Lethal Bayou Beauty

This is another ‘In the style of Janet Evanovich’, I believe, and unfortunately, if you’ve read the Stephanie Plum series, you’ll be forever disappointed in any kind of copy that comes later. Janet Evanovich does Funny like no other. She just IS funny. She’s subtle with it, and her timing is impeccable. It’s annoying to read Trying Too Hard To Be Funny.
I have to say that so far there have been some good, reasonably funny lines, but mostly I’m rolling my eyes, and frustrated by the storyline. It all feels too fabricated to fit – in order to create funny scenes. This one is pretty much the same as Miss Congeniality. I’m only a couple of chapters in, and not sure if I can be bothered to finish. If I do, and it gets better, I will definitely update my review.

I am not a big detective story or mystery reader, but the name Cajun Fried Felony spoke to me. When I ordered a sample and started reading it, I liked ut and eanted to order it. But I realized it was book 15! of a series. So I figured, better start with the first. As you see, I made it through 1 and 2 and enjoyed them immensely. The mix of murders, great food and the unpredictable failures of human nature in all its humor got me hooked. What I most love about this though is the multi-genetational aspect of it ,where elders still have a lot of bite to them while being completely credible, where also serious things get mentioned like commitments, friendship, coming home from service in war zones, disappointing children, a changing human and technological landscape and how we cope or not with it. And while there are male figures a pkenty, the main actors are great female role models. I am now on number 3 within a week and am not intending to stop.

If you need or are ready for a light humorous mystery novel, this series may be for you. It is the second in the Miss Fortune mystery series. Fortune is a undercover agent for the CIA who now has a contract out on her by an arms dealer. Her bosses move her to a small town in Louisiana of 300 where she is suppose to be a librarian and ex-beauty pageant contestant. They tell her to keep a low profile.

The undercover isn’t going well at all. She has been there for several weeks and has been involved in solving several murders with two 70 plus year old women who were undercover during the Viet Nam War area. They are the bane of the local sheriff who tries to keep them out of the investigations. There are many hi-jinks that don’t always go well but they are very good at lying to the sheriff. He knows it.

It was a fun fast humorous relaxing read.

What can go wrong in Sinful Louisiana. Well everything when you are a CIA hired assassin living there undercover for the summer. When you have friends, of the older set, helping your out and when the chief of police that you are somehow involved with your new friends makes for a hilarious set of cozy mysteries.

Oh I cannot forget to add about the alligator that Gertie is trying to recruit as a pet. Leads him around town at times on a leash when all he wants is food of the casserole variety.

Plus besides all of this they do get into trouble and manage to solve a mystery or two along the way.

My second book to read from Jana Deleon. She remains consistent with her knowledge of South Louisiana (I lived there for 8 years) and keeps her characters “in character”. I think this book was even funnier than the first Miss Fortune Mystery, and am thinking that someone in Hollywood should start looking for a screenplay. What a great and funny movie this would make – a cast with strong women, southern manners and a great plot line loaded with humor. I can almost see Shirley Maclaine as Ida Bell.
Ms. Deleon does a good job of bringing everyone up to speed as to what happened in the 1st book in the series. I suspect these books are just going to get better.
p.s. The editing was also better than the first…a lot less grammatical errors!

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