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Calamity Jayne (A Tressa Jayne Turner Mystery #1)
HOW DOES A BLONDE SPELL 'FARM'?
E-I-E-I-O
Tressa Jayne Turner has had it up to here with the never-ending string of dumb-blonde jokes and a longtime nickname that's harder to get rid of than lint from a belly button. Dubbed 'Calamity Jayne' by Iowa Department of Natural Resources officer, Rick Townsend, Tressa's out to gain a little hometown respect--or die trying. Unfortuna...more
E-I-E-I-O
Tressa Jayne Turner has had it up to here with the never-ending string of dumb-blonde jokes and a longtime nickname that's harder to get rid of than lint from a belly button. Dubbed 'Calamity Jayne' by Iowa Department of Natural Resources officer, Rick Townsend, Tressa's out to gain a little hometown respect--or die trying. Unfortuna...more
Kindle Edition, 326 pages
Published
January 31st 2011
(first published January 3rd 2006)
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May 03, 2011
Renee
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4 of 5 stars
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone who loves a good contempory romantic comedy
I really enjoyed this book. I thought Tressa "Calamity" Jayne Turner was a great character. The author knew her inside and out so her voice was very strong - and extremly funny. There were many moments where I laughed out loud at Tressa's view on life and her place in it. Naturally a person jumps to compare this type of book (i.e. first person/witty/funny/crime solving heroine with a hot guy she loves/hates) with Janet Evanovich. Surprisingly I felt this book stacked up quite well because Tressa...more
Janet Evanovich called, and she wants Stephanie Plum (er, Tressa "Calamity" Jayne Turner) back. Nevermind, Kathleen Bacus can keep her. Um, cute 20-something with crazy wild hair, 2 dead end jobs, crazy grandma, lackluster love life-turn love triangle, and shoe fetish finds a dead body in her trunk, but no one believes her once the body goes missing. Ranger Rick Townsend, her older brother's best friend and arch nemesis makes a good love interest, but the story is more dead body/mystery than rom...more
I really did like this book. The story was well written and very entertaining. I really liked the little asides that Tressa through in for the reader to tell the reader what she was thinking. Some of them were very amusing. The mystery was deep enough to keep me guessing throughout the whole book and there were even some twists at the very end that the reader doesn't see coming (well, at least I didn't).
Another thing that I liked about this book is that it is set in my home state of Iowa. It was...more
Another thing that I liked about this book is that it is set in my home state of Iowa. It was...more
Okay, I waited a few days to write this because I was really not sure how I felt about this book. I'll start by saying I got it off the free list, so all I invested was time. I won't rehash the story, but will start with what I did not like. Being from Iowa, the main character came off a bit as a hick which bothered me, but to be fair there are hicks and rednecks in Iowa, but this certainly doesn't describe the majority of people there. It's possible I'm a bit over-sensitive. I also did not like...more
I like mysteries with entertaining comical writing so I had high hopes for this book.
The description implies that it will appeal to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum fans. I like that series ... this is a Stephanie Plum wannabe.
I really wanted to like this book. The author tried hard to be funny and sarcastic ... but I found at times that she tried too hard. She did a lot (a lot!!) of comparing. Here are some examples so you know what I mean ...
It would be all over town quicker than the flu after...more
The description implies that it will appeal to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum fans. I like that series ... this is a Stephanie Plum wannabe.
I really wanted to like this book. The author tried hard to be funny and sarcastic ... but I found at times that she tried too hard. She did a lot (a lot!!) of comparing. Here are some examples so you know what I mean ...
It would be all over town quicker than the flu after...more
Ok, in the beginning of this book I didn't like it. Ask Heidi. I went and complained to her. I didn't see how anyone could like Jane. Scratch that. I could see how they could like her. I could also see why people avoided her like the plague. Ok, initially my award for the most annoying character went to Mac of the Fever Series fame. Come on, if you've read it you know exactly what I'm talking about. Jane had her beat by a mile. By about 10 miles really. Oh my goodness just reliving it for this r...more
Throw in two parts Nancy Drew, one part Lucille Ball, add a dash of Stephanie Plum, shake it all up and you’ve got a one-of-a-kind amateur sleuth with a penchant for junk food and hot-pink snakeskin cowgirl boots. Tressa Jayne Turner (who begrudgingly answers to “Calamity Jayne”) is lovingly known around her small Midwestern town for being a magnet to mischief and mayhem.
Calamity is fed up with dumb-blonde jokes and sets forth on a mission to give her nickname an overhaul by replacing “Calamity”...more
Calamity is fed up with dumb-blonde jokes and sets forth on a mission to give her nickname an overhaul by replacing “Calamity”...more
I just finished reading CALAMITY JAYNE by Kathleen Bacus, and found it to be very entertaining. Tressa "Calamity" Jayne Turner is an accident waiting to happen, and she doesn't seem to have to wait for long. After finding a dead body in the trunk of a car, she manages to involve herself in a mystery with plenty of suspects and characters. Her biggest problem is that no one seems to believe her because of her "calamity" reputation. Is there a romance on the horizon, too? Remember the name Ranger...more
This book was ok... I found myself skipping a lot of dialogue where Tressa (her middle name is Jayne) kept rehashing her clues. The mystery was solid and I like that she kept at it to find clues and actually interview people. But the end was sloppily done, it came out in three awkward spurts as there was another person in on the conspiracy. The romantic bit was a little refreshing, since they fought often and he was like the boy who likes you in 3rd grade but kicks your chair to let you know. My...more
I must admit this book earned a pretty weak three stars. Part of the issues are formatting, so they may not exist in other copies. But I had a lot of problems with paragraph breaks in the middle of a sentence and missing quotes. That sort of thing drives me crazy.
(view spoiler)...more
(view spoiler)...more
Calamity Jayne is the first in a series of cozy mysteries by Kathleen Bacus. It actually exemplifies why I usually prefer not to start with the first book in a series-especially in the cozy genre. However counter-intuitive it may, I find that the writing and characterizations are often weakest at the beginning and that frequently the author gains confidence and strength as (usually in this genre) she moves through the first book (this doesn't hold true for an entire series-sadly, often the autho...more
As I was browsing the tables at my local bargain bookstore a few weeks back, I came across a series of books that had adorable little covers. Okay, I’ll admit that the covers are what first drew me to the Tressa Jayne Turner Mystery series. The woman who worked at the bookstore gave it high praises so soon enough, my admiration for the covers morphed into curiosity, which then morphed into me purchasing the first three books of the series, which led to me smacking myself because seriously MORE B...more
Tressa annoyed the shit out of me in this book. She’s tired of her dumb blonde reputation and we see a couple of times the impact of having everyone think she’s a twit has on her. But those moments are really only quick glimpses and it only happened twice in the book. What really annoyed me is that instead of dropping the dumb blonde routine and finding a direction in life she takes up an insane quest to find the killer of a local lawyer to prove herself. That would’ve been all fine and dandy co...more
A main character who is belittled and demeaned by everyone around her and tries unsuccessfully to get people to see her as something more than a joke does not make for a good book. The romantic relationship is more disturbing since he is one of her main tormentors. She would have been better off with the biker who she bailed out of jail for info. At least gave a damn about her and listened. The most gripping part and only bit I cared about was the fate of her horse when he was shot. Even free, t...more
I want to give it 4 stars but I just can't. The story is funny and there were plenty of times I was actually laughing out loud while my family stared at me. But there were a few too many foul words and while I can endure some of that in a story, especially coming from the mouth of the story's villain, there were times they were in dialog when they easily could have been omitted.
Also Tessa, the main character, is very immature. In the story it's said as being "blonde" but it's really just immatur...more
Also Tessa, the main character, is very immature. In the story it's said as being "blonde" but it's really just immatur...more
The main character Tressa "Calamity" Jayne has rotten luck. The town thinks she is a dumb blonde and no one takes her serious. When coming across a dead body everyone thinks its a big hoax that she is just seeking attention. Through a few twists and turns while being introducing characters it was a nice read, yet I had to put it down a few times due to me feeling so bad for this woman. Otherwise I would give it a 4 star rating.
With loveable characters like the Grandparents makes this book a grea...more
With loveable characters like the Grandparents makes this book a grea...more
The plot was entertaining enough but I thought the author was trying too hard to be funny. There were noticeable typos and the writing was sophomoric at times. For example, spelling "sorry" as "sawree" and using the phrase "phoney baloneyness." Drove me nuts. I usually like light reading, but here I thought the author missed the mark. I also found it hard to get onboard with the male protagonist, who is also Tressa's biggest tormentor. Why should we root for her to get together with someone who...more
Tressa Jayne Turner has the unfortunate ability to draw trouble to her like an Acme magnet in the hands of Will E. Cyote. She also has been saddled with the unfortunate nick-name of "Calmity Jane". Terea stumbles onto a dead body and a whole lot of money when she mistakenly manages to drive off in the wrong car (in her defense she drives a K car and so was the one she drove off in, so her keys worked) and gets herself in the cross hairs of a drug ring,bikers,an elderly gentleman who fancies hims...more
This is a small town contemporary that I would have liked as a young teen. No graphic sex, lots of wondering does she/he like me, & a white knight in a cherry red pick me up truck. Our distressing damsel is constantly in distress so much that she is considered "the boy who cried wolf" by locals. This can get annoying fast. The humor is of the absurd variety. She is a young heroine, early 20s but her small town culture expects young marriages. The hero had money that doesn't match his pay gra...more
I gave it three stars instead of four because the plot seems a little unrealistic. Small town murder and just because the main character is perceived as a "dumb blonde" she and the consequences are ignored. But I loved the character Tressa... Calamity Jane.... I laughed out loud several times in the book. I could relate and really hear the characters voices, even if the circumstances seemed a little unrealistic. It is a fun read and I did enjoy the book and would recommend it as a nice leisurely...more
A breezy quick mystery perfect for summertime that would be enjoyed by fans of Janet Evanovich's "Stephanie Plum" or Sarah Strohmeyer's "Bubbles".
24 year old Tressa "Calamity" Jayne Turner is always finding herself in situations that are over the top. She has a reputation in her town for being a flakey airhead. So when she finds a dead body in the trunk of what she believes is her car that soon goes missing, everyone just sums it up to "There goes Calamity Jayne again." But Tressa knows what she...more
24 year old Tressa "Calamity" Jayne Turner is always finding herself in situations that are over the top. She has a reputation in her town for being a flakey airhead. So when she finds a dead body in the trunk of what she believes is her car that soon goes missing, everyone just sums it up to "There goes Calamity Jayne again." But Tressa knows what she...more
Loved this comedy/murder mystery. I liked the humor. Calamity Jayne is a great character who is determined and fun in spite of her propensity for disaster. She keeps discovering bodies, but no one believes there was a crime committed in the first place. The book is filled with blonde jokes and silly circumstances. It reminded me a little of the slap-stick romance comedy movies of the 1930's. There are murders, but they aren't graphic. It was a fun read. I can't wait to find the next one in the s...more
A good beach or plane read. Fun and funny in many places. I even laughed out loud. A body and a large amount of cash is found in the main character, Tressa's old car - body in the trunk and cash in the glove box. When she brings a witness back to see it, Townsend, a hunky guy she has a history with, both are gone. I did want Tressa, the sleuth, to get on with it sometimes and thought, she isn't that dumb and then she'd be dumb! So for an easy, don't have to think a lot, plane drone leading to sl...more
A fun chick-lit mystery. I loved Tressa even through her ditzy blond moments. Who doesn't enjoy laughing at accident prone characters? I was happy there wasn't really any romance in it which I feel would have definitely taken away from the story. The addition of the bikers and the crazy grandparents was perfect. I absolutely loved Joe and Manny and they were by far my favorite characters. The tone was pretty light for the entire book which made the story seem a little less serious, but made it m...more
Really like this book. Enjoyed the humor,romance and the mystery. I found myself laughing out loud while reading. The book was fast paced and poor "calamity jane", just can't keep herself out of trouble. The small town thinks Calamatiy is as dimwitted as they come no matter how hard she tries to prove them wrong. I look forward to reading other books by this author especially if she keeps up her humor!
Not my usual reading but I really liked this one. Tressa 'Calamity' Jayne lives in a small town in Iowa. She's blonde, works two jobs, and no one takes her seriously...especially not when she claims to have discovered the body of a lawyer in the trunk of her car. But Tressa knows what she saw and decides to investigate for herself.
She is helped in her investigations by her feisty grandmother and an even feistier friend of her grandmother's (who happens to be the grandfather of the man Tressa alt...more
She is helped in her investigations by her feisty grandmother and an even feistier friend of her grandmother's (who happens to be the grandfather of the man Tressa alt...more
It is a murder mystery. Has a lot of light hearted funny action and "calamity." If TRessa a Jayne could just live down her hildhood nickname from her brother and his moronic friend maybe people would start taking her more seriously. Now more than ever she needs someone to believe in her. There 'was' a dead body in the trunk of her car. She is sure of what she saw. She is threatened by Tatoo Ted
FUNNIEST book I've read in a along time. I loved the way her thought processes worked, her ineptitude, the characters around her and of course the story.
Lots of unexpected moments that were laugh out loud funny. I have to admit I had a hard time putting it down, once I got in to reading it.
Very pleasant way to spend a few hours. Can't wait to check out some of the others
Lots of unexpected moments that were laugh out loud funny. I have to admit I had a hard time putting it down, once I got in to reading it.
Very pleasant way to spend a few hours. Can't wait to check out some of the others
So- I made it about halfway through and got side tracked by another book. And then another and another. I can't get back into now- and not sure I really want to. The story obviously wasn't holding me enough to be able to finish it before I picked up something else. Oh well. No star rating- as I don't feel it's air of me- since I didn't finish. But I'd say 2.5 for what I have read. It seemed to be an interesting story line- but it was kind of dragging.
I really enjoyed this book - I wasn't sure I was going to. Calamity Jayne should be the poster child for Murphy's Law. I laughed out loud at how she lost her job at the paper.
Basically Tressa (Calamity) is someone who tries real hard to be a good person, but things just seem to happen to her, no matter how hard she tries not to get into trouble. She can't keep a job for very long without something happening to cause her to lose it. The mystery with the hint of romance was a good combination. I w...more
Basically Tressa (Calamity) is someone who tries real hard to be a good person, but things just seem to happen to her, no matter how hard she tries not to get into trouble. She can't keep a job for very long without something happening to cause her to lose it. The mystery with the hint of romance was a good combination. I w...more
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Very true. I'm far from an authorit...more
updated Aug 17, 2011 10:15pm