Ninja Soccer Moms (Samantha Shaw Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Jennifer Apodaca (Author)

Book Description

Series: Samantha Shaw Mysteries | Publication Date: May 1, 2004

Samantha Shaw, owner of the Heart Mates dating service, hates soccer. But she doesn't have a problem with settling scores - especially when deceitful ex-husbands are involved. So when Janie Tuggle, the former wife of town hero and championship-winning soccer coach Chad, asks her to investigate her embezzling ex, Sam dives right in. Turns out, the weasel is not only cheating the team to the tune of $16,000, but had been cheating on Janie every chance he got. Exposing him will be a pleasure, but before Sam can make a call, Chad is found dead in his office - and Sam and Janie are both suspects. With Detective Logan Vance breathing down Sam's neck, her boyfriend and sleuthing partner Gabe Pulizzl working the case for Chad's sexy former lover, Dara Reed, and unwelcome discoveries springing up all over town, netting the killer feels like a long shot. But as another cheating husband's crimes threaten Sam's business, her brand-new relationship, and even her life, the penalty for slipping up could be fatal...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sports moms waiting for practice to end will enjoy the third bubbly entry in Apodaca's cozy series (after 2003's Dying to Meet You) starring Samantha Shaw, amateur sleuth and owner of Heart Mates, her "beloved and struggling dating service" in Lake Elsinore, Calif. When her old friend Janie Tuggle tells her that ex-husband Chad, the head coach of the Soccer Club of Lake Elsinore (SCOLE), has been embezzling funds, Sam is anxious to help. Janie should know, since she managed the club's accounts for years, until Chad left her for a younger woman. No sooner does Sam manage to copy the disk with SCOLE's accounts than Chad is murdered in his office, and Sam and Janie become prime suspects. A number of potential allies stonewall or even hinder Sam's investigation. Now why on earth would they do that? The tension grows as Sam zeroes in on the killer. Amusing characters and situations add to the frothy fun.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"One can almost hear Miss Marple saying, 'You go, girl!'" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Kensington; First Edition edition (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758204493
• ISBN-13: 978-0758204493
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,984,808 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mutton dressed as lamb, February 16, 2007

By 

Anonymous (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ninja Soccer Moms (Samantha Shaw Mysteries) (Paperback)

I'm having a hard time with this series. I like the author's style of writing, but I really can't stand Sam and Gabe. Sam is a shallow dingbat who, for some reason, finds dressing like a tacky hooker empowering. A woman can look and act sexy while still acting her age. Gabe is an arrogant jerk who uses sex as a substitute for dialogue. And SURELY he can call Sam something other than "Babe". The supporting cast of characters are far more likeable. It's an enjoyable, predictable, light murder mystery, if you can stomach the annoying main characters. Check these out from the library, and save your bookshelves for a series worth keeping.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Stephanie Plum wannabe, February 10, 2007

By 

Lois Lain (San Francisco Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Ninja Soccer Moms (Samantha Shaw Mysteries) (Paperback)

While this book has, by far, one of the best titles I've seen in a long time, I can't say the same for the rest of the book. Rife with one-dimensional characters and rip-offs from the Stephanie Plum series, Ninja Soccer Moms should have been benched. And there should be a federal law against using "Omigod!" more than once in a book -- unless it's an Archie comic.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Third Times a Charm..., September 2, 2004

By 

Virenda Mattson (Temecula,CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ninja Soccer Moms (Samantha Shaw Mysteries) (Hardcover)

I read the first two books in the "Sam Shaw" mysteries and enjoyed them right away. They are light and funny and full of odd ball antics. In fact if you read the "Stephanie Plum" series you will love this one and you will recognize a few similiarties. I truly enjoy this series. Sam Shaw is a mom and super slueth..(almost)who truly loves her children. The book revolves around her life in Lake Elsinore (near my hometown of Temecula)where she lives with her grandfather and two boys. Now this book is the third in the series and for me the characters really took heart in this one. I definelty felt better connected and the antics were just as funny as the first two. I recommend reading the first two to truly understand all of the funny,odd and heart warming characters. The book comes off as funny and full of strange antics like her tendencies to damage clothing and fall over dead people. But Jennifer Apodaca created wonderfully complicated characters that jump off the page and make you feel like a part of there world. This is a definite "lite" read with some heart string tugs and tons of belly laughs. Ninja Soccer Mom will leave you mostly guessing until about 2/3 into and then you should know who did it but boy is it funny finding out the end. Sam shaw is mom,friend,daughter,business woman, and pretty much like all of us...('cept for all of the dead people she finds)On a minor note I love that she placed the book in Lake Elsinore I live bout 10-15 mins away and go there often to visit and to me it makes the story even more realistic when its set in your own backyard.