprinkled with humor and the flavor of her adopted hometown. A percentage of all proceeds from her novels are donated to various charitable organizations. Visit her website at www.genawebb.com.

Reviews

[Kim Armstrong · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Executed Executive:
Set in 1957, Mary Wright (protagonist) is a secretary for the elderly Chairman of the Board, Arlo Fischer at a Texas oil company. Arlo falls asleep/snoozes at his desk regularly and nods off dictating notes with Mary. On Friday, after delivering the typed reports to her boss who she finds snoozing at his desk again, Mary leaves work. Returning to work Monday, she finds that Arlo has been murdered, and she may have been the last person to see him alive. Mary finds herself drawn into the middle of the investigation and is caught in some dangerous situations.

I enjoyed the pace and flow of the book. The characters were likable, and the story held my interest. I really enjoyed the relationship that developed with Mary and Stewart, as well as Ellie and Jessica with their busy-body ways.

The mystery, for me, was lacking. I didn’t feel there were any clues leading up to the murderer to help “solve” the murder. There were a few things mentioned in dialogue and a letter, but nothing other than those minimal clues. **Spoiler** The murderer was not even introduced in the story until the last few chapters.

It is a clean, faith-based mystery/romance. It was an easy read, I finished this book in about 3 hours. Overall it is a fun, light read.

I recommend this one for those who enjoy cozy mysteries. Thank you to Voracious Readers Only for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Emily]

Mary lives simply, working Monday to Friday, attending Sunday service, and eating at a favorite diner. Her life fits within a cozy ten-mile radius, which only gets homier despite the disruption that is her boss’s murder. Suddenly, she finds God’s helpers are everywhere: at work, her best friend Felicia; at home, her landlady Ellie; and at the diner, her favorite waitress, Jess. Even in the midst of the chaos, Mary is hardly alone. On top of that, as a secretary at an upturned oil business, clues to boss Arlo’s murder seem to fall into her lap, along with the handsome men who would help her solve it, not least among which includes private investigator Peter Meyers.

As the case gets more personal, Mary finds her life under threat. Can she find the killer before he finds her?

Since lockdown, my brain has been itching to read either a romance… or a murder mystery. You’d think deciding between the two genres would be like picking either Chinese or Italian food for dinner, but in this case, when I got Gena Webb’s The Executed Executive from Voracious Readers Only, it was more like ordering a coffee beside my apple pie (a simile I’m sure cake-loving protagonist Mary would appreciate!). It was sweet for its romantic content and bitter for its murder content. A perfect mix.

However, I felt as if the book fails at balancing Mary’s detective work and personal life. Where the book succeeds with banter, it doesn’t quite hold up as a true detective novel. Mary proves a capable woman and snoop throughout, but her case doesn’t exactly challenge her, as it all falls apart with one letter.

Not to mention, readers get subjected to the humdrum of everyday life. Characters go on for pages about their favorite foods, sleeping arrangements, and scones. It’s cute and believable but tends to drag on.

Obviously, Webb is a competent writer. The characters are charming. The pacing was there. No scene felt unnecessary. But The Executed Executive couldn’t quite find its balance between romance and mystery. Still, I’d read more from Webb. You cannot deny her character’s wit.

[Alyssa C · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I started out enjoying this as a light little summer read, some fun detective work and stuff. Then about halfway through, things just started unraveling. Not to mention the men patronizing the main female character because she was “too weak” and “didn’t know what she was doing” which always annoys me. Especially in books written by women. Then, for the last third of the book, it was all of a sudden a religious character out of nowhere.

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

Things started moving quite fast and also incredibly slow. Mary and Peter started talking about marriage and how they love each other after 5 days. All of a sudden, Aaron knows who the murderer is and it’s a good idea to let him DO IT HIMSELF? No.

I can’t say I recommend this book.

Though I did receive a free ARC from the author, all opinions are my own.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in San Antonio, Texas, in 1957, The Executed Executive gives a glimpse into the lifestyle and technology available then to single young women, including shorthand, steno pools and new, top-of-the-line Smith Corona typewriters.

Mary Wright is a 24-year-old secretary who longs for an exciting life, but instead spends her weekend nights, alone, watching detective shows, and her weekdays typing and taking dictation for Arlo Fischer, the elderly Chairman of the Board of an oil company. Mary is quite fond of Arlo who refuses to retire from the family business and frequently falls asleep while dictating his lengthy drilling reports to her. An office mate jokes irreverently that Arlo could die at his desk and nobody would notice that he’s dead and not napping.

Mary believes she’s left Arlo asleep in his office late one Friday. But when she returns to work Monday morning, she is informed that he's dead. Mary brushes off her sleuthing skills from her days in the Girls’ Detective Agency and with the help of her widowed landlady and a private investigator, she aims to find out who killed her beloved boss.

Mary is a well-drawn, compassionate character true to the time period when young women adorned in gloves and patent-leather pumps endured carbon paper and catcalls at their workplace, and counted pecks on the cheek as romance. She's college-educated, rather independent and feisty when she needs to be.

Aside from the murder to solve which has plenty of suspects, but few clues, Mary makes time for several mouth-watering trips to the Pig Stand, the local diner/BBQ spot that had me wishing for a pulled pork sandwich while I read. Desserts are plentiful, too, and Mary isn’t shy about eating her share—and other’s.

The secondary characters are entertaining and I’d look forward to seeing them in future books. The dialogue is natural and witty and the bantering is well done.

I enjoyed the intergenerational relationship that develops between Ellie and Mary and the ongoing relationship with Jessica. Ellie and Jessica add humor in their roles as matchmakers and mother hens to Mary.

The plot moves at a steady clip and finishes almost too quickly with an epilogue-like closing that had me scrolling back to make sure I hadn’t missed any chapters. I would like to have read more.

The romantic developments were enjoyable to follow but the declarations of love seemed a bit sudden since the majority of the story takes place over two weeks.

This book is categorized as a Cozy Mystery and a Christian Historical Mystery--and I would throw in a little Rom-Com--with no offensive language, little violence onstage and a “sweet” romance. Religious/faith references are lightly drawn throughout and may be slightly jarring in some places than others where they are more woven into the story.

The Executed Executive is Book 4 of a 5-book series by multiple authors. I hadn’t read any others in the series, but I could follow the brief mentions of Mary’s friends who may be in previous books.

Overall, I enjoyed the writing style and voice and I look forward to reading other books by this author. I recommend this book to readers interested in a light, wholesome mystery with a touch of romance, especially one set in the 1950s.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.

[Ellie Ness · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to take a break from reading and attempting to write Tartan Noir and turn to an author new to me, Gena Webb, who also writes under the name Kay Wyont. The main protagonist of The Executed Executive is Mary Write who has also appeared in The Misadventures of Miss Write series – The Write Decision and One Strange Accident. Luckily, there were enough details about Mary in this novel to read it without that prior knowledge. The Executed Executive is set in San Antonio, Texas, and is a novel in the Nosy Parkers Mysteries. The series is written by several different authors, and you don’t have to read them in sequence. All are set in the 1950s, in different locations throughout the world.

So, to this book in particular. We very quickly learn about Mary and her life working in a San Antonio office with a kindly elderly boss Arlo and various other family members who don’t seem to value Arlo as much as she does. Mary is the kind of character who sees her flaws in the mirror and seems genuinely surprised when men find her attractive.

On the Friday Mary leaves work after seeing Arlo snoozing in his office as he often does but is shocked to find on the Monday morning that he has been murdered and that she may have either have been the last person to see him alive or the first person to see him dead but not realise it at the time.

50s America is well caught by the author with the use of vocabulary like “cool”, “scuttlebutt” and “don’t have a cow” which seem anachronistic but according to the etymology of those words and phrases are spot on for 1950s America. TV and musical references fit well with the setting of the book. One thing that made me laugh though was how many scones Mary could put away in one sitting. For the sake of Mary’s thighs I hope scones were significantly smaller in the 50s than they are now.

This is a murder mystery that is more in keeping with a Miss Marple or a Midsomer Murder because including the murder itself and the dangerous scrapes Mary finds herself in, there’s no gore that would shock those of a nervous disposition. It’s more of a PG13 than an R. I use that rating deliberately because I think the novel would make a good TV Movie or as the pilot episode of a TV show. The novel included a lot of dialogue between characters and Mary’s thought processes are articulated.

Without giving away too many plot details, most of the initial suspects are in Mary’s office so she is asked by the handsome policeman to do a bit of snooping for them. Mary also helps a private detective hired by the family who own the business. Mary finds herself in danger throughout the novel but has helpers along the way, sometimes from surprising quarters. The subplot has a rom-com feel. There is a satisfactory denouement and the guilty get their just desserts while the innocent just get dessert.

Thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 4/5

[Kiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 💀Executed Executive💀 by #GenaWebb is a thrilling mystery novel where with the death of a seemingly harmless boss becomes even more complicated when the suspects are his family.

** I would like to express my thanks to ☆ Gena Webb ☆ for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review **

What can I say, I love me a good mystery novel. This book was easy to read and started in a very cute way, where the MFC and her landlord get off spiffingly. Their relationship and banter becoming my favorite parts of this novel, the novel starting off on a very light tone. We then are retched out of this beautiful song of harmony to the death of the FMC’s harmless boss. All of the family are suspects, and you can’t tell who actually murdered the man. I usually am able to pick up who the killer is in novels from the details the author gives, but in this one I was very much in suspense the entire time. There were many false alarms, there were many close scrapes, and there was a lot of action that made my heart pump.

I really liked the writing of the author, where we are in a time of the new arrival of pagers, mail carts, typewriters, and dictating letters to send off to clients. The relationship between the characters was great and I laughed out loud in many places. I also liked that many of the characters were very candid in their conversations, all showing their weaknesses and flaws, especially in the time of a loved ones death. The character’s sorrow felt very realistic.

I recommend this to anyone who wants a mystery novel that keeps you guessing at every page!

Repost of Review from Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C4_Kr6XBvQ6/

[Mr D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary, a young woman who dreams of her time as part of the Nosey Parkers, loves her job as a secretary in a 1950's Texas oil company. Her boss, Arlo, is head of the family-run business. Mary puts up with the older man and his funny ways of nodding off mid-dictation. One particular Friday afternoon, Mary finishes taking dictation and leaves. She returns the following Monday to discover the police at her place of work and her boss dead. Mary was the last person to see Arlo alive and a potential suspect.

Torn between her love for the job, the family, a charismatic detective and a stranger that catches her eye in her friend's diner, the Pig Stand, can Mary help solve the mystery of Arlo's death? Who can she trust, and will her cat be safe?

I enjoyed this book. Sometimes I find books of this genre can be quite hard going. The only tricky part that I found was putting it down long enough to do something else, like make dinner. I constantly found myself wanting to turn the page to see what else was going to happen and whether Mary had any more "Rules of investigation."

That said, the story isn't overly complicated. Not that that's a bad thing. The story flows quite well, but I wanted more, especially in the book's last quarter, where I found it came to an ending seemingly far too quickly for my liking.

Did it spoil my enjoyment of the book? Not at all. I now want to go and find out more about Mary, hopefully in future books, and her friends in the Nosey Parker series.

[Ann Holler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story begins in on a Friday in September 1957 in San Antonio, Texas, with stenographer Mary Wright and oil executive Arlo Fischer. Mary would rather be a detective than a secretary, but she is genuinely fond of Arlo, her boss.

Because he naps so much, Mary and a fellow secretary imagine the eighty-four-year-old Arlo dying at his desk. Are they foreshadowing a murder? When Mary leaves the office at the end of the week, Arlo is asleep at his desk. But is he really asleep? Back at work Monday morning, Mary is shocked to learn that Arlo is indeed dead, and may have passed away on Friday.

From this point the story continues with additional characters, dangers, clues, and red herrings, some more fully developed than others. The author invites the reader into the story by describing sounds, smells and tastes. The descriptions are sensory, but not sensual.

The story has five detectives: the amateur Mary, the two TV detectives, the police detective, and a private detective. The plot introduces at least four mysteries. Who murdered Arlo? How will the Fischer family dynamics be resolved? Will the company survive? And who will be Mary's love interest? Then two more questions arise. Will anyone else be hurt? Will Mary be safe when she is at work or at home alone?

Keep reading to find out and to join the requisite gathering of all the surviving characters at the very end for a complete explanation.

The author is a retired Air Force senior Master Sergeant and a Mensa life member. All proceeds from this novel benefit the San Antonio Food Bank.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is set in San Antonio, Texas in 1957.

It follows 24 year old Mary Wright, a secretary for Arlo Fischer, a forgetful but friendly older gentleman, who spends more time napping at his desk than he does anything else.
The ongoing joke around the office is that he will die at his desk and nobody will notice because they will all think he is sleeping.

Unfortunately for Mary, she arrives at work one morning to discover that her boss did die at his desk and the circumstances were anything but natural.

Mary soon finds herself involved in the mystery of her boss’s death, helping Detective Chisholm and Private Detective, Peter Meyers as they try to figure out who would want to kill Arlo and why?

Pressure mounts as somebody realises that Mary and Peter might be onto them and the pair soon know that their time is running out, they now need to solve the mystery before they themselves become victims.

I really loved this story, Mary is a great character and I absolutely loved Ellie and the way her and Mary’s relationship progressed. I really liked how Peter came into their lives and I liked that moment in the restaurant when Peter made up his mind about Stewart.

This story was a fun easy read and I enjoyed the journey, as the suspect list grew and shrank and I tried to guess who the killer was. I really enjoyed this story, the way it was written and the way the characters interacted, it was well worth the read.

[Abigail Mohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review*

3.5 stars
San Antonio, Texas, 1957. Mary Wright is a secretary in the successful company Fischer Inc., run by a grandfather, his son, and grandsons. She enjoys her uncomplicated and simple life, though she's always longed to be a detective. When the grandfather is murdered, she finds herself caught up in the mystery of who killed him, along with a handsome private detective and the victim's grandsons.

This was fun! It was a bit outside of my normal genre (I'm normally not a cozy mystery person) but I enjoyed this anyway. The romance felt a bit rushed to me, but it was still cute, and I liked all of the main characters. The mystery itself was predictable, in my opinion, but it was well-developed and executed. I also enjoyed the Christian characters and theology sprinkled throughout. It wasn't overwhelming or preachy, but gave an extra bit of meaning to the story.

Overall, even though I might not have been exactly the target audience for this story, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing was a bit choppy at times, but it was sweet and charming, and even though the stakes weren't as high as they are in books I normally read, I still found myself on the edge of my seat at times. If you're a fan of mysteries without too much blood and guts, with relatable, entertaining characters, The Executed Executive might suit you.

[Jo Budden · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Chairman of the Board of Fischer, Inc., Arlo Fischer, dies in mysterious circumstances there really doesn't seem to be any clues as to whodunnit.

His secretary Mary is working undercover for the police and fulfilling her lifelong dream to emulate a hero, the Girl Detective, Nancy Drew. However, when she is burgled & involved in a car crash, it seems the killer might think she's getting too close.

With a dash of romance thrown in, this cosy mystery set in 1950s San Antonio, Texas was an enjoyable quick read from author, Gena Webb. And how could you not love a heroine who would "rather spend her hard-earned money on books and magazines than clothes"?

I loved the flow of the book but felt that while the red herring trope was quite clear, the cosy mystery tenet of providing clues to whodunnit were either not there or too cloaked. Whilst the novel can be read as a standalone, the fact I also had to look up who the Olentangy Heights chapter of the Girls' Detective Society were emulating was also a bit of a fail NB. It was Nancy Drew.

Thanks to the author via Voracious Readers Only for the chance to read her book. I will definitely be looking out the rest of the Nosy Parkers series.

[Ant · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like this book could have been so much more.

After all, the plot is promising: an oil baron is quietly murdered in his office, who amongst the family business could possibly gain the most from his death?

Unfortunately, the primary character (the deceased baron's secretary) has no agency at all in the plot; she doesn't really drive the story forward. Everything just sort of happens around her, while she eats her way through multiple discussions with various other characters.

Those discussions are primarily the way the plot is pushed forward, along with a fair bit of proselytizing which was written in a manner that turned me off.

Finally, when we get to the reveal (ho-hum) and a bit of action, what does the main character do? She prays. So ... what should have been a suspenseful moment with a bit of derring-do turns into a religious journey of faith. No thanks.

There were plenty of mentions of mid to late 1950's items which did seem to accurately place the story into it's timeframe. But every character also seemed to be a pastiche of an average white middle-class 1950's person, be it male or female.

Better pacing (less moving of the plot via lengthy discussions over food), less religion, more diverse characters would have elevated this book markedly.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the author via VRO in exchange for this review.

[Ashleigh Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in 1957, Mary likes her uncomplicated life. During the day, she is the secretary to an old man who tends to fall asleep when dictating notes. At night, she curls up with her cat to watch detective shows. Life is good. But when a murder at her office puts her job in jeopardy and makes her friend a suspect, she puts her detective skills to the test.

One of the first things to draw me into this book was the fact that the main character loved to watch Perry Mason. I grew up watching the reruns of my mother's favorite show. It was very easy to relate to Mary and I really enjoyed the world the author created and the romantic subplots.

By the end of the first chapter, I knew the story would be about a secretary named Mary and there was a hint as to who the "Executed Executive" would be. However, there was not much of a hook and, while I was intrigued, I wasn't dying to read the next chapter. As the book continued, however, I was drawn into the story and by the end of chapter three I was completely invested. I found myself working alongside the main character trying to solve the mystery of whodunit. (I was close. The person I suspected turned out to be an unwilling accomplice.)

This book is the fourth in a series although, for the most part, it felt as if I was being introduced to the main character for the first time. There were some references to childhood exploits, but I was not sure whether that was the previous books or just backstory. It didn't matter. This book was able to stand on its own without having read the others.

Overall, I found the story highly engaging. I enjoyed the familial relationships as well as those Mary has with her friends. I found the story creative and imaginative and look forward to reading more by this author.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary lives her days working as a secretary for Arlo. Her life is quite predictable and mundane, until the day she learns that Arlo has been murdered. Now, she must work with the handsome private investigator, her newfound friend that happens to be Arlo’s grandson, and her new “adopted” mom that’s also her landlady to help bring justice to Arlo.

This was a quick, easy read that satisfied my desire for a fluffier read than the thrillers and mystery novels I had been reading. I will say that the romance and Christian aspects of the book felt way too forced and sudden for my liking, like they were included because they were expected, not because they happened naturally. Besides that, it was good, kept my attention, and was easy to read on a nice, chilly day.

I recommend this one to fans of cozy mysteries and clean romances. Thank you to Voracious Readers Only and Journey Fiction for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Executed Executive, Mary is leading a seemingly simple life as a secretary who enjoys staying home and watching her favorite TV detective series. That quiet life changes when her boss, Arlo is killed. With the help of a handsome newcomer and her bossy but lovable landlord, Mary becomes a detective in a real life murder investigation.
I really enjoyed the fun, quirky, and very "human" characters in this book. Mary is a very likable lady always looking for the best in everybody else. And her landlord Ellie is a hoot.
I also liked that this book was a murder mystery with clean language and without too much blood and gore; different from many of the current mysteries.
I received a complimentary copy of The Executed Executive via Voracious Readers Only. This is the first book I've read in this series, and the first book I've read by this author. I hope to read more of both!
Would recommend!

[CR1017 · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review of The Executed Executive by Gena Webb
The story takes place in 1950s San Antonio, Texas. Our heroine is Mary Wright, a secretary for Fischer Inc., a big oil company.
Mary's boss is murdered, and she becomes determined to figure out who did it and why, since by all accounts her boss was well respected and loved.
Despite several suspects and some compelling circumstantial evidence, the police seem incapable of discovering the killer's identity.
Cue the entrance of the private detective (& Mary's potential love interest), Peter. The whole "boy meets girl, boy & girl face danger together & fall in love" subplot is developed.
Romance blossoms and eventually the mystery is solved, though in somewhat quick fashion.
An enjoyable read, though I personally could have done without some of the underlying religious themes.

I received a free copy of the book via Voracious Readers Only, in return for a review.

[Chantil · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

Set in the 1950s, a secretary gets mixed up with investigating a murder at her company.
I really enjoyed this book, it's a nice fast-paced crime story and a light read that I enjoyed over a couple of evenings, although I could quite happily have read it over a single evening.

I enjoyed all the characters and the story was interesting and kept me guessing. There is a romantic element, with our heroine falling for the private detective working the case, but being set in the 50s it's a very conservative affair, so you won't be put off if romance isn't your thing. My only slight criticism is that this doesn't feel very historical to me, other than the conservative nature of the characters, this could be set in any time period, which I feel is a bit of a shame.

[Shana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Executed Executive by Gena Webb is a novel in the Nosey Parkers Mysteries. This book was a great and fun read and I absolutely enjoyed every minute of it!
You fall in love with the main character Mary right from the very beginning. She is a smart and fun-living secretary who (with the help of friends) is committed to finding the person who murdered her sweet and kind elderly boss Arlo, and through all the craziness finds love.
This was my first time reading a book from the Nosey Parker Mysteries and I loved how it was such a light and cozy read. This book was well written and very descriptive, making you feel as if you are in the story as well. I can not wait to read the other books apart of this collection and solving more mysteries as well!
Thank you Voracious Readers Only for a feee copy of this book!

[Shecky Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Executed Executive by Gena Webb. Mary was a secretary to Arlo Fisher. Arlo was an older gentleman who often took naps while Mary was dictating. She would patiently wait for him to nap and then continue on once he awoke. On Friday, Mary left her work on Arlo’s desk while he was napping. When she went back to work on Monday there was a bunch of commotion at work. She realized that Arlo was killed, and murdered. The detective took everyone in for questioning and ended up asking Mary if she would be able to keep a lookout and see if she could find a bit more information about the murder.

I enjoyed the twists and turns of this story from the beginning till the end with a tiny bit of romance thrown in. It was able to capture my attention throughout the entire book. A great and easily readable book.

[Reconciliation · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this !

What a breath of fresh air this is. I loved reading about Mary and how she ends up in the middle of the murder of her boss Arlo.

The description of a bygone era without the technological advancements we have was second to none, and an era I would have loved to have been a part of.

Mary, Peter, Ellie, and Stewart find themselves involved in the investigation, as events unfold to reveal who the murderer actually is. I’ve read a lot of murder mystery books, and I can honestly say I had not decided who the culprit was until it was revealed.

For those who love a good, clean, mystery, which flows really well, with good detail, good description, and a fabulous heroine, this is for you.

I received a free copy in return for this honest review.

[April Flach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 4 out of 5 in the Nosy Parkers series.

San Antonio, Texas, 1957.
Mary Wright is a secretary at the successful, family run, oil company, Fischer Inc. She enjoys her uncomplicated and simple life, although she's always longed to be a detective. When the grandfather, the Chairman of the Board, is murdered, she finds herself caught up in the mystery of who killed him, along side a handsome private detective and the victim's grandsons.

I enjoyed this book. Although there wasn't a lot of suspense, like most mysteries I've read, I still found myself engrossed and unable to put it down at times. Like most romances, the relationship happened a little fast, and honestly fell a little flat to me. I wish there was more substance there. I also wish there was a little more background on the Nosy Parkers, but I guess I will have to read the first book for that. And from the small synopses in the back of the book, the rest of the series sounds inviting. All in all, a very good, clean read, with laugh out loud moments. The author sure knows how to tell a story.

I received a free digital review copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only, in exchange for my honest review. Thank you Gena Webb for this opportunity.

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Executed Executive was sent to me as a complementary review copy, by Voraciousreaders.com. This is a book I really like! It has all the hallmarks of a crime and thriller novel in one book. It is beautifully written, drawing the reader further into the story. I was hooked from the first chapter; the characters are real and have interesting 'back stories', these are ordinary people in an ordinary world. The way the characters act together and react to what happens is revealing. The solution to the puzzle? Read the book! But this has more to it than just crime; the different threads allow the read to decide for themselves what the story is really about. I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by this author.

[Michele Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

The executive of an oil company in Texas is shot and killed in his office on a Friday evening. On coming to work Monday morning his secretary is told that he was deceased. After speaking with the detective working on the case she learns he was murdered. The police detective asks her to listen at work and let him know if she finds out anything. Meanwhile, one of the brothers hires a private detective as well. Together, she and the private detective aid in the hunt for the killer. As usual, the killer is not anyone that was suspected. Kept my attention throughout, finished in one night of reading.

[Northern Light · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary is a secretary who lives alone with her cat. Her dream is to be a detective but that looks unlikely. After a sudden death though she becomes involved with finding out what really took place.

A lovely gentle read which doesn't ask too much of the reader. I really liked the new relationships Mary develops as at the beginning she seems lost and alone. They seem to develop naturally if a little quickly at times.

Like other books by the author the violence is never gratuitous and the novel is unusually chaste.

Although book four in the series it can easily be read on its own.

I received this book for free and the views expressed are solely my own.

[Mark Pearce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received a free copy from VRO in return for an honest review.

An enjoyable quick read, with enough to keep me interested to finish in 2 sittings.

A couple minor negatives - the first being the references and inclusion of prayer details. To me, that was forced and unnecessary and detracted from the story. The second is the reference to stereotypical English food (I am English). The author should have at least checked her description of scones, as it was certainly nothing to do with English scones.

Aside from that, I enjoyed it enough to be prepared to give both the author and the series another try.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I like to start a series at the beginning the story drew me in along with whom wrote it. Mary is the one whom got my attention especially when she became something else midway thanks to a murder. She believes she can save the day as girl detective going after the no good killer of her boss. Not to mention then there is that private detective that seemed to help put that bee in her bonnet. The time era helped shape this one also. A good mystery with humor to boot that keeps those ole pages turning. She better get it together though or she will be the next one that might be investigating.

[Shelley Macgregor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good old fashioned murder mystery solving and romance in one. No swearing, no sex, a smidge of violence. A quick read that never got boring. The only thing that ever bugged me was the constant chuckling - who does that? It's a weird word when it's used so often. The characters were sweet without being saccharine, and the 1957 setting was nicely realized. There are references to God every so often, so if that's going to bother you, (read a review of Midnight Mass last week by someone feeling "excluded" because it had too much religion in it; I mean, really, what do you think Mass is?) you can read something else.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the same company as the great TV sleuths, Mary Wright thinks fast and smarter than most.
I loved this book and am glad I chose to read it from Voracious Readers Only. If I hadn’t had to work, I would have had it read in one sitting, but could hardly wait to get home to find out what happened next.
Just when you think you might have figured out who the killer is, the writer spins it into another direction and you second-guess yourself…right until the last few pages. I can’t wait to read the other books Ms. Webb has written and the other Nosy Parkers Mysteries by the other authors in this series.

[Linda Rupp · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I received this book free in exchange for my honest opinion.
I enjoyed reading The Executed Executive. This is not a long novel, roughly 125 pages. The story is set in the 1950s. The head of a company is killed and his secretary, who imagines herself a sleuth on the side, sets to solving his murder. The book is filled with both drama and humor appropriate to the time period. It was a quick read. As someone who appreciates Faith being represented in books, the author represented it, but not in a heavy handed way. She chose to weave it subtly through the story. Based on this one book, I'd read more of Gena Webb’s books.

[Glenda Cates]

The Executed Executive is about a amateur sleuth novel aa girl detective which made me want to dive into the book as soon as possible because I love Girl Detectives. The characters were likable, the story was clean and a good read. This was a fast book for me to read because once I started I didn't want to put it down.

The story is set in the 1900s and it begins in on a Friday in September 1957 in San Antonio, Texas, which is a hop skip and jump form where I live. Stenographer Mary Wright and oil executive Arlo Fischer are the main characters. Mary would rather be a detective than a secretary, but she is genuinely fond of Arlo, her boss. Because he naps so much