Customer Reviews

The Case of the Bouncing Grandma (A Bouncing Grandma Mystery, Book 1)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Glory Harper is not your typical fifty-something grandmother. Rather, she is known as the "bouncing" grandma because - well- I don't want to give away all the secrets!. Now, Glory is confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg and bored out of her mind after trying her hand at skateboarding.

No one really believes Glory's theory that there's a dead body next door, based on her observation of a foot dangling from a rolled up carpet belonging to the new neighbors as they move in. Despite skepticism from her sister, Jane, her daughter, Andi, and even the handsome blue-eyed detective who investigates her claim, Glory is determined to prove her case.

Suspense deepens as the new residents of small town Tarryton appear to be tied to a crime far more elaborate than harboring a dead body. Glory obtains her evidence simply by extending Christian friendship to the new neighbors along with a little internet surfing.

Glory and her sister Jane share a deep bond as sisters and best friends. The relationship between daughter Andi and grandson Seth is presented with humor intertwined skillfully with drama and real-life emotion. The promise of a potential budding romance for Glory adds depth to her character. Throw the town scoundrel and a past national scandal into the mix and you have a book that keeps you turning the pages until the end.

A. K. Arenz has done a fine job of delivering a great story in this debut novel. I look forward to more work from this talented author.

I suffer from intractable migraines and spend most of my time in bed, reading. As a result I am always looking for mysteries that are entertaining and amusing. While I enjoyed the plot and found the characters interesting,and would, in fact, liked to have continued reading the series, I found the heavily Christian element very distracting; I would not have bought the book if I had known about it. Perhaps the publisher should have been a tip-off; if so I was unaware of it.

First time author A. K. Arenz creates colorful characters with a splash of humor and an artistic rendering of believability. The well-drawn plot begins on page one and paces pleasingly throughout the book. Supporting characters add color and interest to the unfolding mystery. Elements of suspense and romance provide a fresh perspective in each chapter, and the climax reveals a sophisticated Whodunit turn of events.

Protagonist Glory Harper is every kid's dream for a grandmother--she's fun loving, resourceful and mischievous. And she bounces right off a skateboard into a murder mystery that has moved into her neighborhood. Glory may have a broken leg, but that doesn't keep her from jumping headlong into cracking the case, despite her naysaying sister. Eventually her entire family gets involved in solving the crime.

The Case of the Bouncing Grandma is a fun, easy read with lots of depth. It's published by Sheaf House, which is synonymous with graphic readability. The font and type size are excellent for lowlight reading.

THE CASE OF THE BOUNCING GRANDMA
By A. K. Arenz
Reviewed by Marion Kelley Bullock

Glory Harper, stuck in a wheelchair with a broken leg, after a skateboarding accident, is bored-- itching for excitement. So when she claims she sees a foot dangling from the back of a carpet, as it's being carried into her new neighbor's house next door, who's to believe her?

Her sister and her daughter think she imagined it. But what about handsome Detective Rick Spencer? Is he taking her suspicions seriously, or is it simply her he's interested in?

You'll enjoy Glory's antics in The Case of the Bouncing Grandma.

A.K. Arenz's debut novel is an engaging cozy mystery with all the right elements--a quirky heroine, a love interest, and an odd assortment of supporting characters and suspects. Arenz has crafted a fine cozy with lovable characters that will keep you turning the pages.

This author was a new one for me and I enjoyed the book. I thought it was a little slow starting but would definitely read another book in the series. First in a series are usually slower starting as the author needs to introduce all the main characters. The characters in this book are likeable.

A.K. Arenz's Bouncing Grandma kept me bouncing with laughter. And since I was recovering from surgery at the time I read it, I have to say it was somtimes painful, but well worth it. I fell in love with the characters from the first page and the mystery and romance were well done. I can't wait to read more books by this author.

Frances Devine

The protagonist of this book is a grandmother who broke a leg trying to skateboard with her grandson. There is a bit of a nod to "Rear Window" (one of my all time favorite movies) in the plot, but it is by no means a copy of that plot.

The characters are well drawn, and the plot is fine with the appropriate clues. I was a little disappointed that the grandmother (Glory is her name) was about 20 years younger than I was expecting, but 52 is a perfectly reasonable age for a grandmother.

I won't be reading another in this series, but don't let that stop you. Ever since 9/11 I have been intolerant of positive propaganda for religion, and this book has lots of it which had the effect of raising my blood pressure.

I enjoyed this book a lot, at first it got off to a slow start but by the third chapter I was hooked, I'm anxious for her next book to come out. Thank you

What would it be like to be a fifty-something grandmother stuck in a wheelchair, recovering from a broken leg, while new neighbors moved in next door? For Glory Harper, it's boring until she spies a foot dangling from the end of a carpet the movers are unloading from the moving van.

The sight shocks Glory. Her daughter, Andi, fails to believe Glory causing Glory to question her own sanity--until the movers walk past again and grandma Glory gets a second look. Convinced of what she has seen, Glory tries to get sister Jane to believe her.

Jane's reaction only spurs Glory to try to prove to everyone she is correct and at least one of the members of the new family next door is a murderer. Her task proves tougher than she had ever imagined. Even the police think the over-active grandmother has banged her head one too many times.

Has there been a murder? Can Glory manage to make Detective Blue Eyes understand that she isn't seeing things before she runs him off? Only by reading A. K. Arenz's The Case of the Bouncing Grandma will you learn the outcome.

Ms. Arenz has written a poignant story of a widow learning to allow her heart to flower again while in the midst of solving a mystery. The relationships between Glory, her daughter Andi, her grandson Seth, and her sister Jane are handled with finesse, drawing the reader deeper into the story and the family with each turn of a page of this easy-to-read flowing style of writing.

Oh, and how did Glory Harper come to be called "Bouncing Grandma"--you'll have to read The Case of the Bouncing Grandma for yourself to find the answer. I can't wait for book two of the Bouncing Grandma Mysteries to come out.