Nice Mix of Humor and Sleuthing
580045
Ad copywriter Leigh Koslow is staying with her seven-months-pregnant cousin Cara while Caras husband is away on business. Leigh and her pets are enjoying the comforts of the big old house that Cara has carefully restored, until a dead body appears in the hammock in the backyard. If that isn't weird enough, the corpse is ten years old and theres a note attached warning them to leave the house. Leigh and Cara aren't easily scared. In fact, Cara is determined to learn more about the houses previous occupants which triggers increasingly sinister activity.

Never Buried is a fun amateur sleuth story with the right amount of humor mixed with crime detection and domestic ups and downs. Leigh and Caras mothers are sisters who have definite ideas about how the young women should be living their lives, and Caras job woes are an ongoing problem. The characters are appealing and provide opportunity for a potential love interest for Leigh in future books.

As in most amateur sleuth novels, Leigh doesnt listen to sound advice and finds herself taking risks she shouldnt, but this often goes with the territory in these types of mysteries. Still, I liked the pacing and the easygoing tone of this book. Since this is the first in the series, I look forward to revisiting Leigh in the future.
1874838
This is not a fast-moving book. But it gets very funny at times and always manages to keep the whodunit aspect in mind. Character portrayal is tops.
Protagonist Paul gets dragged into a hunt for the owner of a newly found portion of the Huckleberry Finn manuscript that really was missing at the time the book was written. Two murders and a stolen manuscript later Paul is now looking for the owner, the manuscript, and the murderer, not necessarily in that order.
Paul's friend Booker, a well-to-do burglar, and a host of other quirky characters make the yarn interesting and amusing.
A quick read or re-read of Huckleberry Finn is a good opener for this tale of professional writers gone overboard but it is not necessary.
190642
Was a good read; I enjoyed the cast of characters, and the ending had both surprise and humor. The protagonist investigator was complicated and likable.
3909027
I enjoyed this mystery and meeting the quirky characters that live in the little town of Goodship.  Eliza is likeable and you really feel for her with the loss of her husband of only 3 years.  The business they built is going strong and she is really finding her home and where she belongs in this little town.  Her friends and acquaintances are a good mix of strange yet quite real in their personalities and idiosyncrasies.  You know you have met people just like the ones in this book; you may even be one of them.

The book felt a bit like Murder She Wrote, I Love Lucy, and Rosemary and Thyme(BBC).  Solving a crime with just a bit of information and a mind that wouldn't let Eliza rest, all the while pulling in a good friend or two to help her.  If you enjoy light mysteries (like a cozy) with a bit of comedy and hopefully in the next few a bit more romance then I think you will find this book to your likein'.

I look forward to the next one in this series.
2800154
I like the infusion of laugh out loud humor in a police procedural. Pretty good writing and it flows. I will read all this author has put out. Waiting for the third shoe part of the trilogy to come out. Authors short stories are also a hoot.
4604540
I found this book to be very entertaining.  There were humorous points and a good mystery as well.
690675
A great blending of humor, mystery and romance, Not Quite Dead wasn't quite what I expected, but I really enjoyed it. The setting was very well done, giving the book a very southern gothic feel. I loved Gracie. She's messy, clumsy, a bit of an drinker and curses a lot. She's generally just a very flawed character, but her development is perfect and it was those flaws that made her realistic. Gramps was another character I absolutely adored, though I wish there had been a little more of him. Even though the other characters weren't quite as endearing to me, I still liked them and I'm anxious to find out more about Beau. The mystery was intriguing and well thought out, though I guessed pretty early on who the bad guy was. The pacing was a little slow, but there was a lot going on and a lot of information to learn in this installment, the first book in the series. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the next book.

**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
389769
Howard creates characters that are believable and she infuses her mysteries with a touch of humor.  Her stories also have a good sense of place.
4810292
With a touch of Ghost (the movie), a bit of Highway to Heaven, and a dash of Cagney and Lacey (or a more up-to-date female detective team if you prefer), Darynda Jones introduces us to Charley Davidson, who is not your normal P.I. In fact, she's a para-normal P.I. having had the ability to see and communicate with dead people ever since she was born. Her policeman father recognized this ability, and it helped him solve cases, when the victim could serve as an eye-witness! Her father is gone, but now her uncle uses her ability to help him.

I don't seek out paranormal stories, but when it's written with a light tone, as First Grave on the Right is, I think of it as pure fantasy fun.

Since Charley herself is sarcastic and self-deprecating to the max, I didn't really take her status as grim reaper too seriously. That's right, not only can she see and communicate with dead people, but they come looking for her.

There is also some language and sexual content, but if you like chick lit, and you like detective stories, and aren't concerned about either of these aspects, I think you will find this book to be a fun listen, and you will await the next installment

AUDIO NOTES:

Lorelei King is well-known in the audiobook industry, probably most so for narrating Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. She had the perfect sassy and fun tone to go with this book. She made the book fun to listen to and added a touch of suspense when appropriate.

I think that I enjoyed this more on audio than I would have if I were just reading it.
3959688
The story starts a bit slowly, but once it picks up, it is a good read. Lots of light-hearted humor, but a great dose of intrigue as well. The author keeps you guessing for quite some time, drawing the reader in. Would like to see a bit more character development. This book will appeal to fantasy fiction fans, and forensic mystery fans as well. Worth the read. *I received a gift copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
3416905
A good solid mystery with a touch of the paranormal thrown in for good measure.  I enjoy the Stephanie Plum series, particularly the one with Deisel.  This book has a similar tone. I love the humor & thought this was very well written; the characters are well rounded and three dimensional too.  This is a week written nice light read - highly recommended.
2092467
I enjoyed this reading. It was definitely a mystery with a little comedy thrown in. I think you will enjoy the detective's partner.  Sweet and at times hilarious. Nice change of pace.
1898202
90 year old sleuth tries to figure out what happened to her fellow assisted living friend and finds a possible killer at every turn. However, she gets in trouble when the killer could be following her.  Light hearted mystery that will make you laugh and cause concern for the sleuthing friends.
4253911
This is a mystery  story with a light humorous twist.  I found the characters to be fun to read about and the personalities are ones that can be found in many small towns.  The suspense is there and you are left guessing at every turn.
1598183
I enjoyed this book.  A well written and well structured story that kept me engaged throughout.  As an earlier review mentioned it is a bit coarse.  I could have done with a little less of the vivid crime scene descriptions but they are used to set up more interesting and some times hilarious conversation among the investigators. A lot of cynical "seen this a million times" humor.  I will be reading this author again.
1785055
Murder and mayhem await as our much loved author/ sleuth sets off to visit friends at their "little castle" resort in the Highlands.

I was pleased to read an advance copy of this book.

In this latest escapade, Diane manages to set her sleuthing skills to work on a tangled mystery involving multiple business and marital betrayals, give us some awesome descriptions of the Isle of Skye, and get in some writing - that is the fictional author is busy sleuthing as well as writing.

I always enjoy the colorful characters, as well as Diane's wry sense of humor.

If you enjoy a classic Christie style mystery with a bit of modern flair and technology, this could be your next murder mystery.
1074549
I liked this book and enjoyed the humor that was interspersed through it.  I look forward to the rest of the series.