Customer Reviews

Appraisal for Murder (Jolie Gentil Cozy Mystery Series)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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Part of what makes Elaine Orr's new Jersey Shore series intriguing is the protagonist's job - as a property appraiser, Jolie Gentil has the best reasons in the world to poke into every closet and attic and cobwebby basement in Ocean Alley, a tiny town on the New Jersey coastline. As a sort-of native, she's still re-familiarizing herself with the town and the characters, so the series (Appraisal for Murder is the first in the series) flows naturally with new characters coming on stage in a believable way.

Jolie is sort of like one of those weighted toys that babies love to push over just to see them pop upright again - nothing keeps this woman down for long as she tries her best to rebuild her life from the ruins left by her gambling ex-husband, while solving a murder along the way.

Definitely worth the read!

You will never guess who did it? I loved the characters, felt like I knew them; Jolie could have been me. How many of us barely get out of a bad marriage or lose our job and have to start over from nothing? And then there is getting yourself in real danger; being alone can be very scary. Elaine Orr's new mystery is a fast read and I laughed and cried and couldn't put the book down..

I thoroughly enjoyed this book- it was light and quick reading. Characters and plot were interesting.... and engaging! I'll look forward to seeing the next in this series.

Elaine Orr's APPRAISAL FOR MURDER is the first in her Jersey Shore mystery series. The book is a snappy read with all the ingredients of a first class mystery including a sleuth with an unquenchable spirit who will engage your heart and mind.

If you've been through a divorce or an otherwise gruesome time of your life, you will appreciate the unquenchable spirit and wry humor of Ms. Jolie Gentil, the protagonist of this series.

In APPRAISAL FOR MURDER Jolie returns to her roots in Ocean Alley, a town so small it doesn't appear on any map. But Jolie tells the reader it's on the Jersey Shore. The protagonist comes back for convalescence following the sudden and surprising financial betrayal (read `theft') by her estranged husband. She interacts with the inhabitants of Ocean Alley with wit and verve, brings along her cat, Jazz, and stays with Aunt Madge and her two dogs.

Jolie reacquaints herself with the community, including some former classmates and earns pin money by doing real estate appraisals. When one of Aunt Madge's friends is murdered, the police are quick to point to a suspect, but at the end of the book Jolie proves them wrong. As a plus there's hint of a romance or two bubbling on the burner.

Told from the first-person point of view of Jolie Gentil ("It's pronounced Zho-Lee Zhan-tee," the protagonist is quick to tell us), the author, Elaine Orr, brings the Jersey Shore to life. Jolie runs on the boardwalk, takes the dogs on long walks, smells the salt tang of the sea air, reacquaints herself with old high school chums, and slowly uncovers evidence to reveal the perpetrator. She leaves no stone unturned. Evidence, leads, suspects, all are presented logically, slowly, and uncovered completely.

Along the way Jolie is harassed by one of her estranged husband's thuggish creditors. He is one of the antagonists. Without spoiling the mystery, I won't say any more, except that he is not out of place on the Shore. The author handles his presence and storyline quickly and deftly, weaving this line into the rest of the story. He is a surprise each time he appears, and not the only one. The humor as well as the plot make this book fresh and new and hard to put down.

Themes include the healing power of humor, the success, if slow, of honest labor. Lucky Jolie, to have her sense of humor and an aunt like Madge; lucky us, to have an author like Elaine Orr.
But don't look for blinding epiphanies or Sturm und Drang. APPRAISAL FOR MURDER is a light mystery, and billed as such. I did not see any character arc: there is no essential change in the protagonist, other than solving the mystery.
The book is the first in a series. The second has already been published, thanks to the miracle of Amazon and Smashwords, so you won't have to wait to read it, and doubtless the third is in the pipeline. If you seek a new mystery series with a protagonist who will win your heart, a place that reeks of the Jersey Shore, a story that will keep you turning pages, APPRAISAL FOR MURDER is for you.

A word about accidentals. First, the cover. The packaging does not do justice to the story or the writing. If you can believe all the marketing wags, this author would sell a lot more if she hired a slick cover designer and paid a little more attention to her Amazon page formatting. That being said, Elaine Orr has a real hit in the Jolie Gentil mystery series.

I found only one typo, an article typed twice. Otherwise, the grammar, punctuation, and formatting are immaculate.

Sort of a modern Agatha Christie. Compelling characters and a smart, quick plot. A fun, fast read. Can't wait for the next in the series!

Loved this book, couldn't put it down once I picked it up. Jolie Gentil is a tough woman, full of character. I can't wait for the next book by Elaine Orr.