Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano

Reviewed by Jeanne

Finlay Donovan used to have a relatively normal life.  She was a wife, a mom, and a struggling author. Then her husband dumped her, she got banned from a restaurant for making a scene in the parking lot with her husband’s mistress, missed her book deadlines, and was mistaken for a hit woman.  Life since then has been a series of mishaps, triumphs, close calls, more book deadlines, and, oh, yes, a lot of bodies.

None of them Finlay’s fault—well, not entirely her fault.

As this third book in the series opens, Finlay and her accountant/nanny/accomplice, Vero, are hoping to sell a car to raise some cash to pay off a loan shark.  Unfortunately, they end up with yet another dead body. To make matters worse, Felix the Russian mobster is running out of patience with Finlay’s attempts to find the identity of a blackmailer and he’s about to make life even more difficult for her. And her editor is pushing for the hit woman heroine of Finlay’s latest book to hit the sheets with the fictional hot cop (any resemblance to real hot cop Nick is probably not a coincidence) which is making Finlay even more hot and bothered.

The first Finlay book was a delight and a revelation; I’m glad to say that the series has pretty much sustained that momentum.  Sure, there are times when I shake my head in disbelief, but it’s all such fun that I’ll forgive a lot.  The hijinks never end.  Finlay is a mess but a relatable mess.  She’s really wants to get closer to Nick the hot cop but he IS a cop and she has a lot of metaphorical skeletons in her closet, not to mention real ones buried in various places. 

Fast paced, laugh out loud funny, and with dollops of romance, this is a series that is best read in order. If you’re in the market for madcap comedy/mystery, give this series a try. Here is a list of the books in order:

 

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (2025)

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon

 

Reviewed by Christy

Ari Abrams is a tv meteorologist who loves her job. Like, loves. She has an endless supply of weather-related jewelry, and rainy days are genuinely her favorite. Her idol growing up was Torrance Hale, Seattle’s legendary weatherwoman. When Ari got a chance to work with Torrance at the local news station, she jumped at the chance, eager to foster a mentor/mentee relationship with her hero. Unfortunately, Torrance is too distracted arguing with her ex-husband, the station’s news director. It’s been five years since the divorce but they still haven’t figured out a way to get along.

            After a disastrous holiday party (and a few rounds of drinks), Ari and sports reporter Russell Barringer plot to bring their bosses back together in order to achieve workplace harmony once again. It worked in The Parent Trap, right? How hard could it be?

            I was utterly delighted by this novel. It could be because I had just finished a slog of a book but Weather Girl felt like a refreshing misty rain. I found the leads adorable (I just loved all of Ari’s weather accessories) and sweet. I also liked that the love interest Russell was heavier set because I don’t think I’ve read that in a romance novel yet. (Although I’m sure there are more out there.) As light and fun as this novel can be, it does deal with serious topics like mental health and family dysfunction. Part of the reason I liked this so much was because the relationship obstacles did not feel contrived for the sake of having obstacles. They felt real.

            The only thing I disliked, and I will even go so far as to say that I hated it, was an event at the end of the book. Without getting into spoilers, I didn’t hate what happened but where it happened. Am I being picky? Maybe. Nevertheless, it took the air out of the moment for me.

            That being said, I loved this story! I can even see myself re-reading it when I need to pick up something fun.

Mort by Terry Pratchett

Reviewed by Jeanne

For years I had been encouraged to read the Discworld books by Pratchett.  It’s great fun, I was told.  It’s about a flat planet that sits on the backs of four elephants who are standing on a turtle and there are lots of books, I was told.  

I was thoroughly intimidated.  It sounded complicated and there were a lot of books.

Finally, some years ago I was encouraged to pick up one book in the series after being told it was a “don’t miss” Christmas tale entitled The Hogfather.  The premise is that on Discworld, the seasonal gift-bringer is The Hogfather whose vehicle is drawn by (of course) swine.  However, due to circumstances beyond mortal and possibly immortal control, The Hogfather is missing in action and so Death is called in to substitute.

Yes, Death.  The Grim Reaper. Angel of Death. The Pale Horseman.  That Death.

The book left me bewildered, befuddled, and bemused.  Most of all I wanted to know more about Death. Which led me to the real subject of this review, Mort.

Mort is the story of a young man without prospects.  A young man without any particular skills or aptitude but plenty of ineptitude.  A young man who has the bad habit of thinking too much, probably due to his grandmother’s bad influence—she taught him to read.  A young man who is taken to a hiring fair by his father and left unhired for even the most menial of jobs—until a stranger comes by at just before midnight, a stranger who is really bony and I do mean really. He has an odd response when the young man stammers out his name:   “Mortimore. . . . sir.  They call me Mort.”  

“What a coincidence,” the stranger replies.

What follows is a wild ride through time, space, and mortality. While there are plenty of perks to the job as Death's apprentice (time off for funerals not being one of them), Mort soon finds that there is a bit more to Death’s request than just needing an afternoon off. He has plans for Mort. 

This book was a delight from start to finish.  I almost fell off the treadmill a time or two from laughing, which would really have been ironic. (Sadly, since I hadn't the foresight to write an obituary with that bit of info, it would have been amusing to me only.  Death is a nice enough fellow, but he doesn't have much of a sense of humor.  I elected to finish the book off the treadmill instead.)

Pratchett is known for his insightful satire which is on full display.  Pratchett has so many delightful turns of phrase that the book was festooned with bits of paper marking pages I wanted to re-read or, preferably, make someone else listen to me read.  Memorable characters, moral dilemmas, and imaginative creatures and landscapes filled the book. I was enthralled.

Best of all, I have a lot more books to follow the escapades of Death, Mort, Binky (Death’s horse), and all the other denizens of Discworld.

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten

Reviewed by Kristin

Book Bingo categories take most of us to different places than our usual reading, and I am very thankful for this redirection.  I really dislike the “read a self-help book” square (what does that say about me?) and I often have trouble with the “read a translated book” square as well.  Fortunately, this time around I happened to spot a small book on the new shelf entitled An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten, translated by Marlaine Delargy.  Bingo!

Tursten is a well-known Swedish author with two published mystery series featuring Detective Inspector Irene Huss and Detective Inspector Embla Nyström.  When a publisher asked for a short story for their Christmas anthology, Tursten created a totally new character, one that didn’t fit the same molds as her other protagonists: 88-year-old Maud.  This little old lady doesn’t just stay home and bake cookies for loving grandchildren either.

Maud never married and doesn’t cook (that’s what take-out is for, right?)  She takes care of what is hers, by whatever means possible.  She was fortunate enough to inherit the rights to live in the apartment owned by her parents at the time of her father’s death.  The apartment was sold to cover debts with the understanding that the widow and her two daughters could continue to live there rent free, as long as they wished.  Seventy years later, Maud is holding the current owners to the terms of the original contract.

By hook and by crook, Maud has managed to accumulate quite a nest egg to support her preferred lifestyle.  She often takes jaunts to warmer climates for a few weeks, and has recently discovered the joys of all-inclusive spas: saunas, facials, pedicures and all.  Maud is a delight and surprisingly devious, although you would never know to look at her.

Whether or not you need a translated book for your Book Bingo sheet, check out this elderly lady.  She is definitely up to no good.

Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich

Reviewed by Kristin

I really didn’t want to review another Janet Evanovich book.  I might have been a little embarrassed that I keep reading them, even as I feel that they are getting even more repetitive than the dozens that have gone before.  But I placed the book on hold, took it home, read it over the course of a few days, and actually laughed at the latest Plum exploits.  Maybe I should I say that I laughed at the latest Grandma Mazur exploits, because she was at the center of my favorite crazy humor scene in the book.  Let’s just say that she has a bucket list.  And Ranger is on the list.

In Top Secret Twenty-One, Stephanie Plum is once again on the trail of an FTA (failure to appear): Jimmy Poletti, used-car dealer and dealer of more unlawful things as well.  Ranger enlists Stephanie’s help in catching a professional assassin at a Russian vodka trade show.  Whenever Ranger asks for Stephanie’s professional help, I wonder what in the world she can do that he cannot.  Then again, amidst Russian vodka salesmen, I guess that Stephanie’s feminine attributes are the one thing Ranger does not have.

Grandma Mazur and Joe’s Grandma Bella are at each other’s throats as well.  Name calling and pie throwing are fair game in this battle of the senior citizens.  Lula is riding shotgun and even dating an FTA so that Stephanie can apprehend him at the end of the evening.  Randy Briggs, unlikable short person, is back and needs Stephanie’s protection and apartment.  Even as he is an unwelcome houseguest, Stephanie manages to wrangle Randy into dog-sitting as she takes in a homeless FTA who is extremely attached to his ten unruly Chihuahuas.

The book is similar to the previous twenty in the series, but for some reason I found this one to be slightly better plotted.  Yes, cars explode, apartments are damaged and the Buick remains pristine as always.  When I start wondering about the lack of character development progression, it seems that Stephanie should have matured a little bit by now (or at least made a choice between Morelli and Ranger.)  But then again, each book may only be a month or two apart, so it’s entirely possible that the entire series encompasses only a couple of years.  After all, Rex the hamster has lived through all twenty-one books and multiple apartment bombings.  I guess I’ll hang in there and see how many more laugh out loud moments are in number Twenty-Two.

The Official Movie Plot Generator: Over 27,000 Movie Plot Combinations by The Brothers Heimberg

Reviewed by Kristin

Does it seem like every movie in the theaters today is a rip-off of something you have seen before?  I think I have found the secret that screenwriters from coast to coast are using.  Open the front cover of The Official Movie Plot Generator and find tabs for each of three plot parts:  The main character, the action they take, and the sidekick, location, or zany circumstance that might be involved.  Mix and match to find the next Oscar-winning blockbuster.

If you match up the cards with the same numbers on them, you might find a “logical” movie plot.  For example:  “A single mom raises a baby while juggling work, parenthood, and finding personal fulfillment.”  However, (evil laughter) it seems to me that it would be MUCH more fun to mix things up in an unexpected way.

 “An ancient and powerful wizard fights crime in a beat-up Buick.”

“From a land where honor and tradition reign, comes the legend of a samurai who helps children learn to read, set to an all-star ‘80’s soundtrack featuring Air Supply, Journey, and Survivor.”

“A no-nonsense Army drill sergeant discovers a hidden talent for dance in the feel-good comedy of the year.”

“A group of cantankerous senior citizens raise a baby with the help of the ghost of Elvis.”

“A gangsta rapper becomes a nanny for a conservative aristocratic family in this documentary narrated by James Earl Jones.”

“An adorable panda cub grows 50 times in size and goes on a destructive rampage, shown in spectacular 3-D Imax.”

Irreverent and definitely not politically correct, this book is good for a few laughs, whether alone or in the midst of your next social gathering. And who knows, you and your friends might come up with the next multi-million dollar theatrical release.  I’ll let Shailene Woodley know that she can expect your casting director’s call.

Bobbie Faye' Very (Very Very Very) Bad Day by Toni McGee Causey

Reviewed by Kristin

Sparked by the question “Which authors are laugh-out-loud funny like Janet Evanovich?” I started making a list of light, funny authors who are more fun than a barrel of monkeys.  (Who ever had fun with a barrel of monkeys?  Seems like they would be screeching and biting and it would be just too darn crowded in a barrel.  PETA would be there….oh never mind, I digress.)  Toni McGee Causey immediately appeared on several lists of recommendations for authors similar to Evanovich.  Wanting to know exactly what I might be recommending to patrons, I checked out the first book featuring Bobbie Faye Sumrall, and prepared to be amused.

Bobbie Faye’s world is one in which Bobbie Faye herself is the perfect storm, just a small town girl with a predilection for disaster.  The title page contains a map of the Louisiana State Insurance Archive of Bobbie Faye Sumrall Disasters.  With locations labelled “Fire at High School (Science Lab)” and “Drawbridge Jammed for Nine Weeks” and “Destruction of Governer’s Motorcade (No Fatalities)”,  Bobbie Faye is known far and wide for her extremely bad luck and  the chaos that follows her.  The hyperbole is a little over the top, but still funny.  Southern Louisiana is rich with pirate lore, and Bobbie Faye is the crowned Contraband Days Festival queen, as were her mother, grandmother, and many more grandmothers before her.

Bobbie Faye is also rather fascinating to the opposite sex.  Ex-boyfriend Cameron Moreau, who also happens to be a state police detective, bemoans the trouble Bobbie Faye encounters, and looks out for her even through the major disaster that this very, very, very, very bad day is turning out to be.  As Bobbie Faye enlists the help of a not-so-innocent bystander, Trevor Cormier, sparks fly.

Bobbie Faye’s day begins with water flooding her trailer.  Her brother Roy was supposed to fix the washing machine, but he was a little too busy hiding out from his married girlfriend’s husband.  Bobbie Faye is desperate to turn off the water, bail out her trailer, and be ready for the social worker home visit later that day, so that she can continue having custody of her five-year-old niece Stacey.  Could it be that straightforward to take care of this last little problem?  Of course not.  Roy is in even more trouble than Bobbie Faye, with a gun pointed at his head and the bad guys wanting something that only Bobbie Faye can provide.

Adult language alert:  On page two, niece Stacey solemnly tells Bobbie Faye “Mamma says you shouldn’t cuss so much.”  Well, Bobbie Faye doesn’t listen to Stacey or Mamma, although she does try to tone it down in front of the kid.  If you like this first outing, Bobbie Fay’s outrageous adventures continue with Bobbie Faye’s (kinda, sorta, not-exactly) Family Jewels, Charmed and Dangerous, Girls Just Wanna Have Guns, When a Man Loves a Weapon, Bobbie Fay’s Hot Mess of a Wedding (novella) and Failure to Communicate (short story).

Just one more thought:  Bobbie Faye and a barrel of monkeys?  Now that would be trouble.

Want a few other recommendations for laugh-out-loud funny books?  Try Sarah Strohmeyer, Sophie Littlefield, Jennifer Crusie, Meg Cabot, Mary Kay Andrews, Michael Lee West, Fannie Flagg, Charlotte Hughes, Gemma Halliday, Sophie Kinsella and Anne George.  You may find more details on these authors on a Bristol Public Library bibliography, located at the reference desk, coming soon.