Martini Regrets - Phyllis Smallman

If Sherri Travis hadn’t decided to have that last dirty martini her life would have taken a different turn. She wouldn’t have been traveling across the Florida Everglades in the middle of the night with an almost empty gas tank. She wouldn’t have wound up fighting off a plethora of critters both creeping and crawling; the most dangerous of all the kind that stands on two legs. Frightening beyond belief is Sherri’s adventure in the treacherous swamp land. But maybe not as terrifying as thinking she’s safe when that’s far from the truth. Why did a business card and a pink flip flop pose such a threat? Sherri and Clay, her finance, are thrown by circumstance into the elegant but amoral world of the ultra rich whose only passion is rare and exotic orchids. Would someone who would pay thousands of dollars for one orchid become a murderer to win the prize? Phyllis Smallman’s Sherri Travis is a sassy, tough but tender character that has never quite escaped her swamp rat image although she’s now the owner of the best bar on the coast, The Sunset. She’s mouthy, impulsive and a little paranoid but she’s also compassionate and loves deeply. If you have been following the Sherri Travis series, Martini Regrets, is a must read. Even if you haven’t read the others this book is guaranteed to keep you up at night eagerly turning page after page. Sherri may well start to regret more than that last martini as her life takes a dramatic turn. I personally can’t wait for the next book.

Murder Most Convenient

In Robert Colton's novel 'MURDER MOST CONVENIENT' it’s the 1940’s. Pulp fiction whodunits are all the rage. So, Mrs. Xavier Stayton, a recently widowed American woman of privileged class and her equally young English companion, Lucy Wallace, decide to get on the bandwagon and write their own ripping mystery. Mrs. X’s mother-in-law graciously arranges for the young women to stay with her deceased husband’s estranged relatives at a very proper British estate known as Pearce Manor. They do, after all, need atmosphere for their fledging novel. The ladies feel fate has smiled on their efforts but little do they know that their unwelcome appearance will set in motion a catastrophic procession of events that will spin light hearted murderous fiction into grim reality. Had someone already tried to murder the handicapped woman known as Phyllis? And why is she so interested in Mrs. X and Miss W’s manuscript? Does the handsome detective really believe that Mrs. X is the murderer? Stay tuned for a series of clues and revealing interviews that lead to truth about more things than murder. Murder Most Convenient is a light-hearted, humorous read with just enough actual mystery to keep the reader turning the pages. Be aware that there are some typos in this novel and I found Colton’s habit of addressing a future editor disconcerting. Otherwise – have fun with one!