Moving Violation

Chloe Boston Mysteries #1

by Melanie Jackson

Hope Falls' greatest detective is stuck in parking enforcement because at 98 pounds, 5 foot nothing, she will never be able to pass the department's physical exam. But with the aid of her dog, and her writer's group, Chloe may just be able to solve Hope Falls' first homicide and impress the new chief of police.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Contemporary

178 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 4, 2010

About the author

Melanie, an award-winning author of more than fifty novels, stories and poems lives with her writer husband in the California Gold Country with their cat (also a writer who has a page on myspace) and their dog (who is hoping to get a page on facebook as soon as she masters typing). Melanie likes gardening but hates the deer who also like her garden, and she volunteers at a local animal shelter.

Reviews

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute! Loved it! Chloe is adorable. I see the gal who plays Bernadette on Big Bang Theory as Chloe in my head. Blue, the dog, was wonderful and frankly stole the scene at the funeral. I laughed out loud. Officer Bill - again laughed out loud. Too funny and I could picture the whole scene in my head. Going to look for a 2nd in the series now.

[Jeanette Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

A meter maid on the outside and a detective on the inside.....

Chloe Boston is a meter maid who has dreams of becoming a detective someday. When a wealthy citizen is killed, the police scramble for clues to discover why. Chloe's partner, Jeffrey, disappears one night and the only one concerned is Chloe. And a foundation seems to have been robbed of about $60,000 - so was it robbery or a payoff? Since she's a meter maid, she's not allowed to investigate officially but she starts her own investigation with help from members of the Lil Wit group. Chloe sees things that get filed in her brain and soon the pieces start falling in place while her budding relationship with Alex seems to be heading toward rough waters. So what does Chloe do? What any 100 pound, only female member of the police department do, she fights back and makes them eat their words. Read the book for all the hilarious antics of Chloe and her merry band of friends as well as her dog Blue! You'll love it. 5 Stars.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Understood Chloe completely and think other women do. Interesting plot and enjoyable read. Clean, well edited and re-readable (when ya tire of the average blood, guts and gore novels).

[Emmalynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Chloe Boston! In her debut case, Moving Violation, she manages to solve a murder, a theft of $60,000, and a missing person case, all without the respect of, or assistance from, her fellow officers in the Hope Falls, Washington, police department. I am eagerly looking forward to her future adventures.

[Lis Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chloe Boston wants to be a police detective. Instead, she's a meter maid.

She's very smart, very capable, and very tiny. At 98 pounds, she will never meet the police physical requirement of being able to lift 100 pounds. But she's the daughter of the former chief of police in her town of Hope Falls, and initially at least, that was a little bit of an advantage and she managed to land the meter maid job.

But Daddy wasn't a very good cop, and especially not a good chief of police, and he's been forced out. Chloe was mocked for her tiny frame and her connection to the chief while her father was in office; now it's worse.

And now her best friend on the force, Jeffrey Little, her fellow parking enforcement officer, has disappeared, and no one is taking it seriously. Chloe decides to launch her own investigation.

Initially, at least, this is a frustrating book. Chloe isn't just small and smart and determined; she's also a bit awkward in interpersonal skills, and capable of a certain degree of obliviousness to whether or not her very clear logic is altogether reasonable. It makes her, initially, a little hard to like.

But she also goes to great lengths to bring her rescue Rottie, Blue, with her everywhere--including in the electric vehicle in which she patrols the town giving out parking tickets. She reads. She's loyal to her friends. She's kind. She's very certain of her intelligence and logic, but aware of her failings and insecure in quite recognizable ways.

Did I mention loyal to her friends?

Chloe grew on me a lot, over the course of the book.

Recommended if you enjoy cozies.

I received a free copy of this book from the author.

[Lisa]

I thought I’d read #1, so I started #2. Turned out I had read a later entry in the series but not this beginning. Chloe Boston is introduced herein, and she has let herself be bullied by the very people whose jobs she wants: detectives. Since she can’t yet pass the physical to be a detective, Chloe bides her time as a meter maid, but feels the needs to solve cases anyway. This time, she didn’t even get in trouble, really, despite not following orders and bringing her dog to work and the office with her. Chloe’s ‘punishment’ was dressing up as the mascot for the safety briefings, which she gets out of after just a few instances by destroying the costume.

[Annette Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleverly crafted cozy

I think this is only the second 5 star review I’ve ever given a cozy. I liked this a lot! The cases intrigued me, it has cleverly written humour, not over the top crazy, or unbelievable just plain good humour. The characters were not all pleasant which was good, some were conniving and rotten, some just, a bit dim, drunk or stupid. Apart from a few lines of erotic reading the book was clean. It’s my
Hope that other books won’t deteriorate down this track.
So five stars for a rollicking good read that’s well written with humour and fun.

[Nancy Flack · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this, but just couldn't enjoy it. The main character had little backbone and put up with bullying on the job with little to no protest. It was touch and go about a third of the way in as to whether I could finish it. I did, but won't struggle through another installment.

[gloria marquardt · Rating 2 out of 5]

It didn't keep my interest.

I wouldn't recommend this book. It never grabbed me. I read for relaxation and a good srory. This book was too much work trying to follow timeline.

[Jenene · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book in the Chloe Boston series and a first for me by this author and I loved it! Will definitely keep reading.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I'm trying to finish up series that have been in my library for a long time. I was in the mood for a cozy mystery and this fit the bill. I loved the humor.

[SUE · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book with humor. Like the authors writing. Good story.

[Mary Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chloe Boston is a meter maid for the Hope Falls Police Department. But what she really wants to be is a detective. She cannot see that happening though, because no one on the force takes her seriously. That may be because of how small she is, or because her father was fired as the chief of police, or because she does not know how to filter her mouth and thoughts. And when she has her first encounter with the new acting chief of police, her chances drop off the charts.
But Chloe being Chloe, she is not willing to give up her dream and when the opportunity presents itself for her to do some sleuthing and detecting, she is all over it.

Her co-worker Jeffrey has been acting a little strange and then he does not show up for work. At the same time, a prominent man in the community is found murdered. Chloe does not know if the two are related but she intends to find out. With the help of her dog, Blue, and the members of her writers group, she begins her own investigation into the the incidents. She is also dealing with one or two of her co-workers who constantly give her a hard time and try to make her life miserable.

There is one bright spot in her life, she has met a new man, someone she would like to get to know better. But like all of her other relationships, her perfect man has some faults and is not what he appears to be. That is the story of her life.

The characters are well developed, realistic and three dimensional. Chloe is quirky, funny, sarcastic, strong-willed and persistent. I really enjoyed reading about her and her misadventures. I wonder if that same description could be used to describe the author? I thought that she created a great character in Chloe and I do not think that was by accident. I enjoyed getting to know Blue and all the other characters that I met.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. I read this book in one day because I had to find out what was going to happen next. The writing is descriptive and it was very easy to picture the action the was taking place in the book. The mystery and suspense are carried on throughout the book nicely, but the real winner for me are the characters.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading a well-crafted mystery suspense that contains humor and lovable characters. After researching the series, I see that there are over twenty books in this series. That is very exciting to me because I know I have a lot of opportunities to learn more about Chloe, her family and friends and her co-workers. I am looking forward to doing that.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will finish this book because in the end, I do want to know what happened, but so much is just too unbelievable. Her best friend vanishes, house ransacked, strange broken phone call from him, and she....goes on a blind date instead of working to find him? I can't. And I keep worrying about the safety of her dog, Blue. Book feels like it was written by a high school sophomore.

Additionally, I have found multiple spelling and/or editing errors. "discreet" and "discrete" are two different words.

[Jane Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving Violation, a cozy mystery by Melanie Jackson, is the first of 22 books in her Chloe Boston Mystery series. Chloe has wanted to be a police officer since childhood, partially because her father was the police chief — but mostly due to her crush on Adam-12 star Kent McCord.

More recently, Chloe has specifically wanted to be a detective, but her inability to lift 100 pounds means that she will have to settle for being a traffic and parking enforcement officer (aka meter maid). As you will see, when you READ THE BOOK, she is a better detective than the department's actual detectives!

A few of the main characters are Chloe, of course; the new police chief, Randy Wallace; Alex Lincoln, new in town, with Paul Newman eyes; and Chloe's co-worker in parking enforcement, Jef­frey Lit­tle. These people are all well-written, so that I feel I really know them, and like them. The secondary characters are believable, and likable for the most part (except for a few that are Chloe's nemeses).

The scenes when Chloe meets Chief Wallace, and when she encounters Alex, are some of my favorites — really hilarious! You will enjoy them, when you (say it with me) READ THE BOOK!

Author Melanie Jackson wrote some very humorous passages for her characters, especially Chloe, since she is the narrator of the book. Moving Violation is a great read! There are several mysteries to be solved, which Chloe does quite well. (The chief's reaction to her solving the crimes is great!) I look forward to getting to know the main characters better, in the books to come. This is the first Chloe Boston book that I've read, and I'm eager to read the other 21 in the series!

I really enjoyed reading Moving Violation by Melanie Jackson, and award it Four Stars out of five! I recommend it to all Cozy Mystery fans.

Originally published on my blog Jane Reads.

[Andrea]

A did not finish book for me. While the prose is clear and readable, the book unfortunately features the kind of main character which just doesn't work for me at all. There is a resemblance to Temperance Brennan (the TV not book version) in that Chloe Boston is a woman with a strong set of beliefs, and a tendency to step outside normal social interaction, but unlike Brennan she is not a well-respected forensic pathologist brilliantly solving crimes, but instead a disparaged parking officer, stumbling from one humiliating situation to the next. I've never been able to enjoy stories where much of the comedy revolves around the awkward embarrassment of the narrator.

The story has its charms, but it's just not my cup of tea.

[Sesa38 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been looking for a new series to get excited about. This is it. I really got into the main character in this book. She is a slightly strange young woman with a dream to become a detective. Because of her small size, she does not meet the police force requirements and is stuck being a meter maid. She has a lot of chauvinism to deal with on the force too. There are some quirky town characters that are fun to read about. A few quite funny parts. I'm hopinng for even more humor in the next books in the series.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author. I found Chloe to be like a lot of us. Small and overlooked but tough and likely to get where she wanted to be. She had a different way of looking at things and saw things the cops didn't. The other officers were lazy and tended to blow her off. The new chief found she had the answers and the other officers , one officer Gordon, really put her down and the chief came down on her hard. It was interesting to watch her come out ahead in the end. I look forward to reading more about her.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had some trouble starting off in the first chapter. I think the first couple of chapters could have used better editing. Not wanting to give up on it, I kept reading and found the book quite enjoyable. The first part of the book gives you the impression that Chloe is a 98-pound weakling, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Which is a good thing for me since I can't stand weak women! Chloe kicks butt, though and I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with most cozy mysteries, this was not ground breaking literature. But it was a quick, enjoyable diversionary read for me. The character development was perhaps a tad weak as many have stated, but I found the writing and plot to land about where most first books of a series tend to be. I will certainly be giving a few more of the books in the series a try before ruling the series a must read or give it a pass.

[JoAnne McMaster (Any Good Book) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried reading this book, I really did. But I just couldn't get past the first two chapters. Chloe is despised by her coworkers, who make fun of her; and she STILL wants to be a meter maid, just so she can "someday" be a police officer. No one in their right mind would stay where they're made fun of on a daily basis. I have the second book, so I will try to read that and see if this series improves at all.

[Tonigayle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I "read" this book via Audiobook and while parts of it were somewhat awkward, the uncomfortable part for me, was the narrator. The reading was very one dimensional and there were repeated mis-pronunciations of simple words such as particularly (particularily). This was distracting and annoying. The characters were okay, although two in particular should have been locked away. I will probably read another and give it chance but not for awhile.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know. This was the first so it will always hold a special place in my heart. I've been told that the series gets stronger as it progresses, but this was the first. I love the town of Hope Falls and hope to retire there someday. And hopefully I'll live next door to Chloe and Blue. I thought this was a great beginning to a great series. Gimme more!

[Holley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost did not finish this book. The character development of the main character "Chloe" was just okay. The story did not flow very well. I don't really have that much more to say about this book. I do not think I will continue on with this series. I'm glad that I "borrowed" this ebook from another Booklending.com member.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a mystery that will make you laugh, probably when you shouldn't.. then look no further. The main character wants more than what she is and the things she does to prove she can be just as good as the "big dogs", I found to be amusing. The book will keep you interested just to see what takes place each and every time! Great little late night read!

*Received for an honest review*

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and disrespected.

Chloe Boston is a 98 pound meter maid because she can't lift the 100 pound sand bag to pass the police physical. What she lacks in height she makes up in brains. With her dog, Blue, she rides "not-so-speedily" enforcing parking rules and solving mysteries.

[Erika Pulido · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book it keept me wondering what was going on. Chloe, will prove she is worthie of earning a new title, she is smarted than just a parking meter officer. I cant wait to see what is in store in pumping thief

[Erin Richards · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had potential but, the ending was clumsy and there were a few odd errors with consistency that annoyed me. Although, there are mysteries to be solved not sure that was the star of the novel though without the mysteries there isn't much left of the book.

[Susan Squires · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hooked from the first pages. Chloe is such a quirky character with such strong voice that I knew I would read many more of the series. I know that small town, because I grew up in one just like it, and Jackson has captured it wonderfully.