Skating on the Edge

Rebecca Robbins #3

by Joelle Charbonneau

It's Native American Summer Days in Indian Falls, and Rebecca Robbins is roped into taking a turn in the Senior Center dunk tank. That is until her rhinestone-studded grandfather needs help setting up his Elvis act. Now Rebecca has to find a replacement and roller derby girl Sherlene-n-Mean is delighted to fit the bill -- until she's dunked and ends up dead. The cops want Rebecca to stay out of the investigation, but she was supposed to be in that dunk tank, which means her life could be hanging in the balance. Aided by a trio of self-appointed bodyguard derby girls, Rebecca digs for answers, dodges bullets and races to find the killer before the killer finds her.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Roller Derby, Romance, Humor, Contemporary

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

I am a storyteller at heart. I have performed in a variety of operas, musical theatre and children's theatre productions across the Chicagoland area.

While I'm happy to perform for an audience, I am equally delighted to teach private voice lessons and use my experience from the stage to create compelling characters on the page. I am the author of the Rebecca Robbins mystery series (Minotaur Books), The Paige Marshall Glee Club mysteries (Berkley) and The Testing YA triology (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

Reviews

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rebecca Robbins stars in another quirky adventure. This time featuring the Roller Derby Team: Estrogenicide. One of the roller derby team members - Sharlene-n-Mean - gets murdered. She is electrified to death in a dunk tank. However, she had taken Rebecca's place at the last minute. Was she the true target, or is Rebecca the one the killer is after?
...

Same quirky hijinks. Rebecca's grandfather dresses like Elvis and flirts a lot. Rebecca's non-boyfriend, the dreamy veterinarian Lionel, and her have some good make-out sessions. Still no sex - 5 months into the relationship. This is, of course, smart and good, since Lionel can be a jerk sometimes (he's getting better) and Rebecca doesn't know if she's going back to Chicago.

Also:
In the five months that Lionel and I had been sort of dating, we had never had sex. Not that I objected to the idea of sex. In fact I liked the idea, even though I didn't have all that much experience. I'd only done the deed with two guys. Neither of whom impressed me much. The first was my college boyfriend, who after a year of dating finally coaxed me out of my clothes. The other was a jazz trumpet player whose soulful playing I fell in love with. Unfortunately, his lips were only skilled at making his trumpet sing.

Wow. I totally feel for Rebecca here. This is actually pretty accurate and realistic. I'm counting on Lionel to rock her world. Do you hear me, Lionel!?!?!!? You'd better put it down for her right, hombre, or I'm coming after you!!!!!

# OF TIMES I TOLD LIONEL TO GO FLIP HIMSELF: 2.

Wow. Only two. That almost makes him a decent non-boyfriend. :)

Roller derby is always fun to read about. Women calling themselves Sharlene-n-Mean, Kandie Sutra, Laurel Loveless, Fatal Fiona, Dharma Gheddon, Halle Bury, Erica the Red, Anna Phylaxis, J.K. Fouling, and Eartha Quake is fun. They love to brawl and are fun to read about. They act as Rebecca's bodyguards in this book - following her around to protect her. This leads to some disastrous results!

I still hate Stan, Rebecca's deadbeat con-artist father, but apparently Charbonneau wants him to be a permanent character. He's SUCH a slimeball, I can't stand him. He sleeps with anything in a skirt, borrows money and never pays it back, swindles people out of money, and runs con games. He's disgusting.

Rebecca is a great friend. We see this throughout the book, but especially with her helping Danielle with the wedding. She sticks up for her friend and gives her great advice.

I also love how Rebecca is such a sweet, caring, and forgiving person. She is everyone's friend. She tries to help anyone that she sees who is upset. She is 'too nice.' She always forgives and rarely presses charges if she can understand a person's motivations (as long as no one is dead). This means people who are enemies with Rebecca or hate her at the beginning of the book become friends with her in the end. This is very charming and I enjoy reading about characters like this.

Sean, the moron cop, is becoming more and more of a sexual threat to Rebecca and Lionel's non-relationship. It's now clear that they are attracted to each other, although they've despised each other for so long that they don't know how to deal with it. I really don't know where Charbonneau is heading with this. He's still SUCH a moron. At one point in the novel, Rebecca calls him because she's discovered something important, and he CAN'T BE BOTHERED to come over and check it out. He's a lousy cop. Just stupid and lazy, and also arrogant and full of himself. It's a bad combo.

Actually, come to think of it, Rebecca's attraction to men solely centers around their physical attractiveness and (in Lionel's case) if they are a good kisser or not. Excuse me, I don't care how many abs a guy has, if he's a jerk it's pointless. I DO care about kissing, but again, a woman is not going to get all happy about kissing if the guy is treating her like shit. So...I'm not impressed with Rebecca's selection of men, is what I'm saying.

In this book, Rebecca finally takes the Toe Stop off the market and decides to stay in Indian Falls.

Also, there's talk about making Rebecca the NEW sheriff of Indian Falls!

As for the mystery, there's really no rhyme or reason to it. If you guessed who did it - it really was a guess. There's no way anyone could piece together that convoluted excuse for a motive. It was nuts. But I guess the point of these books is really 'look how zany this is' and not 'this is a mystery.' Anyone looking for any amount of seriousness should look elsewhere.

Rebecca isn't even a great sleuth! She's actually pretty clueless and slow on the uptake sometimes. It's definitely frustrating for a reader to be smarter than the detective and yelling at her to investigate certain things.

All in all, a cute "cutesy" series, but not trying to be a serious mystery read. If you love 'quirky,' 'zany,' and 'kooky' small-town stories, you will love this. If those words make you cringe, stay far away.

[Maria Milchman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The names were just too cringy “Sharlene-o-mean”

[Jaylia3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder most bizarre, mysterious goings-on, roller derby madness, personality-plus characters, wacky small town mayhem, and a slowly simmering romance! This warm-hearted, humorous story has all the makings of fun, and though it sometimes verges on absurdity it never sacrifices emotional richness for a laugh. I've enjoyed every book in this series and for me they just keep getting better and better--this one is greatly enhanced by the new roller derby team that has taken up residence in Rebbecca Robbins’s rink. Rebecca Robbins mysteries are reminiscent of the early Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich, but I enjoy them more than the later books in that series.

As this book opens, Rebecca is still struggling with what to do with the roller skating rink she inherited last year from her mother. Part of her wants to sell the rink so she can leave her rural hometown behind and get back to her life in Chicago, and part of her . . . well, there are some new attractions in Indian Falls, including Lionel, the town veterinarian and Rebbecca’s sort-of boyfriend. Then a woman is murdered, and Rebecca may have been the actual target, so moving is put on hold as Rebecca gets caught up in the investigation, because there’s no way she’s trusting the local police to find the killer. Her scrawny Elvis-impersonating grandfather wants to help, the roller derby women want to be her body guards, her father wants to convince her he’s finally ready to lead a straight and narrow life, and someone still seems to be trying to kill her. This is a book that leaves you smiling.

[Valentina · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a series that is a little bit quirky, but that is lots of fun, this one might be for you.
I really didn’t know what to expect from this book. I love mysteries in small towns and the author really knows how to write those. There is a cozy atmosphere that works very well with the story, making the tension, once it starts, more pronounced. The author also knows how to balance Rebecca’s search for the murdered while still keeping the rest of the story going. That’s not always easy to do. Many times the authors just abandon side-plots to focus on the main mystery, but it’s not the case in this book.
Okay, besides all of that, the series is really funny. So you have roller-skating and comedy, a fabulous mix. There were some scenes where I couldn’t stop laughing.
I do recommend this book to all mystery lovers. Actually, even if you’re not, it still is a very entertaining one to try.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I read one chapter and thought...meh, I just don't care, so I stopped. Onward and upward.

[Roxanne Kade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start off by admitting that I haven't read the first two books in this series, but after having read Skating on the Edge, I most certainly will make a point of reading them!


Wow! This was such a fun and exciting story, and I quickly became engrossed in the lives of each and every character. Charbonneau has an easy writing style that helped me settle into the story from page one and it held on tight until the very end.


Rebecca Robbins is a strong MC who doesn't take an ounce of nonsense from anyone, especially resident Deputy, Sean Holmes. Even when she's fretting for her life, Rebecca puts on a brave front and goes about her usual business like nothing life-threatening has ever happened.


When Rebecca’s replacement at the dunk tank is murdered, the biggest question is who was the murderer’s real target – Rebecca or Sherlene-n-Mean? A series of deadly events made it clear who the killer was after…why, was still the elusive question. And, was the stunt at the dunk tank really supposed to have killed anyone?


I really enjoyed being with Rebecca every step of the way as she interrogated suspects, dug up clues, and pieced together the mystery.. Although a number of people had the means and ways, even the motive, there was never a time when one person stood out from the rest and I could actually say “Aha, it was so and so!” The mystery was kept alive throughout the story until the very end, making it feel like I was involved in a game of Cluedo!!


And then of course, as small towns go, there were many smaller dramas going on around the main mystery: The miraculous discovery of ancient native artifacts, Rebecca’s somewhat eccentric grandfather and his womanizing ways, her strange father who showed little to no interest in her, a phony psychic and a curse. But my favorite of all was the not so obvious love triangle. Rebecca clearly cares for Lionel and I wish there had been something more to solidify their relationship, one that I’ll get to know a bit more about once I read the first two books, but I have to agree with Erica, there were definitely sparks between Rebecca and Sean. They had great love/hate chemistry and I see it developing into a whole lot more as the series continues.


This was a fun, quick read, with many interesting characters and an even more captivating plot.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I got offered the chance to review Skating On The Edge as part of the blog tour I jumped at the chance.  Not only did it sound like a great read, I love reading books about skating, even though I have no balance to actually do it myself.
Skating On The Edge follows Rebecca, default and reluctant owner of Toe Stop Roller Rink.  A lucky escape for herself from the dunk tank launches a murder investigation into who would want her dead, and why.  Unhappy with the progress made by law enforcement, Rebecca takes it upon herself to do her own research and find the killer before they strike again.

From the moment I began reading Skating On The Edge I was hooked, I loved the characters in the book, from the roller derby girls, to Rebecca's  Father who is on the scene, then not, even her on/off boyfriend Lionel and his camel.  Rebecca is a likeable, but believable character, one that I instantly connected to.  I love how she takes it upon herself to investigate and how she can't do it without her own guard of derby girls to go with her.  The measures she goes through to ensure she can escape had me in stitches.
The mystery behind Skating On The Edge and the never expanding list of suspects ensured I was never bored and was constantly trying to rule people out, or add them to my own list and when the suspect is revealed I never once guessed this person.
It wasn't until I actually looked up this book on goodreads that I realised Skating On The Edge was the third book in the series.  Skating On The Edge works amazingly well as a stand alone book, i certainly didn't know it wasn't, and not once did I feel like I had missed out on anything from previous instalments, although now I intend to read the series from the beginning.

Skating On The Edge is a great mystery book, with some romance thrown in, that keeps you hooked from the moment you open the pages.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebecca Robbins owner (until it sells) of the Toe Stop skating rink in Indian Falls, Illinois. Rebecca has family, her Grandfather, Pop, and her father, Stan. She also has a roller rink full of friends and a stellar roller derby team that calls the rink home,Estrogenocide! Not to mention everyone in town knows each other.

Indian Falls is celebrating it's Native American Summer Days, with a full festival filled with foods, games, and even a dunk tank. Rebecca is filling in for the usual person as the 'dunkee' She isn't too excited but is willing to do her civic duty. Then something goes wrong with the sound system and Pop needs Rebecca to fix it. Estrogenicide's member Sherlene-n-mean offers to fill in. Suddenly, the dunk tank crackles with electricity and Rebecca is thrust into a murder investigation.

Was Sherlene-n-mean the intended victim, or was it Rebecca, or was it the original person? Quickly, Rebecca learns (you have to read the book how,) that she is the intended and that steps up the pace of the investigation.

This book is fast paced and will have you laughing even through the sad situations that happen. The names alone had me chuckling aloud. Also, I had to love Pop's Elvis routine, The compassionate camel, Amazonian guards and more. The mystery was complex and the ending was great!

I do recommend this series. It gets better book by book.

[Inga · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review:

Skating on the Edge by Joelle Charbonneau is the third book on Rebecca Robbins mysteries. I have to admit, that I haven't read any other of her books, but that did not disturb one bit. Skating on the Edge is quirky mystery, which is well written and it is easy to read. The plot is solid, the dialogue snappy and characters are colorful and quirky.

Rebecca Robbins is owner of is Toe Stop roller skating rink and she finds herself in the middle of a murder case. With lots of cheering from her grandfather, she starts to investigate what happened to Sherlene-n-Mean - a roller derby girl who is found dead.

The plot offers quick-paced and page-turning developments of the story and I think the author is especially good at creating mystery in a small town. She brings in interesting characters surrounding the protagonist Rebecca and also characters who could have motives for killing Sherlene.

What I liked in Skating on the Edge is, that solving the murder case is not coming very easily to Rebecca and the sources of her investigation are coming primarily from small town gossip and the fact, that everybody-knows-everybody.

Skating on the Edge was a good mystery book and a big positive surprising read!

[Charlotte Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebecca Robbins is the owner of the Toe Stop roller-rink where a tough roller derby team practices. One of the roller derby girls is murdered when she takes Rebecca’s turn in the dunk tank at the Native American Summer Days. Rebecca knows she must solve this murder before someone actually manages to kill her.
Skating on Edge is the third of the Rebecca Robbins Mysteries. I did not read the first two, but was easily able to follow this one and enjoy it. The characters were quirky and fun and made me laugh many times. The plot was fun and easy to read. Being from a small town myself, I could relate to the everyone knows everyone and the gossiping for information.

I loved following Rebecca as she questioned suspects, followed clues, and finally managed to solve the murder. She did most of this with the towns law enforcement a couple steps behind her. There were times I thought I knew who dunit, but then something else would happen to make me doubt myself. By the end I was pretty sure that I knew who the murder was and loved how it all played out.

This book is fast and easy and will keep you laughing throughout. I recommend this book and will be reading the rest of the series.

[Halley · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you know anything about roller derby, you will be constantly annoyed with Charbonneau’s misrepresentation of the sport. She calls a game of roller derby a “match” instead of a “bout” until halfway through the book, when she suddenly (and without explanation) begins using the correct terminology. The description of how the game is played is also incorrect. Charbonneau makes it sound as if the Jammer gets points for every lap she completes instead of every opponent she passes after the initial pass. (If you want to learn more about the actual game, check out this website: http://rollerderbyresource.com/info/h...) I felt like the author read half a Wikipedia article before starting her novel.

Now if you aren’t a derby fan, none of this will bother you. Unfortunately, the book is also an unsatisfying mystery. To me, the joy of a good mystery is using your own mind to put together the pieces provided by the author. In Skating on the Edge, there is no way for the reader to figure out who the killer is based on the information provided in the book.

Overall, I would say this novel is a pass…

[Blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really enjoyable. At first I found it a bit difficult to get into because of my quarrel with Rebecca’s character but once I got passed that, it was simply an easy read that kept me entertained. The characters helped to bring the tone of the book up, and when one is writing about crime it must be difficult to keep moods high. I found myself laughing out loud a fair few times, grinning like an idiot at others and then screaming silly things at the characters at others. It was fully engaging and completely engrossing and is a book that I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a fun, interesting or mysterious read. I would, however, probably recommend that they read the first two books in the series first!

For a longer, more detaied review of this book and for an interview with the author, please click here to go to the blog post.

[Nora-adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skating on the Edge it the third book in the saga of Becca Robbins and her life in her home town of Indian Falls. Becca is still vacillating between selling her skating rink or staying and making a life. Getting in the way is her uncanny ability to find either trouble or dead bodies.

This new story is the most fascinating one to date, it has a plethora of suspects, and more time actually dealing with Sean the Deputy Sheriff. You just have to grab a copy, and make time in your day to read it in one sitting. It's well worth the time.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one LOTS! Love the wit and speed which this series moves along. My friends who are into roller derby will LOVE seeing themselves in a lead roll in this book. Rebecca Robbins is back at her sleuthing ways & bringing us along for the adventure. I enjoy the antics of Pop & love it when Elwood makes an appearance in these stories! HE won my heart in the first of the series & always is a highlight when he shows up.

The first in the series is now in paperback if you want to pick it up & enjoy these books!

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have had this book on my shelf for many, many moons and decided it was time to read it. I do enjoy cozy mysteries. Rebecca Robbins has upgraded her mom's roller skating rink and has put in on the market. In the meantime, the rink is doing good business. There is even a wild female roller derby team, the EstroGenocides. Tough, but fun, these gals are winning meets. However, Sherlene-n-mean is electrocuted in a dunk tank at the carnival. Rebecca was supposed to be in that tank. Was the killer after the skater or Becky? Contending with a cranky, not so smart sheriff, Sean, and several mishaps that put her life in danger, Becky decides to investigate. During all this, her father is running a scam and her grandad is doing Elvis impersonations.
This was not one of my favorite cozies. I won't be keeping it.

[Kristine Tymusz · Rating 4 out of 5]

entertaining!!

[Kathleen Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skating on the Edge is a fun story about Rebecca Robbins, who owns an ice skating rink that she inherited from her mother. She has plans to sell the Toe Stop and return to the big city. Small town life is not her thing. During the Native American Summer Days Rebecca was picked to take her turn in the dunk tank but Sherlene-n-Mean takes her place and is electrocuted. Rebecca is determined to find out who did it and why and she puts herself in danger repeatedly. With the help of her grandfather "Pop" and the other members of the roller derby team that Sherlene was a member of, they go on a madcap mission to find the killer. I would have to say that my favorite character, besides Rebecca, is her grandfather. Rebecca's father is in the picture also but they are pretty much estranged and she does not trust him. Pop is a funny old gentlemen who has an Elvis act and the authors description of the clothes he wears is pretty humorous. Along with the gals on the roller derby team makes this book a fun read. The love interest with Lionel gives the book an element of romance. This is the third in the series but can be read out of order. A murder mystery with lots of humor and a surprise ending. I loved it!!
I received a copy of this book for review and was not compensated for my review.

[Kayla Buker · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was awesome they found out who killed a teen read it and tell everybody JJ

[Debbie Heaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Charbonneau’s mystery novel, businesswoman Rebecca Robbins has managed to make a success of her family skating palace. Much of the current success is due to the rink’s new Roller Derby team, EstroGenocide. When derby queen Sherlene-n-Mean is electrocuted during the local fair’s dunk tank event, everyone is shocked, especially Rebecca who was scheduled to be the one getting dunked. Before long, Rebecca is dodging bullets, crashing disco balls, and some determined team members who have taken on the task of being her bodyguard. It doesn’t take long for Rebecca to learn that the deceased’s family—and most everyone she ever met—could indeed have a valid motive for murder. Determined to bring it all to a close, Rebecca sets out to catch a killer before he catches her.

A great addition to the A Rebecca Robbins Mystery series.

[Alannah Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author and I love the characters in this series! There is a fine line in which a writer presents quirky characters (for instance, the Elvis impersonator grandfather) and characters that are just for the sake of being left field. Joelle Charbonneau gives us Rebecca Robbins, reluctant heiress of her late mom's roller rink, and really makes us believe in her and her string of weird friends/relatives/etc. These characters could easily go over the top, but Charbonneau gives us a perfect balance. Rebecca Robbins is such a relatable character, I see this series going on forever, just like a Derby girl's legs. I 100% recommend this series!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a member of the roller derby team from her skating rink takes Rebecca's place in the dunk tank and dies, neither Rebecca or her frenemy, deputy sheriff Sean, is sure who the real target was. As Rebecca sleuths on her own, she discovers hidden secrets both about the roller derby belles, and about her own life. For instance, does she really want to sell the rink that had been her mother's dream?

[CoffeeTimeRomance andMore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers will enjoy Rebecca’s quirky personality as they read this fun mystery. The story has plenty of surprises to keep things fresh, and a great cast of characters. Readers will want to pick up the first two books in the series as well.
Kaitlin
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

Official Review @ Coffee Time Romance & More

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to obtain a copy thru Library Thing. I have never read anything from this author and thought it was adorable. I enjoyed the characters and the small town characteristics. I enjoyed all the action involving the roller derby. I will make it a point to read the other two books in this series; this was a very quick, fun read.

[Cory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janet Evanovich has been disappointing me of late, and this small (thus far) series has skated into the void. Ha ha ha! I think I'm funny with the puns! Anyway, the romantic entanglements are realistic, the characters are great, the mysteries are fun, and there's a hat-wearing camel. What more could you want?!?!?!

[Melodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked this one, but liked the first 2 better. Fun series and the next one comes out later this year. The 2nd in her Glee Club series comes out Tuesday, and I'm looking forward to it. Also, got a ARC for her YA, The Testing, that I'm looking forward to reading. It's getting good buzz from lots of places including EW. RECOMMEND!

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun addition to the series. As a derby girl, I found the derby personalities a little over the top and you can't legally throw elbows, trip people, or start fights in modern flat track roller derby. I did really appreciate the dedication of the team though. All that aside, it was still a great, fluffy read.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whole series is hilarious, fun and set in one of my favorite places...small town America. The author's mother was a prominent roller-skater. They say "write what you know" and Joelle Charbonneau has done it with charm and humor.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cheered at the end of this book!! YAYed and clapped! It was so good! I love this series and the characters just get better and better! This book could stand alone just fine and would be loved but read with the other books it is just that much better!! Can't wait for the next book!!

[April · Rating 2 out of 5]

This mystery features a woman who has inherited a skating rink from her mother, along with a women's roller derby tea. Someone is trying to kill her, but kills a former nun instead. There's not much depth to this light hearted mystery and it's quite predictable, but still entertaining.

[Teddi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed all 3 books and hope they continue. Maybe it was because I lived my teen years in a roller rink. And the characters are fun without going way overboard like in another recent series I read.