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212th out of 213 books
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28 voters
My rating:
add to my books
Candy Apple Red (Jane Kelly #1)
by
Nancy Bush
Jane Kelly is through following men. She left Southern California for the murky quaintness of Lake Chinook, Oregon, apparently so she could trade her bartending skills for much more glamorous work process serving. And the boyfriend, of course, is long gone. But things have been looking a little brighter lately. Her hobby doing PI work is kind of fun, especially when she la...more
Mass Market Paperbound, 351 pages
Published
September 1st 2006
by Kensington Publishing Corporation
(first published 2005)
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This is the first in the Jane Kelly mystery series and since it was set outside of Portland, Oregon I thought I’d check it out. Plus the cover blurb says it’s for people who like Stephanie Plum.
Jane Kelly lives in Lake Chinook, Oregon were she is a process server and does some side work for a P.I. Bobby Reynolds murdered his young family and has been missing the past 4 years. Jane is hired to speak with Bobby’s father and discover if he knows where Bobby is. Plus her ex-boyfriend’s b...more
Jane Kelly lives in Lake Chinook, Oregon were she is a process server and does some side work for a P.I. Bobby Reynolds murdered his young family and has been missing the past 4 years. Jane is hired to speak with Bobby’s father and discover if he knows where Bobby is. Plus her ex-boyfriend’s b...more
If you’re looking for a very light read with minimal tension, almost no action, and more description than dialogue, then this book is just for you.
Nancy Bush’s first book is written in the first person from the point of view of Jane Kelley, a sometimes process server/private eye who seems to spend more time obsessing about her empty refrigerator and how to cadge a free drink than actually doing any investigating.
She is hired by Tess, the ex-wife of Lake Chinook’s rich...more
Nancy Bush’s first book is written in the first person from the point of view of Jane Kelley, a sometimes process server/private eye who seems to spend more time obsessing about her empty refrigerator and how to cadge a free drink than actually doing any investigating.
She is hired by Tess, the ex-wife of Lake Chinook’s rich...more
There's a blurb on the front cover from Lisa Jackson that says "Move over Stephanie Plum, Jane Kelly has arrived." This to me would intimate that the book is slapstick funny, with lots of quirky characters and things blowing up. It's not. It's a pretty good read, but it's not slapstick. It's your basic cozy mystery with relationship issues and a single-gal protagonist.
Jane Kelly is what her married accountant friend Billy calls a "hatchery fish." Someone w...more
Jane Kelly is what her married accountant friend Billy calls a "hatchery fish." Someone w...more
Slowly unraveling clues to a mystery and not enough humor for me.
REVIEWER'S OPINION:
This is a humorous mystery series using the same formula used in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. A comment on the cover of Candy Apple Red states “Move over Stephanie Plum, Jane Kelly has arrived.” In Candy Apple Red, Jane Kelly is a process server and a beginner-level private investigator. She has very little money and not many clothes. There is some sexual tension between Jan...more
REVIEWER'S OPINION:
This is a humorous mystery series using the same formula used in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. A comment on the cover of Candy Apple Red states “Move over Stephanie Plum, Jane Kelly has arrived.” In Candy Apple Red, Jane Kelly is a process server and a beginner-level private investigator. She has very little money and not many clothes. There is some sexual tension between Jan...more
The first Jane Kelly mystery. Set in fictional Lake Chinook Oregon. The protagonist is a process server with a complicated love life. The plot involves solving a 4 year old mystery involving a man accused of killing his whole family. Advanced reviews have compared Jane to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum. But where Stephanie is funny, Jane is grim. You may think that it's a reflection of the weather, but the setting after the first 10 pages of the book could be any lake community in the US ...more
Nancy Bush - Candy Apple Red
Kensington Publishing Corp., 2005
There is not much time for the readers to take their seats before Nancy Bush shoots them off for a whirlwind ride. Jane Kelly is an incredibly fleshed-out and tangible character which only enhances the terrific plot. The storyline is just "out there" enough to be interesting, without seeming completely unfathomable. Bush gives Jane Kelly a sarcastic, take-charge voice that makes more than just a little splash. ...more
Kensington Publishing Corp., 2005
There is not much time for the readers to take their seats before Nancy Bush shoots them off for a whirlwind ride. Jane Kelly is an incredibly fleshed-out and tangible character which only enhances the terrific plot. The storyline is just "out there" enough to be interesting, without seeming completely unfathomable. Bush gives Jane Kelly a sarcastic, take-charge voice that makes more than just a little splash. ...more
Jane Kelly works as a process server/PI/whatever. She came to Oregon to be with a boy friend, who is now long gone over a difference of opinion about his best friend who killed his family and disappeared. Now the boy friend's back and Jane has been asked by a lawyer to delve into the mystery of the missing Bobby, who also happens to be the son of the richest guy in town.
There are close parallels here with Steffie Plum, although instead of Rex the hamster we have a pug named Binky. Go wi...more
There are close parallels here with Steffie Plum, although instead of Rex the hamster we have a pug named Binky. Go wi...more
Jane Kelly is lamenting her lack of focus about a career (she is serving eviction notices for a private investigator's customers) when she asked by an attorney to work for the ex-wife of one of Lake Chinook, Oregon's most wealthy residents, Cotton Reynolds. The ex is the mother of a man who is wanted in the murders of his wife and children and she is convinced that Cotton is hiding their son. She says she has heard that Cotton is ill and is afraid that he will die without letting her see her son...more
I'd heared about these Jane Kelly mystery books as a quick, easy-to-read little mystery thriller series. So I checked out this first one from the library.
I don't know if my expectations for this genre are too high or if I'm just crazy, but this book was disappointing to read. There were some editorial flubs—in one paragraph, a section of town is called "First Addition," in the very next paragraph its "First Edition;" some odd tense shifts, though I think this can ...more
I don't know if my expectations for this genre are too high or if I'm just crazy, but this book was disappointing to read. There were some editorial flubs—in one paragraph, a section of town is called "First Addition," in the very next paragraph its "First Edition;" some odd tense shifts, though I think this can ...more
Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
http://www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com/can...
Four years ago Bobby Reynolds allegedly murdered his wife and children and then promptly disappeared. There are some people in Lake Chinook Oregon who believe in Bobby’s innocence and some who thought it was only a matter of time before he snapped. Jane Kelly followed Tim Murphy, Bobby’s best friend, from California to Oregon in search of her happily ever after. However, that dream came to a...more
http://www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com/can...
Four years ago Bobby Reynolds allegedly murdered his wife and children and then promptly disappeared. There are some people in Lake Chinook Oregon who believe in Bobby’s innocence and some who thought it was only a matter of time before he snapped. Jane Kelly followed Tim Murphy, Bobby’s best friend, from California to Oregon in search of her happily ever after. However, that dream came to a...more
Murkier than the first entry in Bush's Jane Kelly series, the book is still more about Jane's personal life than about solving a serious mystery. The characters are less developed that in the first of the series, Electric Blue, and threaten to overwhelm the plot due to their sheer numbers. The plot will not keep you up at night frantically reading to see "whodunnit" and the ending seems a bit contrived. For all its faults, it's a fun read with a few unexpected twists and turns.
This is my first time reading a Jane Kelly Mystery. It is a novel about a very sexy 30 year old. She lives in a small fishing town. She starts doing some research on a big crime that occured in that town. Her best friend is telling her to to make sure to ask for the money and just get out of it. She is not a qualified detective yet. The ending is very fascinatin, something we couldn't believe would happen. This is a great mystery novel and I highly recommend it.
I would have enjoyed this book more if it had not been for the misleading quotes from other authors on the book jacket. It is an enjoyable read, but does not have the humor or "quirkyness" of a Stephanie Plum adventure. I was expecting something different - laugh out loud humor, quiet giggles...this book does not have them. Please! Stop comparing apples to oranges and let readers find their own enjoyment!
Standard mystery novel fare, although I would NOT compare it to Stephanie Plum books. The first third of the book I thought maybe I had missed getting the firt book because there were so many references to past incidents. But this is the first book although it leaves a lot to be desired with how the main characters know each other, etc.
Might read the second in the series to give it another chance, not a bad book, just not great.
Might read the second in the series to give it another chance, not a bad book, just not great.
According to the back cover, Jane Kelly is the new Stephanie Plum. I wouldn't go that far, it wasn't a compelling read, but it was an OK read, and I will look for the 2nd book in the series, Electric Blue. The story seemed a little slow, but the end came together and I thing the next book may be better only because now the main characters in the town have been introduced and we can move on.
This book came with the promise of being a "sucessor" for Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum. Stephanie and Jane in truth are alike in that they are both wet behind the ears PIs in their opening books.Jane seems a little less sure of herself, Stephanie a little funnier. I enjoy both series though and I try not to compare the two constantly. Jane deserves to hold her own with murder mystery fans who like the dominent Lady PI character.
I had trouble getting into it, but it picked up about 1/2 way through. Jane gets hired to investigate a rich tycoon by his ex-wife - both off whom may be sheltering their son, an man accused of killing his whole family. She's not even sure she wants to be a PI, and now she's involved in a case that hits a little too close to home, as the accused killer has ties to her own friends
This series of books were compared to the Stephanie Plum series. There are some similarities, but I find Stephanie Plum to have laugh-out-loud moments, whereas Jane Kelly had a few smiles. If I had to choose one or the other, I definitely like Stephanie better, but I have already checked out the next Jane Kelly mystery to give her more of a chance. They were enjoyable enough, though I did find it hard to get into at first.
It's too bad that comedic mysteries of a certain bent all must be compared to Plum. (Stephanie's made the bar pretty high). Jane Kelly has settled in Lake Chinook, Oregon (far from her mother back in CA) and is getting by (with a similarly empty fridge) doing process serving and thinking about becoming a private investigator. Jane is easily swayed by money and takes on a job for the ex-wife of local eccentric and island owner. Their son has been missing for four years, after killing his enti...more
Although at times the book seemed to move slower than I liked, I kept at it and found myself really liking the adorable Jane Kelly. I felt like the mystery/murder could have been better, but there was plenty of suspense from all angles. I also enjoyed Kelly's personality, and found myself liking her humor more and more throughout the book.
Gina
rated it
·
review of another edition
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review of another edition
Shelves:
challenges-2012,
books-i-own-read,
book-club,
cozy-mystery,
female-detectives,
kindle,
mystery,
chick-lit
This was a really cute cozy mystery about Jane Kelly who has moved to Oregon to become a process server but in the meantime is asked to look into the disappearance of Bobby Reynolds. I like the Bush's writing style and thought it was pretty funny. I will probably go ahead and read the rest of the books in the series at some point. A suprising 3 stars!
It's starting off slow I hope it picks up. Well my wish came true it finally picked up and was actually pretty good...I think because it was the 1st in the series it was kinda full of detail that kinda dragged on in the beginning but the plot was well done. But Jane Kelly is a shadow of Stephanie Plum...and no grandma Mazur..
A light-weight murder mystery with a racy cover. A cop in the Tully's where I was reading it one rainy day could hardly keep his eyes off it. My favorite character was Binkster, and I liked Jane and Dwayne as well, in a superficial way (yawn).
Ubalstecha
added it
This book is not as good as the book jacket claims. While Jane Kelly is a process server, she lacks the humour of a Stephanie Plum book. The mystery is good, with lots of twists and believability. A good light read. Nothing more.
I was in the market for a new mystery series with a female heroine and I stumbled upon the Jane Kelly books. Quick read with a good storyline. Not as humorous as Janet Evanovich but it held my interest froom start to finish.
When the reviewer, Lisa Jackson, says, "Move over Stephanie Plum and Kinsey Milhone, Jane Kelly has arrived," she's not kidding. Bush's female PI is fiesty, funny, and a bit odd. All 3 books in the growing series are great reads.
I am a fan of fun mystery/chick lit type books. This one takes place in Lake Oswego which makes it more fun. The main character is likeable. It is an easy read for those busy days when you need something light.
light, reading. This is the first book in a series and it is a little better written than the second 'Electric Blue'. I do want to reach in and shake the heroine when she does something dumb.
A great read for a weekend at the cabin. With interesting characters and a plot worthy of the gossip pages you can bet I'm looking forward to the next installment in the Jane Kelly series.
I took my time reading this one, but you could probably read it in one sitting. I really liked the characters and she took a lot of time developing them, which was refreshing. The mystery angle may have suffered a little for it, but it was still an enjoyable book.
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