A blind deejay (Shepard Krausse) and an invisible librarian (Miranda Ogilvy) from a tiny, rural Florida town try to solve a double disappearance connected to a recent canoe trip. It ain’t exactly “Deliverance,” but there’s a heap of trouble brewing fer these folks — some of it human, some of it animal, and all of it deadly. Shep and Miranda rely on their sense of humor as they face dangerous … fossil poachers — but even that is difficult when their engagement is broken amidst a river of troubles. This is Book 2 in the Minokee Mysteries series.
Shep’s Italian friend (Carlo Fratelli – cook, chauffeur, valet, & ladies man) aids the couple in their adventures. Shep’s animal friend, Zeus, a huge and independent Maine Coon cat, is so clever, he sometimes seems clairvoyant.
The Coffee Ritual ladies of Minokee add their quirky personalities and folksy wisdom to help Shep & Miranda iron out the bumps in their lives. Martha, Bernice, Wyneen, and Charlotte (average age 74.3) gather every dawn on their front porches to sip their coffee while they wait for the sight of the blond Adonis (Shep) jogging past their Magnolia Street cottages.
Shepard’s absurdly wealthy, snobbish, and domineering mother (Hermione Montgomery-Krausse) is always behind the scenes, attempting to direct the course of Shep’s career. Hermione wants Shep to become a politician, like several of his ancestors. At the very least, she wants her son to become a television commentator. With his blindness, his noble family connections, and his golden good looks, Shepard would be recognized by future voters – which will not happen if he stays in radio.
The shy Miranda shows a surprising inner strength when confronting Shepard’s officious mother, and Hermione has been forced to admire the librarian. Hermione vacillates between trying to separate Shep and Miranda or trying to marry them – on Hermione’s terms.
Miranda’s difficulties with Hermione are compounded when Miranda’s parents arrive unannounced from Miami. Dr. Rosario Ogilvy, Miranda’s mother, is a soulmate for Hermione Montgomery-Krausse, while Dr. Ezekiel Ogilvy, Miranda’s father, sides with his daughter (and Hermione’s son) against the two matriarchs.
The serio-comic family battle continues in the background even while Shep and Miranda risk their future and their very lives attempting to find the killers responsible for The Mammoth Murders.
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This review is for the audio book.
Oh wow, why did it take me so long to listen to this book? I have no idea but as soon as I started I was hooked . I just love the characters and the fact that one of them is blind, which came across nicely in the story, with a few blind jokes. The mischievous cat really added to the fun as well. A nice group of friends that I really enjoyed listening and laughing with. The home life of rich and overbearing parents brought drama and humour to the cosy and while I normally prefer the author stick to the mystery I found my self enjoying that side of the story too. I do think referring to Miranda as an invisible librarian a little off putting, it makes me think of witch craft etc but there is non of that in this book, it just mean she is don’t a knockout super model. The mystery was interesting and an unusual plot line but it worked well for this group of friends and I liked the conclusion. This is book two in the series and works well as a standalone but I certainly hope there is more to come from this author.
To get away from there parents taking over there secret wedding plans Miranda and Shep take to the waters, on a canoeing trip to visit a newly formed sink hole that has just opened up and revealed a surprise discovery. A mammoth that is worth millions is uncovered and will be the discovery of the century. The rest of the group consists of a professor and his teaching assistants, Shep’s good friend and right hand man in helping him keep his independence as a blind man and an elderly bird watching neighbour. The problem is one of the assistants goes missing after the excursions up the river and Shep is asked to help find him. The two mother’s continue with the wedding planning leaving Miranda no choice but to call off the wedding but with the mischievous cat Zeus and the crafty Carlos working behind the scenes will the pair stay mad at each other for long? Especially when they have a missing man to find.
I really liked the narrator and thought she put in a superb performance giving everyone there own unique and interesting voice, even the cat.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I found the story to be everything I already indicated PLUS just plain fun, cozy and enjoyable to read – minus bad, offensive language and embarrassing sex scenes. Some action parts, as well!
Shep and Miranda are back and better than ever.
It’s “No Shirt Day’ in Minokee and the residents are soaking up the view as Shepard Krausse resumes his daily jog through the tiny town.
Shep and Miranda’s romance has hit a snag, but never fear. True love will prevail, as the couple faces danger from a gang of murderous poachers of mammoth fossils. Toss in a wild boar and interference from well-meaning parents and, well, you get the idea.
Iris Chacon’s sense of humor and deft writing shine through in this sequel to Finding Miranda, Book One in the Minokee Mystery series. The plot thickens nicely, with enough twists to satisfy the mystery lovers, and with a satisfying conclusion. The characters are sympathetic and easy to like. It might seem odd to characterize a murder mystery as lighthearted, but that’s how my heart felt while reading it.
An enjoyable, cozy read.
I requested and received a free copy of this book.
romantic, cozy-mystery, florida, suspense, pet, amateur-sleuth, family-dynamics, situational-humor, verbal-humor
Read 2 times. Last read September 21, 2020.
What a mess! Shep and Miranda enjoy a canoe trip up the river with Shep’s professor friend and some students and later get involved in the mysterious disappearance and probable murder of one of the doctoral students. Shep’s overbearing mother and Miranda’s overbearing mother (her dad is a really nice guy) have totally hijacked their possible wedding to the point where the couple had an acrimonious split even before buying an engagement ring. Shep can’t bear the thought of getting another guide dog in the wake of the explosion that killed his best buddy instead of himself, but a kitten with some surprising abilities enters the scene. It’s not a grim story and there’s plenty of laughs. I loved it!
Even if you haven’t read the earlier book, there’s enough referencing to keep you from missing out. I loved the first book, so when I saw this one on NetGalley I requested and received a free ebook copy from Books Go Social via NetGalley. Thank you!
When I saw this one in a giveaway I hurried to enter–and won!
Jenny Hoops is the perfect voice performance narrator as she really adds to the characters’ personalities. I was surprised to hear music at the chapter beginnings, but it did make it easier to return after a necessary pause.