Waiter, There's a Clue In My Soup! Five Mystery Stories [Kindle Edition]

Camille LaGuire (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Five previously published and award nominated mystery short stories by novelist Camille LaGuire.

In the title story, "Waiter, There's a Clue in My Soup!" two police detectives sort out a poisoning case over lunch at the deli, with a little help from a foodie in the corner. (This story was nominated for a Derringer award in 2003.)

"The Hoosegow Strangler" was the first story featuring Mick and Casey, a pair of young gunslingers turned detective. In this locked room story, a witness they were guarding is murdered, and they have to solve the crime to preserve their reputation.

"Trail of the Lonesome Stickpin" finds Mick drugged by a pair of pretty femmes fatales, and he has to figure out what happened before Casey shoots him. (This story was put forward for an Edgar by its publisher.)

In the fourth story, a killer believes that all he needs is a strong "Alibi" to pull off the perfect crime, but he finds that works against him.

In the final story, "The Promise," a teenaged girl has to keep her brutal father from turning her brother into a killer. (This story was also nominated for a Derringer in 2007.)

The the first three chapters of the first Mick and Casey novel (Have Gun, Will Play) are also included in this collection.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 211 KB
• Publisher: Camille LaGuire (August 4, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003YH9LP6
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,147 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #63 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Short Stories

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Title is a bit misleading, August 27, 2010

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SingleEyePhotos - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Waiter, There's a Clue In My Soup! Five Mystery Stories (Kindle Edition)

I'll start off by saying that all 5 of the mini-mysteries in this book were very well written. However, I do think the title of the collection is a bit misleading, to say the least. None of the stories were humorous, and only the first one was at all related to food. Of the remaining 4, 3 were Westerns, starring the author's duo of Mick and Casey (apparently there are full-length books showcasing this couple). The last story was not really a 'mystery', per se, and was much darker than the others. I was hoping that all the stories would be 'light' or 'humorous' mysteries. They were indeed 'light' (In the best sense of the term), in that they were easy reads and there was no explicit violence, bad language, or anything that even the most prudish could take offense at (quite an accomplishment nowadays, IMO!). My personal taste does not run to Westerns, so I was disappointed, although, as I said up front, the writing was excellent. Just don't assume from the title that this will be a collection of 'cozy' or 'humorous' short mysteries. If you like Westerns, then go for it, you'll enjoy these for the price.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected, but a good solid collection, October 10, 2010

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Candy Beauchamp "CandyTX" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Waiter, There's a Clue In My Soup! Five Mystery Stories (Kindle Edition)

The title story is definitely the best of the bunch in this collection of short stories and sample chapters of another book of the author's. It was cute, BUT from the title, I was envisioning a little more of the cozy mystery sleuth-type genre. Not a bad little short story collection, but not what I was expecting.

The other stories are well-done and edited. I read the sample chapters as well and I might look into the book, but it's not really my cup of usual tea, but I did add it to my list to think about! I like short stories, but sometimes I feel like I'm just getting into the author's rhythm when the story ends so I'm willing to give her work another shot for sure.

This is recommended for people that like light Westerns, I think, with a little bit of humor on top.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars High Quality Short Stories, August 15, 2010

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Moses Siregar III "ScienceFictionFantasyDOTnet" (Prescott, AZ) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Waiter, There's a Clue In My Soup! Five Mystery Stories (Kindle Edition)

I don't normally read mysteries, so I can't compare these stories to others in the same genre, but I can say that each of these stories was well-written, creative, and entertaining. They're definitely more than worth the price of admission.