Books & Reviews |
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The Sophie Kimball Mysteries
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Never judge a book by its cover...
Sophie “Phee” Kimball is not a cop. She's a divorced, middle-aged mom who works as an account clerk for the police department in a small city in Minnesota. But her retired mother, Harriet Plunkett, is convinced Phee is the only one who can solve the mystery of a cursed book. According to Harriet, four members of her book club have already succumbed to the deadly curse. Harriet insists Phee catch the next plane to her retirement community in Sun City West, Arizona, to investigate. Is her mother just bored and lonely? She does have a new pet -- a long-haired chiweenie (half Chihuahua, half Dachshund) -- for company and a host of pals (although that number is admittedly dwindling). Phee is certain that their book club selection isn't cursed, but is somebody really knocking off the ladies? As Phee starts to uncover dark secrets hidden in plain sight under the blazing Arizona sun, she'll need to read between the lines before it's someone else's final chapter.... |
BOOKED FOR MURDER “A thoroughly entertaining series debut, with enjoyable yet realistic characters and enough plot twists –and dead ends–to appeal from beginning to end.”−Booklist, starred review “You’ll chuckle all the way through this delightful romp through Sun City West.” – Mary Marks, award-winning author of the Quilting Mystery Series “A witty adventure that will leave you laughing out loud.” –Stephanie Blackmoore, author of the Wedding Planner Mystery Series |
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She's handling a bridezilla -- and hunting a killer...
Moving from Minnesota to Arizona was a big change for Sophie “Phee” Kimball. She's much closer to her mother's retirement community now -- which can drive her a little crazy, but at least her mom, Harriet, has her book club and her chiweenie dog, Streetman, to keep her company. And now there's even more activity, with Aunt Ina's upcoming wedding. The seventy-four-year-old bride has roped Phee into working on the tent, the pastries, and even her headpiece in preparation for the ceremony. But it's Harriet who really gets demanding when a dead body turns up yards from her front door. Aunt Ina's fiancé is acquainted with the victim -- a local millionaire restaurateur murdered at the golf course. Working for a private investigator, Phee is drawn into the case -- not just professionally but personally, since Harriet is in a panic about her safety. With a killer on the loose, Phee vows to figure out the plot -- that is, if her side job as a wedding planner doesn't kill her first... |
DITCHED 4 MURDER “The wedding from hell embroils a bookkeeper with a talent for solving puzzles in several murder cases…A hoot.” Kirkus Review “Fun characters, a touch of humor, and a great mystery−the perfect combination for a cozy.”−Lena Gregory, author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries and the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries |
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Casting suspicion...
Sophie “Phee” Kimball wants to get some work done at her private investigation company in Arizona -- and she's distracted already by her old crush, who's arriving from Minnesota to join the staff. The last thing she needs is constant updates from her mom on the local production of Agatha Christie's “The Mousetrap.” Practically everyone from Mom's book club and retirement community, with the possible exception of her chiweenie, Streetman, wants to join the cast and crew. But someone's playing the role of the killer for real. After a much-despised cast member is found dead on a catwalk in the theater, Phee has no choice but to be drawn into all the backstabbing and backstage gossip. Especially if her drama-queen mother is right about the vaguely threatening note left on her windshield, which could mean curtains for another victim... |
STAGED 4 MURDER “An eclectic cast of entertaining characters that will keep you wondering whodunit!” Nicole Leiren, USA Today bestselling author, Danger Cove Mysteries, Heroes of the Night Series “A more challenging mystery and a touch of romance for the heroine add to the hijinks of the usual cast of loonies to make this the best in Eaton’s series.” Kirkus Reviews |
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Bowled over...
Sophie “Phee” Kimball is getting dragged into the drama again at her mom's Arizona retirement community. A new board member wants to get rid of two golf courses and replace them with eco-friendly parks, and some of the residents are pretty teed off about it. On top of that, her mother's book club friend Myrna is being pushed out of the bocce league. These seniors are serious about winning, and Myrna's dragging them down. She's so bad at bocce, in fact, that when a community member's dead body is discovered while Myrna's practicing for a tournament, she assumes it was one of her own errant balls that killed the woman. But before Myrna can be tossed off the bocce court and into criminal court, the police find an arrow in the victim's neck. It looks like this was no accident -- and Phee and her investigator boyfriend Marshall will have to team up to bounce a killer into the slammer... |
BOTCHED 4 MURDER “Eaton serves up enough curveballs to make the mystery admirably complicated.” Kirkus Reviews |
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A view to a kiln …
Sophie “Phee” Kimball enjoys working as a bookkeeper for a private investigator. If only her mother Harriet could enjoy her retirement at Sun City West in Arizona—instead of constantly getting involved with retirees being prematurely put out to pasture. This time Quentin Dussler, a prominent member of the clay sculpting club, was found dead, clutching a piece of paper scrawled with Phee’s mother’s name. Terrified she’s been targeted by assassins, Harriet begs Phee to investigate. What Phee uncovers is a complicated scheme that only the most diabolical of murderers would ever devise. And as she chisels away at confusing clues and potential suspects, Phee unearths something far more precious and valuable than she could imagine. Eager for answers, she takes a bold step—placing herself in the crosshairs of a stonefaced killer … |
MOLDED 4 MURDER This is #5 in the fantastically fun (with great covers) Sophie Kimball Mystery series. Filled with clues that make you go, “Huh?” and a list of potential suspects that range from the charming to the witty to the intense, readers will root for Phee as she goes up against a killer who may not stop until Phee is taken out well before her time. Enjoy this, once again, laugh-out-loud funny mystery that will make you scream for the author to get busy on Book #6. Suspense Magazine, 2019 |
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Last one standing is the winner…
The holiday season has arrived and bookkeeper/amateur sleuth, Sophie “Phee” Kimball, would love nothing more than to enjoy the comforts of her new home with her detective boyfriend near Arizona’s Sun City West. Instead, her mother Harriet wants to showcase her Chiweenie-Chihuahua-dachshund Streetman in the Precious Pooches Holiday Extravaganza costume events. The festivities begin in October and end on St. Patrick’s Day—with the winner starring in the St. Pat’s Day parade. But things quickly turn an awful shade of green when Streetman uncovers a dead body under a tarp-covered grill in the neighbor’s yard. The victim is Cameron Tully, a seafood distributor working out of Phoenix, who died from ingesting a toxic sago palm leaf. Before the police can even find a motive and suspect, another Precious Pooch owner nearly dies from the same poison. With Harriet believing someone’s targeting her and Streetman because of the costume contests, Phee will need a potful of Irish luck to sniff out a killer . . . |
DRESSED UP 4 MURDER
A Mystery Tribune's Best Book of the Month, 2020 “You can’t help but chuckle over all the disasters, but in the end, the heroine catches her prey.” KIRKUS REVIEWS “A 5-Star must read for cozy fans looking for an outstanding combination of mystery, romance, and humor.” Diane Reviews Books “Plenty of red herrings, twists and turns, action, and animal antics that will keep readers laughing and glued to their seats until the last page is turned.” The Cozy Review |
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All of Arizona’s Sun City West heard Sophie “Phee” Kimball’s mom scream bloody murder, but it’s up to the reluctant sleuth to find the killer…
Phee’s mother Harriet is going to be a star! At least that’s how the Sun City West retiree describes her chance to host a live radio program of her book club’s Booked 4 Murder Mystery Hour on Arizona’s KSCW. But instead of chatting about charming cozies, Harriet ends up screaming bloody murder over the airwaves after discovering the body of Howard Buell, the station’s programming director, in a closet with a pair of sewing shears shoved into his chest. The number one suspect is Howard’s ex-girlfriend, Sylvia Strattlemeyer, who believes she was going to host a sewing talk show before Harriet was offered the spot. But not only do the fingerprints found on the scissors not match Sylvia’s, they belong to a woman who passed away twenty years ago at the age of ninety-seven. Now, with the whole town on pins and needles, it’s up to Phee to stitch together enough clues from the past to uncover the identity of a killer in the present… |
"Fans who like their mysteries with a healthy dose of humor will enjoy Eaton's latest comedy of errors." KIRKUS REVIEWS |
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An Uncanny Murder Sends Amateur Sleuth Sophie Kimball off the Rails
It seems everyone is under suspicion for the murder of Sun City West’s railroad club president, Wilbur Maines, who was found dead at a model railroad exhibit, having been hit over the head with a blunt object. Suspects even include his wife, Roxanne, a Rhythm Tappers performer, who happens to be an acquaintance of amateur sleuth, Sophie (Phee) Kimball’s mother, Harriet. Roxanne is insistent she didn’t kill her husband, and begs Harriet to convince Phee to help find the real murderer. Phee reluctantly agrees to snoop around and quickly learns that just about every member in the railroad club had a motive for the murder along with some aspiring tap dancers in the Rhythm Tappers. Unfortunately, the sheriff’s deputies are convinced it was the wife and Phee fears the poor woman will be railroaded into a life behind bars if the murder isn’t solved right away. |
If you want a mystery that keeps you reading and smiling, then this is the book - and series for you! Jerri Cachero, Goodreads It's a delightful read in a series that keeps smiles on the faces of cozy fans! The Cozy Reader |
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With a killer on the loose and horse thieves plaguing the area, it’s up to Sophie “Phee” Kimball to corral the clues and bring an outlaw to justice . . .
Spring is in the air as Sun City West gears up for its annual Bye Bye Birdie festivities, when residents bid a fond farewell to the snowbirds and happily reclaim the town for themselves. But planning comes to a screeching halt when the town curmudgeon plummets to her death from the library bell tower and the police suspect foul play. With the celebration on hold—and Phee’s mother worried that she won’t get her moment in the spotlight on a local TV show slated to cover the event—Phee is thrust into the role of sleuth once again to find the killer. As Phee soon discovers, there’s no love lost between the town and the unfortunate victim, and with the clock ticking and virtually everyone a potential suspect, she’s got her work cut out for her. Then a passel of horseflesh goes missing, and Phee starts to think the two crimes might be connected. With the town on edge and high noon approaching, she’ll have to wrangle with a band of daring desperados and lasso a lawbreaker who’s dead set on sending her to boot hill . . . |
“Such a fun read that I read it cover to cover. Readers of this charming series find ourselves laughing out loud.” Cozy Reviews, Goodreads “Fun, fast-paced, intriguing mystery with danger, lots of twists and turns, laughter, and zaniness.” Ann, Goodreads, NetGalley Review |
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When softball fever overtakes Sun City West, foul balls and foul play add up to murder . . . When a member of the local pinochle club rallies everyone in the community to come cheer on the softball team he’s joined, Sophie “Phee” Kimball can’t imagine a worse way to spend a free afternoon. But before anyone can take them out to the ball game, her mother’s friend Shirley spots a dead body, only to have it vanish before anyone else sees it. Soon Shirley and her friends can’t decide whether she’s losing her marbles or being stalked by the living dead—until an attempt is made on her life. Wondering if the body Shirley saw belongs to a missing ballplayer who may have been murdered, Phee begins to suspect that Shirley’s in danger from a menacing killer. Following the clues at the ball park and eyeing the crowd for a likely perpetrator, she devises a clever scheme to sniff out the culprit, but she’ll have to act fast before she strikes out for the last time! |
Fun (and funny) cozy with great characters, an interesting storyline, and an intriguing mystery or two. I absolutely love visiting with Phee, Marshall, the gals and guys of Sun City West, Streetman-the-Chiweenie, and his emotional-support kitten, Essie. Amazon review Be sure to grab yourself a frosty beverage and a hot dog or two before settling in to this latest Sophie Kimball mystery, it is a home run of a story! VINE VOICE The mystery is interesting, well plotted as well as full of twists and turns. Always an entertaining, fun read. This is one of my favorite series and I always buy in Paperback as I know I will read again. I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends. Amazon Review |
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With a high-stakes barbecue contest coming to town, Sophie “Phee” Kimball’s friends will get raked over the coals when one of the contestants is murdered . . . Sun City West is abuzz with the news that the Food Network is sponsoring a local barbecue cook-off and that Phee’s friends from the pinochle club are in the finals. But the mood soon darkens when the county planning committee announces a plan to situate a new garbage transfer station on the town’s edge. With tempers flaring and rumors of corruption swirling, it comes as little surprise when the committee’s chair, who happens to be a finalist in the cook-off, is found murdered. When Phee’s friends are named as the most likely suspects, she knows the accusation stinks to high heaven. As she navigates a world of politics and payoffs, she discovers there are any number of community members, along with the committee itself, who had a reason to want the chair dead. With the barbecue contest in full swing and celebrity chefs on hand to judge, Phee will have to sniff out the clues, no matter how noxious, to catch a killer . . . |
I love this wacky world that J.C. Eaton has created. Harriet and those book club ladies are crazy and funny and truly keep me entertained. I am amazed that Phee's eyeballs don't roll out of her head some days—Phee has a powerful will to not get deeper into her mother's craziness. My rating for Grilled 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton is five stars. I highly recommend it to all cozy mystery fans. -- Baroness Book Trove, Amazon Review The clever husband wife team of J.C. Eaton have a winning humorous cozy series that readers love. This is the 10th in series and one of my favorites. Phee, her Mother and friends are excited for a official BBQ sauce competition cook off that is coming to their town in Arizona. The town also has a dispute about a garbage station and people are angry. When the Food Network arrives with the fussy celebrity chefs the claws come out and arguments prevail over the competition. A main judge for the competition is also on the comittee for the new garbage station that many are fighting. Add in a hilarious speaking segment with her Mother and their cat, a murder of a committee member and Phee has a murder to solve while keeping the peace. This was a hilarious addition to the series. I found myself reading it cover to cover to enjoy the antics of the characters and the witty reppartee. This is a fun series I hope will continues. Well Done to the authors. -- Cozy Reviews, Goodreads |
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When a corpse is discovered under a car at the local auto restoration garage, Sophie “Phee” Kimball gears up to investigate a crime that puts a whole new twist on the term “body shop” . . .
The seniors of Sun City West are celebrating again, this time over the news that Wayne from the pinochle club finally has a chance to restore his classic car. Phee goes along for the ride, but her thoughts are on her agency’s latest case—a priceless artifact that’s missing from the local museum. It’s an antique doll supposedly filled with treasure—but also carrying a curse for whoever possesses it. Then a dead body is found under Wayne’s car, along with signs of foul play, and Phee is coaxed into helping get him off the hook. It’s clear to Phee that the victim was killed by sabotaged machinery, but the garage attracts so much foot traffic that narrowing down a list of suspects will be nearly impossible. Harder still will be keeping her mother’s gaggle of friends from meddling in the case, especially after they throw a wrench into the works by trying to locate the missing doll. Soon Phee and the whole group are careening toward a head-on collision with a thief, a killer, and a cursed doll, and she can only hope they don’t drive her insane—or worse—make her the next victim . . . |
“Laughed my socks off at this newest in series! It’s got everything you could want in a light hearted cozy mystery plus snarks and guffaws.” Jan, Goodreads Review “Fasten your seat belt, you’re about to embark on the latest ride of the Sun City West rollercoaster, tilt-a-whirl express!” June Price, Goodreads Review |
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When a dead body shows up in the pin return at Sun City West’s Johnson Lanes, it’s only the beginning of a tumultuous season for this retirement community.
With a killer in their midst and a high-tech developer threatening to overhaul their beloved bowling alley, the seniors turn to amateur sleuth Sophie “Phee” Kimball to strike back at both culprits. After all, she’s been recruited by her mother’s friends before. This time, however, Phee finds herself pulled in two directions. Regrettably, one of the book club ladies is tangled in the clutches of a dangerous cyber-scammer who pretends to be the love of her life. If only that were all! The bowling alley is sabotaged, a flimflammer is found dead in the bushes, and Phee’s mother fears she’ll lose her place in the radio limelight. In order to pin down a crafty killer, Phee will need to cut the cord on the cyber-criminal, and pin the killer before they can strike again . . . |
From Short Sweet and Cozy: "Another boon in the series! Very enjoyable! The cyber scammer is a good topic and nicely done!" From Cozy Reviews: "All the characters here are humorous and fun to read. This is an enjoyable addition to the series. I recommend highly. The seniors are delightful and the sleuthing well crafted." From Drebbles: "J.C. Eaton has done it again! Eaton nails each step and the book is worth reading for the plotline alone! The murder mystery is well done with plenty of suspects although this is the kind of book where you really don’t try to solve the mystery but sit back and enjoy the ride!" |
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It’s tough to teach the art of charcuterie with bodies piling up at your doorstep.
Just as burgeoning charcuterie entrepreneur, Katie Aubrey, gets ready to teach a charcuterie class for a handful of adults, the body of a retired investigative reporter is found behind her sandwich shop and the gift store next door. The reporter had broken the story about a gold heist in the 80s, but has been out of the limelight for years. Until now. And while Katie tries to conduct business as usual, rumors abound. To make matters worse, the adults in her class are as backbiting and obnoxious as possible, including one gentleman who tries to strongarm Katie and her business neighbor into relinquishing their leases so he can start an internet café. Tempers flare and the unexpected happens – the man is found dead behind Katie’s shop, and all fingers point to Katie. It doesn’t help that the other occupant in Katie’s house, the ghostly spirit of food critic Edith Ellory, decides to find out who the real murderer is, compelling Katie to take the helm for fear Edith will mess things up and send her to the Fourth Avenue Jail for the next decade. |
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