Homemade Sin

First Line: "Nine-letter hint," I muttered, absent-mindedly winding a curl around my finger.

When her cousin Patti McNair is shot to death in her new car near the Garden Homes project in Atlanta, a horrible situation is made even worse by the fact that her young son is in the car with her. Callahan refuses to believe that Patti's death is a random robbery and senseless murder, and sets out to find her own suspects and conduct her own investigation. In fact, she's being so mule-headed about the whole thing that she puts her own life in danger.

I've enjoyed this series about a former Atlanta police officer who's now owner of the House Mouse cleaning service. Granted, Callahan's mother has always rubbed my fur the wrong way with her methods show more of getting her daughter to do as she wants, but I could overlook that. Unfortunately, in Homemade Sin there were a few too many things I couldn't overlook.

For one thing, I can't help but compare this series to Ann Purser's Lois Meade series centered on a woman running her own house cleaning agency in small town England. Purser's series wins, hands down. It's obvious that Callahan had a career previous to House Mouse, and by the way she's always haring off to do something else, her heart isn't in her current career. On the other hand, Lois keeps a tight rein on her business, takes care of her family and solves crimes.

Trocheck's series, set in Atlanta, also has a tendency to limit African American characters to the roles of domestics, gang bangers and project dwellers, which didn't set well with me.

But what really got up my nose is the behavior of Callahan herself. At the very beginning of the book, there really isn't any evidence to support Callahan's belief that Patti's murder was planned. I'm sorry, but Callahan's guilt over not talking to or visiting with her cousin as often as she should have in recent years just isn't evidence to me. Our intrepid heroine then proceeds to ride rough-shod over everyone else in the family to pursue her gut feeling. She has no respect for anyone else's feelings or wishes. Then she pouts when family members give her the Silent Cold Shoulder Treatment. Gah!

Yes, Callahan was proved right, but I'm still annoyed with her. Hmm... see why I have enjoyed this series? The characters can get to you! If you're in the mood for a cozy with a heroine whose heart is in the hunt and not the scrub bucket, give Kathy Hogan Trocheck's Callahan Garrity series a try. Not everyone is a curmudgeon like me! show less

Book on CD read by Hillary Huber.

From the book jacket - Some people might call Callahan Garrity nosy, but she prefers to think of her tendency toward snooping as a healthy interest in the truth. So when news of her cousin’s murder reaches her, Callahan shakes off her House Mouse cleaning uniform to don her detective’s cap. It’s not that she doesn’t have confidence in the Atlanta police – she used to be among their ranks – it’s just that the crime seems too incongruous with Patti’s suburban life to be an accident.

My Reactions
This is a pretty good series. I like the premise of the House Mouse cleaning service for these cozy mysteries; their work provides them access to a wide variety of venues. Trochek gives the reader a show more nice cast of colorful supporting characters who work for the heroine. Callahan, herself, is a strong, intelligent, resourceful woman. Her background in the police force results in a certain toughness, though she does seem to take some unreasonable chances. Not to worry, though, she generally manages to get out of any scrapes on her own.

My main complaint with this work, however, was the rather abrupt ending, and then “neat” epilogue to wrap up all the loose ends. Just seemed rushed to me, as if Trochek couldn’t quite figure out how to end it.

Nevertheless, it’s a speedy read, the action is fast-paced, and I like the characters. I’ll read more of the series.

Hillary Huber does a fine job voicing the audio version of the book. She has good pacing, and I was never confused about who was speaking. show less

Callahan Garrity is a house-cleaning business owner and part-time P.I. When her cousin is killed in a suspicious carjacking, Callhan is driven to investigate. Her mother and extended family thinks she should leave it to the police and they get mad at her when she doesn't. She pursues a vicious street gang member, an unfaithful husband and a flirtatious priest.

This was a mostly light and often humorous story. Callahan is feisty and bold with her housekeeping staff, her family and the suspects she investigates. I enjoyed it.

I finished listening to this book while doing some knitting. I needed this light-hear-ted mystery to assist me in laughing out loud. There were many parts in this story that I could totally relate to. This story was slow to reveal who the killer was,but all the side details were worth reading. This author does a good job of making the reader think they have a ring-side seat to the action. I like this author when I am looking for a fun book.

Callahan and her mother, Edna, are shocked to receive a phone call one
Sunday morning, telling them that Callahan's favorite cousin, Patti, has
been murdered, the apparent victim of a senseless urban car jacking. And
her nine year old son, Dylan (who suffers from a speech recognition handicap
and can barely communicate under the best of circumstances), was asleep in
the backseat when it happened, waking up just in time to see a "scary black
man" blow his mother's head off. While Edna rushes to her sister-in-law's
side to comfort her in the loss of her daughter, Callahan simply cannot
accept the obvious and does not believe this was a random act of violence.
What in the world was Patti doing in such a bad part of the city in the
first show more place, when she is famous for her phobias and fears? Why was Dylan in
the car in the middle of the day? And who was it that made the call to 911
to report the killing on that seedy street corner? Callahan's investigation
irritates the police (as usual) and pisses off the rest of her family, too,
who simply want to grieve and get over this and not rake everything up and
keep the wound open and bleeding. Everyone is concerned for Dylan, the only
witness, but while the rest of the family worries about his state of mind,
Callahan is more concerned for his safety because sooner or later the
murderer is going to try to take him out, she's sure of it.

I have to say that this book was better than the first one I read. The
recurring characters seem to ebb and flow and become more fleshed out in
some episodes than they do in others. This series is more like a television
series in that respect, with not a lot of progress made on any sort of
backstory, just individual characterization and a new mystery each time.
Callahan is a bit edgier in this book, but maybe I'm just beginning to know
her a little bit better. I like her mother better, though, to tell you the
truth. At any rate, Trocheck seems to have the Atlanta area down pat
and the women who work for Callahan's house cleaning business, The House
Mouse, are becoming more familiar. show less

I have read the others in the Callahan Garrity series and did not enjoy this one as much as the others. Will read the others in the series, since I do love this author. I purchased the audio version and it is good for some laughs as these southern gals are always getting into mischief.

Trocheck doesn't seem to shrink away from touchy subjects. This book deals with the apparently car-jacking murder of Callahan Garrity's cousin. The repercussions threaten to destroy her entire family, not just Callahan herself.