Deborah Sharp

An excellent read - but I have a beef. The last book Mama Does Time, ends with Mace saying she'd had gone on "a date" with Carlos, but that he had needed to move back to Miami to sort things out. A. Date. At the beginning of this book, it's all about how they'd had a full-on relationship and he'd broken it off to move back to Miami. I hate when author's re-invent their character's histories like that. Drives me nuts.

Not that that's off my chest - I'm loving this series so far. As a fourth show more generation Floridian myself, I thoroughly enjoy this visit to the Florida I grew up in and miss fervently. I get a huge kick out of Mace and her sisters - and I appreciate the reality of family life Ms. Sharp allows when one of the sisters (usually Mace) puts their Mama in her place, and she often needs it! It is a refreshing change of pace from those books where the Mother can act like she out to be riding a broomstick but no one would dare speak a disrespectful word to her. As much as I like Mace, I have to admit to liking Marty just that little bit better. And I love the pacing and dialogue when the three are playing off each other.

The plot was excellently done - a really well crafted mystery with an ending that I didn't see coming.

I've been suffering a string of books lately that have been flat, disappointing, lifeless. Mama Rides Shotgun was a delightful cure and a breath of fresh, slightly horsey-scented, air. show less

People, people, people!! If you dig a supremely funny and well thought out mystery, get this book! I laughed myself pee-less throughout my time. It was my bedside book, so I went to sleep each night with a big grin on my face.
I was pleased with how the main character became an amateur sleuth. Mace knows Mama did not murder the man found in her trunk and, so, is drawn into the investigation to protect her mama from the big bad big city police detective newly arrived from Miami.
Mace and her show more sisters know everyone in their small town and set about asking questions, much to the possible endangerment of Mace and her sisters.
I kept thinking I knew who the bad guy was and I totally dug it that I was wrong and did a 'What the...??!" at the big reveal.
I am Southern by proxy (DH is from Virginia/Tennessee border) and I lived in Louisiana and Texas and Florida at varying times in my life and this may explain why I adore the Southern humor in the books I read...or it may just be that they, along with this gem, are just wonderfully written.
My favorite character, besides Mace and Mama, would be Ollie the one-eyed gator in the park where Mace works. He has an interesting charisma about him. Read the book and find out...
Five watch out for the gator, baby sparkly diamonds...... show less

What a GORGEOUS cover!! I want a fast convertible Thunderbird in this shade of turquoise! Or a silk blouse....which is probably more what I can actually afford...or cowboy boots....oooooh.....

Love love love this series!! Mama just cracks me up and Mace does the best she can with what's given her, especially where Mama is concerned. Mama means well and only wants Mace to be happy...but what she thinks will make Mace happy is pretty much different from what Mace thinks.

Mama and Mace go on the show more annual Florida Cracker Trail for some bonding time before Mama marries hubby #5 and stumble onto what looks like the murder of a prominent landowner.

Plenty of suspects to be had and Mace's not quite boyfriend, Carlos the yumma-rooney Miami detective, is along for the ride to help stir Mace's emotions and assist in the detecting.

Along the way the reader learns some neat Florida history, why a Cracker is called a Cracker, and get to see the Florida that doesn't get as much attention as it should.

Five turquoise sparkly diamonds!!! show less

Good story, although not as funny as the first couple of books in the series. I still find it strange that as much as we know about Mace and her sisters, we still don't know Marty's husband's name, and yet they've been married for a few years? Overall a good series though.