Every Crooked Nanny

From the book jacket: Earthy, outspoken Callahan Garrity has witnessed many dirty deeds in her time, first in her ten years as a cop and now as the reluctant owner of House Mouse, a cleaning service that tidies up after Atlanta’s elite. Callahan’s old and new lives collide when her client (and old sorority sister) Lilah Rose Beemish hires her to locate the family’s nanny, Kristee Ewbanks. Kristee has absconded with jewelry, furs, and secret files on a shady business deal her husband, Bo, is concocting. Callahan soon find Kristee is not the devout, naïve Mormon she’s pretended to be. Then she finds Kirstee’s corpse.

My reactions
This is a good start to a mystery series. Callahan is a strong central character; her previous show more experience as a cop and private detective serves her well in this outing. That experience also makes this more than the typical cozy. Yes, we still have a cast of colorful characters in her house-cleaning crew, and her mother, Edna, who is also her business partner and with whom she lives, provides a nice counter balance. I wasn’t quite sure why she persisted in investigating after her client basically told her she was done, and some of the relationships stretched credulity (especially the sudden appearance of a rich in-law for the chief suspect). Still, it was fast paced, entertaining and kept me turning pages. I read it in two days. I’d definitely be up for trying another in the series. show less

Every Crooked Nanny (Callahan Garrity Series #1) was a real treat – full of southern humor, sass and wit! Loving the new series mixed with a little mystery, detective work, cleaning business --- funny southern women from Atlanta (so right on). I lived in Atlanta most of my life until a few years ago, in Buckhead, Midtown, Peachtree Hills and off Paces Ferry in Vinings, so loved hearing all these mentions - Highlands and Little Five Points (always my favorite)!!! I was also a publisher for commercial real estate and former director of the North Fulton Chamber in Alpharetta, so enjoyed the real estate development tie in. I recommend buying the audio as (narrator had the southern draw down)…..as laughed the entire day while I was show more working online building a website and finished it in one day.

If you liked Janet Evanovich's Jersey Stephanie Plum and Lula - you will love this series (instead of Jersey accent you get sweet southern)with the same spunk and humor! Out to get their man!

Also loved the e-book “Killer Fudge” a short story prelude ----- Atlanta private investigator/cleaning business owner Callahan Garrity once again proves her ability to clean up a sticky mess. When the grandson of faithful House Mouse employee Ruby is charged with murdering an an elderly antique dealer, Callahan is called on to investigate. What she discovers is a recipe for homicide. Looking forward to the series! show less

EVERY CROOKED NANNY by Kathy Hogan Trochek (Mary Kay Andrews)
One of Mary Kay Andrew’s first outings is this delightful romp through cleaning and mayhem.
Callahan Garrity, former cop and now owner of a housekeeping service, finds herself embroiled in her clients missing jewelry, silver, important documents -- and nanny.
Is their Mormon nanny really who she says she is? Where is she? Why would take the documents? How far does a high school friendship require one to go? And then there is the dead body!
As times rollicking, this mystery will keep you guessing until the last page. Andrew’s characters and situations are believable and likeable. The writing is fresh and intelligent. Altogether well worth your time.
4 of 5 stars

★ ★ ★ ★

Callahan Garrity, owner House Mouse cleaning service (former Policewoman & P.I.) is called in to clean the house of a former Sorority sister.... Her kids are running amok and the nanny has done a bunk. However, as it turns out the Nanny was sleeping w/ & blackmailing the husband (a crooked real estate developer)... when she suddenly disappears.

When Nanny is found dead wrapped in the furs in cold storage, Husband & Sorority sister do their best to dissuade Callahan to drop the investigation... they harasser her, threaten her, even try to ruin her business.... all to no avail. Add in the mix a disreputable nanny service, a former convict lesbian lover, and over-zealous LDS kid... well there are may possible suspects.

I had show more read this series years ago when it first came out... and then it just dropped off. I liked the characters, I liked the story it really held my interest..... show less

Protagonist: J. Callahan Garrity--ex-cop, failed P.I. and owner of the House Mouse cleaning service
Setting: present-day Atlanta
Series: #1

First Line: I knew it was going to be a bad day when Neva Jean called that early in the morning.

While cleaning the home of snooty Lilah Rose Beemish, Callahan is hired to trace Kristee, the family's Mormon nanny who has absconded with furs, jewels and business secrets stolen from Lilah's husband Bo during their affair. Callahan's investigation leads her to Kristee's boyfriend, to a lesbian who loved the missing woman and then to Kristee's body, stored in a fur vault with Lilah's black sable. Bo and Lilah seem the most likely suspects as Callahan digs up dirt about Bo's multimillion-dollar real estate show more deal.

Trocheck has a marvelous cast of characters in this first book of the series, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she does with them in following books. The only real problem I found with Every Crooked Nanny was that it really didn't pick up steam until the last third of the book. show less

Kathy H Trocheck is known today as Mary Kay Andrews, and this is one of her earlier books which features Callahan Garrity. Callahan is an unlikely detective, as she runs a house cleaning service with over-the-hill ladies, but murder and mayhem interrupt the cleaning. The series has many fascinating characters and the situations create scenes of laughter. Of course, Callahan has her fill of problems, such as a perfect sister and a cancer scare and no boyfriend in sight. Who knows what the next caper will be?

Every Crooked Nanny by Mary Kay Andrew
Callaghan Garrett mystery series #1. Originally published under the name Kathy Hogan Trocheck. Original publication date 1992.
Callahan Garrett owns a cleaning company and though she is no longer a cop, she often takes on investigation work. When cleaning a house of a former college alum, Callaghan is hired to find the missing nanny who seems to have stolen money, jewelry and business paperwork.

A private investigator looks for clues and answers using contacts and friends via 1992 methods. A bit aged with seemingly irrelevant details that didn’t make sense to me on why they were included. A bit too much graphic violence in a beating. Several plot twists that moved the suspicion from one to show more another. Amateur side-kicks and the cleaning crew add depth.

Read for a bookclub. We all agree we liked parts of the writing and would try some of the author’s newer stories but probably would not make time to finish this particular series given our already extensive tbr counts. show less