Take the Monkeys and Run (A Barbara Marr Murder Mystery #1) [Kindle Edition]

Karen Cantwell (Author)

Book Description

"Barbara Marr is...perhaps the most hilarious amateur sleuth in literature....Cantwell handles her characters with flair and pizazz...blending page-turning action with those little tender moments that get you right in the gut..."

Book 1 in the bestselling Barbara Marr Murder Mystery Series

Film lover Barbara Marr is a typical suburban mom living the typical suburban life in her sleepy little town of Rustic Woods, Virginia. Typical, that is until she sets out to find the missing link between a bizarre monkey sighting in her yard and the bone chilling middle-of-the-night fright fest at the strangely vacant house next door. When Barb talks her two friends into some seemingly innocent Charlie’s Angels-like sleuthing, they stumble upon way more than they bargained for and uncover a piece of neighborhood history that certain people would kill to keep on the cutting room floor.

237 pages of laugh-out-loud fun.

Reviews:
“This fun if light novel’s quippy, hilarious narrator, Barbara Marr, has so much warmth and genuine gumption, you’d certainly want her on your criminal investigative team.” – Publishers Weekly

“The story is fast-paced, fun and with quite a few twists all rolled into one cute adventure.” – Socrate’s Book Reviews

“It was just plain fun to read.” Red Adept Reviews

"Take the Monkeys and Run by Karen Cantwell could easily become one of my favorite books of all time." -- Syria Says

“If you like a good mystery but want a refreshing new take with a bit of light fare, enough to make you laugh out loud, then Karen Cantwell's Take the Monkeys and Run will take you there.” Reviewed by Lee Libro at Literary Magic
Books in the series: Take the Monkeys and Run (#1), Citizen Insane (#2), Silenced by the Yams (#3), Saturday Night Cleaver (#4)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Like her character, Barbara Marr, Karen Cantwell is a mother living in the suburbs.  She has never, however, found monkeys in her trees (at least not literally) or a severed human head in her neighbor's basement, and for this she is very thankful.  She would not approach the events with nearly as much chutzpah.  She is currently conjuring a second Barbara Marr novel, Citizen Insane, which she hopes to release soon, and will then begin work on the third, Silenced by the Yams.  Karen loves to hear from readers.  You can find her email address on the website, KarenCantwell.com.

Product Details

• File Size: 417 KB
• Print Length: 238 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1453721096
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003SE7O40
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,615 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 81 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, implausible, but believable - with monkeys August 17, 2010

By C. Bayne VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

A soccer mom with three children and a just-moved-out spouse discovers monkeys in her yard, a head in unpleasant condition in the house next door, and more excitement that a soccer mom in a pleasant neighborhood should expect. There's an ex-boyfriend PI, a policeman who looks like Brad Pitt, and a really obnoxious mother. Oh, and the mafia might be involved. And somehow, it kind of makes sense.

This was very entertaining and a quick read. I really liked Barb, and I hope to read more about her and her adventures.

53 of 53 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Soccer Mom Goes Sleuthing June 23, 2010

By LB Gschwandtner

Format:Kindle Edition

In this funny, touching, improbable escapade in the burbs, heroine and movie buff Barbara Marr faces life's mishaps and mysteries with pluck and wit. She's not a gal to be undone by a few setbacks -- her husband has just walked out of their marriage, her mother keeps popping in unannounced, and oh yes, there's a severed head in the abandoned house next door, not to mention monkeys on the loose in the trees. It's enough to make the ordinary soccer mom want to run and hide but not this heroine. And that's what makes this first book by Karen Cantwell such a treat. She's given readers a story that shows how any woman can rise to any occasion and overcome just about any challenge. Bravo! I enjoyed every minute & recommend it with enthusiasm.

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars FUN, and funny June 22, 2010

By Maria Schneider

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a great little mystery with high hilarity. Yes, there are a number of improbable scenes, a couple that are Impossible-Over-The-Top, but it's all in good fun and keeps the pages turning. It was nice to read about a 45 year-old-heroine who had a lot of life and love left in her, with perhaps too great a sense of adventure and not enough sense to stay out of trouble. Karen Cantwell takes soccer mom to a whole new level. I really enjoyed the romantic aspects of this novel; they fit in seamlessly and were as much a mystery as the mystery! If you need an escape or a great beach read, this might very well be it. Highly recommended!

More About the Author

Welcome!

I'm so glad and honored that you have visited my author page.

I have been writing plays and short stories for many years, some of which are published in short story collections.

My first novel, TAKE THE MONKEYS AND RUN, is a comedy-mystery, inspired, to some degree by a true monkey sighting in my own neighborhood. Because I love to laugh as well as make other people laugh, I have great fun writing the characters Barbara Marr, her friends and her adversaries. When I set out to write this book, I knew I wanted to write something that readers would say, "Now that was FUN." I HOPE I have achieved that goal. And if I did, please feel free to drop me a line at and let me know! I love to hear from readers. (especially if they LIKE the book!)

Books in the Barbara Marr series are: TAKE THE MONKEYS AND RUN (#1), CITIZEN INSANE (#2), AND SILENCED BY THE YAMS (#3). SATURDAY NIGHT CLEAVER (#4) will be released December of 2013. You can also enjoy a Barbara Marr short story collection, THE CHRONICLES OF MARR-NIA, as well a holiday short story, IT'S A DUNDER-BULL WIFE. All are available on Kindle.

Again, thank you for stopping by!

email: [e-mail]
www.KarenCantwell.com