In Book One of this cozy mystery series, a morose parrot with a reputation for biting sums up Brookside Retirement Community for reluctant resident, Josephine Bartlett. But when Brookside turns out to be a setting for art theft, dodgy dealings, and naked poker, it becomes vastly more interesting. Josephine investigates the unusual goings on with friend and handwriting expert, Lill Fitzel. And the … the two befriend a young woman Josephine tries to prevent from making the same mistakes she has made.
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As a senior citizen, I enjoy the cozy mysteries that show seniors using their minds to outsmart those who would take advantage of them. Josephine’s shrewd investment skills and her ability to deal with her totally insensitive son Jeff made me want to share. Lill’s skill as a handwriting analyst prove my point that old people are invisible and overlooked by society. Many of us still have a great deal to offer.
The mystery involving Edna was clever and she was a sympathetic crook, unlike the young and handsome Eddie.
Fun to read.
This is a series of three can’t-put-down incredible books. I picked up book 1 on Wednesday and by Friday afternoon had finished book3, wishing for more. Characters are refreshingly delightful. The story lines are spunky and engaging. I highly recommend these books.
Cute characters, easy reading. Would read other books by the author.
It was well written and had suprises and turns of understanding. It has a lot of characters and is sometimes hard to keep track of who is who and what they did.
Found the characters amusing
Lighthearted and fun with a message!
A little mystery, wit and love made this a most interesting book.
Loved the characters. Who says old people can’t have fun.
Highly recommend this book if you like a little mystery and a lot of wit.
Terrible title! Such a fun book! Loved learning about each of the characters!
Fun book to read
A really fun read!!
I read this book and liked it so much that I purchased the subsequent books in the series, all of which were equally fun reads. I really appreciate the excellent writing by this author, she is a very skilled wordsmith. I had not read her work before, and was glad BookBub gave me a chance to be introduced to her work. This author is a huge cut above most writers in the cozy genre and I will be looking for other books and series from her. While this series might fit into the “cozy” category (I’m not sure it does) it represents the absolute best of the genre and is not even close to formulaic. What I like about this series is the depth and complexity of the characters, who largely seemed like real people whose understandings of themselves, their worlds, and the others who inhabit those worlds grew over the course of the individual books and of the series as a whole. I do think the facility they live in is idealized (and if not, I want to find one like that for my own elders to check out!). The books all were easy reads that I could gain great relaxation from reading at the end of a busy day (although they were hard to put down!). So many cozies seem to be written to a formula with cardboard cut-out characters who develop not at all across the story. I’m never tempted to continue past the one free book (and often don’t finish that book).
I almost stopped reading this book because the beginning just did not catch my interest; I am glad I continued to read as it became quite a good story.