Vacations Can Be Murder

Charlie Parker #2

by Connie Shelton

In Charlie's words, "Vacations mean different things to different people. There's the planning, the packing, the anticipation. Then there's the late arrival, the sunburn, the fuzzy pictures. In my case, add a romance with a good-looking pilot and fourteen stitches in the back of my skull." Gilbert Page was a slick businessman from California, with an alcoholic wife, a spoiled-rotten son, and a blonde on his arm. Charlie is riding front seat on a helicopter tour when she and the pilot spot Page's lifeless body lying on the rugged rocks of Kauai's NaPali coast. Drake is the pilot flying the tour helicopter that gives Charlie her aerial vantage point. When the flight is over, Charlie assumes her acquaintance with Drake is, too. Within twenty-four hours, though, Drake's friend and employer, Mack Garvey, is arrested for Page's murder. Although Charlie would rather avoid the whole mess, Drake persuades her to help clear Mack. The investigating officer has an old grudge against Mack, and it doesn't help that Mack knew the victim and owed him a half million dollars. Charlie roots out the suspects one by one, never guessing that her own life will be in danger before her vacation is over. "A good selection for all collections." -- Library Journal "Tension is fast-paced in this involving account." -- Bookwatch "Shelton has created a female sleuth with an original slant to her methods." -- Small Press Magazine

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Romance

5 pages, Audiobook

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

My love of books started with weekly trips to the library as a child and from the moment I learned to read I can't remember a time that I didn't have at least one book going. For the past 25 years, that list has grown to include what I'm reading and what I'm writing at any given time.

I began writing my Charlie Parker series when my husband and I lived on Kauai, then continued them in my home state of New Mexico. Charlie lives in Albuquerque and manages to travel to a variety of locations, wherever her investigation business and her husband's helicopter business take them. My second series featuring Samantha Sweet, the 50-ish woman who breaks into houses for a living, is set in Taos, New Mexico.

In addition to reading and writing, I've traveled quite a lot, taught writing courses, and been a speaker at a whole lot of mystery conventions and writing conferences. In my spare time I also love to paint, draw, cook and spend time at the beach.

Series:
* Charlie Parker Mystery

Reviews

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I am the author of this book. I wrote this one when I lived on Kauai. It was a great chance for me to give my protagonist, Charlie, a vacation to a beautiful spot.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy reading story. I'm trying to decide whether I like the main character. She has many good points, but she seems to either encounter mostly horrible people, or just views the world around her through a rather judgmental lens. Particularly incredibly bratty kids.

[Elle · Rating 1 out of 5]

6h

I need a book titled Listening/Reading My books Can Be Murder. The narrator’s voice is flat, and the frequent page flipping seems amateurish. This will be the last book from this author that I borrowed from the library.

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an audiobook and it had the same issues as the first book. Too much aground noise. The story was good

[Sharon Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good mystery! Easy reading!

[Patti A Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

.

I really liked this book. There were exciting moments, a little romance and some mystery solving. Everything you need to keep you turning pages.

[Meghashyam Chirravoori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it enough

Charlie has come to a Hawaiian island for a much-needed vacation and has already gotten involved in solving a murder the very first day. During the vacation, she not does clever snooping, she finds romance and has a close shave with death.

I liked the pace of this book, something significant happening with each chapter. It was light reading, yet engaging.

I liked how the book left hints about the story preceding this one and what will follow next. The blurb of the next one was intriguing and the hints about what had happened to warrant a vacation were also successful in making me curious. I might end up reading the whole series then :)

Having said that, I will still go with 4 stars because these bothered me. 1. The sales attendant offering information so unprofessionally - and those were the first crucial clues! - was so lame. Charlie could have been shown to be more cunning here, just as she was at Gil's office and in the morgue. 2. The criminal bothering to explain how and why of the murder to Charlie instead of just getting her out of the way - I thought that too was unrealistic. Who does that cheesy stuff, except Bollywood?? Ugh. I would have loved to discover the how and why in an interrogation once the criminal was behind the bars. 3. Lack of editing - by no means was it as bad as some of the recent stuff I have read - but when I see a paragraph ending in a comma (chapter 7) or simply wrong grammar such as - "This was best" (chapter 4) and some more punctuation and grammatical errors, it annoys me a bit.

These aside, the pidgin used by the island inhabitants was enjoyable, so was the description of the island's natural as well as man-made surroundings. I could also picture the Westin hotel quite well and how the helicopter ride must have felt. I did feel I was with Charlie, in Hawaii.

Get this book if you are looking for a light but engaging short read.

[Stacey Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlie Parker is on vacation in Kauai. The first day she goes on a helicopter tour and kind of falls for the pilot, Drake. In a secluded cove they spot a man lying on the beach and realize he's dead. Thus begins the hunt for a murderer. The local police are not welcoming of any interference from outsiders leaving Charlie to investigate on her own. The police jump to a the conclusion that the draws them to Drake's boss and owner of the helicopters, Mark Garvey. Charlie gets hired to find evidence proving Mark didn't do it. With Drake's help she learns her way around the island and looks for clues. It seems like a lot of people could've wanted to frame Mark who swears he didn't kill Gilbert Page. Gil's wife and son are prime suspects as they seem to hate him. But Charlie uncovers many others who had issues with Gil. Did Mark get framed? Who really killed Gil? While Charlie gets to know Drake in an intimate way she works to find the killer.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed meeting Charlie Parker in Deadly Gamble! In Vacations Can Be Murder, Charlie heads to Kauai for a much needed vacation by herself. She decides to go on a helicopter tour and signs up at Paradise Helicopters which is owned by Mark Garvey. Her pilot, Drake Langston, tours Hanakaplai Valley. Shortly into the tour, both Charlie and Drake spot a dead man sprawled across the rocks on a lava embankment. The dead man turns out to be Gilbert Page who had business to discuss with Garvey. Drake is worried about his friend/boss Garvey and contacts Charlie for help in solving the murder. Charlie and Drake get to know each other while doing some sleuthing. Connie Shelton's books are well written and have a good flow. I enjoyed reading about Charlie's latest adventure and I look forward to reading book 3.

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not for me! There were so many annoying things!

There are so many details about food, clothes etc, just an elevator ride takes a lot to describe.

Everyone tells Susan what she wants to know! The girl in the store, hotel maid, etc. Who would do that! How did Susan get into the rooms!

Even if Susan could bench press 200 lb it's not reasonable that she could carry Gil, get him in the boat and up the rocks!

Charlie's ex had told her he was bi and she'd freaked out. She's having sex with Mac who she'd just met! What's the difference! She doesn't know who he's been with!

The book was short, just 5 hrs. Without tourist stuff about Hawaii, all the descriptions of food and clothes the book would be half as long! The first book was no better so I'm giving up on Charlie!

[Short, Sweet and Cozy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book #2 in this awesome exciting series. Charlie needs a vacation so she takes a trip to Hawaii. She decides to live a little and takes a helicopter ride to see some of the area. The pilot is Drake and they hit it off. During the helicopter tour, they see a body floating in a remote area. Drake's friend Mack is arrested so together they try to help Mack. Once you get past the fact that she is a tourist and people tell her things, it is an awesome cozy mystery with some romance. What's not to love!

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe if the author focused a bit more on story building and plot instead of judging every female on their weight and how much makeup they wore and every gay male assuming they had AIDS, it would be better. Also she was making racist remarks about every Asian American or Portuguese descendant, they were voiced like they couldn’t speak English!?!? Idk where this author is from but she manages to cram so much stereotyping in the smallest amount of space. Also the audiobook is terrible and it came out in 2012 and you could hear the narrator turn every single page!!!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2nd in the series. The main character is Charlie, who with her brother runs a detective agency. She is taking a vacation in Hawaii and after a helicopter ride ends up investigation a murder with her new friend helicopter pilot Drake. She follows a lot of clues but still isn't sure who is behind it. Just as she starts to figure it all out she becomes the next target. Can she figure it all out before it's too late ?

[Kim Loomer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlotte "Charlie" Parker takes a long deserve vacation to Kauai. First day she takes a helicopter tour with pilot Drake Langston and while on the tour they discover a dead body. Drake's friend is accused of the murder and Charlie spends the rest of her vacation trying to solve this mystery. It isn't all bad as Drake is a very good-looking guy and vacation romances can be fun. I am looking forward to reading book three as the first two have been very good and I am enjoying the series.

[A.A.B · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wonder whether the book is too dated, but I found myself disliking the writing and the blatantly fatphobic, homophobic and racist characterisations. The mystery wasn't much of a mystery and the main character's investigating felt self-indulgent rather than productive. It would have been fine if she were a curious bystander, but she is an actual PI and she was hired to investigate (although not officially or contractually).

[Rogue Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd that this is the first mystery I'm documenting for Hawaii - I thought there were others. But Shelton's second Charlie Parker mystery is a good, fast read with lovely landscape and nice insight into the helicopter tourism industry. The book too is beautifully done, clear black type on heavy white paper and a tight binding.

[Avanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished on audio this morning while waiting on a dr appt. It’s a good 2nd book, though set in Kawaii instead of NM (the main character is on vacation). It’s a little dated, and I don’t love the reader (she doesn’t pull off 30-something well — she sounds a bit older & it makes it a little awkward at times), but I’m definitely getting the third book anyway! 😁

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author definitely has done her research. I like the characters and storyline. Bit more info than perhaps someone like me needs to know about fashion of so many different women. I think I probably notice other things first, but I did have an accurate picture of each as a result throughout the plot. It's an enjoyable, easy to read mystery that I definitely plan to read more of.

[Suzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charli is on vacation in Hawaii! How fun---not! She meets a charming helo piolet the first day and they spot a body from the air. The race was on to find the killer and clear Drake's name and the owner, Mack. I enjoyed the plot, the pacing, and the romance. It is a great light read and the second in this series. I did listen on audiobook and thought it was great.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of Charlie Parker stories are always more interesting than the second half. Good job of building the mystery and fleshing out the characters. Then suddenly it all comes together often with information provided by the villain in a long explanation.

[Gregory Trammell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inhibitions Take A Vacation

While on her Hawaiian vacation, the main character finds a murdered man on the first day. She spends the rest of her time solving the crime. She also has a fling with the helicopter pilot who found the body with her.

[Kathleen Downey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Read

I really enjoyed this book. Great story line with good characters. I would recommend thus book to anyone. It brought back many memories of Hawaii for me as I have been there several times.

[ElaineY]

Audiobook: Why Aborted
Narrator: Lynda Evans

Just my personal, highly-subjective reaction to the narrator. Can't put my finger on it but has, in part, to do with the way she speaks - too close to the mic, perhaps.

I will try the 3rd book and see if I have the same problem.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

likable story.

Charlie's transforming from being on vacation to investigator was a bit fast. the police didn't question her tourist one day and investigator next?

I find it a bit abrupt. same about how she and Drake gotten together. abrupt.

but I still enjoyed it.

[Michaela Laver · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book to read

I hope Connie is doing lots more books. I can't wait to read her next books I be started on the sweets next

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you get past the unlikelihood of an investigator on vacation getting involved in an investigation that has nothing to do with her, this is a good mystery.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Enjoyable. Slightly dated, but not bad. Classic the-villain-explains-it-all-scene.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book with Charlie Parker, accountant turned P.I. It is a light, fun read, but I liked the first book better.

[Kathie D · Rating 3 out of 5]

will continue with this series