Reluctant lawyer, Jamie Quinn, still reeling from the death of her mother, is pulled into a game of deception, jealousy, and vengeance when her cousin, Adam, is wrongfully accused of murder. It’s up to Jamie to find the real murderer before it’s too late. It doesn’t help that the victim is a former rock star with more enemies than friends, or that Adam confessed to a murder he didn’t commit.
A … commit.
A preview of Jamie Quinn’s next adventure, “The Case of the Killer Divorce,” can be found at the end of the book.
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I really enjoyed reading Death by Didgeridoo. This is a light, fun read. The mystery is interesting. I like the characters and enjoyed their humorous interactions. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
A young lawyer with a background in family law dips her toe into the criminal law pool when her disabled cousin becomes implicated in the death of a rock star in this first Jamie Quinn mystery.
This light hearted cozy mystery is filled with off-beat characters you will love, not least of which is Jamie herself. With a whole collection of possible and motivated murderers, puzzling out this one was a lot of fun that provided an afternoon of smiles, amusement and entertainment.
Well worth the read.
A young boy, Adam Muller, who has Asperger’s Syndrome (an autistic spectrum disorder),finds comfort and inspiration in playing the didgeridoo, enjoying regular lessons with an unusual teacher – Spike, the philandering drummer in a rock band, The Screaming Zombies,whose name he also uses (without the rest of the band’s permission), for his music store where these sessions take place.
Adam’s cousin Jamie Quinn, is an about-to-be-qualified lawyer and the first she knows about Spike’s murder, is when her frantic Aunt Peg rings up to ask for her help, as Adam’s supposedly ‘confessed’ to the police that he did ‘a bad thing’ to Spike.
How will Jamie be able to help Adam and Aunt Peg get to the bottom of the crime?
Whom do the police suspect is the killer? Who is Grace? How does she help Jamie?
Who else had a motive for murder? How does Jamie reach out to Duke Brossard- and why?
Read Death By Didgeridoo, Book 1 in the Jamie Quinn Mystery series by Barbara Venkataraman to find out the unpredictable clues and ending of this great novella – you’ll love it!
Death by Didgeridoo is a quick whodunit with an interesting and compelling protagonist and a fun mystery. It’s the first in a series that I think is off to a promising start!
I enjoyed the first person POV of this story, letting us really get inside Jamie’s head. She’s a lawyer, which gives her a unique take on the world. I’m really looking forward to seeing her progress as a character in the series.
The mystery was well written with some red herrings left so that I wasn’t exactly sure of the outcome. I am really impressed with Barbara Venkataraman’s writing and I am really looking forward to reading more from her!
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
Jaime, a lawyer, specializes in Divorce cases…
But when her cousin gets accused of murdering his music teacher Jaime comes out of bereavement hiatus and helps solve the murder…
I found this a quick read and I believe it is so that we get introduced to the characters in the series…
I enjoyed the storyline and I’m off to start the next book…
On a side note…the author may want to look at doing the covers over again for her books…I find they are lacking…I for one look at the cover when buying a book and I wouldn’t have given this a second look nor picked it up.
This was my first adventure with Jamie Quinn and will not be my last! I fell in love with the characters and the author’s gift of storytelling. I am hooked!
Jamie and her best friend have a great relationship with lots of joking but caring interactions. And then you meet Duke and you just have to laugh. He is one-of-a-kind!
The mystery keeps your attention and Jamie is snarky enough to have you chuckling, but willing to go to bat for her cousin who has Asperger’s. Her commitment to family and friends touched my heart.
Thank you to the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I can’t wait to read the second installment in this delightful series!
Lawyer Jamie Quinn is still trying to get over the death of her mother when she is reluctantly pulled into a case where her mentally challenged cousin Adam is wrongfully accused and charged with murder. So it falls to Jamie to try and find the real murderer which is exacerbated because the victim is a former rockstar with many enemies. Can she find her way through deception, jealousy and even vengeance?
I loved this story which swept me away into the various plots and subplots that Jamie was having to dig through in order to clear her poor cousin Adam. I found myself reading this faster and faster as I was willing her to get to the bottom of the murder so I would know who did it too. Well written, this was easy to understand and very easy to follow along and keep up with.
This was a fascinating look into how someone on the autism spectrum could be affected by being accused of murder. His cousin, Jamie, is a wonderful person and even though criminal law is not her forte she does an amazing job helping her cousin out! I enjoyed reading this greatly!
I really enjoyed this short murder mystery. I read it in a few hours and totally enjoyed the humor and mystery. I also learned a few new words lol. This book has Jamie, a depressed grieving lawyer, Peg, her aunt and caregiver to Adam who has Asperger’s Syndrome, a pompous State Attorney, a bff Grace, the murder victim Spike who was a washed up drummer hated by many and Duke the sleazy PI. I love Duke! I will be reading more of Jamie’s Mysteries.
Fun, cute coffee table mystery. Was a quick read with some good action. And I liked that the characters seemed real. They were well developed and had fun, likable personalities. Excited to see where Jamie Quinn goes next.
4 stars to Barbara Venkataraman’s Death by Didgeridoo, her debut novel in the “Jamie Quinn Mystery” series about a lawyer who investigates murders while protecting her clients from all the trouble they encounter. I enjoyed reading this book, but it is a very short read to introduce you to the main characters, setting and background — definitely worth the read to give you a taste for what’s to come in the series.
Story
When Jamie’s cousin Adam, a 22 year old with Asperger’s Syndrome, is accused of killing his music teacher with a didgeridoo (a musical instrument), his mother Peg calls Jamie for help. Jamie’s own mother passed away which is why Jamie feels more closely connected to her aunt and cousin as some of her only remaining family; however, Jamie is a family law practitioner, not a criminal lawyer. She uses her sharp wit, intelligence and connections to determine the potential real suspects and finds herself embroiled in a mystery of a music band where a number of members and their fan groupies may have been responsible. In the end, Jamie saves the day with help from her bestie Grace (a criminal lawyer) and PI Duke, who is also a former client of hers when he had his own womanizing ways!
Strengths
The story is narrated in first person which gives the author valuable liberties with Jamie’s personality. Jamie can easily tell you what she’s seeing and thinking while also giving her opinion and stepping out of the story to make you laugh. There are a number of funny lines that quickly give you a sense of Jamie’s personality making you wish you had a friend just like her — especially when many are at her own expense. It’s just the right balance of humor/fun without causing any intrusion into the overall story. I enjoy cozies that can go that extra step but still keep everything moving along.
Having a lawyer as the protagonist (especially when the story is written by a lawyer) also helps with storyline potential — think of all the murders, court room dramas and legal proceedings you as a reader will get to experience. The author does a good job at not using too much legal-speak to make the read cumbersome which helps keep the story flowing along.
The murder, in traditional cozy format, happens off screen. There is very little focus on the description other than knowing about the blood and the weapon. For the most part, I think this is a good approach, as the reader has a lot to go on with his/her own imagination. I also like the ingenuity with the murder weapon as I think this may be the first time it’s ever been used in a book (reviewers note — I surprisingly have not read every book in the universe so I cannot be absolutely certain on this!).
Suggestions
It was too short and quick. I read this on my iPad Kindle program on a plane trip from Atlanta to NY and finished it in less than two hours (it’s about 100 pages). The story is good and has a definite murder setup, multiple cast of suspects and a few side stories — it’s a direct path to solving the whodunit with a few red herrings along the way. I would have liked to see some additional details surrounding the different band members so that I could try to figure out which one may have been the culprit. It sometimes felt a little bit like it went too quickly to finding the actual killer, especially when a second victim shows up and the story is quicky solved. But I believe since this was a debut novel, it was done to get interest in the characters and setting and will expand more in future books.
Final Thoughts
This debut was a good example of humor in a cozy and will delight readers who like a strong female lead character with the right group of friends in the legal and police fields to help her solve the cases. This particular story had many different characters who could have been the killer and you clearly know from the beginning it couldn’t be the one suspect the police blamed. I’m looking forward to seeing a longer and more complex story in the next two books in the series. I’ve already downloaded them and will probably switch back and forth between a few series over the next couple of weeks. Nice debut work!
Jamie Quinn Mystery Collection: Box Set Books 1 – 3: I enjoyed these books by an author new to me. I had been collecting her books over the years and finally decided to read them. Entertaining and funny and good suspense are a few descriptors to pop into my head. The main characters are a perfect fit: two female lawyers (they’re likable); one Cajun PI; and a couple of love interests. With each story, most of these characters grew more likable and complex. The other main characters are added as the stories go along. Grace and Duke are the perfect characters to make this series full of interest and humor.
There are many stories being followed along with the main plot. A continuous series that doesn’t have any cliffhangers; just moves along a time line. The story lines hold the reader’s interest and there’s humor throughout the books. There’s no crazy situations, like that lovable Plum character, but realistic happenings. There’s no silly/stupid dialog or formulas, just plain entertainment. The writer’s style is laid back, almost as if you’re on the porch gossipin while sippin yur iced tea. Well written and quickly read, but still substantial enough to make reading these books worthwhile. Needs a little editing, but nothing that distracts from reading. 4*
Death by Didgeridoo #1 – This is my first read by this author and I like it. A good introduction to a few main characters of the series. Well written and easily read, fast paced and interesting; it was easy to sit down and finish quickly. All of the characters are likable, realistic and entertaining; think of Moonlighting for the humor and a male character. 4*
The Case of the Killer Divorce #2 – This story picks up about six months after where Didgeridoo finished. Well written with plenty of suspense, the reader can’t help but enjoy the story. The humor is good and the characters keep developing. 4*
Peril in the Park #3 – This story picks up about six months later from the ending of Killer Divorce. Boy, there’s a neat twist to one of on going the background stories! There’s also a fun surprise involving someone’s dad that makes the future books a must read; we know the ending to that story, but it’s the path taken that interesting. Plenty of humor and everyone has more added to their characters/stories. 4*
This was the first time reading anything by this author. This is a very fun, cozy mystery. Jamie Quinn is a family law attorney. Her mother passed away 6 months ago and she has been in a funk and not working. She gets a message from her Aunt Peg that her cousin Adam has been arrested for murder. Adam has Asperger’s and music is one of his coping mechanisms. He has been arrested for killing his music teacher Spike. Jamie sets out to prove Adam is innocent. Turns out Spike had more enemies than friends so finding the killer isn’t going to be easy. Jamie’s best friend Grace and a former client Duke, who happens to be a PI, are her best resources. The story follows Jamie’s adventures as she solves the murder.
I really enjoyed the characters. Jamie has a great sense of humor and doesn’t mind poking fun at herself. Duke is a funny, womanizer but I think he really has a good heart. Story was well written and the character development is off to a great start. I know we will learn more as the series goes on. I recommend this to anyone who loves a good, cozy mystery.
Book 1 “Death by Didgeridoo” earns 5/5 Australian Aboriginal Wind Instruments!
This is truly a delightful series! Jamie is a quirky with low self-esteem issues, but she is a young woman trying to find her way…very realistic! She loves her family, misses her mom, and discovers she is a lot more capable than she thought. Her gutsy attitude standing up to the State Attorney, Nick Dimitropoulos, hell-bent on railroading Adam is impressive, and the banter with friends and suspects is entertaining. It is a quick read, or listen in my case, but not short on enjoyment.
Narrator Carrie Lee Martz lends a marvelous skill hitting the mark with her dry tone for Jamie, southern drawl for the PI, and a New York twang for Marian. She provides the emotional fear for Aunt Peg and the difficult communication for Adam. I was totally caught up in the experience.
Duke is my favorite character, I’m just going to start with that. The dialog in Barbara’s books is so great, I read so many of these short mysteries and at times it can feel that the author didn’t feel invested in giving each character a personality. But in these books that isn’t the case. Jamie is a hilarious boring girl that has adventure swirling around her. Being a divorce lawyer from the outside seems like it would be a tedious and boring job, but these books really capture that from time to time it is far from it
This book is a run read. I loved the characters and the story telling ability of the author. Jaime is an attorney who hasn’t been practicing her profession since her mother died. She is pulled into helping to defend her nephew who has Asperger’s Syndrome. She has some good friends who guide her in her quest.
I recommend this book.
This cozy mystery series is off to a great start!
Cozy mysteries are my favorite genre. I love when I find a new cozy mystery story that I enjoy, especially when there are more books available from the author. I found a new favorite author and a fabulous new cozy mystery series to boot!
This story begins about six months after the death of Jamie’s mother. She is classically depressed and just wants to veg out 24/7. What does it take to get her off the couch and back out in the world? Her autistic cousin accused of murder. Jamie is a family law attorney, not a criminal attorney. But her family is counting on her to save her cousin from a murder conviction. Jamie reaches out to her BFF, Grace, for help. Grace and Jamie went to law school together. Grace is not a criminal attorney either, but she does work in a prestigious firm and has awesome connections. Grace reminds Jamie that she has an awesome connection herself, a P.I. that owes Grace a favor. A dream team in the making? Read the book to find the answer. If you enjoy a well-written, fun, and easy read, this is a book for you.
Barbara Venkataraman is a gifted storyteller. Jamie, Grace, and Duke are such wonderful characters. I am looking forward to reading more of this series to see how they will handle the next calamity.
Just finished this story and I can’t wait to read the next two adventures with Jamie. She is so relatable and likable and I thought this was a good mystery. I love that while she is a lawyer, she seems down to earth and in this first book works hard to help her family. I love that it takes place in my home state too! The story kept me guessing but what I loved the most was how Jamie worked it out! I love cozy mysteries and this was a great start. I’m excited to see what lies ahead for Jamie Quinn!
This book is part of a 3-story mystery/suspense collection evolving around Jamie Quinn. Jamie is a ‘reluctant’ lawyer, specializing in family law. This is book 1 of the collection.
The story is told completely from Jamie’s point of view and is well written/fast moving. Jamie’s mom recently died from cancer; so Jamie takes a sabbatical to ‘think over’ her options. Six months into her ‘thinking time’, Jamie receives a frantic call from her aunt Peg that her young, autistic cousin (Adam) has been arrested for murder. (Creative license was used in identifying the cousin as having Asperger’s. Adam is very child-like in this story. Most people with Asperger’s are extremely intelligent, but don’t have the ability to disseminate emotions. However, like Adam, many people with Asperger’s have a special ‘focus’ — in Adam’s case music.) The story evolves from there.
There is absolutely nothing graphic or profane in the story; thus, I’d allow youngsters from 12+ to read this one. I have to admit I figured out pretty fast ‘who-dunnit’ — still a fast, easy, entertaining read. It’s on KU, so give it a try.
**I was surprised and pleased that this independent author has published a well-edited story. It has been a very long time since I’ve read anything without massive errors. Usage issues, improper words, spelling, and punctuation sets off my OCD.
In Death by Didgeridoo, we meet Jamie Quinn is a lawyer that has taken time off from work to grieve the sudden death of her mother. She is reluctantly pulled back to work when her cousin, Adam, is accused of murdering his music teacher, Spike. Adam is autistic and believes he is responsible for his teacher’s death because he was killed with Adam’s Didgeridoo. Spike, a former rock star, has many enemies from his wild lifestyle. Jamie can’t let her cousin take the blame for this murder so she decides to enlist help from a PI Duke to clear her cousin’s name.
This is a quick read as the mystery is on the shorter side. Although short this is a good mystery contain several twist and turns. The characters are interesting and entertaining. I felt the element of Adam being autistic as well as the grief that Jamie is dealing with of the loss of her mother really added an interesting social aspect to the story. I feel this is a really good beginning to a series.
I purchased the box set of books 1-3. This is my review of the individual book, the opinions are that of my own and in no way have been influenced.