Customer Reviews

PARTNERSHIPS CAN KILL (Charlie Parker Mysteries)

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

 

 

Halfway to a cozy,although not excactly Miss Marples, and it does have suspense and action. A great dog and a wonderfully sleazy accountant (he was my favorite character -the heroine is a CPA to compensate). Dialog always realistic but never crackles. Good on South-Western food. Best descriptions of office furniture since Chandler. I bought a bundle from Amazon's cheapo bargain list of authors I'd never read and this was the best. There are plot implausibilities.

As a reader of hundreds of mystery novels, it is hard to find much that is all that "new". So, when an author finds a slightly different way to attack the age old (enjoyable) topic of a murder mystery, my hat is off.

I am reviewing Partnerships Can Kill, the third book in the Charlie Parker series from Connie Shelton, as opposed to the first or second because it was only with this third one I decided I indeed had something to say. The first two novels were obviously enjoyable enough for me to read the third. But with this third novel the little "twist" or "tweak", which Ms. Shelton has interestingly interwoven, really comes to light.

The main character is an accountant! Her involvement with the cases seems quite natural since she is a partner (along with her brother) in a PI firm. Charlie is not stumbling over bodies in a suspension of reality or streak of coincidence. She has a reason to be involved. But, what I really like is that, in this third book, her profession is real part of her investigation. Forensic accounting is a great field and certainly something which catches criminals (The IRS is everywhere, you know!). So, to see this aspect highlighted in an already enjoyable mystery series quite tickled my fancy. Of course I am slightly biased, being in the accounting field myself, but not many mystery novels touch on the seemingly boring rows of number which can clue people in to motives and/or crimes. I would give 4 stars, but I still feel that Ms. Shelton has not quite reached her stride. This book is much more smoothly written than the first two, however, and I look forward to seeing the 4th!

As some of the reviewers have said, there are a few plot improbabilities so if you are a true crime drama fan you will not enjoy this book. But if you are looking for an entertaining, engrossing literary get away this fits the bill. Charlie and Rusty are as charming as ever, and we get a good look at Ron's 'stupid guy' side. This time Charlie's accounting skills are more important to the investigation, which makes more sense as those are the skills she brought into their firm. Enjoyable from the first page to the last, this third entry in the Charlie Parker series does not disappoint. I think the first two were better - but I am still looking forward to #4.

Great book. Real down to earth characters in her books that make you feel you could be these people.

Once again Connie Shelton has given me and hopefully others a good read. Even though these books are a little older I find them to be enjoyable. A good fast read.

Charlie Parker goes for a meal to a Mexican restaurant. Much to her surprise it is owned by Sharon Ortega, an old school chum. Sharon is worried because their business is not doing as well as it did when they first opened. She introduces Charlie to David Ruiz, her partner. Soon after, David is found dead, and the police presume that he has committed sucide. Sharon is in financial trouble and needs the insurance money to keep her restaurant open, so she enlists Charlie's help in proving that David did not die by his own hand. The more Charlie finds out, the more she suspects that David was murdered. She uncovers some shady financial dealings and finds several people who had a motive to murder David. When she gets too close to uncovering the identity of the murderer, Charlie's own life is threatened. This is another good read from the dependable Connie Shelton.

A pleasant enough read, except that the plot is riddled with improbabilities and unbelievable behavior by key characters.