6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
ok, February 22, 2009
This review is from: Can't Never Tell: A Southern Fried Mystery (Southern Fried Mysteries) (Hardcover)
I enjoyed this latest adventure of Avery Andrews, although I did not find it as gripping as previous books. I felt there were some lose threads not completely tied together. I think I was waiting for some unlikable characters to get their come uppance.
This installment had Avery kind of sad and lonely. I'd like to see her have a real love interest, not another loser. Or at least give her some friends.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Follow the money, but for heaven's sake put down that corndog!..., September 25, 2010
Avery's 4th of July holiday gets off to a bumpy start when she finds herself embroiled in two mysterious deaths. First Avery and her niece, Emma, make a grizzly discovery at the carnival fright house. The following day a woman dies under questionable circumstances while attending the same picnic as Avery. Was it just an unfortunate accident...or murder?
This 5th entry in the series is quite busy, with two investigations, 4th of July festivities in Dacus and (gasp!) an actual date for Avery. The author does her usual competent job of bringing small-town Dacus to life, with all its southern charm and quirkiness. The mystery is engaging, with a small circle of suspects and motives that kept me guessing. There's enough detail about Avery's family and series regulars like Melvin Bertram to give you that familiar feeling that is a hallmark of any cozy mystery - that sense of knowing the characters, feeling invested in what becomes of them.
This is a series that I love to recommend to readers who enjoy a "smart" cozy with an appealing small-town southern setting. The humor is understated, the characters believable and it's obvious that the author know her stuff when it comes to the legal issues that Avery tackles. Having said all that, if you are new to the series this is not the place to start. Avery is a bit off-center in this one; not as self-assured as she appears in the earlier books. Best to start with the first book,
Southern Fried
No strong language or sexual content.
One last note. I haven't seen anything about the next book in the series, so I decided to check out the author's web page. Bad news. Although she doesn't definitely say that there won't be another Avery Andrews mystery, there are no immediate plans to write another installment. I'm disappointed, but you have to respect an author who likes her characters well enough to give them a rest if she doesn't feel there's anything more to add to their story. But on the slim chance that Ms. Pickens ever sees this...maybe just one more, with a happy ending for Avery? Please?
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just can't resist Souther Fried.... Or "Can't Never Tell" for that matter., July 30, 2011
To say that Ms. Pickens is one of my favorite southern mystery writers is an understatement. I have read all of her "Southern Fried" mysteries, and I can't say that I have read one that I did not fully enjoy. I read a review in which the reviewer asked for a strong love interest for Avery, but I believe that would weaken the character. I love the fact that she is a strong, independant woman who knows her own mind and at the same time knows the way to Mom's and Dad's house and still can be a little intimidated by her great-aunts. The small town of Dacus so reminds me of the small town in which I tried so hard not to grow up. Avery is a keeper, and if Ms. Pickens should give us more of Avery in the future, I would hope that she maintains the same strong character with the same humorous ways of dealing with small town crime.
This being said, "Can't Never Tell" is probably my favorite of the series. It starts with Avery and her neice Emma in a fake fright house on a hot, muggy July 4th evening. Their discovery of a real body part just gets the party started. The next day Avery is at the falls when someone falls/slips/was pushed? Suspects are few, but the husband is number one on the list for many in Dacus. We get to meet Avery's brother-in-law in this book, and get to know her sister better. Now that I know her family better, I am invested. If you enjoy southern humor and a good light mystery, read this book. I personally started with the first in the series, "Southern Fried" and worked my way chronologically through all five. This one is the last (so far) of the series, and I believe it's the best. But I wouldn't have missed any of them.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
