Shake It Off
Ballantyne Foundation Director and PI-in-training, Elliott Lisbon, is enjoying her idyllically slow life on Sea Pine Island, South Carolina. It’s the week before the annual Beach Ball and she’s sipping Bellinis on the sidelines. Her committee involvement is limited to securing the centerpieces: scrumptious two-tiered masterpieces from the Cake & Shake. But when the head baker … head baker (and owner’s maid of honor) goes missing, Elli’s calm life gets a major shakeup. She takes the case and soon learns that missing is a relative term. These two bffs were once rivals on a local dating show. Perhaps the free spirit had reason to wander off on her own. Or perhaps she wasn’t the only woman scorned. As Elli walks the delicate line between a woman finding herself and a woman needing to be found, the days speed up and she knows something’s about to go down. From drug runners to whistleblowers to sea turtle sabotage, Elli stirs up secrets and inadvertently whips a desperate killer into a frenzy. If she doesn’t find a way out of the heat, she’s going to get burned.
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SHAKE DOWN by Kendel Lynn | A Henery Press Mystery. If you like one, you’ll probably like them all.
Author Bio:
Kendel Lynn is a Southern California native who now parks her flip-flops in Dallas, Texas. Her debut novel, Board Stiff, was an Agatha Award nominee for Best First Novel. It features Elliott Lisbon, a mostly amateur sleuth who is only 5000 hours away from getting her PI license. Kendel has served as president of the board of directors for both Sisters in Crime (national) and Sisters in Crime North Dallas. Along with reading and writing, she spends her days trying to avoid the gym while still eating cupcakes for dinner.
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When I first started this series, I was unsure if I would continue. The first book was good but moved a little slow for me. I sure am glad that I kept going. Each book is even better than the last one. I really enjoyed reading this one & hope that there will be more.
Although this is the first book I’ve read by this author, I was happy to accept a free copy from Henery Press and offer my review once I finished reading. No spoilers in my reviews, just a fair shake on what you can expect. An enjoyable read with a story that moves along at a good clip and characters that are well developed enough that you can pick up here without having read anything beforehand. Also, I did enjoy this mystery enough to go back and start from the series beginning because this book was good enough for me to determine that this was an overall enjoyable series as well. An enjoyable and well-written story with humor infused in just the right places and allows you to transport yourself to the beach setting. A formidable whodunit that will keep you turning the pages to satisfy your curiosity about who the murderer is. It kept me guessing and I was completely surprised when the killer was exposed. Overall a likable story that left me wanting to read more by this author.
Shake Down is Kendel Lynn’s fifth entry in her Elliott Lisbon Mystery Series. This is my first book by Kendel Lynn. After an initial slow start, likely due to starting a series five in, the story picked up for me, and I was able to enjoy it on it’s own. As I have always said though, it would have probably enhanced the experience to have started at the beginning.
That said, it was a good story with likable main characters. There was a lot happening, and many characters to follow, but it came to a satisfying conclusion. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.
Elliott Lisbon has a whole lot to juggle in this, the fifth entry of this cozy series. Working as the director of the Ballantyne Foundation while also training to become a private investigator would be more than enough to balance. Now she is involved with a friends wedding and is in charge of the center pieces. What could possibly go wrong? As with any wedding, it’s a rule that there will be some kind of snafu. In this wedding the baker of the centerpieces goes missing a week before the nuptials and she is just so happens to be the maid of honor. Given that Elli is already involved with the wedding and she is a PI (even if not fully trained) it’s natural that she gets drawn into the search for the missing woman.
There is a major twist to the case – it’s all tied into a dating reality show and those shows can turn nasty. This wedding will be filmed as part of the show, if it ever happens. Add a few other plot twists and danger to Elli and you’ve got a great mystery. I’ll say no more for fear of dropping a spoiler or two. This can be read as a stand alone but be prepared to get your hands on the previous books, the series is that good.
You can really feel the tension pick up as finding Daphne went from just missing to possibly the worst case scenario.
The setting of small town America combining Ballantyne Beach BBQ with Juliette’s Wedding is beautifully detailed and you can really feel your there following Ellli with her investigation.
There are plenty of twists and turns as the whole town turns out to find Daphne.
Elli will have to do a bit of computer hacking herself as the police are not sharing with her.
This is a story with well rounded characters and you will not want to put it down until you as well as Elli finds Daphne in this latest Elliot Lisbon Mystery.
I was given an ARC by Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
A very elaborate and convoluted mystery! I wasn’t sure which story was the truth and I couldn’t tell who to suspect! I enjoyed the story and the way Elli’s brain processed the clues and information. Then throw in the secrets from the reality show and up seems down and down seems up and you don’t know what is happening! Great mystery!
This is the first book I’ve read in this series and I had no trouble following the story once I sorted out the characters. This book is very well written, with a complex plot and believable characters. I’m looking forward to more from this author. I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.
Once again Ballantyne Foundation Director and PI-in-training, Elliott Lisbon is on the case. This time she’s asked to help find Juliette’s missing Maid of Honor, Daphne. But is she really missing or just took off? These two were once rivals on the ‘Down The Isle’ dating show. And Elli is doing this while getting ready for the annual Beach BBQ. I enjoy Elli and the other cast of characters living on Sea Pine Island. This series is full of humor, plot twists, mystery and some romance between her and Lt. Nick Ransom. Such an enjoyable read. I’ve been a fan since I read Switch Back in Other People’s Baggage.
“I tossed my phone on my desk in frustration. “You know, Tod, a PI-in-training under the mentorship of law enforcement is code for figure everything out on your own.”
Elliot Lisbon, OK in training has a tendency to run into trouble. And this case isn’t any different. Who’s who and what and why all during a huge fundraiser for a homeless shelter and then they’ll have a wedding? Or will they. And, who’s marrying who? And, a reality show? Really?
As much as I loved the author’s first Elliot Lisbon book, I wasn’t really thrilled with this one. Mendel Lynn’s descriptions are still first rate, however, this story wasn’t. Too many story lines, mixed-up names and the ending makes me want to know what was edited out. I was contacted by the author’s publisher and given access to an early copy, and I’m almost sorry I agreed. It was that disappointing. 2/5