Customer Reviews

Flamingo Fatale (A Trailer Park Mystery #1)

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I stumbled across this mystery, and I'm so glad I did! Read Harriet Klausner's review for a summary. I'll just add that I enjoyed the language, the characters' problems were real, and just like good Southerners, they enjoyed their Cokes. If you enjoy humorous Southern mysteries, you'll love Jimmie Ruth Evans' new series...at least I hope this is the beginning of a series!

Jimmie Ruth Evans, a.k.a. Dean James, writes a fun tale of murder in Flamingo Fatale.

Wanda Nell Culpepper works two jobs to support her children and grandchild. Between shifts she runs home for a shower and finds her no-good ex-husband, Bobby Ray in her trailer. He hands over five hundred dollars to her oldest daughter, no doubt raising Wanda Nell's suspicion, as he has never paid child support nor been able to hold onto any money.

She loudly runs him off before she leaves for her graveyard shift job, stocking shelves in a convenience store. As she returns home hours later, she finds that a flamingo decoration is missing from her yard. She discovers the flamingo in all its pinkness behind her mobile home, pierced through Bobby Ray's neck.

Quickly she becomes the main suspect in Bobby Ray's death. If the deputy in charge of the investigation, Elmer Lee Johnson, a high school friend of the departed, doesn't railroad Wanda Nell into prison, her wealthy, politically connected former mother-in-law will. She has to solve this crime to save her own hide. Her best friend, Mayrene, who wields a curling iron as well as a shotgun, is determined to help her friend.

Wanda Nell is a loving mother who will do anything to take care of her children. She also knows that her children aren't perfect and could be hiding evidence that will help solve the murder.

Between nosey neighbors, casino ruffians, a good ole boy network, and the spite of a bitter old woman, she seeks the truth that will keep her out of prison.

This was entertainment, but I think I knew some of these characters from a trailer park where I used to live. Life is hard, love is strong and humor comes where you find it. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Armchair Interviews says: Good characters in this fun tale of mystery.

In Tullahoma, Mississippi Wanda Nell Culpepper works two on your feet jobs to keep food on the table for her three children and her grandchild. When she finishes her shift as a waitress at the Kountry Kitchen she comes home to take a nap before working graveyard stocking the shelves at the Budget Mart. This time she comes home to find her deadbeat ex-husband Bobby Ray inside their trailer home; since he never pays child support, Wanda Nell is shocked to see him give five one hundred dollar bills to their daughter for her to use on his grandson. Wanda Nell tosses Bobby Ray out of her home with many of the trailer park residents witnessing the ugly scene.

The next morning Wanda Nell finds Bobby Ray dead just outsde her trailer with the family pink flamingo lawn ornament shoved through his body. Sheriff Department Officer Elmer Lee Johnson, Bobby Ray's friend, leads the investigation. He assumes Wanda Nell killed Bobby Ray; she realizes she better uncover the identity of the killer or between Elmer and her former mother-in-law she could end up in prison.

FLAMINGO FATALE is a solid regional amateur sleuth tale that uses the backdrop of the rural south to provide a fine who-done-it. Wanda Nell feels strongly that she has no choice but to solve the murder of her former spouse because the lead investigator only looks her way. Jimmie Ruth Evans provides a wonderful Mississippi mystery that stars a fabulous protagonist, a delightful eccentric support cast that brings Tullahoma especially the diner and the trailer park alive, and a surprising final peck.

Harriet Klausner

Wanda Nell Culpepper is working two jobs to make ends meet when she finds her ex-husband Bobby Ray murdered with her missing pink flamingo stuck in his neck. Just the day before he had shown up flashing a wad of cash.

Some really bad guys are harassing Wanda Nell, her two daughters, and her grandson. The sheriff is trying to pin this on her. Luckily she has her best friend next door who has come to their rescue more than once. Her ex-mother-in-law sure isn't much help.

Can Wanda Nell stay out of jail long enough to figure out what's going on? How much does her daughter Miranda know? What about her son T. J.? Could he be involved?

I really enjoyed this book. Wanda Nell is your typical single mother trying to make it with no help from her ex. She is very down-to-earth. Her life in the trailer park is very believable. The author didn't make her superwoman. He showed that she was exhausted from working two jobs. I thought that was very good.

The plot was well-written. I had my suspicions but didn't know the killer much before it was revealed. I highly recommend this book.

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Wanda Nell Culpepper has got a lot on her hands: she's a single mom with three kids and one grandkid who she works 2 jobs to support. Her Mother in Law is a monster--and her ex has just shown up waving around a lot of cash.

When Wanda Nell finds her ex stabbed through the throat with a pink lawn flamingo, her troubles have just begun. The deputy suspects her, dangerous folks are coming after her looking for something that the ex supposedly left with her.

"Flamingo Fatale" is a good read and an interesting cosy; however, I don't think that Evans hits her stride with her first book. "Murder Over Easy" is much improved and the third in the series actually promises to be more interesting.

When I first heard about this mystery series and learned about the murder weapon from this story I got a very mistaken impression of what this book would be like. I had envisioned a book that was bent more toward humor than mystery and had started reading it with the idea that I was heading for some hilarious fun. It didn't take me long though to realize my mistake and I must admit that at first I was disappointed. As I read on though I became more and more intrigued with the plot and the characters and soon found that I had trouble putting the book down. I must admit that I had an inkling about the solution before it was revealed but that didn't matter at all because I found that I was really concerned about what might happen to the characters in this book. It is rare to find an author that can weave a story in such a way that the reader begins to identify with and care about the characters in a book and this author has that talent.

The central character in this series is Wanda Nell Culpepper who works two jobs to support her two daughters and her infant grandson. Her ex-husband is a real stinker who has never paid any child support even though he comes from one of the wealthiest families in town. He is a schemer, a liar and is basically worthless but one of his best friends is a high-ranking official in the sheriff's department and another one is Wanda Nell's boss at one of her jobs. When her ex is murdered suspicion naturally falls on her and she has to fight tooth and nail to prove her innocence because her ex's friends are determined to convict her. Then her son, who has been in a lot of trouble during his life, shows up unexpectedly and things get very convoluted when he becomes a suspect too.

As the adventure proceeds the reader will meet Wanda Nell's two daughters. One is too lazy to hit a lick at a snake and one is the polar opposite. There are also Wanda Nell's neighbors in the trailer park most of whom she doesn't get along particularly well with but she and her next door neighbor, the shotgun toting beautician Mayrene are best friends and Mayrene saves the day on more than one occasion. There is also Wanda Nell's hard drinking ex mother-in-law "Miz" Culpepper who hates Wanda Nell with a passion and is convinced that Wanda Nell killed her baby.

As I started reading this book I never thought that I could get attached to these people but I did. This book is a bit more gritty than the usual cozy mystery and I must admit that some of the grit turned me off a bit at first but now I can't wait to pick up the second installment to see what happens next. There is an abundance of action, some humor, a good bit of anger and a whole lot of love in this book and if you stick it out through the first hundred pages or so I feel certain that you will come to appreciate this book just as much as I did.

This was a very easy-breezy, nice weekend read. The characters come to life and you feel like you've known someone like them before. The plot was nice and kept you guessing till the end. The kids were like your own or kids of your friends. I highly recommend this little thriller to everyone.

I have to agree with the other reviewer who said it took a while to get into this book, but once I got past the slow start, I really got to like these characters. Yeah, I knew from the get-go who was involved in the murder, but that didn't detract from the enjoyment of the book. I'd like to see more from this author regarding these characters.

What I particularly appreciated was the way the author resisted making the trailer park residents stereotypical "white trash". Instead she showed the various types that live in a park like this, mostly because it's cheaper than rent or a house.

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny and beleivable! I know people like this, that is what is soooooo funny.
I am looking foward to the second one.. I could not understand the bad reveiw the one person gave. This one is really good, i have read bad and this is not it.

I was lucky enough to meet the author at a small bookstore I worked at in my neighborhood and learned of his books. I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed Flamingo Fatale. It was an easy lively read. As the reader you could visualize every scene with the descriptions given. From Pink Flamingos to Old Lady Culpepper. I have a friend who sounds alot like Wanda short of the murdered ex but the single mom trying to support her kids and a grandbaby and dealing with a crazy ex sounded like real life to me. I've already bought the second book to read. Way to go Jimmie Ruth Evan aka Dean James.