Customer Reviews

Permit for Murder (A Josie Pigeon Mystery #2)

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This is the second Josie Pigeon mystery. It follows Shore to Die and takes place a year later with some of the same characters. All in all a good mystery. The character of Josie as a carpenter who owns her all-female contracting business while inadvertantly solving a murder as an amateur sleuth is appealing.

But there is an irritating continuity problem between this book and Shore to Die. The name of the Police Chief and his son has abruptly changed from Chief McCorkle and his son Rick McCorkle to Chief Rodney and his son Mike Rodney. The characters are meant to be exactly the same. For those who read Shore to Die first, the name Mike Rodney will be even more an irritant.

Also, the same gag is repeated almost verbatim between the two books.

Shore to Die, p. 190: "Josie Pigeon. I was thinking about you while I was showering last night."

Permit for Murder, p.65: "Come on in, Josie. I think about you every time I shower."

Of course, both refer to Josie's company having renovated a bathroom. But, some originality ...please.

All in all, a fun series.

......Josie Pigeon lives on an island, enjoying a sense of community, while running a building contracting firm. However, her lifestyle is far from idyllic. Josie runs herd on a bunch of female construction workers and has just finished solving a murder mystery instead of waiting for the bumbling local police to muck up the job. This leaves Josie with no time left to breathe. Just as she thinks her life might begin to settle, she is awarded a new building contract that places a tremendous amount of pressure on her to meet an impossible deadline. Adding to her concerns is that a murder victim, who looks like her, has been found on the property. ......Josie, her friends (not the pussycats), and her former boy friend worry that she might have been the intended victim. The police question Josie, her employees, and her ex. Josie decides it is time for her to, once again, do her own crime solving before the island's "Keystone" cops fumble another homicide. ......Valerie Wolzein has created (in her female protagonist) a symbolic Everywoman. This is a character that readers can enjoy, identify with, and root for her to succeed. Josie has an off beat sense of humor that raises the American cozy to new heights of appeal. This leads this reviewer to the conclude that Ms. Wolzein deserves a wider fan base. The story line is fast moving and immensely enjoyable to read. Once having read PERMIT FOR MURDER, readers will become devoted fans of the writer. ......Harriet Klausner

Josie Pigeon's crew is working on their biggest project to date. A female carpenter who looks very much like her is running around the island saying that someone is trying to kill her. Are they trying to kill the stranger or Josie?

This is the second book that I have read in the series. The characters, an all female contracting company, are unique. The mystery is difficult to figure out, and the various story lines are pretty interesting. I really enjoyed this one.