BOOTY IN THE BACKSEAT
Karen C. Whalen
GENRE: Cozy Mystery
BLURB:
High-heeled tow truck driver, Delaney Morran, is shocked to discover bags of money in the backseat of a Volvo she was hired to tow. She’s even more amazed to find a severed hand in one of the bags. She learns the car belongs to the aunt of her friend, Rory. The booty in the backseat, amounting to half a million dollars, raises questions, but more mysterious is the disappearance of Rory’s uncle. Spruce Ridge, Colorado is home to the rich and famous, and the uncle is a well-known movie producer. With that much money…and a severed body part…and the uncle gone AWOL…Rory fears a kidnapping. When his aunt finally admits to receiving a ransom demand but was warned against calling the police, Delaney agrees to help. Is the kidnapper a drug kingpin seen with the victim? His neighbor who has reckless parties? Someone connected to his new film? Or, perhaps the victim’s spouse trying to cover up the murder of her husband? When a dead body turns up next, and it’s not the kidnapped victim, Delaney has two crimes to solve.
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Excerpt:
My palms were sweating so I ran them down my jeans.
“Lance, how do you think this is going to go down?” I needed some reassurance.
“We need to see to it those two don’t act stupid.” His eyes scoped out the parking lot with people queuing up for the next bus.
“Act stupid? What do you mean?”
“Iceman could snatch those two along with the wad.” The gangster gazed straight ahead, immobile, looking calm, while I stifled the scream at the back of my throat, ready to explode from the tension.
“So, you think Iceman’s the kidnapper?”
“Don’t you?”
A Chevrolet Suburban, rear-wheel drive, stopped in front of us, obstructing our field of vision. An attractive blonde my mom’s age got out and strode in our direction. Wait, it was Mom.
Mom?
My mom? Good. God.
I shot out of my Fiat and ran towards her. As I approached, she grabbed both of my arms. “Laney, I’m so glad I spotted you. I have a real crisis on my hands. I need—”
“—Not now, Mom. Now’s not a good time.”
“When I saw your car, I just had to tell you—”
“—Mom, not now. Wait, how’d you notice my car?”
“I’d recognize your tiny silver Fiat anywhere.” She gave me an up and down look. “You all right?”
“No.” When I saw her blanch, I changed it to, “Yes, I’m fine. Mom, you need to leave.” I glanced over at the gangster in my Fiat. He was flailing his arms around, then stopped and patted his jacket, mouthing, “You need help?”
There was no doubt about it, I totally needed help.
My Review:
Booty in the Backseat was way better than I thought it was going to be when I read the summary. I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading Booty in the Backseat but what I found between its covers was not it.
Booty in the Backseat was a great mystery story. One of the best I have read. Booty in the Backseat kept me hanging on from beginning to end. It is filled with enough mystery alone to keep the pages turning.
Delaney Morran is a twenty-eight-year-old tow truck-driving woman. Booty in the Backseat starts out with action from the beginning. Delaney gets a tow call. The car she is called to tow has a couple of duffle bags in the back seat with a lot of money and a hand inside. Yes, I did say a hand.
Delaney of course calls the police but at the same time decides to investigate on her own after all that is what she does. Delaney learns that the vehicle belongs to the aunt of a friend. The aunt is hiding something and Delaney knows it.
Whose hand is in the bag? Who would leave so much money in the back seat of an unlocked car with a hand in it? What kind of people are these? What has Delaney gotten herself into now?
Booty in the Backseat is the first book I have read by Karen C. Whalen and although it is not the first book in the series I don’t feel as if I have missed a lot as the author does a great job feeling in the back story of the series. I do plan on checking out more of the books in this series. I can’t wait to read more about Delaney’s world
I recommend Booty in the Backseat to all mystery fans! Grab a copy of Booty in the Backseat today!
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Karen C. Whalen is the author of two mystery series for The Wild Rose Press: the Dinner Club Mysteries featuring Jane Marsh, an empty nester who hosts a gourmet dinner club, and the Tow Truck Mysteries starring Delaney Morran, a super feminine shoe-a-holic who drives a tow truck. Both are cozy mysteries about strong friendships and family ties set in Colorado. The first book in the Dinner Club series tied for First Place in the Suspense Novel category of the 2017 IDA Contest sponsored by Oklahoma Romance Writers of America. In the Tow Truck series, Eyes on the Road was a Second Place winner of the 2023 Firebird Book Awards in the Cozy Mystery category. Whalen worked for many years as a paralegal at a law firm in Denver, Colorado and was a columnist and regular contributor to The National Paralegal Reporter magazine. Whalen loves to host dinner parties, entertain friends, ride bicycles, hike in the mountains, walk on the beach, and read cozy murder mysteries. Murder at Sea Oats Beach is her first book published as an indie author.
Connect with Karen C. Whalen
Website ~ BookBub ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Facebook
9 comments:
Thank you so much for hosting and reviewing today.
Sounds like an entertaining story.
Thank you so much for your review - it was interesting and thoughtful. I appreciate you very much!
I really like the cover and the book looks good.
Excellent review
Looks interesting
This should be a great read. Thanks for hosting.
Fantastic title
looks like a fun one
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