***** Non-Stop Twists and Turns Review by Rox Burkey
Author Linda Pirtle paints exquisitely with words. This cozy mystery has Lillian assisting Sammie Nightingale in locating her missing Aunt Sophia. Lillian is not fond of Sofia, the charlatan tarot card reader. Though this is book 4 in the series and my first-time reading Author Linda Pirtle, I felt comfortable that I wasn’t jumping into the middle.
My favorite character is Eli, the standard poodle who supports Lillian and travels along on the wild ride to Canada. Eli’s animation, insight, and playful nature are woven throughout the story. I wanted to pat Eli and provide a treat for being a loyal friend.
All the characters are well-developed throughout the book. Sammie’s Uncle Darling is introduced as the sort of man one might adore or totally distrust, depending upon the interaction one has. Darling seems to have more than a few secrets and a sense of humor that is revealed early on in a conversation with Sammie.
“Yep, that happened in the hospital. I thought I would die from trying to eat what they called nutritional food.” He laughed. “One night, they brought me a grilled chicken breast. I looked at that scrawny little tyke and told them I felt so sorry for that little hen I couldn’t eat her. Looked like she had been mightily starved before they wrung her neck.”
“I take it they didn’t let you order a T-bone, cooked rare.”
“Nope. The next day for lunch, they brought another chicken – at least I thought it was – hard to tell beneath all those peas and carrots in some kind of sauce.”
“How did it taste?”
“Don’t know. Didn’t eat it. Let them know right off that I’m not a rabbit. Never ate carrots in my life much less those tiny green pebbles.”
The story has all the elements needed to keep readers engaged and, at times, on the edge of their seats. Sammie and Lillian race to Canada as the danger and mystery amps up. Lillian pursues the challenging trail with Eli helping avert her from peril. Fortunately, Lillian’s sons, Jake and Grant, plant webcams in the RV to keep eyes on their determined, curious mother.
Whether or not they find Sophia, outwit the bad guys, safely negotiate Canada, and get support from the Anishinabe tribe, is why you must read the story. This well-written cozy mystery will grab you and hold you until you reach the surprising ending. I know this is great for ladies who love mysteries, but the story could resonate with men who like intriguing mysteries. Brilliant story!
About the Author
Deadly Dominoes: Best of
Texas Award Winner for Cozy Mysteries.
It is only natural that I would one day wind up
in the literary field. I taught the art of writing and understanding literature
for years as an English teacher at St. John High School, Lancaster High School,
and Ennis High School as well as Business Communications at Navarro College.
When I retired, I turned my attention to working
with my husband to create and build Venture Galleries, a book publishing
company. Our website, CalebandLindaPirtle.com is a literary Website devoted to
connecting readers with today’s growing population of authors throughout the
world. I have served as editor for some great books presently in the
marketplace, and a year ago I entered the field as an author myself.
It was a perfect transition. I have long read
and reviewed mysteries, and I found myself infatuated with the kinds of cozy
hometown mysteries produced by Agatha Christie and Diane Mott Davidson. I am
fascinated with dastardly murder mysteries solved by the lady next door who
relies on intuition, instinct, and deductive reasoning.
I decided to write a cozy mystery series – The
Games We Play — which focuses on how people bent on evil can ruin an innocent,
fun game. The first novel, The Mah Jongg Murders, takes place in the mythical
small East Texas gated community of Leisure Lake. The location was patterned
after Hideaway Lake, where I live with my author husband Caleb Pirtle III, and
my Standard Poodle named Piper. My protagonist Lillian Prestridge loves her
husband, her poodle, Mah Jongg, and riddles. She doggedly sets out to find the
person who is murdering her friends and neighbors.
The second novel in the series, Deadly Dominoes,
is set in the mysterious bayous of Caddo Lake, shadowed by Spanish moss
dripping from the oaks. It’s a perfect backdrop for murder. Lillian and her
husband leave the security of their gated community, hoping for a peaceful
vacation in their new RV. Lillian is puzzled by the warning she receives from
the young man who loads her groceries into her SUV. “You’d better be careful.
Crazy things have been happening out at that RV Park.” Escape mysteries? That’s
impossible for Lillian. An explosion rocks the couple’s first night at Caddo
and is quickly followed a string of murders.
In the third novel of the series – Tarot
Terrors. Lillian faces two challenges in this story: the death of her husband
as well as the difficult task of finding his murderer in the mysterious and
mystical area that surrounds Sedona, Arizona. A tarot card reader suggests
Lillian travel to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. There she will not only find the
one who killed her husband but also enough adventure and danger to last a
lifetime.
I have been blessed with the following
recognitions: Nominated as Top Female Author 2017; Author of the Month, KC
Books and Music; and selected as a Readers Favorite for Deadly Dominoes.
Find and Follow Linda
email: lsgp@suddenlink.net
