Customer Reviews

Suspicious Minds (Squeaky Clean Series, Book 2)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book will make you laugh out loud as you meet the quirky characters in this story. The heroine, who operates a crime-scene cleaning business discovers yet another body on one of her job sites. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to investigate a crime, she links up with a competitor for her clients and begins interrogating suspects. Her ex-boyfriend, her current boyfriend, and her weird neighbors will keep you turning pages as you try to discover, along with her, the criminal who shot Elvis. She manages to do this despite danger to herself, her bank account, and her future plans.
Don't miss this book from an author to watch.

I've got to hand it to Christy Barritt--she's one heck of a plotter. There's a lot going on in this book: murder, death by natural causes, new relationships that impact old relationships, stolen identity, and some icky details about crime cleaning. This book reminded me a lot of a Stephanie Plum book, only better. Gabby is a head case of a heroine, but she's loveable and rootable. I'm looking forward to the next installment of the series. A great read--if you enjoy snappy dialogue, mystery, and red herrings galore, you'll love this book.

I loved Suspicious Minds. Funny, fast paced, I just love Gabby's quirky friends and her way of being brave, no matter how much trouble it gets her into.
Very fun book. I can't wait to hear more from Christy Barritt.

Recently met the author at a speaking engagement...very personable, well spoken, and her book peaked my interest. I was not disappointed in her book, and am looking forward to book no. 3. Light, crisp writing with just the right touch of mystery and romance.

Bills must be paid. That's the only reason Gabby St. Claire takes the mold remediation job, when her specialty is crime-scene cleaning. And it is g-r-o-s-s. But in the interest of paying her rent, she shimmies into the nasty crawlspace under the decades-empty house. And comes face to blue-suede-shoes with the King. Who is, without a doubt, dead. Now, how can her police-detective boyfriend possibly expect her to keep away from a case like this?

Diving headlong into the case of the murdered Elvis-impersonator, Gabby tried her best to balance her nosiness with school, her oh-so-hunky boyfriend who doesn't quite get her, the neighbor she is not still interested in--after all, she's already been burned by him once--and the suspiciously easy-going competition that tries to move in on her business. She can handle it all. Right? And one of these days she'll even go to church, like she promised God she would after He got her out of that last scrape. Really. She will.

Suspicious Minds is a hilarious, witty, and thought-provoking mystery that will have you turning those pages as fast as you can. Barritt has a way of taking a situation that looks ridiculous from the outside and turn it into an intriguing, complex case that had me scratching my head, laughing at our t-shirt-collecting heroine, and longing along with her for the answers to all her questions. The character development in this sequel to Hazardous Duty was phenomenal--not only did we learn more about Gabby, but her friends leapt from the pages and into stark reality right along with her.

Dodging bullets and broken hearts left and right, Gabby will lead you through this mystery with laughter and have you suspecting danger around every corner right along with her. Not to be missed! Can't wait to see what trouble Gabby gets into next.

Have you ever read a book that was so funny you wanted to read it out loud to your friends? Have you ever found a book with such original inner dialog and snappy attitude that you think, "Wish I'd thought of that." Ever have a story that is so intricately put together that everything is important and every detail is necessary? No words wasted? Well, if you haven't discovered a treasure like that yet, then I suggest you go to the store and order this book now.

Suspicious Minds is brilliant, funny, intense, witty, romantic and downright awesome. I totally loved this book even more than Hazardous Duty, and that's saying a lot because I thought it was the best! And ironically in the midst of all the other stuff going on in Suspicious Minds , there is also a deep spiritual thread that is meaningful, and a kiss or two that would make even the stodgiest reader swoon. Did I mention I loved this story? I don't want to spoil things by giving away important details, so just trust me on this one. It's like a comedy-suspense-mystery and definitely worth buying. Christy Barritt has created a whole new genre.

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I loved Hazardous Duty, Christy Barritt's first in the Squeaky Clean series. Suspicious Minds brings the same confused and bad-guy bait heroine. It also brings a new mystery and a mix of romance, unrequited love and more than enough problems.

Gabby St. Claire doesn't mind cleaning up other folks gruesome messes but doesn't know how to clean up her own personal relational messes. The blend is very chick-lit but instead of designer duds Gabby wears flip-flops and a lot of hazardous waste wear. Her relationships resemble some of her crime scene clean-up before photos and her radar is set to find out what's not working for her.

Gabby's meddling into the untimely death of yet another Elvis turns up more than she bargained for. Every time she turns around she finds another twist, another person of interest and another mess to clean up. Suspicious Minds is satisfying and entertaining. Only the extreme squeamish may want to think twice...mystery lovers and chick-lit fans should find it to be greatly entertaining.

Elvis is dead again. At least that's what Gabby St. Clair has appeared to have found. When a popular Elvis impersonator turns up dead under a house, Gabby uses both her crime scene cleaning skills and her crime fighting skills to find out who committed the murder. Along the way she meets up with competition, laid back surfer Chad Davis, who won't stop to make sure her business is his as well. It soon appears though that Elvis wasn't the only one wanted dead. Gabby needs to find the killer or else she might soon be singing "I get so lonely I could die".

Let me get it out of the way first. I LOVED that this book is set in my hometown. I enjoyed recognizing all the places and being able to say "I've been there!" It's also great to see a book set there and not have made up places by authors who use creative license. Now I actually love the story itself. The mystery is extremely good and it keeps you guessing throughout the story. I wanted to gag myself when Gabby found the bodies. It made me feel all icky and gross like I had actually been there myself. The description of the finds are not graphic but they make you feel like you're actually there. I really like the chemistry between Gabby and Chad. There was much more zing between them than her and her boyfriend. I'm not a huge Elvis fan (I like young Elvis, that's it) but I found it both funny and sad to see what a huge following he still has. It's actually sad to see how some people are still obsessed with a man that's been dead (yes he is!) for over 30 years. It's like they're still worshiping him. I did love the scene at the seafood restaurant . It was hilarious although I would have been mad if I had been tricked like that all for the sake of a protest. It was a great way to add humor through a grim storyline. I really enjoy these books - not only are they are fun read but I've actually learned a lot about crime scene cleaning. I really can't wait to see what Gabby's next adventure is going to be.

Suspicious Minds by Christy Barritt is the second in the Squeaky Clean series starring crime scene cleaner Gabby St. Claire. Gabby is working hard as an industrial cleaner and trying to get her degree in police science all while dating a police officer. She stumbles upon the body of an Elvis impersonator while doing an appraisal of a site and is quickly sucked into the investigation when she's hired by the Elvis' wife to find the killer. Things really get messy when a second body is found in the same spot and Gabby finds that there's competition for her job in her small town. Barritt writes with an excellent ear for dialogue; it positively sings across the page. Gabby is an intriguing character. She has retreated from the world for fear of being hurt, but at the same time is trying valiantly to find her place in it. In Suspicious Minds, she starts reaching out to the tenants in her apartment building and making connections, including one with God. Gabby is a terrific character who you can't help but like, and I hope that Barritt is able to finish the series!

It takes skill to write a story filled with humor, suspense, romance, and creativity. Christy Barritt has done it in once again in book two of the Squeaky Clean Mystery Series. If you loved Gabby St. Claire and all the trouble she got into in Hazardous Duty you won't be surprised to find her in the middle of it in Suspicious Minds. And, if you haven't read book one, go ahead and buy them both, you'll be glad you did.

Gabby St. Claire, crime scene cleaner by trade, detective by circumstance, finds herself in the middle of a double murder investigation and the target of the killer. How can she get into such a predicament? For Gabby, it is easy. She goes to a potential job site to look into cleaning mold from a crawl space and discovers the body of an Elvis impersonator. When the dead man's wife asks her to investigate the murder Gabby can't say no. Her next visit to the crawl space uncovers another body and gun shots fired at her. Can this sleuth wannabe solve the crime without being killed herself? And can she learn to listen to her heart and search the lonely places there to find faith and deep relationships?

Christy Barritt's cast of characters are creative and endearing. You will be eager to find out what happens to each of them. I highly recommend this book and its predecessor. Then, look for book three when we find out how Gabby's future predicaments and relationships turn out.