Customer Reviews

A Penny for Your Thoughts (The Million Dollar Mysteries, Book 1)

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

 

 

With this debut novel, Mindy Starns Clark creates a memorable and unique sleuth: Callie Webber, agent of a philanthropic organization (remember "The Millionaire"?). Callie's mission is to investigate non-profit organizations to assure they are legitimate and deserving of the rich guy's grants, which can be darned generous. In this installment, however, she's just supposed to drop off a check and leave--until the recipient drops dead practically before her eyes. Even jaded mystery readers will be wondering which of the many suspects is the killer--and more importantly, why. A fast-moving, puzzling, fascinating read. Word is, there are more Callie Webber books on the way, and that is good news for anyone interested in a good mystery.

I started reading "Pennies" on a plane trip to Bermuda. I couldn't put it down.I tried to continue to read it during the extremely curvy taxi ride to our hotel. I picked it up again, after aspirins and a nap, and my husband complained that we were there for our 25th anniversary and not for a reading marathon!

When we got back, I lent it to my mother. She complained to me, too. She couldn't put it down, either. She read it in one day, didn't get anything else done, and didn't go to sleep until she finished it. She was tired and cranky the next morning.

We both thought it was fabulous and well worth the pain.
Thanks to Mindy and Callie and friends for a wonderful book!
(We can't wait to read about the rest of Callie's adventures).

Callie Webber is looking forward to a week's rest as soon as she drops off one last check for her boss Tom. But when Wendell Smythe says that it's only a loan to Feed the Need and not a gift, Callie finds herself with an hour's paperwork to do. Returning to his office with the proper forms all filled out, she finds Wendell dead. The police quickly rule it a murder and ask Callie to stay in town as a material witness. Then Tom asks Callie to investigate. And how can she turn her boss down?

Staying with the Smythes gives Callie easy access to her prime suspects. But beneath the surface of a seemingly happy family lurks some sinister secrets. Who is leaving threatening messages for Sidra? What drove Sidra and Derek apart? What was going on at the company? And does this have anything to do with the murder?

Meanwhile, Callie is finding her own emotions hard to deal with. Being around this much sadness and death is reminding her too much of the death of her own husband. Can God help her deal with her own renewed emotions and solve the case?

The titles of this series really intrigued me, so I decided to give the first a try. It was certainly worth it. Callie was a very human character and I found myself chocking up on more then one occasion with the hurt she was going through. She's also strong and fun to hang out with. While the story started a little slow, it gained speed quickly. The twists came so fast in the final 100 pages I stayed up much later then was wise to finish. I never saw the ending coming, either.

If the rest of the series is this good, I can't wait to read it. The author has won herself a new fan.

This book is a page turner as well as unpredictable. The characters are well developed. Can't wait to read the next one!

In this first book of Clark's Million Dollar Mystery Series, lawyer and P.I. Callie Webber has a fascinating new job: investigating charitable organizations for JOSHUA foundation to see if they're worthy of receiving a grant. On the way back from delivering a large check, her mysterious boss Tom asks her to drop off another check without investigating first. When the recipient is killed while Callie is waiting to hand over the money, Tom asks her to look into the murder. Clark has created an intriguing, intelligent, and caring protagonist. I'm looking forward to reading more of Callie's adventures and learning something about her mysterious boss. If you remember "The Millionaire" and "Charlie's Angels" from TV, this series is somewhat of a blend of the two.

This book was tough to put down. There is the main element of a murder mystery going on but there are also some great insights into the life/mind of a strong intelligent woman. Callie Weber is an ex-PI working for a mystery man who donates money to worthy charities. Callie is hired to investigate the charities to ensure they are 'above board'. Inevitably she runs across a mystery. Not only is this intriguing enough but there are also some great sidebar situations going on that keep you turning the pages - not to mention your need to find out more about this mystery man. Buy it! I recommend it!

Two things make good Christian fiction. One: a good story line. In the case of a mystery, it needs an interesting crime and a solution that is not obvious. Two: an unapologetic approach to faith. Too often Christian writers shy away from actually discussing their faith, ending in a story that vaguely mentions God and behaving in a moral manner.

I am very happy to say that The Million Dollar Mystery Series fulfills both requirements. Mindy Starns Clark crafts excellent mysteries that keep the reader guessing to the last minute. I have often thought she challenges Agatha Christie with her plot twists and hidden culprits. She also weaves stores of faith and solid Christian doctrine without sounding overly preachy.

Mindy Starns Clark premiers her "Million Dollar Series" with a winner. Just put yourself in Callie's shoes. You've been trusted to run down the backgrounds of numerous non-profit organizations to see if they're legit. You have the respect of your boss, although you've never met him. Yet now, seemingly out of the blue your boss wants you to present a check for $250,000 without doing the standard background check. This goes against the grain a bit, but hey, you never know. They guy's a friend of your boss. Still it's hard to give that money to a dead man, and even harder to get out of town when your boss insists you take an active roll in the investigation. First the means of death, then a list of suspects, and gee, she's living in the house WITH all of the suspects. Clark handles a brand new mystery with the same elegance of "Ten Little Indians" and leaves you guessing all the way. Truly remarkable work. (I only give 5 stars for extraordinary work, so a 4 star from me is like a 5 star from most other reviewers). If you're a mystery buff this book should definitely be on your shelf.

Mindy Starns Clark never disappoints! This book only leaves you wanting more....thankfully there are 4 more books in this series. When you finish this series go for the Jo Tulip series she wrote, equally as awesome!

I just finished reading the final book in this series (The Buck Stops Here). I stumbled upon "A Penny for Your Thoughts" recently and then read straight through all 5 books as quickly as I could get my hands on them.

The author does an excellent job of communicating emotions and tensions in her writing -- I found myself really "feeling" what Callie was feeling. While I often figured out the general gist of mystery long before the end of the book, the journey getting from the first chapter to the last was more enjoyable than trying to figure out the ending.