Dead Case in Deadwood

Ann Charles has the "touch" when it comes to delivering the perfect blend of snarky realistic humor and fun. I fell in love with Violet and her twin 10 year-olds Layne and Addie with the first book in the series (well Addy and Layne if Addie has anything to say since she is 10 minutes older than Layne). I had picked it up on a lark when it was first released and ended up reading it instead of working on my classwork. It was well worth getting up at early to finish my work just to sit there and laugh so hard over and over again! How can you resist a little girl who liberates chickens and names them Elvis! Violet is at the top of my list as favorite female protagonists. Most lead female characters in today's genre fiction tend to be show more beautiful blonds with the prefect bodies and Kenjutsu form that look mighty fine with their rippled muscular bodies from the hours of Tai Chi with some ancient monk up in their secret mountain hideout. It is nice, occasionally and though I do read those books I tend not to admit to doing so.
With Violet, you get a real woman struggling to support her children despite dealing with ghosts, misogynistic co-workers, crazy sex-addicted senior citizens, pet chickens and children who like to dig up bones in the back yard. Her boobs are sagging a bit, she still carries around her baby fat and her hair maybe blond, but it certainly doesn't lay perfect and is constantly looking like Elvis (the chicken) helped style it! Her ghost smelling secret boyfriend finds her sexy, doesn't mind a bit that occasionally she likes to snuggle up with a bowl of ice cream instead of him and that she sleeps in an Elvis t-shirt and boxer shorts (well he thought it was slinky satin nightgown but I digress). One way these wonderful books work is each ends with a bang and starts with a bang. Which is why you will have fans saying things like this in their reviews -

"...And of course the end leaves you wishing the next book was ready to be read!! I am dying a slow death and may survive only if the 4th book comes out soon!!!"

When I opened up the book and read the first sentence with her standing over a headless corpse (who was found clutching her business card) at the "butt-crack of dawn" I laughed so loud the cat ended up under the bed!. Violet still was struggling to keep her job and this time it was do or die hour. The little bit of sweat left on her freshly waxed lip was not from the caramel latte she just picked up, it was the fact that if she not only sell the houses she had on the market, but =she had to bring in an even bigger fish. So when an Abe Lincoln stepped into Calamity Jane Reality and asked if she would help him buy the hotel for sale in town and she asked which one... Murphy peeked out of his law office waving his magical gavel and Abe answered "the haunted one." The pace is fast, the dialogue is witty, smooth and natural. I can totally believe it all! Ask my friends heck read my blog! I have conversations like Violet has (both internally and out loud) ALL the time! For the true mystery aficionados this will keep you guessing and trust me, at the end will have you going "WHAT! WAIT when is book four coming out!" Heck, even the most despicable characters in the novel are so compelling you love to hate them! (Though I think in the end there is a special kind of justice for one specific one..*wagging finger* nuh uh uh! No spoilers my friends!) Congratulations Ann Charles! show less

Selling a haunted property is pretty much Violet's specialty. What she really wants to know is what her asshat of a coworker is doing with the funeral home director. Those crates aren't full of gifts for orphans.
She's dealt with weird clients in the past, okay dealt with might not be the right expression, but this one is a whole new ball game. He looks like Abe Lincoln, and thinks he's a ghost whisperer.
Along with her best bud, Violet digs in to the mystery at the funeral home. She finds more than she expected.

Violet Parker, realtor, is approached by Cornelius Curion to purchase, what he hopes is a haunted hotel. Violet has had run ins with ghostly characters before and is getting an unwanted reputation. To make the sale she gets involved in a series of seances and draws her boyfriend, Doc Nyce into the business. Meanwhile she is trying to investigate some shady dealings involving a fellow realtor, Ray Underhill and a mortician, George Mudder. There is a bit of humor and a decapitated body with her business card in its hand to keep the plot flowing. A bit silly but enjoyable.

Things are getting serious for Violet…
Violet has an Abe Lincoln look-alike client, Cornelius, walk in the door of Calamity Jane’s Realty office wanting to buy a hotel in town, but he wants to make sure the hotel is actually haunted – he’s a “ghost whisperer” so he will only buy the hotel if it is haunted.

Violet, who is used to strange (and homicidal) clients, takes Cornelius’ peculiarities in stride, she has to. Her job is on the line and if she can’t sell the hotel she’s out of a job.

As a character, Violet is good (or bad depending on your point of view) at compartmentalizing, she is keeping a secret from her best friend Natalie and her children, she keeps secrets from her secret boyfriend Doc, secrets from the show more police, secrets from her Aunt. There are secrets all over the place in Violet’s life.

No Deadwood book would be complete without “Old Man” Willis Harvey, spirits, demons and a pet chicken named Elvis – all are in pages leading to some laughs mixed with your mystery.

Once again Ms. Charles has hit it out of the park with this amazing story. The laugh out loud dialogue, fast pace and surprise elements are enough to keep the reader entertained and engaged.

Recommend?
Absolutely, anyone who likes some light-hearted laughter with their thrills and chills will love Ms. Charles’ characters and writing style.

This review appeared on my website.

Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was asked to review this book from the author's publicist, but I received the digital book via the OverDrive/Libby app from the Harris County Library system. It was read as a Kindle Book.

I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.” show less

Another solid book in the Deadwood series.

First, my complaints. I am getting a little tired of the secrecy surrounding Doc and Violet's romance. Although there is some resolution to this by the end of the story, there was far too much of them trying to decide how they felt about each other, and if they should be "boyfriend" and "girlfriend". I am also getting tired of Violet doubting the existence of ghosts. Three books into the series, and she has encountered ghosts each time. Doc can sense ghosts. Why does she still have doubts.

What I liked, there was a creepy new addition to the story, Cornelius. He wants to buy a haunted hotel, and Violet is his realtor. We see more of Ray, the obnoxious coworker, and finally learn what's been show more going on in the local funeral parlor for the past 3 books. There were finally some questions answered. I still don't know about Coop. Is he going to be a serious contender for Violet in the future? I will have to read book 4 to find out. show less

Violet is trying to keep her job as a real estate agent. Ray is putting on the pressure for Jane to fire her and hire his nephew in her place. Nothing like the pressure of losing your job, raising two kids on your own and hiding your boyfriend from your best friend!

On top of that she is trying to discover what is going on at the local funeral home, is it a body-parts ring?

Once again, Ann Charles is at her best. The quirky characters of Deadwood are as entertaining and wacky as ever.

Perhaps the problem was I was expecting a lot more than I got. It was your basic cozy and no I don't like cozy mysteries in general but those I do like I would say I loved because the writer pulls it off and is entertaining. This didn't get pulled off. By the time I was several chapters into the book I said "Why am I bothering?" And my usual technique of reading the last couple didn't save it. The ending confused the beginning even more and I couldn't see how she could pull this together except for a lot of accidents and stupid finds. Accidents and stupid finds bore me. Diagnosis? This chick would be road kill on the mystery path in a minute except for dumb luck.

The main character came across as a neurotic over-sexed dimwit. There are show more enough books out there about oversexed dimwits. The plot just jumbled around and didn't form up in the first chapters. Things were hinted at in passing like crates, Ray, the haunted hotel and the like but nothing solidified enough to want to make me waste the time with this book trying to find the plot that was buried under cuteness. Note that is if there was a plot to begin with.

Deleted from my reader and never looked back and I rarely delete a book usually they go in storage in case I am in a different mood at a later time. Deleted means this turkey was dead from the start. show less