“Mystery with characters I could be friends with!”Stella’s newest client, Charlie Booker, wants to sell his half of a duplex but before he can sign the listing papers, he’s murdered.Even stranger, there are only one set of footprints leaving the house, with none showing up as entering the home.The police mark it as a robbery gone wrong and target a local group of petty thieves.Stella can’t shake … thieves.
Stella can’t shake the feeling that it’s someone much closer. There’s his neighbor, the owner of the other half of the property, and a girlfriend who was overheard threatening the poor victim. The girlfriend is overly polite and friendly while being really passive aggressive about keeping her out of the house.
Stella doesn’t have any evidence to give the police- she can’t have anyone arrested on bad vibes. So, Stella does some sleuthing
and the more she digs around, the more convinced she is that there’s something hidden in that house. What could be in there that’s worth committing murder for?
Meanwhile, Stella finds out more about her past… and her mother. The secrets are starting to unfold and Stella is holding all the men in her life accountable. She’s just as determined to know the whole truth as they are determined to keep her from finding out.
A clean cozy mystery. No graphic violence, sex, or strong language. Other books in the series:
Mind Your Manors
A Dead Market
Home Strange Home
Duplex Double Trouble
Mid-Century Modern Murder
Linked series, Cherry Pie or Die, the Baker Street cozy mysteries.
With a pinch of humor, a bite of suspense, lots of mystery, a touch of small town romance, characters that you want to be friends with, a few dogs and cats, and free recipes, there’s a little bit of something in one of these mystery books for everyone.
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Duplex Double Trouble is the fourth Book in Cee Cee James Flamingo Realty Mystery series. Stella O’Neil does a house showing for Kari who is feeling under the weather. The client is Charlie Booker who is selling his half of a duplex and Stella has an offer for him. They agree to meet at 3:00, but Charlie is a no show. Turns out Charlie was murdered and Stella, unhappy with the police investigation, sets out to find the guilty party. She’s also grappling with family issues. Never a dull moment in this enjoyable read.
Stella’s newest client cannot be dead. Only minutes before, she had called to set up the appointment to present him with a buyer’s contract so fresh the ink was still wet. Surely a murder couldn’t have been committed in that short amount of time. This is unreal. Her curiosity piqued, Stella embeds herself in the investigation, sharing the clues she runs across with her favorite lawman.
On the home front…Stella’s Uncle Chris has spilled the beans on the family mystery, and it centers around her mother. Her mother, the woman her father never talked about. Stella is mad enough to spit nails. How could her father, uncle, and grandfather have kept this from her? Now her infamous curiosity centers on learning more about the woman who is her mother.
This is a fun, clean, and easy read. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys an entertaining whodunit. As a bonus to the story, I do believe I may detect a bit of romance in the air.
Even though this was the first book I read in this series, it was easy to read and the author did a good job of making it as a stand alone and adding tidbits from the other books to easily catch me up. The mystery was good and I foresee a romantic interest with two interested men for Stella affections. Stella is also learning more about her mother that she thought had abandoned her when she was a young child. I look forward to reading how things progress with Stella and her suitors and also if she gets to finally meet her mother in the next book.
I have read many of CeeCee James books, and enjoyed them all. Good characters, easy to read and always anxious to move on to the next book when I finish one.
Uncle Chris, the owner of Flamingo Realty, revealed a secret about Stella’s mother. As a result, Stella has been very depressed recently, trying to deal with the news. When she finally goes into the office, Kari says she is under the weather and asks Stella to do a house showing for her.
The client, Charlie Booker, wants to sell his half of a duplex and Stella O’Neil has an offer all lined up. Charlie and Stella agreed to meet at the duplex at 3:00 PM, but when Stella shows up with the paperwork, nobody answers her knock.
When Stella returns later that day, she learns that Charlie Booker has been murdered. She sees Maribel, Charlie’s sister, holding her personal notebook and realizes that she must have left it in the duplex earlier during the showing. Shortly thereafter, Stella starts getting threatening messages.
Who killed Charlie? Why was he killed? Who is threatening Stella? With her family issues causing such a burden, can Stella stay focused on current tasks?
This story gives a lot more background details on Stella and her family, while keeping a link to the mystery. This is a familiar scenario for anybody who has ever had personal issues overshadowing outside issues. I am looking forward to reading more of how Stella handles the personal issues while still making a living in real estate.
5 stars
I purchased a copy of the novel A Flamingo Realty Mystery book 4: Duplex Double Trouble by CeeCee James and this review was given freely.
Two mysteries seamless melded together to form one complex story filled with both family and workplace drama, interesting characters, danger and a little romantic rivalry in the form of Officer Carlson, Richie the neighbor, the gym owner, and the mall shoe salesman. Recovering after learning her mother was in prison, Stella returns to work only to find the owner of her next house murdered before he can sign the closing papers and the only clue is a suspicious set of footprints. Coincidence and threats lead to a surprising long list of suspects. Friends try to help Stella cope with information regarding her mother including the suspenseful ending hook.
The title of my review says all I am going to say about this story. I have enjoyed every one of these stories and have the entire series…so far. The characters are wonderful, the storylines are marvelous, I truly enjoy every one of them