Customer Reviews

Hazardous Duty (Squeaky Clean Mysteries, No. 1)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Gabby St. Clair wants to be a CSI specialist. She's always loved science and mystery. Family trouble demanded her time and she didn't finish college. Now, she's given up her dream so she can clean up after murders, assaults and the occasional cat lady.

But with her inclination toward crime solving, Gabby can't help but notice some things don't add up at the site of a murder. And when she takes her suspicion to the police, she's met with incompetence or maybe it's a cover-up. And then a bomb shows up on her doorstep. She's definitely making someone nervous.

Hazardous Duty switches pace from comedy to spine tingling suspense with quick deft skill. Barritt has a great cast of odd-ball characters backing up her heroine: a way-too-cute new neighbor who stacks up to be a bum like Gabby's dad; a vegan who is willing to give a pro-animal speech at the least provocation; and a cop who looks like Brad Pitt and who might be trying to kill Gabby.

Hazardous Duty by Christy Barritt as much fun as I've had reading a book in a while. I feel like Christian fiction, which I love and write, has just turned a corner with this book. It's as funny and fast paced as any book, created with Christian readers in mind with no offensive language or situations--unless picking skull fragments out of a wall offends you--which is possible. It's pure entertainment with a Christian worldview. - Debbie W. Wilson, [...]

Talk about strange job descriptions, Gabby St. Clair is a crime scene cleaner. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. She can restore a scene to, if not it's original appearance, at least to something the average person can look at without throwing up. At first this seems like a routine job, until Gabby turns up the murder weapon someone used to kill the wife of a powerful politician, someone tries to burn down the house with Gabby inside, and her employee is in jail on an arson charge.
Gabby St. Clair is a spunky, spirited stubborn heroine who is on a mission to track down a cold-blooded killer. She is also trying to fend off Riley Thomas, her new, good looking neighbor, and detective Chip Parker, who bears a strong resemblence to Brad Pitt. Hazardous Duty is a delightful blend of humor and suspense, with a cast of quirky characters and a twisted plot that will keep the reader turning pages to the end.

Some women have interesting careers. Some women have interesting neighbors and friends. Then there are the women with active imaginations and creative minds. And very few women face a murderer and find God. Gabby St. Claire has all that and more.

For Gabby, life as a crime-scene cleaner is far from glamorous. her days are spent cleaning up other people's messes and trying to think of a jingle to advertise her business. How exactly does one advertise cleaning up a murder scene?

When a routine cleanup uncovers a murder weapon her inquisitive nature takes over. Lessons learned in forensics school become invaluable as she becomes self-made sleuth. Sure she knows who the murderer is and equally sure Detective parker does not care she noses around on her own. With the help of a good looking new neighbor she uncovers a trail pointing directly to her suspect. And he is not the man the police
have in custody. Her perseverance almost causes her to be the next victim. Will Riley, the neighbor or Detective parker save her?

If you want a calm, peaceful read, this is not the book. The action begins on page one and continues until the end. The characters grab. The mystery intrigues. And gabby's mixture of stubborn boldness and humor compel you to read more. Clear your calendar, you won't stop reading.

GOOD PLOT, GREAT CHARACTERS AND A FUN BOOK. I PLAN ON READING MORE OF THIS SERIESuspicious Minds (Squeaky Clean Series, Book 2)S.

Gabby St. Claire is just the right mix of smarty pants and damsel in distress. Christy Barritt has captured an entertaining voice in her heroine, and readers will enjoy experiencing this fast-paced crime-scene investigation from Gabby's point of view. I don't want to say too much about the story--I hate spoilers, especially in this kind of novel. But I doubt anyone will want to stop reading at the book's end. I'm ready for the next installment. There's a refreshingly realistic bent to this book, and I confidently recommend it to teens and up.

Buying a gun to kill your wife: $3,000
Hiring Trauma Care to clean afterward: $1,500
Having that same cleaner uncover evidence that frames you: Priceless

Gabby St. Claire, while cleaning a murder crime scene, inadvertently discovers the missing murder weapon just before a fire engulfs the victim's home. Just one semester shy of completing her forensic science degree, Gabby plays detective to try and find out who the real murderer is--and why that person seems to want Gabby dead, too.

From the opening pages of Hazardous Duty, I was hooked. Gabby St. Claire's infectious enthusiasm for her job and her humorous attempts at finding a jingle for Trauma Care, her crime-scene cleaning business, are darkly funny.

Make no mistake, however. This is a murder mystery, and the descriptions of the crime scenes are not for the squeamish or weak-stomached among us.

Gabby is one of the most sympathetic and engaging heroines I've encountered in inspirational fiction in quite a long time. Her journey from skepticism to faith is realistic and most certainly not sugar-coated.

What would a novel be without a bit of romance? Our gal Gabby has not one, but two men interested in her: one is her new neighbor, Riley, a Christian with a past who challenges Gabby about what she thinks about God; the other is Parker, the skeptical and irritating detective with whom Gabby frequently argues.

I look forward to reading more of Gabby's story in future novels--more crimes to solve, more romance, but most importantly, more steps of faith.

Armchair Interviews says: Good, good read.

Merry Maids meets CSI! Hazardous Duty is a light hearted mystery with engaging characters and plot twists that will keep you wondering what happens next!

Crime scene cleaner, Gabby St Claire is a smart and sassy college dropout with bills to pay and a freeloading father to care for. After discovering the murder weapon at a routine crime scene cleanup, the forensic scientist in her comes out. Not only does she catch the killer, but she finds a couple of things she wasn't looking for. Like love and a new interest in faith.

I highly recommend this first book and plan on following Gabby St. Claire
in her next adventures.

Gabby can't seem to stay out of trouble. And I love her for it. This second installment in the Squeaky Clean series picked up where Hazardous Duty left off. I am pleased to find an engaging mystery that keeps me guessing without blood and guts every other page. It is also nice to have a heroine who isn't the perfect housekeeper, cook or a beauty pageant queen.

Hazardous Duty is a light-hearted mystery with engaging characters and plot twists that will keep you wondering what happens next!

Crime scene cleaner, Gabby St Claire is a smart and sassy college dropout with bills to pay and a freeloading father to care for. After discovering the murder weapon at a routine crime scene cleanup, the forensic scientist in her comes out. Not only does she catch the killer, but she finds a couple of things she wasn't looking for. Like love and a new interest in faith.

I highly recommend this first book and plan on following Gabby St. Claire in her next adventures.

As an author and writing instructor, I tend to be a very critical reader, but not with this book! Christy Barritt is an extremely talented writer, capturing my attention with her opening line and retaining it until the conclusion of her noteworthy novel, Hazardous Duty. I adored the characters, enjoyed the fast-paced, intricately-woven murder mystery, and appreciated the perfect amount of well-written dialogue. Her protagonist is strong, yet lovable, with a unique career, and the author's voice is distinctive and wonderful. I cannot wait to read more of her works. This book belongs at the top of any fiction reader's list.