SHE PLAYED ONE ON TV, BUT CAN MAIZIE ALBRIGHT MAKE IT AS A DETECTIVE IN REAL LIFE?WHAT DOES SHE HAVE TO LOSE OTHER THAN IMPRISONMENT, HER DIGNITY, AND MAYBE HER LIFE? “VERONICA MARS MEETS STEPHANIE PLUM IN MAIZIE ALBRIGHT”“A RAUCOUS AND ADDICTING READ”“A GREAT MIX OF HOLLYWOOD WITH SOUTHERN CHARM”For fans of romantic comedy mysteries like Meg Cabot’s SIZE 12 IS NOT FAT and Stephanie Bond’s BODY … FAT and Stephanie Bond’s BODY MOVERS, The Wall Street Journal bestselling author Larissa Reinhart brings her readers the first in the Maizie Albright Star Detective series, Hot Mystery Reviews’ ”Top 10 Mysteries for Book Clubs.”
”Child star and hilarious hot mess Maizie Albright trades Hollywood for the backwoods of Georgia and pure delight ensues. Maizie’s my new favorite escape from reality.”— Gretchen Archer, USA Today bestselling author of the Davis Way Crime Caper series
Three Teen Choice Awards, One Emmy Nomination, and several Maxim covers later, Maizie Albright was an ex-teen star, stuck in reality show hell, and standing before a California judge.
She has one chance for a new life: return home to Black Pine, Georgia, and get a job that has nothing to do with show business.
So why not become a private detective—the person she played during the happiest days of her life?
Maybe because…
First: She’s got 10 days to get and keep the job.
Second: She has to convince the only private investigator in town to hire her.
Third: She lost the client’s wife on the first day. (And the woman may be dead…)
Fourth: She just might be falling in love with her new boss. And she just might have lost him his business.
But what has she got to lose, other than imprisonment, her dignity, and possibly, her life?
Start the Wall Street Journal bestselling series and download 15 MINUTES today! “A great mix of Hollywood with Southern charm.”
”Maizie Albright is the kind of fresh, fun, and feisty star detective’ I love spending time with, a kind of Nancy Drew meets Lucy Ricardo. Move over, Janet Evanovich. Reinhart is my new ‘star mystery writer!’” — Penny Warner, Author of Death of a Chocolate Cheater and The Code Busters Club
”Sassy, sexy, and fun, 15 Minutes is hours of enjoyment—and a wonderful start to a fun new series from the charmingly Southern-fried Reinhart.”— Phoebe Fox, author of The Breakup Doctor series
”Armed with humor, charm, and stubborn determination, Maizie is a breath of fresh air. I adored every second of 15 Minutes.”— Terri L. Austin, bestselling author of the Rose Strickland Mysteries and the Null for Hire series.
“Larissa writes a delightful book. Suspense, romance, and some funny situations. Maizie’s a teen star grown up to new possibilities.” — Sharon Salituro, Fresh Fiction
“This new series is a great mix of Hollywood with Southern charm. This story is totally unpredictable with lots of twists and turns. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for Maizie!” — Book Babble
Books in the Maizie Albright Star Detective series:
- 15 MINUTES
- 16 MILLIMETERS
- NC-17
- A VIEW TO A CHILL
- 17.5 CARTRIDGES IN A PEAR TREE
- 18 CALIBER
- 18 1/2 DISGUISES
Books in the Finley Goodhart Crime Caper series:
- A PIG’N A POKE (prequel, subscriber-only short story)
- THE CUPID CAPER
Books in the Cherry Tucker Mystery Series:
- A CHRISTMAS QUICK SKETCH
- PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY
- STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW
- HIJACK IN ABSTRACT
- DEATH IN PERSPECTIVE
- THE VIGILANTE VIGNETTE (novella)
- THE BODY IN THE LANDSCAPE
- A COMPOSITION IN MURDER
- A VIEW TO A CHILL
- A MOTHERLODE OF TROUBLE (2020)
more
I loved this book! The humor, the romance, the independence of the character, and the series set-up. If you like your mysteries on the funny side with a dollop of romantic tension, what are you waiting for?
This is my the first book in the Maizie Albright Star Detective series and it was a lot of fun. I loved Maizie and the supporting cast of characters (though I wanted to do violence to her mother). The mystery was good and the hint of romance is always a bonus. I recommend this fun series.
15 Minutes is a fun read and augers well for an exciting future for this new Larissa Reinhart series. Maizie Albright returns home under a cloud of probation and an aura of stardom. The ex-teen idol is paying for his bad taste in men when a judge requires that she return to her somewhat rustic roots and stay away from the evils of Hollywood. More than ready to begin a new and independent stage of her life Maizie wants to train under the only local detective to get her private investigator license. Prepare with a college degree in criminal investigation and years of acting as a teenage super detective the young woman begs her way into a trial. her stardom, education, and intelligence still don’t prepare her for her first gig.
For me, her focus on fashion gets old but it fits her character perfectly and based on Larissa Reinhart’s other books, I believe that the character of Maizie will evolve. Dynamic characters are only one of Ms. Reinhart’s many strengths.
I really appreciate that amid the humor we see both heart and intelligence from the main character. I look forward to watching Maize Albright kick a@# and take names for years to come.
I requested and received and advanced readers copy of the book from the author. The review is voluntary. I review all books that I love!
I listened to 15 Minutes, a Maisie Albright Star Detective mystery, by Larissa Reinhart as an audio book. I began early one morning and listened on and off all day and I was hooked with not only the story, but also the media! The title of this first in a series story, 15 Minutes, refers to the “15 minutes of fame”, an expression made notable by Andy Warhol.
Maisie has moved back to her hometown of Black Pine, Georgia, to live with her dad, Boomer Spayberry, the deer nose king and owner of a major “Outdoor Man” type business. Her move home is multifaceted. She’s trying to get away from Vicki, her manager/mother, who has ruled her life since her parents’ divorce and their move to Hollywood. As a child star, Maisie has awards and fame as her portrayal of Julia Pinkerton, Girl Detective. Having been managed through it all, Maisie has no access to her earnings. As a former child star the next step Vicki took was a reality series that followed Maisie as she attended college to get a degree in criminology. However, when the boyfriend Vicki had paired Maisie with is arrested as a drug seller, Maisie is caught in the middle of the fray and charged as an accessory. Her probation deal was to get out of Hollywood, stay out of the tabloids, and show evidence of a real job. Now back in Black Pine, Maisie is pursuing getting a job with Nash Securities, the only true licensed private investigator in town.
Though the initial meeting, well several after that, do not go very well, Maisie wins over the gruff, but handsome, detective, and slowly becomes a part of his investigation. However, in her first assignment she fails and the woman she was supposed to be keeping an eye on disappears. As the investigation unfolds, though, it seems it is Maisie who keeps uncovering the majority of leads. When bodies begin turning up and Maisie is threatened and hit over the head, her new boss, Wyatt Nash, instructs her to stay at her father’s house to protect her as he follows the leads to Savannah. Thwarting those trying to keep her on property, Maisie enlists the help of the beauty salon crew she recently met and it is road trip to Savannah.
Although upset that Maisie disregarded him, it is Nash’s saving grace that she is there. As the mystery unfolds and the culprit is exposed, Nash and Maisie find themselves in more than one awkward position as they team up to stop a murderer.
This is a well orchestrated mystery with likable, and sometimes zany, characters. I have found a new series and a new method of “reading” books. I look forward to continuing both the series and and mode! I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!
What a great start to a new series. Maizie was a teen star and because of circumstances, she had to leave California and move back home to Georgia, get a job and do community service. She wants to be a P.I. and thus walks into the Nash Security Solutions and thus it begins. She is thrown into things without training, gets into trouble but yet comes out unscathed. Her mother/manager is a pain in the neck and makes difficult for Maizie. Can she survive her mother, her job, community service, and build new friendship? I love the interaction between Maizie and Wyatt and the things they get into. The commanderie is outstanding, what a team! There were twists and turns throughout the book and kept you guessing who the culprit is. Will Maizie get through her first investigation or will she flop? Will there be romance between Maizie and Wyatt? Look forward to the next book in the series.
Movie stars are people, just like everyone else. Yeah, they tend to have to work out more to stay in tip top shape, unlike the rest of us. They always seem to need a diet of some sort. They typically have their privacy invaded most of the day, unlike the rest of us. And they have connections…until something happens like a drug bust or an overdose and then the trouble comes their way. What does a celebrity do to get out of the limelight while they try to get their bearings on reality again? In Maizie Albright’s case, she changes her name back to small town Maizie Spayberry and takes a trip down to Georgia where her dad lives. Reinhart has a fun and entertaining cozy mystery with 15 Minutes as Maizie takes her celebrity role of private investigator…off camera and to the streets of Black Pine.
Maizie’s ex-boyfriend gets caught in some pretty illegal stuff and goes to jail, but the judge takes leniency on Maizie. His instruction is very clear and unwavering. Get off the movie set and get a job…in ten days or go to jail. Moving from LA to Black Pine is refreshing, but what she brings to the town might be too much to handle. Figuring that she’ll start as an apprentice to the only private investigator in town, Mr. Nash of Nash Security Solutions, everyone thinks she’s a complete joke and plays it off as research for a new film. After one assignment of following a client’s wife around…and losing the client’s wife, Maizie begins to wonder if being a real detective is in her cards. It is certainly easier to be one in the movies, for sure! As if this isn’t hard enough, the one person she didn’t want hounding her, her mom and also manager, has come to persuade Maizie to come back to LA for the next signed film. Saying goodbye to the camera was the easiest choice of her life, but establishing some normalcy has proved more challenging. When some of the town’s folk are found murdered, Maizie adds possible death to her “cons for becoming a private investigator” list, but her sleuthing is not over. She knows that if she can find the client’s wife, this may be the key to getting back into the good graces of her skeptical boss, the star-struck town, and the judge who wants to put her away.
Reinhart has some intriguing characters, portraying strength, doubt, desire, mystery, and a healthy dose of discernibly. 15 Minutes appears to be well-written purely by assessment, but lacks some creativity. The narration is clean, steady, and easy to follow. The story did appear to be very predictable, but a fun and light read none-the-less. Dukore’s narration is amusing, allowing the reader to get an accurate sense of the characters and how they react to certain situations. She does stumble over a few words, but not enough to hinder enjoyment. Overall, the story will entertain readers who like cozy mysteries, amateur detectives, and chick lit. Since this is the first installment within the Maizie Albright Star Detective series, the reader is able to dive right in.
An audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a four-star rating to 15 Minutes by Larissa Reinhart.
Author Larissa Reinhart creates an interesting character in the title role. Maizie Albright (Spayberry) started as an actress playing a teenage detective. In her role, she thinks out of the box and solves cases. She is a star who has issues, and multiple therapists advising her on failings.
Celebrity lives tend to beat to a different drum. Those who feed off the fame of the successful always show their unscrupulous sides. It is impossible to understand what portions of their media appearances are fabricated to further their career versus the actual person. Mazie attended and graduated college with a criminal justice degree.
When the actress’s former boyfriend is sentenced to jail for illegal activities, the judge offers Mazie an alternative solution. This young woman’s option is to leave LA and return to her hometown of Black Pine, Georgia, plus she must get a job with proof via a paycheck. She decides to take advantage of her degree. She moves in with her father and uses her last name of Spayberry to worm her way into a job with a Private Investigator, Nash, of Nash Security Solutions. No one takes Mazie seriously as a real detective.
Nash, Mazie, and Mr. Waverly are developed with very distinct roles and characterizations. The supporting cast is easy to keep track of. The dialogue is uncomplicated and easy to follow, though in some areas feels repetitive. The tug of war on Mazie by her mom and manager to bring her back to Hollywood creates some good tension. Finding Mr. Waverly’s wife but losing her threatens to undermine Mazie’s desire for independence and freedom of choice. The story has highs and lows, with humor placed at suitable intervals in a somewhat obvious storyline.
Joan Dukore’s narration was good, with only a few minor issues with some words and tone. Also, she provides a good rendition of the characters versus the narration with appropriate emphasis on the story’s humorous sides. It is a lighthearted young adult cozy mystery and a fun start to a new series.
4 Star review 15 Minutes (A Maizie Albright Star Detective Mystery) by Larissa Reinhart
Audio Review:
Both the author Larissa Reinhart and narrator Joan Dukore are new to me. This was a fun book that I found entertaining. I was intrigued as I followed the clues all the while chuckling as Maizie Albright tries to follow her dream of becoming a private investigator.
The narrator really brought this book to life for me and did a good job keeping me entertained. This was a a book filled with a fun, intrigue and suspense which kept me riveted as I listened to this story.
15 MINUTES is a funny and light hearted story that was just what I needed!
Maizie Albright was a teen television detective who has outgrown the part. She’s had some troubles and must find a job in 10 days and keep it. So Maizie goes home to Black Pine, GA and tries to get a job working for Wyatt Nash, Owner of Nash Security Solutions. He gives her a chance and has her watching a client’s wife. Let the fun begin!
Joan Dukore captured Maizie and the fun cast of characters perfectly! I look forward to listening to the next book in the series.
Thanks so much Larissa Reinhart for the opportunity to listen and review.
So good! Very well written, entertaining, funny, with some fun romance thrown in. Loved it!
Easy and amusing read! The main character sometimes comes off as spoiled, naive and vain, but that may be the author’s intention; giving the character time to grow as the series progresses.
very funny book, believable characters
Cute book. I enjoyed the characters and have purchased the next book.
Of course it is not realistic, but the plot is fun with her as a failed reality TV and other adventure woman series. star who now wants to be a real PI.
Of course there is the unobtainable PI who is the lust object.
Read this is you are looking for fun without the gore or deep psychological meanings,
A lively, humorous mystery featuring the incomparable Maize Albright. Reinhart plays up the comedic aspects of the Hollywood scene, Georgia Mountains, and stage mothers with just the right amount of exaggeration. I will definitely read more of these books.
Reinhart is witting, funny, and so entertaining. I can’t wait to read more of her series. What more could a reader want: a former Hollywood child star, southern culture, kidnappings, murders, and a little bit of romance. Add this to your TBR pile.
I received this book for free. I am voluntarily posting this review and any opinions expressed herein are my own.
I am actually somewhere between a 3 and 3 1/2 stars. Parts of this story, I really enjoyed and parts started to grate on me a bit as the book continued. There is some really fun humor and the romantic tension was enjoyable. The premise of a former child star returning back to her hometown to become a PI is a great concept. I really enjoyed the tension between Maizie and her momager – who doesn’t want to leave Hollywood behind. What began to bother me about this book was the constant high fashion references and when Maizie declares herself separate from her TV detective character and wanting to leave it all behind but yet, she seemed to almost constantly be asking herself what would her TV detective character do in a situation – it just became a bit one note. Overall, it was an enjoyable light read.
The narrator, Joan Dukore, did a good job in a very light-hearted narration.
This book starts out with 26 year old Maizie acting like 14 but gets better with every page. She’s a spoiled brat actress with a vicious, self-centered mother-manager and a disconnected father, and Maizie wants to be a Private Investigator – even when the going gets rough. Great fun! Loved it!
This review is for the audio book.
I really enjoyed this book. I got the audio book because I recognised the cover and thought I must have read it. I was wrong I didn’t remember it at all and it is probably sat on my kindle waiting to be read. Big mistake because I loved it. If I had know it was going to be this much fun I would have read it ages a go. Oh well at least I got it on audio. I loved the whole plot,a child star that plays a detective on tv trying to make it in the real world. The mystery was good even though I had worked out what was going on it was still fun getting there with the characters, who were like able if a bit quirky. Some of the situations she found her self in were humorous and most of the time caught on camera as the paparazzi followed her everywhere. I hope there is more books in the series to come because I think it will be fun to see how the characters develop as they work more closely together.
Maizie has just ten days to prove that she can be a detective and not just play one on tv. Life isn’t like it is on tv, you don’t have a script to follow or the director shouting cut when it gets to hard and Maizie is learning it the hard way. First she turns up for a job interview and Nash has no clue why she is there and when he does relent and gives her a chance she gets her nose broken and loses the women she is meant to be following. As if that wasn’t bad enough but her controlling mother wants her back on the tv show the judge ordered her to stay away from or she faces going to jail. Can she solve the case and find the missing woman with a camera crew and her mother following her every move and getting in the way? Every move she makes has a habit of ending up gossip for celebrity magazines but can she use that to her advantage and get reluctant witnesses to talk to her? She might just have to because the missing women’s husband is going to sue and run Nash out of business for letting his wife get kidnapped while he was watching her.
I liked the narrator as she used a variety of voices for the characters and was bubbly and entertaining In the telling.
More for the younger fashion oriented name droppers. Couldn’t get beyond the first chapter. Think harlequin from Hollywood. I’m sure it’s written for a different audience. Writing was good. Just not my style.
Not quite 4 stars, but definitely 3.5.
Maizie Albright was pushed into show biz by her ambitious mother who continues to wring every possible dime out of her daughter. Maizie, after brushes with the law and stays in rehab, has been ordered by a judge to find a job; she chooses the only private detective in her hometown. While TMI constantly pours out of her mouth, to her sexy boss, she still produces real leads. Suffice to say, the book is entertaining and I’ll be sure to follow up with the series.