Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Steph Reviews Uneasy in New Orleans By Carol Carson

Publisher: Carol Carson
Series: A Big Easy Mystery #1
Format Read: E-book
Source: From the pr firm in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Buying Links: Amazon* | Smashwords*  | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

FINNIGAN JONES HAS A PASSION FOR COOKING AND A PENCHANT FOR TROUBLE
Dead bodies aren't on Finn's New Orleans walking tour of cemeteries and haunted houses. Ditto disappearing bodies. Now she has to explain to Detective Jack Boyle how her missing corpse has turned up in the Mississippi putting her smack-dab in the middle of a murder investigation. Unfortunately, another of Finn's odd jobs is taking questionable photos for Jack's PI brother, Tommy. After she snaps shots of a dubious pair of lovebirds, they stalk her, then kidnap her. Now Finn's dealing with two lunatics intent on killing her. Or driving her crazy. She's not sure which.

Because lunatics and smokin'-hot brothers aren't enough trouble, she's gossiping, yes gossiping, with a chef ghost at culinary school, cat-sitting her aunt's six felines and attempting to corral her wayward teenage sister. All Finn wants is to survive school and become the best chef in the world but... FINN'S LIFE IS ABOUT TO GET EVEN MORE COMPLICATED

Steph's Thoughts:

I grabbed this book for review because I have a thing for New Orleans (even though I have never been there) and the blurb grabbed my attention. It looked pretty darn funny, which is something I needed at the moment.

However, it turned out that this book wasn't really for me. It is light-hearted and funny in places but it was too busy. There were a few too many story-lines going through it all at once. Two jobs AND school...OK, I did that too in my mid-twenties and wound up almost having a nervous breakdown. Then add in babysitting 6 cats AND a teenage sister? It got to be a little too much. I was practically having a breakdown for Finn. All this going on in Finn's life was supposed to add humor, which it did but it made the story busy. In the middle of all this, is the murder mystery. I don't really remember if it was ever spelled out why our victim was killed. If it was, I lost it in the midst of everything else.

I think I would have enjoyed Uneasy In New Orleans, if there wasn't so much going on. I know it was meant to be really funny but for me, it got a little out of hand. Maybe for somebody else, it will work better. I would like to suggest the use of a beta reader or two or a copy editor with the next book. There are some small issues such as inconsistencies that a beta reader or copy editor might have been able to point out. 

2 comments:

  1. The gossiping with a chef ghost caught my interest, but I see what you mean : if I read this, I would end up stressing for Finn ! Thanks for sharing :)

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  2. I'm sorry to hear this book wasn't for you. It sounds like it has some potential and something I'd like. Although it might just be the cover I like :)

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