Books 1-3 of the Jamie Quinn Mystery Series! Including:
“Death by Didgeridoo”-Winner of the Indie Book of the Day award. 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 … 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.
“The Case of the Killer Divorce”-Reluctant lawyer, Jamie Quinn, has returned to her family law practice after a hiatus due to the death of her mother. It’s business as usual until a bitter divorce case turns into a murder investigation, and Jamie’s client becomes the prime suspect. When she can’t untangle truth from lies, Jamie enlists the help of Duke Broussard, her favorite private investigator, to try to clear her client’s name. And she’s hoping that, in his spare time, he can help her find her long-lost father.
“Peril in the Park”-There’s big trouble in the park system. Someone is making life difficult for Jamie Quinn’s boyfriend, Kip Simons, the new director of Broward County parks. Was it the angry supervisor passed over for promotion? The disgruntled employee Kip recently fired? Or someone with a bigger ax to grind? If Jamie can’t figure it out soon, she may be looking for a new boyfriend because there’s a dead guy in the park and Kip has gone missing! With the help of her favorite P.I., Duke Broussard, Jamie must race the clock to find Kip before it’s too late.
A preview of the next Jamie Quinn Mystery, “Engaged in Danger,” can be found at the end of the book.
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Fun series with a good cast of characters!
This book is made up of three stories that all link together. They are quick, satisfying reads. I loved all the characters especially the PI Duke, he’s such a hoot and ends up being a real friend to our main character Jamie. Jamie is a divorce attorney that seems to stumble over dead bodies. As the books progress, we find out more about her past and what has shaped her as a person. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
This was my first Barbara Venkataraman’s book. This is a great Box Set of three short cozy mysteries. The characters are great and well developed. Jamie is smart, and capable. The supporting characters are great and intriguing. Each mystery is well built, fast-paced, light, fun, and intriguing. I loved to follow Jamie in her journey, with Duke and Kip. Carrie Lee Martz did a great job with the narration. If you like cozy mysteries, this Box Set is for you. I enjoyed it.
I received this set via a free download, but that didn’t affect my review. This set earned 5 stars.
Book 1 had a lot of heart that gets you invested in the characters. The plot was unusual with a couple of nice twists.
Book 2 picks up two years later and I was thrilled that Duke was still a big part of the story. His brashness is very funny and I could easily picture him. The new characters, twists and plot keep you guessing until the end.
Book 3 picks up six months after book 2. This book was my favorite because the author really finds her groove with the continuing characters. There are a couple of plot lines that keep you interested and there are really great twists! There is more peril in book 3, which I enjoyed and it kept me turning the pages. I would expect books 4 and 5 to be equally good.
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.
The Case of the Killer Divorce is an interesting story. The story concentrated mostly of the personal life of the main character. The mystery was more in the background and was light of details. I did enjoy the story but would have liked more attention and details for the mystery. I like the characters.
Jamie is having a rough time. Her mother died a little while ago and she is still getting her life back. Then her autistic cousin is accused of murder. She has to help. During the investigation she utilizes her best friend and fellow lawyer Grace and a PI she helped out f a scrape in the past Duke. The banter is funny and these people are so real. I loved the first book, then you move into the second in the series and her client is accused of murdering her soon to be ex-husband. Jamie and her gang have to help solve this one to keep a mother out of jail. The third book shows Jamie and her boyfriend Kip. Kip is in trouble at work and then bodies start piling up. This is a great easy read and there is a good mystery as well. These books are funny, smart and a must read!
This is a great series! I enjoyed reading it and I read it in one day. This is a great series to read to escape during this pandemic. I was engrossed from the first day. I received an ARC from the author for an objective review.
This box set includes the 1st three books in ‘The Jamie Quinn Mystery Series’ by Barbara Venkataraman. In the 1st book we meet Jamie a self-employed divorce lawyer that lives in the small town of Hollywood, FL, who unintentionally finds herself mixed up with the bad guys while trying to help a client and a family member. Along the way she enlists the help of her best friend, Grace, another lawyer and an unconventional P.I., Duke, to help her solve the mystery and murder.
With each additional book in the series the author further builds Jamie’s world and the regular characters within the storylines. These books are fun to read with lots of humor and character development as Jamie navigates her growing business and the relationships in her life. I thoroughly enjoyed each book and often laughed out loud at the dialogue. Barbara is truly a gifted writer! This is one series that I would love to see continue for many more books!
Overall, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Bk 1: Death by Didgeridoo 3.5 stars
The main Character, Jamie Quinn is a lawyer that has practiced family law for the last ten years. Her Mom died six months ago and Jamie has not been practicing lately. She gets a desperate call from her aunt saying her cousin Adam has been accused of murder. The first person POV story follows from there with Jamie finally “waking up” and working to exonerate her cousin.
This novella is short but gives us a decent introduction to Jamie’s world. It also hints at how police and others in the justice system may not be adequately prepared to deal with victims or criminals that have Asperger’s syndrome or other conditions on the autism spectrum who have difficulty with social interaction, etc.
There is some light humor in the novella as well as murder, politics, PTSD, grief, and the importance of family and friendships. While there were several potential killers, it was fairly easy to determine the guilty party. The effort was to find proof. I would like to have seen a few more twists and turns. The main character shows growth and depth during the novella. It is a moving story and very readable and I do recommend it to cozy mystery enthusiasts.
Bk 2: The Case of the Killer Divorce 4 stars
Book 2 in this series continues with Jamie representing Becca Solomon in her divorce case. Unfortunately there is a murder again and Jamie has to work with Private Investigator Marmaduke “Duke” Broussard once again. On top of this, a couple of personal situations are going on in Jamie’s life. Her high school boyfriend has moved back to town and she is considering looking for her father; someone that does not even know she exists.
This novella packed more of a punch than book 1 and was part cozy mystery and part women’s fiction. In this story, we find murder, prescription drug use, divorce, volunteer work, a search for a father that the main character has never met, mental illness, friendship, dating in your thirties, and so much more.
This book was well-written, moving and readable. The plot was interesting and believable. Once again, there was subtle humor throughout the story. The ending was satisfying and intense. Jamie keeps finding herself with clients that need a criminal attorney instead of a family law attorney. Will she continue to rely upon Susan Doyle for help or are there changes in Jamie’s future?
I was drawn into the personal side of this story more than the mystery and even cried a couple of tears at the end. Barbara Venkataraman has certainly upped her game in this novella and I recommend it to cozy mystery and women’s fiction enthusiasts.
Bk 3: Peril in the Park 3.5 stars
Jamie continues to work as a family law attorney but this novel’s mystery comes through her personal life. Her boyfriend, Kip, is having a difficult time as the director of the Broward County park system. This book offers a variety of problems from park vandalism to property development to disgruntled employees to political corruption to murder to animal cruelty to threats and so much more. It had a few more twists and turns than the first two books in the series. I was still able to determine the murderer ahead of time, but there were some other surprises.
Overall:
Each book in this series has gotten more complex, but the second one was definitely the star of the collection to me. The collection is easy to read and entertaining and I like the main character as well as her supporting cast of friends and family. Will Jamie’s father get this visa? Will Kip quit his job as park director? Will P.I. Duke get married for a fourth time? How will the romance progress?
I would like to see other books in the series have more twists and turns to the mystery. All three seemed a bit short to me. If you are looking for a complicated thriller, this is not the book collection for you. However, this is an entertaining, well-written set of books that contains humor and likeable main and supporting characters that grow in depth with each succeeding story. I recommend this series to cozy mystery fans that like a fast, engaging and entertaining read.
Thank you Barbara Venkataraman for a complimentary kindle e-book version of this collection in exchange for a fair and honest review.
All three stories are fantastic. I enjoyed each one. Love the characters. Great writing.
The Jamie Quinn Mystery Collections contains Death by Didgeridoo, The Case of the Killer Divorce, and Peril in the Park. These are the first books I’ve read by this author and I am looking forward to reading more. I’m hooked on the Jamie Quinn series! The main character, Jamie Quinn, is a lawyer who is still grieving the loss of her mother. In each book she is drawn into a mystery that needs to be solved. She relies on her her good friend Grace, who is a lawyer for a securities firm and a former public defender and Duke who is a very colorful P.I., These books are a very enjoyable read. I highly recommend them!
I was provided a copy of this book by the author, and was not required to give a positive review.
Once I turned the first page of the first book I was hooked and each of the books built on what was presented in the first. So, we really get to know the characters as they build from each of these reads.
The author gives us a taste of a mystery in each of these quick pages turning stories, and we get to know our heroine up close and personal. Be ready for sad moments, and also for some really great chuckles.
You don’t want to miss these, you can pick it up and read for a few minutes, but if you’re like me you will be quickly engrossed and you will read to the end, and then on to the next. I also notice that there are two more books in this series.
A Great Box Set of Fun Cozy Mystery!!!
This box set include Books 1-3 in Jamie Quinn Cozy Mysteries Series, it’s my first book that I read by Barbara Venkataraman and I really enjoy it.
Jamie Quinn is a divorce lawyer living in south Florida, her mom just died and she inherited a cat from her mom, in this boxset Jamie need to investigate and help clear her clients from the crime they didn’t commit.
This is a fun reading, hard to put down cozy mystery with interesting characters full of humor, mystery, action, a fast-paced mystery that flows well with lots of twists and turns that keeps you entertained as you try to figure out the mystery and the murder. I really enjoy this book and I highly recommend this book to any cozy mystery fans.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I probably would have expected horror stories in mysteries involving a lawyer specializing in family law .
Instead, this pack of Jaime Quin mysteries are funny – even when describing some of the wackier things folks do. The battle of Kool Aid, or the Epic Toilet removal are funny stories, not scary – except I can really imagine folks doing that.
Even the characters who turn out to be a bit murderous, accidentally or otherwise, are described in humourous detail. Granted, descriptions are tongue in cheek. That just makes ir all more fun
If you have an acerbic sense of humor, and if you like off the wall mysteries with unexpected twists, you should really enjoy this super collection!
I read it in Kindle Unlimited, as well as an advance copy.
Looking forward to picking up my next Jamie Quinn hilarious mystery!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ok, I’ll admit I wasn’t sure I wanted to read these, but I had promised so I started. That was a mistake, then I was hooked. It was like binge reading. I found the characters interesting, the situations funny (yes, there is a murder involved) and the story lines involved enough to keep me reading. A vegetarian, accident prone lawyer, a meat eating adventurous outdoorsman, a womanizing drinking P.I. and a smart, well connected best friend (also a lawyer) come together to solve problems and usually a murder. Barbara Venkatraman drew me in and I enjoyed these stories and will be reading Book 4.
I was given a free copy for an honest review.
This trio of books is the first three books in the Jamie Quinn Series.
They are lite cozy mysteries.
They are quick to read, but they don’t hold much substance and it is eay to get distracted by other things around you (Like facebook on your phone).
I felt that as the books went along, there really was not much in character developement. I really did not know much about Jamnie, or her “posse” of friends. I can’t even picture them in my mind.
There weren’t Red Herrings, in the stories, so it was very easy to figure out who done it.
If you like mindless mysteries, then these books are right up your alley.
I first met Jamie Quinn via audiobook. Books 1-3 of the Jamie Quinn Mystery Series just magically flowed from one into the other. Narrator Carrie Lee Martz brought Jamie’s wry, self-deprecating, humorous character to life. The time went quickly and I was surprised and sorry when they ended, as I could have walked on and on listening and enjoying these terrific stories. This series is a real treat, fun but with good solid mysteries, a lot of suspense and clues to follow, and characters that are well-developed, quirky and interesting.
Book one, Death by Didgeridoo, opens with Jamie mourning the death of her mother and only returning to the law because her cousin Adam has been accused of murder. Adam has Asperger’s and put himself right in the sights of the police. He is a difficult client to say the least, but he’s family and that’s everything to Jamie. Including finding her long-lost father. Jamie knows little about him but is looking for him based on information left by her mother. Book two, The Case of the Killer Divorce, finds Jamie back to her own field of law, family law, but also back to investigation and danger because one of her clients is a murder suspect. And in book three, Peril in the Park, it seems there is a lot more politics, intrigue and malevolence in the Broward County park system than you would think when a dead guy turns up in the park and Jamie’s boyfriend Kip goes missing. So it’s about murder and suspense and danger and friends and family. But it’s really all about a day in the life with Jamie – and the next day and the next – and getting to know her and Duke and Grace and Kip and now her father better and better.
These stories are fast-paced and fairly short, but not short on details and in-depth issues and characters. Jamie turns to P. I. Duke Broussard in all three stories. He’s quite the character, larger than life, often outrageous, but truly a friend to Jamie and the guy to have at your side when the going gets tough. Jamie’s friend Grace has contacts to help move along the search for Jamie’s father. And then there’s Kip. We get to see and enjoy this relationship develop and worry as much as Jamie does when Kip disappears.
Jamie is strong and determined, a brilliant lawyer, a devoted family member and a loyal friend. And somehow always winds up in danger. The stories take place in many locations (you can feel the Florida heat and humidity) with many different issues but Jamie’s character stays true through them all. These stories are a delight. I didn’t want them to end and can’t wait to get started on the next books in the series. Read them – you’ll be glad you did!
This is a fantastic collection of mysteries! Who knew an attorney of family law would be so good at criminal law and sleuthing! I enjoyed the characters, they very well developed and so different and colorful! The mysteries were intriguing and fun to read. I truly enjoyed reading Barbara Venkataraman’s work!
Death by Digeradoo
A Jamie Quinn Mystery
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.
THE CASE OF THE KILLER DIVORCE A Jamie Quinn Mystery
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 2 of the collection.
Again, the story is told completely from Jamie’s point of view and is well written/fast moving. This one revolves around a contentious divorce. Jamie is representing the wife Becca. Becca left her husband for his friend Charlie. (My opinion, the spouses are both mentally ill with major addictions and poor Charlie gets caught in the fall-out.) Once again, Jamie is involved in helping a client evade homicide/murder charges with the aid of her heavily liquored PI friend Marmaduke (Duke.)
The story gets a little silly in parts, but, it doesn’t detract from the story. (Just gets a bit ‘rambly’ in parts.) Like the first book, there’s zero graphic scenes or profanity in the story; thus, I’d allow youngsters from 12+ to read this one. (Any younger they probably wouldn’t understand all the nuances.) I have to admit I figured out pretty fast ‘who-dunnit’ — still a fast, easy, entertaining read. The ending was sweet. It’s on KU, so give it a try.
PERIL IN THE PARK A Jamie Quinn Mystery
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 3 of the collection.
Again, the story is told completely from Jamie’s point of view and is well written/fast moving. This story involves Jamie’s new/old boyfriend (high school boyfriend returns 15 years later) and his work ‘problems.’
The story did get a little silly in places; but, certainly didn’t affect the flow. Jamie and her PI buddy Duke are definitely good for a few chuckles. (Duke reminds me of an old friend of mine.) There’s another murder and some other mayhem that Jamie and Duke magically solve. And, there’s a small side-story about Jamie’s long-lost dad that is sweet.
Like the previous two books, there’s zero graphic scenes; however, there’s very, very limited mild profanity (2 words exactly and no F bombs. Which is far less than is heard on prime-time TV..) Thus, I’d allow youngsters from 12+ to read this one. (Younger than 12 probably wouldn’t understand the nuances or have the intellectual maturity for some material.) I have to admit I figured out ‘who-dunnit’ — as the foreshadowing made it pretty clear. This is still a fast, easy, entertaining read. It’s on KU, so give it a try.
This is a new-to-me author who was able to make me fall in love with both her writing and her wonderful characters. I can’t wait to read more!
One of my favorite things about this series is how real and developed the characters are. The amount of backstory and the internal dialogue helped me connect with Jamie very quickly. I love her combination of determination and insecurity, and her big heart. I love the slightly crazy family and amusing cast of characters that make up this fun world. There are many humorous moments; I actually laughed out loud and scared my bird. I also appreciate that each story can be read as a stand alone, even with the recurring cast of support characters. The mysteries aren’t too scary and there isn’t any foul language or sex so teens can enjoy them, too. It also means I can recommend them to my more conservative friends and family members. I loved them!
The author gifted me with The Jamie Quinn Mystery Box series which takes place in Hollywood Florida and this review is my honest opinion.
Jamie Quinn is a family lawyer who becomes entangled in more than one mystery. Then there is her PI friend, Duke. He keeps his office seat warm at the local bar and has a thing for beautiful women. Kip Simon is Jamie’s former high school sweetheart that returns to town after a 10 year absence. If you like reading a book (in this case 3 books) with colorful characters, and a little cozy with a mix of mystery, then you will enjoy the writing of Barbara Venkataraman as I did.