Spa Deadly, An Allie Armington Mystery:Things are rough at the resort, in fact they're murder [Hardcover]

Louise Gaylord (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2008

It s not that it s so easy to say yes , it s just always too hard to say no .
When a phone rings, you answer it. When your sister invites you to a super deluxe spa getaway, you say sure . When your boyfriend tells you he ll miss you, you swoon.

You have that phone because you want people to call you. You have that sister because she takes care of you and you take care of her and it s always both and never neither. You have that boyfriend because he makes you realize that your present has a future.
And you let all the world come into your life because it fulfills you and it surprises you and it keeps you alive. Except sometimes the opposite is true. Sometimes all the innocent acts and good intentions and happy expectations lead not to life but to death. To murder.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 212 pages
• Publisher: Little Moose Press (August 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978604938
• ISBN-13: 978-0978604936
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,143,097 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Without mysteries, life would be very dull indeed. What would be left to strive for if everything were known?-Charles de Lint, August 5, 2008

By 

Cherise Everhard (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Spa Deadly, An Allie Armington Mystery:Things are rough at the resort, in fact they're murder (Hardcover)

Allie's sister, Angela, has just had a baby and asks Allie to go with her to a spa retreat for some much needed R&R. Allie's an ex DA and lately she's been having doubts about the stability of her current relationship, she reluctantly agrees to the trip. When they arrive an old school enemy of Angela's happens to be the owner and trouble keeps landing in Allie's path. Soon she is the only suspect in a murder.

Allie is a heroine who has an insatiable curiosity that lands her in trouble from time to time. She's not a bumbling or incompetent heroine though, and she faces danger head on and is able to take care of herself.

The actually mystery portion of this story was as mystifying as I had hoped and there are more twists and turns than a labyrinth. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, Allie would stumble across something that would leave me unsure and off balance again. The ending was a real shocker and I think had I been with the series from the start it might have made me a little angry - lucky for me I was new to the series and was able to enjoy the ending.

Although this is a series, I didn't find it at all hard to follow the story, I never felt lost with the characters or storyline. I am going to order the first two to read, however, as I enjoyed this one so much.

Cherise Everhard, August 2008

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Ending That You Never See Coming!!, September 21, 2008

By 

K. A. Stevenson "WIAPilot" (Tucson) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Spa Deadly, An Allie Armington Mystery:Things are rough at the resort, in fact they're murder (Hardcover)

SPA DEADLY, by national award-winning author Louise Gaylord, continues the saga of Allie Armington, an assistant D.A. from Texas. It is the third book in the series following ANACACHO and Xs. It does not disappoint! If anything, this book takes the mystery and suspense up a notch!

Allie Armington and her sister, Angela Bruce, have booked a 1 week retreat at the Cielo Azul - a spa near Taos. It seemed like a good idea when they were making the reservations as Angela was ready to give birth to child #3 and knew that she would need a relaxing break. Seemed like a good idea until they discover that the spa is managed by Selena Channing - who had once been an unpopular and unattractive girl that Angela had tormented through high school.

Yes, it SEEMED like a good idea until Allie and her fiance', Bill Cotton, started having problems. Now Allie wonders if she can trust him anymore.

And it definitely seemed like a good plan to relax at the spa until murder ensues and Allie is left with the proverbial "smoking gun."

SPA DEADLY will keep you reading at a fast and furious pace! And frankly, you will never see the surprise ending coming! Excellent book!

4.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Surprise, May 13, 2009

By 

bookprincess (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spa Deadly, An Allie Armington Mystery (Kindle Edition)

I am so thankful that the author made this book available for free during National Read an Ebook Week. Had she not done so, I would never have come across this gem. In Allie Armington, Gaylord has created an interesting, engaging, character. This story grabs you from the beginning and keep a hold of you until the very end. This is a fast-paced murder mystery, that never drags. I couldn't put it down - I finished it in one evening. Hold tight for the surprise ending - one of the best I have read in awhile! This is the 3rd book in the series, I think. I would love to read the others, I hope they become available in Kindle editions soon.

One caveat: At times, I found some of the dialogue used by Allie a bit trite and out of character for her - feeling like I know her so well now and all ;)