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Miss Fortune Mystery #20
Frightfully Fortune
Rest when you’re dead?
It’s time for the annual Halloween festival in Sinful, and Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie can’t wait to suit up and enjoy the food and activities. But when a dead man gallops through the park on a black stallion and slides to a decapitated stop right in front of Swamp Team 3, they know another festival is about to be turned on its head…so to speak.
Gil Forrest never won any popularity contests and his dramatic and somewhat horrifying ride isn’t going to improve his statistics. But since his body was supposed to be tucked away in a funeral home, no one could explain how it ended up on a horse in the middle of the festival. Everything about the set-up is strange and Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie suspect there is more to the Headless Horseman ride than just a tasteless prank. And they plan to find out what it is.
It’s time for the annual Halloween festival in Sinful, and Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie can’t wait to suit up and enjoy the food and activities. But when a dead man gallops through the park on a black stallion and slides to a decapitated stop right in front of Swamp Team 3, they know another festival is about to be turned on its head…so to speak.
Gil Forrest never won any popularity contests and his dramatic and somewhat horrifying ride isn’t going to improve his statistics. But since his body was supposed to be tucked away in a funeral home, no one could explain how it ended up on a horse in the middle of the festival. Everything about the set-up is strange and Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie suspect there is more to the Headless Horseman ride than just a tasteless prank. And they plan to find out what it is.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 2, 2021
1020 people are currently reading
978 people want to read
About the author
Jana Deleon
102 books4,235 followersNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jana DeLeon was raised in southwest Louisiana among the bayous and gators. Her hometown is Carlyss, but you probably won't find it on a map. Her family owned a camp located on a bayou just off the Gulf of Mexico that you could only get there by boat. The most important feature was the rope hammock hanging in the shade on a huge deck that stretched out over the water where Jana spent many hours reading books.
Jana and her brother spent thousands of hours combing the bayous in a flat-bottom aluminum boat, studying the natural habitat of many birds, nutria and alligators. She would like you to know that no animals were injured during these "studies," but they kept makers of peroxide in business.
Jana has never stumbled across a mystery or a ghost like her heroines, but she's still hopeful.
She now resides in Dallas, Texas, with the most spoiled Sheltie in the world.
Jana and her brother spent thousands of hours combing the bayous in a flat-bottom aluminum boat, studying the natural habitat of many birds, nutria and alligators. She would like you to know that no animals were injured during these "studies," but they kept makers of peroxide in business.
Jana has never stumbled across a mystery or a ghost like her heroines, but she's still hopeful.
She now resides in Dallas, Texas, with the most spoiled Sheltie in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 402 reviews
October 22, 2021
Always fun, always delightful, always a mystery to solve and always, always wonderful characters. If you want to leave reality behind, pick up this book, you won't be disappointed.
With Fortune, Gertie and Ida Belle taking off this year's Halloween Festival, what could possible go wrong? Well, when a dead man gallops through the park doing a very credible impersonation of the Headless Horseman and dumps his head in Gertie's lap, it's just like old times.
Gil Forrest was never as popular and he thought he was. He was always too loud, too brash and always the great actor he envisioned himself to be. His appearance at the Halloween Festival was totally unexpected, he was supposed to be tucked away in a funeral parlor because he was killed in a carjacking in New Orleans. Say what?
The Swamp Team 3 is intrigued by this Halloween prank and want nothing more than to find out who is behind it. Carter isn't sharing info, but when did that ever stop Fortune and company from investigating? And this one is a lot more than it appears.
With Fortune, Gertie and Ida Belle taking off this year's Halloween Festival, what could possible go wrong? Well, when a dead man gallops through the park doing a very credible impersonation of the Headless Horseman and dumps his head in Gertie's lap, it's just like old times.
Gil Forrest was never as popular and he thought he was. He was always too loud, too brash and always the great actor he envisioned himself to be. His appearance at the Halloween Festival was totally unexpected, he was supposed to be tucked away in a funeral parlor because he was killed in a carjacking in New Orleans. Say what?
The Swamp Team 3 is intrigued by this Halloween prank and want nothing more than to find out who is behind it. Carter isn't sharing info, but when did that ever stop Fortune and company from investigating? And this one is a lot more than it appears.
January 17, 2022
Rounding up since I think this is a case of me-not-you.
After 20 books, I'm just a wee bit weary of Sinful, Louisiana.
Swamp Team 3 is at it again and again involved in a mystery connected to the annual Halloween festival.
The ending was guess-able but not predictable. The characters spend a lot of time in New Orleans, providing a nice break from Celia drama. (Don't worry, she'll still get horribly insulted every time she shows up.) And there actually is some additional character growth from Fortune, which was a pleasant surprise.
But even with all those positives, I dragged myself through this one. It took months. I just could not find it in me to care. I think it is time for an extended break.
(The problem is, you take a three month break and suddenly there are three new books in this series! Deleon is PROLIFIC.)
After 20 books, I'm just a wee bit weary of Sinful, Louisiana.
Swamp Team 3 is at it again and again involved in a mystery connected to the annual Halloween festival.
The ending was guess-able but not predictable. The characters spend a lot of time in New Orleans, providing a nice break from Celia drama. (Don't worry, she'll still get horribly insulted every time she shows up.) And there actually is some additional character growth from Fortune, which was a pleasant surprise.
But even with all those positives, I dragged myself through this one. It took months. I just could not find it in me to care. I think it is time for an extended break.
(The problem is, you take a three month break and suddenly there are three new books in this series! Deleon is PROLIFIC.)
October 31, 2021
I truly love these three troublemakers. I appreciate the author’s imagination even more. She never runs out of shenanigans and keeps the series fresh. As always, I’m looking forward to the next book.
May 8, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. Jana and this series does not disappoint. Fortune and gang hit all the right spots with laugh out loud humour, a fantastic mystery and quirky people.
It's Halloween in Sinful. When a dead man rides through the festival and stops right in front of the trio, losing his head into Gertie's arms, the mystery takes off.
It's Halloween in Sinful. When a dead man rides through the festival and stops right in front of the trio, losing his head into Gertie's arms, the mystery takes off.
September 20, 2023
Love the series.
But I thought Gertie and Ida Bell bought Fortune a hot tub as a gift for Christmas in a Swamp Santa book. ???
But I thought Gertie and Ida Bell bought Fortune a hot tub as a gift for Christmas in a Swamp Santa book. ???
August 12, 2023
Another good and amusing read in the Miss Fortune Mystery series. Again the book follows the tried and well working formula of this series. That of course means that it starts with Fortune & Co discovering a body under mysterious as well as hilarious circumstances.
Well, I guess it cannot really be said to be a “discovery” when the corpse in question rode into the Halloween festivities on a horse… without his head. The horse was alive by the way.
What follows is the usual investigations interspersed with various misfortunes ranging from funny to hilarious. All while trying to evade Carter of course… and the wrath of Celia Arceneaux after her having been chased out of a maze by a skunk that just happened to fly in her way that and of course, according to the psychopathic bitch in question, was Fortune’s fault.
Sounds weird and crazy? Nah, just another day in Sinful.
Of course there are a few twists, a whole lot of colorful characters and some surprises along the line but all that ends well and all that. Well not for the murdered guy of course but it is a murder mystery after all.
Well, I guess it cannot really be said to be a “discovery” when the corpse in question rode into the Halloween festivities on a horse… without his head. The horse was alive by the way.
What follows is the usual investigations interspersed with various misfortunes ranging from funny to hilarious. All while trying to evade Carter of course… and the wrath of Celia Arceneaux after her having been chased out of a maze by a skunk that just happened to fly in her way that and of course, according to the psychopathic bitch in question, was Fortune’s fault.
Sounds weird and crazy? Nah, just another day in Sinful.
Of course there are a few twists, a whole lot of colorful characters and some surprises along the line but all that ends well and all that. Well not for the murdered guy of course but it is a murder mystery after all.
June 1, 2021
It's Halloween festival in Sinful Louisiana. Frightfully Fortune by Jana DeLeon starts with a decapitated horserider in the middle of the festival. But the dead man Gil Forrest died days ago in New Orleans. Why is his body here? This is obviously a case for Miss Fortune and her friends Ida Belle and Gertie much to deputy Carters dismay. This plot is filled with suspects and it involves the usual antics from Swamp Team 3. I find this series very entertaining and it always makes me laugh.
May 20, 2021
2021 bk 96. Jana DeLeon has done it again - a fun book in the world of Miss Fortune. Another Halloween has rolled around (remember the maze last time?) and again heads (er 1 head) is rolling. join Fortune and crew as they work to discover who dunit and messed up their Halloween weekend. A bunch of fun with laugh out loud moments.
Read
July 28, 2021Frightfully Fortune by Jana Deleon may be the 20th book in the series but the mystery and Swamp Team 3 are just as fresh, sarcastic and fun as book one. This was quite an intricate mystery that had very few suspects and enough twists to keep me guessing. Of course, Gertie provided much of my laughter as she stole the spotlight with her purse (exploding purse with 5 pounds of glitter inside). I love this series.
June 16, 2024
I LOVE these books! This one did not have the humor of the previous books. I didn't laugh until page 100. But the characters are just as good.
The story was very convoluted this time but I was proud that I picked up many of the clues and had a lot of the major parts figured out. But there were still many red herrings and details I never saw coming.
This is my go to series when I am sad or have had a particularly stressful time. They are very comforting with their diverse cast of wacky characters. All the best parts of the series were still in this one.
The strong smart women take center stage and are a pleasure to read.
The story was very convoluted this time but I was proud that I picked up many of the clues and had a lot of the major parts figured out. But there were still many red herrings and details I never saw coming.
This is my go to series when I am sad or have had a particularly stressful time. They are very comforting with their diverse cast of wacky characters. All the best parts of the series were still in this one.
The strong smart women take center stage and are a pleasure to read.
July 26, 2025
4.5 ⭐s. Been a while since I've had time to read a Fortune book and I forgot how much I love them. Love these because they will have you laughing out loud and you never know what sort of disaster Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie will get into.
May 6, 2021
A decent mystery and lots of laughter
Once again the fabulous trio ride into adventure. No spoilers, but plenty of laughs.
And no sight of alligators this time!
Once again the fabulous trio ride into adventure. No spoilers, but plenty of laughs.
And no sight of alligators this time!
January 1, 2022
Jana was a great author to end the year with. Book 20 in the series and I still enjoy them!!!!
March 26, 2022
Even into book #20 of this series and my three favorite Louisiana heroines still make me laugh out loud!!!! This was a necessary change of pace from the back-to-back novels about the Civil War that I had read, and I was thoroughly entertained!
April 5, 2025
Another funny romp with Fortune, Gertie, and Ida Bell. These stories are so entertaining; they are a delight to read.
December 24, 2025
More and more, better and better. So many red herrings, escapades, and glitter blowups. Always a fun read.
May 7, 2021
How do I write this with no spoilers?
DeLeon has been charming us with Fortune and the gang for twenty books now and she still hits the bullseye every time. I feel very inept that I am struggling to tell you just how excellent I found this installment without giving up a single detail or my favorite quotes from this one. If you’re looking for a book that is a fun whodunnit with a slice of serious or two with bonus hijinks then you won the bonus round! Fair warning, choose your snacking and beverage material wisely, your nose will appreciate you because snorting is inevitable. I enjoyed this so much I am doing an instant reread it is that fun.
DeLeon has been charming us with Fortune and the gang for twenty books now and she still hits the bullseye every time. I feel very inept that I am struggling to tell you just how excellent I found this installment without giving up a single detail or my favorite quotes from this one. If you’re looking for a book that is a fun whodunnit with a slice of serious or two with bonus hijinks then you won the bonus round! Fair warning, choose your snacking and beverage material wisely, your nose will appreciate you because snorting is inevitable. I enjoyed this so much I am doing an instant reread it is that fun.
September 19, 2023
4.5/5 stars
Frightfully Fortune is book 20 in the Miss Fortune cozy mystery series.
This was another fun book set around Halloween. This is the perfect Fall read!
Frightfully Fortune is book 20 in the Miss Fortune cozy mystery series.
This was another fun book set around Halloween. This is the perfect Fall read!
October 26, 2023
It's Halloween in Sinful, Louisiana. Gertie, Ida Belle and Fortune have opted to not participate in the maze at this years Hallowwen Bash. After their run in with a dead body last year, they think that if they avoid that area, they will avoid another unfortunate incident. This is not the case. They were not prepared for a not so friendly skunk, Celia's unfotunate underware incident and Gil Forrest moonlighting as the headless horseman, riding through the festival. Gil was, in fact, headless, and dead, very very dead.
I love these books. Reading these stories are like visiting old friends. Old, mischevious, skunk and glitter magnet friends. If I ever need a book that will make me smile and laugh, I will pick up one of these!
I love these books. Reading these stories are like visiting old friends. Old, mischevious, skunk and glitter magnet friends. If I ever need a book that will make me smile and laugh, I will pick up one of these!
May 29, 2023
The 20th book in the Miss Fortune mystery series. Fun and humorous cozy mystery. Quirky characters. Delightful setting
May 11, 2021
Well, it’s Halloween week in Sinful, Louisiana and the festivities are about to begin. “Frightfully Fortune” sets up fans with another decapitated head being tossed right into the hysterical arms of none other than Sinful’s resident pest, Celia. Of course we also get a full view of Celia’s latest Virgin Mary underwear as well.
As usual, Fortune, Ida Belle and Gertie are on the can you discover what is going on. It seems the head belongs to Gil Forrest, a troupe actor who was killed in New Orleans in a car jacking. Gil is also the lousy father who left his son to be raised by his mother and later married his son’s girlfriend, Tiffany. My, my, my!
As the list of suspects start to build and the shenanigans start to increase, it is clear all is not as it seems. Carter knows he is fighting a losing battle trying to keep the ladies, Swamp Team 3 in line so he just hopes that they stay safe.
There is plenty of action and fun to be had in this installment. My only criticism is that I really kind of missed the antics of some of my favorite locals such as Ronald the cross dressing neighbor and my favorite gator. However, I still find this series to be one of my favorites.
As usual, Fortune, Ida Belle and Gertie are on the can you discover what is going on. It seems the head belongs to Gil Forrest, a troupe actor who was killed in New Orleans in a car jacking. Gil is also the lousy father who left his son to be raised by his mother and later married his son’s girlfriend, Tiffany. My, my, my!
As the list of suspects start to build and the shenanigans start to increase, it is clear all is not as it seems. Carter knows he is fighting a losing battle trying to keep the ladies, Swamp Team 3 in line so he just hopes that they stay safe.
There is plenty of action and fun to be had in this installment. My only criticism is that I really kind of missed the antics of some of my favorite locals such as Ronald the cross dressing neighbor and my favorite gator. However, I still find this series to be one of my favorites.
May 4, 2021
Always a delight!
It’s Halloween again, and true to form things go wrong soon after Fortune, Ida Belle and Gertie arrive at the annual Halloween festival, because once again a body falls at their feet and Swamp Team 3 has a front row seat to the chaos.
I might have rated this higher, however this was almost shades of Halloween festival past (down to Celia flashing the crowd) as a very similar investigation unfolds. Still, I wasn’t disappointed and found this very entertaining - Merlin has Fortune trained quite nicely - as we got to meet some new colourful characters from Sinful. Sadly, no Heberts made an appearance, but we did get a small glimpse at seeing how far their reach is. A real treat. Can’t wait to get the audiobook.
4 stars ⭐️
It’s Halloween again, and true to form things go wrong soon after Fortune, Ida Belle and Gertie arrive at the annual Halloween festival, because once again a body falls at their feet and Swamp Team 3 has a front row seat to the chaos.
I might have rated this higher, however this was almost shades of Halloween festival past (down to Celia flashing the crowd) as a very similar investigation unfolds. Still, I wasn’t disappointed and found this very entertaining - Merlin has Fortune trained quite nicely - as we got to meet some new colourful characters from Sinful. Sadly, no Heberts made an appearance, but we did get a small glimpse at seeing how far their reach is. A real treat. Can’t wait to get the audiobook.
4 stars ⭐️
Read
March 10, 2022Headless and Brain Dead
This book, though I love the series was a wee bit flat following the same basic format as the previous books...Big community event or gathering...Celia enters from some where, something sinister yet funny happens involving our 3 main characters and Celia, laughs ensue at Celia's expense then we move on....
The story drags a bit, but by the end of the book it's a page turner. Looking forward to the next installment with hope that Jana will change things up a notch. Maybe this Time she can have the girls try to prove that Cecilia didn't kill someone or maybe get manner more involved. Something to shake up! Love the series...just getting predictable!
This book, though I love the series was a wee bit flat following the same basic format as the previous books...Big community event or gathering...Celia enters from some where, something sinister yet funny happens involving our 3 main characters and Celia, laughs ensue at Celia's expense then we move on....
The story drags a bit, but by the end of the book it's a page turner. Looking forward to the next installment with hope that Jana will change things up a notch. Maybe this Time she can have the girls try to prove that Cecilia didn't kill someone or maybe get manner more involved. Something to shake up! Love the series...just getting predictable!
May 30, 2021
I was so disappointed with this book. First, what the heck is a "pinfold dress"?? I Googled everything I could find and kept coming up "pinafore". Author/editor mistake or something peculiar to Sinful? Your guess is as good as mine!
Then there were the grammar errors that a grade school student could have corrected. "This are hoof prints." And "There was plenty of available spaces."
Plus, the story itself just didn't have the "fun" that previous books had. I think I'll be giving these books a miss, at least for the time being.
Then there were the grammar errors that a grade school student could have corrected. "This are hoof prints." And "There was plenty of available spaces."
Plus, the story itself just didn't have the "fun" that previous books had. I think I'll be giving these books a miss, at least for the time being.
February 2, 2022
These books would be a lot better if Fortune was at least somewhat good at the whole PI thing. She's...she's just not. She jumps to the wrong conclusion every dang time. It's frustrating. Maybe she should just quit and become a professional eater. She mainly just eats junk food or thinks about junk food. Honestly, it's the only thing she seems good at. I don't understand what Carter sees in her at this point. This book was basically a previous book with some details changed.
August 7, 2021
Sorry, Jana, this one is a miss. Too repetitive and basically done last Halloween. Got a couple of smiles, but missed the belly laughs. I finished it, but it was rather boring.
January 17, 2025
Should be fun, but its slow. It reads like a plodding police procedural, with attempts to make it seem more complicated than it is. And the use of illegal methods, a listening .device, breaking and entering, etc.
This one is extreme to the point that it seems a parody and criticism of the current system and rules. The illegal actions interfere with legal police investigations, step all over basic freedoms, cause mayhem and destruction. As usual. But here one wonders whether the Sheriff could have any self-esteem, to be aware of and watch these gross violations of law unfold. It screams "we can do your job better than you" but in the same way athletes taking steroids and other performance-altering drugs try to slip in against honest competitors who rely on natural ability and training.
Is it different when murder is involved? The difference between the USA and a totalitarian state is applying freedoms and protections to everyone, not just people not (yet) suspected of crimes. Which the team commit gratuitously, without conscience or consequence. This one's off.
Maybe the next book has a competent defense attorney moving back to Sinful, who throws all this bs in their faces, getting a murderer off because all the evidence is thrown out based on illegal search and seizure? You know, the team provides an 'anonymous tip' (or doesn't) and all their illegal snooping is exposed and the court rules the Deputy could reasonably be expected to be aware of the activities due to citizens reporting them and him sleeping with the lead culprit. Not to mention the 'leaks' from the Sheriff's office.
This book pushes it too far - someone even suggests MC take a law enforcement job, and they admit it would require working 'within the rules' which she doesn't care to do. It's all fun and games until someone innocent is violated. This is pushing the Police State mentality - 'we only listen in on criminals' and 'we listen in on you, so you are a criminal'.
This one had an idea that should have been tabled. It's frightfully bad.
One thing this teaches - if people you barely know show up at your house when you're in mourning, simply say "I can't talk about it yet" and let them do ALL the talking.
On top of 'slow', the end bits are so painfully obvious the Reader feels like the kid in class raising their hand, and saying, "I know! Call on me!
The writer makes the Swamp Team no smarter, and in some ways slower, than the police in this one. And no fun, just old shticks recycled. Please, enough with the big deal about unclothing and odd outfits. These people have never seen a beach? People on the street in a major city?
The most frustrating part is that the tiny epilogue has some of the more interesting aspects of the story. Wish that some of the filler repetition of circling thoughts was left out, and some of the insights into the final chapter threaded throughout instead.
-----------------
2nd read
Again, Carter's attitude toward MC is the pits - he's always walking in at all hours, after work, and eating MC's food. This time, "The vendors loaded...with their leftovers... I have enough food for a week. I'll bring some over tomorrow when I can get it all sorted since I'll never finish it before it goes bad." What a JERK! Not 'bring it over so we can enjoy it together', not 'because you should get some of the fun', not even 'to say thanks for always feeding me'. What loser would be involved with this moron? Oh, he's 'good looking'. Well then, his selfishness and narcissism are fine? Its just as repulsive here as in I Love Lucy, with the ever-patronizing Ricky Ricardo.
The entire plot is spelled out as a completely non-logical 'what-if'. Wow, these characters are REALLY bored. "Let's go looking for a murderer and other criminals all over, for no pay, calling in favors left and right, risking out lives and our liberty, breaking and entering, spying, etc. For no real reason. Just because we were nearby." The pranks are nasty in this one Some of it was cute on a smaller scale, but this is more cruel than clever or funny.
Slow, plods along. Everyone just spills their entire history, it reads like an outline of a 'treatment' with some detail added. MC is unsatisfied because the first 'solution' is 'boring'!? Not because it makes zero sense, not because zero questions about the method and shenanigans following are addressed? Not because even the 'grainy' image of the killing is going to show the height of the attacker doesn't come close to the height of the accused? Not because there's still the huge question of who attacked the alleged culprit? So the Team won't back off and let the police do their job, but when they reach an obviously false conclusion, the Team just says, oh, gee, okay, we're done? Because they're not bored anymore?
Ch 23 Wow! The scene with Celia puts the Team into extreme Mean Girl territory. They are acting the complete bullies - not okay just because "Celia started it". Its ugly, shows the reader how the Team acts like hs 'cool kids'. They never include Celia, never leave her a graceful way to exit. And their 'musings' are increasingly stupid, joined by their police buddies. Even a desperate cop would be smarter than this, and the NOLA cop is supposed to be a good one. This is written like an early book, where the character hasn't been well-established. Where it stands in the sequence, this is evidence that the MC hanging around her cohorts is devolving, becoming a nasty woman, petty, picking on weaker people, lying to people she should respect, constantly breaking the law, calling in favors to escape appropriate consequences. She's an 'entitled vigilante', a spoiled kid, bad at what she does and demanding cover to get away with it.
The story relies on the unreal conceit that the killer confesses all, and despite murdering several people, for no apparent reason holds off killing three armed intruders.
Also, its impossible to ignore that Walter has been absent from interactions with the MC since marrying the sidekick. Its as if once he's married, he's no longer important, unique, significant as an individual. What model is that...?
Another annoyance, setups that are never followed through. This is just one of many interesting options that are introduced and then dropped.
This one is lame, and most of the fun that would normally be included has been edited out of this story. The MCs come off as bratty and mean, entitled, obnoxious. The men come off as weak and ineffectual, cardboard and background. Law enforcement is just an obstacle. This lacks the spark and balance of other books in this series.
This one is extreme to the point that it seems a parody and criticism of the current system and rules. The illegal actions interfere with legal police investigations, step all over basic freedoms, cause mayhem and destruction. As usual. But here one wonders whether the Sheriff could have any self-esteem, to be aware of and watch these gross violations of law unfold. It screams "we can do your job better than you" but in the same way athletes taking steroids and other performance-altering drugs try to slip in against honest competitors who rely on natural ability and training.
Is it different when murder is involved? The difference between the USA and a totalitarian state is applying freedoms and protections to everyone, not just people not (yet) suspected of crimes. Which the team commit gratuitously, without conscience or consequence. This one's off.
Maybe the next book has a competent defense attorney moving back to Sinful, who throws all this bs in their faces, getting a murderer off because all the evidence is thrown out based on illegal search and seizure? You know, the team provides an 'anonymous tip' (or doesn't) and all their illegal snooping is exposed and the court rules the Deputy could reasonably be expected to be aware of the activities due to citizens reporting them and him sleeping with the lead culprit. Not to mention the 'leaks' from the Sheriff's office.
This book pushes it too far - someone even suggests MC take a law enforcement job, and they admit it would require working 'within the rules' which she doesn't care to do. It's all fun and games until someone innocent is violated. This is pushing the Police State mentality - 'we only listen in on criminals' and 'we listen in on you, so you are a criminal'.
This one had an idea that should have been tabled. It's frightfully bad.
One thing this teaches - if people you barely know show up at your house when you're in mourning, simply say "I can't talk about it yet" and let them do ALL the talking.
On top of 'slow', the end bits are so painfully obvious the Reader feels like the kid in class raising their hand, and saying, "I know! Call on me!
The writer makes the Swamp Team no smarter, and in some ways slower, than the police in this one. And no fun, just old shticks recycled. Please, enough with the big deal about unclothing and odd outfits. These people have never seen a beach? People on the street in a major city?
The most frustrating part is that the tiny epilogue has some of the more interesting aspects of the story. Wish that some of the filler repetition of circling thoughts was left out, and some of the insights into the final chapter threaded throughout instead.
-----------------
2nd read
Again, Carter's attitude toward MC is the pits - he's always walking in at all hours, after work, and eating MC's food. This time, "The vendors loaded...with their leftovers... I have enough food for a week. I'll bring some over tomorrow when I can get it all sorted since I'll never finish it before it goes bad." What a JERK! Not 'bring it over so we can enjoy it together', not 'because you should get some of the fun', not even 'to say thanks for always feeding me'. What loser would be involved with this moron? Oh, he's 'good looking'. Well then, his selfishness and narcissism are fine? Its just as repulsive here as in I Love Lucy, with the ever-patronizing Ricky Ricardo.
The entire plot is spelled out as a completely non-logical 'what-if'. Wow, these characters are REALLY bored. "Let's go looking for a murderer and other criminals all over, for no pay, calling in favors left and right, risking out lives and our liberty, breaking and entering, spying, etc. For no real reason. Just because we were nearby." The pranks are nasty in this one Some of it was cute on a smaller scale, but this is more cruel than clever or funny.
Slow, plods along. Everyone just spills their entire history, it reads like an outline of a 'treatment' with some detail added. MC is unsatisfied because the first 'solution' is 'boring'!? Not because it makes zero sense, not because zero questions about the method and shenanigans following are addressed? Not because even the 'grainy' image of the killing is going to show the height of the attacker doesn't come close to the height of the accused? Not because there's still the huge question of who attacked the alleged culprit? So the Team won't back off and let the police do their job, but when they reach an obviously false conclusion, the Team just says, oh, gee, okay, we're done? Because they're not bored anymore?
Ch 23 Wow! The scene with Celia puts the Team into extreme Mean Girl territory. They are acting the complete bullies - not okay just because "Celia started it". Its ugly, shows the reader how the Team acts like hs 'cool kids'. They never include Celia, never leave her a graceful way to exit. And their 'musings' are increasingly stupid, joined by their police buddies. Even a desperate cop would be smarter than this, and the NOLA cop is supposed to be a good one. This is written like an early book, where the character hasn't been well-established. Where it stands in the sequence, this is evidence that the MC hanging around her cohorts is devolving, becoming a nasty woman, petty, picking on weaker people, lying to people she should respect, constantly breaking the law, calling in favors to escape appropriate consequences. She's an 'entitled vigilante', a spoiled kid, bad at what she does and demanding cover to get away with it.
The story relies on the unreal conceit that the killer confesses all, and despite murdering several people, for no apparent reason holds off killing three armed intruders.
Also, its impossible to ignore that Walter has been absent from interactions with the MC since marrying the sidekick. Its as if once he's married, he's no longer important, unique, significant as an individual. What model is that...?
Another annoyance, setups that are never followed through. This is just one of many interesting options that are introduced and then dropped.
This one is lame, and most of the fun that would normally be included has been edited out of this story. The MCs come off as bratty and mean, entitled, obnoxious. The men come off as weak and ineffectual, cardboard and background. Law enforcement is just an obstacle. This lacks the spark and balance of other books in this series.
April 3, 2025
Frightfully Fortune opens with exactly the level of subtlety we’ve come to expect from this series: none. Zero. Absolutely unhinged. It’s Halloween in Sinful, Louisiana—a time when you’d expect the town’s weirdness to peak—but no, this year it fully combusts. Because during the festival, a literal corpse rides into the crowd on a black stallion, headless, full gallop, and slides to a bloody halt right in front of Swamp Team 3. And then his head lands in Gertie’s lap like the world’s worst party favor.
The dead guy? Gil Forrest. Former Sinful resident, grade-A drama king, and walking midlife crisis. He was supposedly killed in a carjacking in New Orleans and was very much supposed to be chilling in a funeral home, not reenacting the Headless Horseman in front of the funnel cake stand. So unless ghosts are now booking parade appearances, someone went to a lot of trouble to turn this corpse into a statement piece.
Carter is doing his usual “Please stop investigating, Fortune” routine, which lands exactly as well as you’d expect (aka she ignores him by paragraph two). The official line is “accidental carjacking death,” but Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie immediately smell B.S.—and possibly embalming fluid. So naturally, it’s time for disguises, illegal snooping, and breaking into a funeral home or two. You know, just a Tuesday.
But here’s the gag: this mystery goes deep. There’s shady funeral home dealings, some sketchy-ass insurance policies, and a parade of Sinful residents who either hated Gil or were owed money by him. The man had enemies stacked like flapjacks. And the more Swamp Team 3 digs, the clearer it becomes: this murder wasn’t about revenge. It was about message.
Fortune, as always, is juggling the investigative chaos while trying to not lose her entire mind. She’s growing, though—and not just in the “not immediately choke-slamming suspects” way. You can see her learning to lean on people emotionally, not just tactically. Which is huge, considering she used to treat vulnerability like a sniper treats a target. Her dynamic with Carter is stable-ish (if you ignore the fact that she keeps dodging his attempts at safety like Neo dodging bullets).
And then there’s Gertie. Our queen. Our chaos goblin. This woman accepts a human head landing in her lap with the calm of someone who has seen worse and probably caused it. Ida Belle’s keeping everyone anchored, but Gertie? Gertie is thriving. Costumes, conspiracy, possibly minor arson—she’s in her element.
The Halloween backdrop gives the whole thing a spooky, carnival-core energy that fits perfectly with the vibe of Sinful: festive, lawless, and just this side of absolutely cursed. By the time the truth comes out, the reveals hit like jump scares, and the motive? Genuinely twisted in a way that makes you rethink the whole ride.
It’s a little less emotionally heavy than the last few, but no less satisfying. Think of it as a breather book—but one where the breath you take is while running from a suspect with a shovel.
Four and a half stars, because the only thing scarier than the corpse on the horse is how much I want to move to this town.
The dead guy? Gil Forrest. Former Sinful resident, grade-A drama king, and walking midlife crisis. He was supposedly killed in a carjacking in New Orleans and was very much supposed to be chilling in a funeral home, not reenacting the Headless Horseman in front of the funnel cake stand. So unless ghosts are now booking parade appearances, someone went to a lot of trouble to turn this corpse into a statement piece.
Carter is doing his usual “Please stop investigating, Fortune” routine, which lands exactly as well as you’d expect (aka she ignores him by paragraph two). The official line is “accidental carjacking death,” but Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie immediately smell B.S.—and possibly embalming fluid. So naturally, it’s time for disguises, illegal snooping, and breaking into a funeral home or two. You know, just a Tuesday.
But here’s the gag: this mystery goes deep. There’s shady funeral home dealings, some sketchy-ass insurance policies, and a parade of Sinful residents who either hated Gil or were owed money by him. The man had enemies stacked like flapjacks. And the more Swamp Team 3 digs, the clearer it becomes: this murder wasn’t about revenge. It was about message.
Fortune, as always, is juggling the investigative chaos while trying to not lose her entire mind. She’s growing, though—and not just in the “not immediately choke-slamming suspects” way. You can see her learning to lean on people emotionally, not just tactically. Which is huge, considering she used to treat vulnerability like a sniper treats a target. Her dynamic with Carter is stable-ish (if you ignore the fact that she keeps dodging his attempts at safety like Neo dodging bullets).
And then there’s Gertie. Our queen. Our chaos goblin. This woman accepts a human head landing in her lap with the calm of someone who has seen worse and probably caused it. Ida Belle’s keeping everyone anchored, but Gertie? Gertie is thriving. Costumes, conspiracy, possibly minor arson—she’s in her element.
The Halloween backdrop gives the whole thing a spooky, carnival-core energy that fits perfectly with the vibe of Sinful: festive, lawless, and just this side of absolutely cursed. By the time the truth comes out, the reveals hit like jump scares, and the motive? Genuinely twisted in a way that makes you rethink the whole ride.
It’s a little less emotionally heavy than the last few, but no less satisfying. Think of it as a breather book—but one where the breath you take is while running from a suspect with a shovel.
Four and a half stars, because the only thing scarier than the corpse on the horse is how much I want to move to this town.
August 28, 2025
Enjoy the ride
Halloween and headless people are becoming a thing in Sinful. This year, there’s a headless horseman that comes careening into the festival and stops short in front of the Swamp Team 3 ladies in time for his head to roll right into Gertie’s hands… who does a panic toss into Celia’s…and now the story’s rolling.
Why would someone do that to an already dead man? Again? Sure, Gil was self-centered and egotistical. Always on stage, acting bigger than life in attracting attention. But he was already dead from a random mugging in NOLA outside his acting troupe’s theater, right? Who would hate him that much to prop him up in costume on a horse at a Halloween festival? And why?
Turns out things aren’t as simple as they seem. They never are in Sinful.
With a list of suspects growing beyond the wife, Tiffany, and son, Liam; a NOLA Captain who hates all PI’s in general; and Carter off the case when they find the dead guy’s car in the Sinful bayou (thereby changing jurisdiction); Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie need to be trickier than normal in their pursuit of truth despite random skunks, pink glitter, and secrets upon secrets.
This installment was fun, but it gets 4 stars instead of my normally enthusiastic 5 for two reasons:
1) Mannie’s involvement this time felt lazy on the writer’s part. There was no personal stake in it for Big and Little Hebert. The information Fortune got from Mannie could have been procured through other channels. If it was just one person Fortune asked for background info on, you could let it slide. But, come on! She gave him an entire bullet list of people. It just felt sloppy. Mannie is not her personal assistant.
2) True, Celia is a pain in the hinter regions. That’s her comedic value. Gertie and Ida Belle have a long and controversial history of infighting with her so their conversational Southern zingers can be funny. But it’s not as funny when Fortune joins in like she did. Maybe it’s because Fortune’s not Southern, but it comes off more as gratuitous meanness than anything else. That’s not who our girl is!
All in all, though, I enjoyed the read and the ride.
Halloween and headless people are becoming a thing in Sinful. This year, there’s a headless horseman that comes careening into the festival and stops short in front of the Swamp Team 3 ladies in time for his head to roll right into Gertie’s hands… who does a panic toss into Celia’s…and now the story’s rolling.
Why would someone do that to an already dead man? Again? Sure, Gil was self-centered and egotistical. Always on stage, acting bigger than life in attracting attention. But he was already dead from a random mugging in NOLA outside his acting troupe’s theater, right? Who would hate him that much to prop him up in costume on a horse at a Halloween festival? And why?
Turns out things aren’t as simple as they seem. They never are in Sinful.
With a list of suspects growing beyond the wife, Tiffany, and son, Liam; a NOLA Captain who hates all PI’s in general; and Carter off the case when they find the dead guy’s car in the Sinful bayou (thereby changing jurisdiction); Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie need to be trickier than normal in their pursuit of truth despite random skunks, pink glitter, and secrets upon secrets.
This installment was fun, but it gets 4 stars instead of my normally enthusiastic 5 for two reasons:
1) Mannie’s involvement this time felt lazy on the writer’s part. There was no personal stake in it for Big and Little Hebert. The information Fortune got from Mannie could have been procured through other channels. If it was just one person Fortune asked for background info on, you could let it slide. But, come on! She gave him an entire bullet list of people. It just felt sloppy. Mannie is not her personal assistant.
2) True, Celia is a pain in the hinter regions. That’s her comedic value. Gertie and Ida Belle have a long and controversial history of infighting with her so their conversational Southern zingers can be funny. But it’s not as funny when Fortune joins in like she did. Maybe it’s because Fortune’s not Southern, but it comes off more as gratuitous meanness than anything else. That’s not who our girl is!
All in all, though, I enjoyed the read and the ride.
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