Merry Jones

Having a background in psychology and suffering through my own blackout related episodes post trauma I felt really connected to this book. It very much felt like Merry Jones accurately captured that kind of trauma in her main character including the frustration with people around you not understanding to the point of judging you or believing you about what you're experiencing. The way she developed not only the main character but her friends showed a real understanding and compassion for show more this type of experience.

The only thing I had trouble with was how much wine the author had Elle constantly drinking because it had been mentioned she had seen a professional and been formally diagnosed for the blackouts. This means she would’ve been told to limit if not avoid alcohol which would exacerbate these episodes but that was never touched upon. Despite her friends knowing about these problems instead of them helping her to avoid alcohol they encouraged it but then would berate her later for drinking herself into oblivion.

This was such a fantastically twisted story I had to know how it would end especially because I had emphasized so much with Elle. By the time the truth was revealed I did NOT see that ending coming.

It was such a great thriller with bodies dropping left and right, it reminded me of those slasher films I become addicted to during every Halloween season. When I went to look up more information about the author I discovered this is actually the 3rd book in a series but it was so good I didn’t feel like I had missed out on anything by not reading the first two, it works as a stand-alone. I’m definitely going to look up those first two now to see if they’re as good as this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for allowing me to review this book. show less

The Trouble With Charlie... was the lack of sleep I received from staying up late to finish this unusual, but fun, novel by Merry Jones! I have read the first two of Ms. Jones' previous books in the Nanny Murders series, but this one is either a stand-alone, or perhaps, judging by the good reception it is getting, the first in a series. I was surprised, in a good way, to find out that this was a seriocomic novel, a tongue-in-cheek rendition of a murder mystery.

Elle is a second-grade teacher show more in Philadelphia who is in the process of divorcing her husband Charlie for cheating on her, but seems to still harbor ambivalent feelings about him. One night she is jokingly asking her best friends to dream up ways to kill him off, but other times she gets trapped in reminiscing about the good ol' days with him. It is one such night that she comes home a bit tipsy and alone from a night out with the girls and suddenly feels Charlie's presence all around her. She smells his Old Spice cologne, feels a kiss on her neck, and hears him whispering her name. After several moments of this alarming behavior, she comes upon her soon-to-be-ex propped up in a chair in her home, stabbed in the back with a knife from her kitchen.

Elle calls her attorney friend and the police, but somehow she is marked as a "person of interest" because she literally had Charlie's blood on her hands. As she delves further into Charlie's life after their separation, she comes across some secrets he was keeping, and some ugly dealings he was caught up in.

What proceeds next is indicative of Ms. Jones' talent to take a murder mystery with some dark subject matter and lighten it up with wisecracking humor that will keep the reader chuckling, even while she is trying to convince everyone around her that she is not the murderer. The witty remarks of Elle's inner dialogue kept me amused throughout, and her back-and-forth with her deceased husband's ghost were downright funny. I haven't read a murder mystery before written quite like this. I probably enjoyed the scenes with Elle and her three best friends: Jen, Susan, and Becky, the most. It was like listening to one of those morning tv women's chat shows. I will warn you that while I have mentioned the gallows humor in the story, it is not a cozy mystery. There is violent and sexual matter, but this is not explicit in nature, and doesn't detract from the plot.

Recommended for most readers of: light mysteries, suspense, chick-lit, beach reads

book was supplied to me by Oceanview Publishers for a fair & honest review: http://myhomeofbooks.blogspot.com show less

I don't want to short the murder mystery factor here, but this is a very funny book with quirky characters that will have you laughing out loud throughout. The quirkiest of all is Elle, through whose eyes we follow the story. She and Charlie are nearing a divorce when Elle finds him dead on her couch in the study with a knife in his back. That's the main trouble with Charlie although there are other issues as well; he's a very troublesome dead man it turns out.

The other main issue is Elle's show more problem. She tends to sort of space out when things get hairy. She imagines herself floating to the ceiling and watching whatever is happening to or around her. She has three bosom buddies who have their own oddities and they are determined to protect her at all costs. They have been close friends for years and know when she is "pulling an Elle" so they band together to make decisions for her - and she lets them. The results of making decisions by committee are mixed at best. However, one of the friends, Susan, is a lawyer and she immediately takes Elle's defense.

The spouse of course is the most logical suspect in the murder, especially in the midst of a divorce when the victim is also found in the wife's house bleeding all over her couch. There are plenty of other candidates though, and in a departure from comedy, some of the suspects are involved in some pretty disgusting and criminal behavior. A lot of questions revolve around Charlie's business partner for instance. Elle is in very real danger because of these suspects and the suspense is enough to have you madly turning pages.

There are times when you want to slap Elle up the side of the head because she's so dense, but then she or her friends have you laughing too hard to stay irritated. All in all I loved these characters, and really hated the bad guys. This is a terrific story, perfect for reading by the pool this summer.

Highly recommended
Source: Oceanview Publishing through Partners in Crime Book Tours show less

Second grade school teacher Elle Harrison's life hasn't been the same since the murder of her husband Charlie two years ago. She tries to move forward with her life by putting her house up for sale, but when the first day of the school begins, Elle's life gets a tad bit more complicated when she discovers the dead body of the school's principal. And if that isn't enough, Elle finds out that there is a hit list, and she's next on the list! When dead bodies start to accumulate, Elle is show more determined to solve the murder mystery, and find the killer before she ends up as the next victim!

In Child's Play, the third book in the Elle Harrison Thriller Series, author Merry Jones weaves an intriguing thriller that engages the reader in solving the mystery all the while keeping them guessing along the way. This is a riveting tale of murder, mystery and suspense set in Philadelphia, and written in the first person narrative with Elle Harrison taking the reader along for the ride on her zany adventure to uncover the mystery surrounding the school murders.

Mixed with humor, danger, paranormal involvement, potential suspects and enough twists and turns that keeps you turning the pages until the surprising conclusion, you'll find yourself recruited as one of Elle's amateur sleuths on a quest to solve the puzzle of the school murders. The author weaves a masterful tale that takes the reader in many directions: between the murder mystery, Elle's psychological backstory, Elle's relationship with her best friends, and the paranormal activity, you can't help but try and keep up with this fast-paced riveting thriller.

With a quirky cast of characters who are very entertaining: from zany Elle and her hilarious best friends Susan, Becky, and Jenny; to ghostly Charlie who communicates with Elle from beyond the grave; to a host of potential suspects who each have a motive for murder; they keep the reader on their toes wondering who really is the murderer.

With witty and humorous dialogue and interactions; an intriguing storyline that takes the reader on a madcap adventure that alternates between the present with Elle's memory flashbacks to the past; and a richly detailed description of familiar Philadelphia landmarks; Child's Play is a tantalizing whodunit mystery thriller that will engage your imagination to the very end!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author /publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.

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