Plowed Over

On the Wing #2

by Ellen Ann Callahan

Lucy Prestipino has a new life, a new job, and a new look.

The U.S. Marshals Service is hiding her in a small town in the Allegheny Mountains of Western Maryland. Peter Etchers, a cantankerous deputy marshal, is protecting her from those who want her dead, but she misses her former life as a Baltimore bicycle messenger and all her old friends.

She doesn't miss Romero Sanchez, the notorious gang kingpin. She rues the day she accidentally crashed her bike into his car.

Lucy is slowly adjusting. Her job plowing snow from dangerous mountain roads provides the thrills she craves. And Maryland State Trooper Jimmy Bittinger is now a friend. Life is getting better.

Until one snowy night she plows up a dead man.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Dogs, Suspense

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2018

About the author

Ellen Ann Callahan is an author and freelance writer. Her articles and essays have appeared in Maryland Life Magazine, The Washington Post, Washington Family Magazine, and Chicken Soup for the Breast Cancer Survivor’s Soul. She was an adoption attorney until she retired to pursue the writing life. She lives with her husband in Deep Creek, Maryland.

Reviews

[Janet Newport · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this arc.

This was a fast read and a bad one for me. I didn't realize it was a sequel until about halfway through. But at that point I was so irritated by Happy/Lucy and Jimmy that I just wanted it over and done. The characters seemed to be some compilation of characteristics the author found interesting and threw together to create people. But I just found them to be inconsistent and dichotomous messes.. The romance between Happy & phoney-baloney Jimmy made me gag. But sex sells..... It just extended the awfulness.

The murder of Bernie also felt like a plot device, but without it, the book wouldn't exist at all.

1 star to 1.5 stars

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, Plowed Over: On The Wing, by Ellen Ann Callahan, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Happy has a nice life in the witness protection service, she is living in a small town as a snow plow driver, all is going well until she plows up a dead body. This was a good read, Happy and Jimmy are good people.

[Achour · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a little bit difficult to engage in the story at the beginning but going beyond Chapter 4, everything had changed and it became a real pleasure reading it.
Plowed Over (On The Wing 2) is an interesting story and enjoyable read. I liked the variety of characters who were well designed what keep readers wanting more from the author.

Happy (the main character), her dog Steppie and her friends are adorable; I really liked the way they were taking care of her. She is part of a witness protect program and she has to do all things what she can to protect her real identity; otherwise she will be targeted by a gang who would like to kill her.

Happy is starting to rebuild her life as a snowplough driver clearing and pushing snow off roads. In the midst of a huge storm she discovered a dead body. It is then the beginning of an arousing investigation which took her for looking the causes of the death what have put her at risk.

Ellen Ann Callahan did a great job giving details on the context and describing places (mountains, roads, vehicles, small towns, landscapes, etc). It is my first book written by this author. I really enjoyed her style of writing and I am looking forward to reading more from her.

I highly recommend it.

Read: April, 2019
Published: August , 2018
Source: NetGalley & BooksGoSocial
Format: Kindle

[Cozybooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

#PLOWEDOVERONTHEWING #NetGalley is a gripping mystery that will leave you gobsmacked at the end. Happy Holiday is in the witness protection program and life if difficult for this amazing woman. She's in recovery after battling a drug and alcohol addiction, she became involved with the wrong people and had to become a whole new person. The only thing that keeps her happy is driving her snowplow, lovingly called Mack The Knife, with her canine companion Steppie by her side. When Happy plows up a dead body, her life becomes a train wreck, and everything she cared about is ruined, leaving her to believe she's better off out of the program. This is an amazing story, not quite the typical cozy mystery I enjoy, but it was definitely worth reading. I love Happy, she's strong and determined, knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it. I hope there's another book coming, I'd love to see what happens next for her. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free electronic copy of this novel on March 14 from Netgalley, Ellen Ann Callahan, and Parks Wells Publishing LLC. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to add Ellen Ann Callahan to my favorite author's list - she writes a fast-paced novel with eye-popping word pictures about the challenges and landscaping of the Allegheny Mountains and western Maryland and clear-sighted, self-confident, daring-do females who aren't afraid to get things done. I am particularly fond of Lucy Prestipino/Happy Holliday/Lady Gelato and hope to find more works by Callahan. I can heartily recommend her to friends and family.

As a rugged, western mountain lover and resident, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about what I had considered the eastern United States 'tame' mountains, and Ellen Ann Callahan describes life in Deep Creek, MD, and environs with both affection and a dose of reality. This was for me a thoroughly enjoyable novel, and I wish I had read the Acknowledgments section first - the amount of detailed research that went into the making of this tale is impressive, to say the least. Maryland is now added to my bucket list.
pub date Aug 1, 2018
rec March 13
Parks Wells Publishing LLC
Reviewed on May 31, 2020 on Goodreads, Netgalley, BookBub, and Kobo. Not available for review on GooglePlay.

[Joy Goddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t think I’d be plowed over by Ellen Ann Callahan’s book, Plowed Over, at first glance. It’s about a young woman in the Witness Protection Program who is starting her life over with a new job, a new appearance, and a new name after growing up with a drug-addicted mother and falling in love with a man who dragged her into his underworld. I normally don’t gravitate to these themes. Yet I found myself engaged by the storyline.
I loved the main character, Happy Holiday—even her name is whimsical—for she is well-rounded, complete with a flaw—she’s a recovering alcoholic—and steps up to help others, especially the family of the dead man she plows up one blustery night when operating her snowplow. I loved her love interest, too—a police officer who presents many sides to his character.
The well-crafted and well-researched novel ends with a surprising twist—which I also loved!

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plowed Over by Ellen Ann Callahan is the 2nd book in the On The Wing mystery series, and my first book by this author. Happy Holiday is in the witness protection program, and living in a small town in Allegheny Mountains of Western Maryland. One night while working, plowing dangerous mountain roads, she runs over a man. Happy felt the dead man was trying to tell her something, so she was determined to get to the bottom of what happened to him. I really enjoyed this book, and plan on going back and reading the first book, On The Wing. I had no problem understanding this book, so it can be read as a stand alone. I recommend this book for people who enjoy mysteries.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you.

[Book Him Danno · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Elle Ann Callahan. The lead female character is well thought out so as the characters makes decision readers are able to understand the decision. Readers are given insight into living I witness protection and how hard it can be to leave everything and everyone they have loved behind.
The story is slow and it take awhile for readers to be able engage in the story and while it does gain speed it takes it time telling the story. The ending is predictable but the characters are what will keep readers wanting more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of Ellen Ann Callahan Plowed Over: On the Wing.

[Margaret Yelton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plowed Over by Ellen Ann Callahan is the 2nd book in the On the Wing series, and my first book by this author. The main character of the story is Happy Holiday who is in the witness protection progam and her dog Steppie. I found the book to be very well written, it moved along at a decent pace and there always seems to be something happening. I enjoyed Happy's interactions with the other characters in the book. I found the book to be full of suspense, and it kept me guessing what the final outcome would be. I would certainly recommend this to those that enjoy reading mysteries. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Maryann Gestwicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

"PLOWED OVER ON THE WING" by Ellen Ann Callahan is a thrilling mystery that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The protagonist, Lucy Prestipino, is a complex character with a troubled past, and the author does an excellent job of exploring her character in depth. The setting of a small town in the Allegheny Mountains adds to the tension and sense of isolation felt by Lucy. The mystery of the dead man that Lucy discovers while plowing snow is expertly crafted, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the very end. The author's prose is engaging and atmospheric, creating a vivid and immersive reading experience. Overall, "Lucy in the Snow" is a well-written and thrilling mystery that is sure to satisfy fans of the genre.

[Hadley Vega · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy is her name, although she really doesn't shine like her name would suggest. She has secrets that even she forgets about. (She accidentally gives her "wrong name" and I wonder how hard it is to actually start over in the witness protection.) Happy is living her best existence in her new life, after having her identity re-created. It seems to be a low-key, almost mundane situation, until she discovers a dead body while plowing snow. <-- the visual descriptions caught my attention. I'm a sucker for being sucked into a story from the get-go, and this did just that. Snagged my attention super easy and held it steady through the entire book. Gripping is the perfect description, at the risk of being overused.
The plot/premise is intriguing and the directions the story goes create a read so easy to enjoy,
The dialogue and conversation really keeps the story moving. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, but I'm finding a more detailed review would be riddled with spoilers.
There is a romance/sexual tension going on, and that added to the flow and while I don't read romance or seek it out, it was the perfect amount to make it enjoyable, interesting, and a bit sexy.
I'm really glad I had this ARC from NetGalley. Yes, there is a part one to this book, which I haven't read, which is also why I'm holding back. I can't wait to get a hold of the first book, and much more from this writer!

[Tracy Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the main protagonist in a story is called Happy Holiday you are drawn in from the start hoping she lives up to her name. Thankfully she does. Once known as Lucy, Happy isn't finding life easy in her new skin. The witness protection service entrusted with her care find her a bit of a handful and her new boss doesn't know quite how to deal with her.

I really enjoyed this book, the people and landscape merge to provide Happy with a situation she knows she should be fine with but isn't and when she find a dead body, or he finds her, she begins a search which challenges her ideas of right and wrong once again.

This is the second book concerning the life and times of Happy/Lucy and although I haven't read the first I learned enough about it that this made sense from the get go. I liked Happy, her basic concept of right, wrong and playing fair were placed alongside the deceptions necessary for her survival in such a way that, as a reader, I was making decisions with her, for good or bad and waiting with baited breath for the outcomes. The other main characters were well rounded and whether good or bad never felt forced or superfluous. The whole book seemed realistic and never over the top. I hope Happy will make another appearance down the line; she definitely deserves to.

I was able to read a copy of this book thanks to Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it highly.

[Maggie Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Story

This is one of the best stories that I've read so far. What a fantastic journey I took as I turned the pages. Happy Holiday and Jimmy, what a lovely couple they make, but will their lives be torn apart from each other because of his distrust and, may I add, jealousy?
Happy, a!ong with her dog, Steppie, had been placed in WITSEC - witness protection program administered by the United States Department of Justice and operated by the United States Marshals.
Poor Steppie was shot while trying to protect Happy's mother. His attempt failed. Happy loved her dog and wouldn't go any where without him. Jack, her boss, had strong regulations, and one of them was, No Dogs Allowed in the Snow Ploughs. Of course, Happy ignored that rule. Jack soon discovered the betrayal when Happy ploughed up a dead man. Giving her a suspension with no pay for disobeying, Happy had more time on her hands than she could deal with. Taken matters into her own hands, she does some sleuthing to seek out who was the dead man. Was it an accident? Or murder?
Happy and Jimmy work together - eventually - to seek out the truth.
Will they discover what really happened? How will their rocky relationship end up? And will Happy be able to break free from WITSEC?
FANTASTIC READ. HOPE I HAVEN'T GIVEN ANY SPOILERS.

[Marcia Chocinsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I obtained this book solely on the basis of its setting. I thought it would be enjoyable to read something that takes place where I live - Garrett County, MD - home of DeepCreek Lake. And an enjoyable read it was. The author highlighted accurately many places in the book from Brenda’s Pizzeria to Glendale Road and the bridge. When I ran across a place I hadn’t heard of like Discount Depot or Home Warehouse, I would look them up. Not surprisingly they were over an hour from the lake. I say not surprisingly because people do have to travel a bit to do some of their shopping.
For me the book started out kind of lackluster. Happy Holiday sounded like a name out of a Carl Hiaasen book and it was written in a similar vein. I’ve read two of his books and I’m not particularly found of them but to compare her work to that of a successful author should be considered a compliment. His goofiness is just not my style. That said, once I was over half way through the book I realized that my feelings about the book had changed. I found the twists and turns interesting along with the quick pace of the story. So I will read the first book which takes place in Baltimore as well as any others in this series to see what happens to our leading lady.

[Angela Lockwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

f all the names a woman can pick when she goes into witness protection, our heroine picks “Happy Holiday” Once we lower our raised eyebrows we can get to enjoy our murder mystery.
There is much to like about this book; a good pace, action and a plucky but stubborn heroine. She is a woman with a dark past, which threatens to catch up with her at any point. She struggles with her new secret identity but enjoys her new life as a snowplough driver, well until she ploughs up a body.
The romantic story line made perfect sense to me; Jimmy the state trooper is one of the few people she can be herself with as he knows her background. But if everything in life was straight forwards we wouldn’t have much of a story.
Even though this book deals with murder, gang violence and addiction, I wouldn’t say this is a heavy read. There are some good comedic moments, mainly in the shape of Christine; the ditzy waitress Happy befriends.
This is the second book in the series, but much is explained about “Happy’s” past and I didn’t feel lost at any time. It reads well as a stand-alone. Recommended for crime lovers who don’t want anything too gritty or violent.

[marvellousmarmite · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read that the heroine of this book is called Happy Holiday, I did wonder what sort of book it might be! However, I'm really glad I picked it up. Happy is in witness protection and has very understandable difficulties with some of the limitations of that - the lying to people she knows etc. Her investigations into the frozen dead man she discovers butts up against her need to keep safe by keeping her head down and she's advised to let it go. Without being too stupid to live (like some heroines regrettably are) she refuses to do so and gently but stubbornly continues to look into it.

Happy/Lucy is the main character in this book and I liked her a lot. While she wasn't faultless, she remained determined to do the right thing, but not in a self righteous or unbearable way. The other characters and her interactions with others were described well and the story flowed nicely. Nothing too unrealistic or jarring happened either. A good read.

I was gifted a copy of this book by netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

PLOWED OVER by Ellen Ann Callahan is a well-written mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end! I enjoyed its simplicity and the protagonist, Lucy Prestipino a.k.a Happy Holiday. Her character was believable and likable. With her shady past kind, she was helpful and willing to help others. She missed her old life and her old self but didn't gloss over her past.

Lucy had to enter WITSEC (Witness Security Protection Program.) Lucy's WITSEC handler and Christine White, her new-found friend were very authentic people you've met or really known. The book's pacing was not hurried nor dragged. The story had a realistic and natural flow to the death investigation and the sexual tension of romance within the novel.

Callahan did her research well even in the technical aspects of the story such as the task of plowing snow. The author's acknowledgments impressed me with her research and the skill necessary to operate a snowplow. With an occasional light touch of humor, the plot concluded with a satisfying end

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for a free RC in exchange for an honest review.

Our heroine is living a new life under the protection of the US Marshal Service, with a new name and look, in a small town in the Allegheny mountains, due to her previous involvement with a gang member in her home town of Baltimore. She's settled, but misses her old life and friends, and sometimes chafes at the restrictions placed upon her by her "Uncle Peter", the Deputy US Marshall tasked with being her direct contact. Her job as a snowplow driver is enjoyable.... until her plow turns up a dead man, and she starts investigating what happened.

I enjoyed this book, the main character is immensely likeable and the characterization is spot-on in giving the reader an understanding of how she thinks and why she acts as she does. The story is a bit slow to develop though, and the ending is foreseeable. All in all, well worth reading, and hope to read more by this author.

[Sharon Grow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy Holiday (aka Lucy Prestipino) and her dog Steppie, are now hiding out in Deep Creek, Maryland in the WITSEC program. She is not happy being “Happy” instead of Lucy and has to remind herself daily about her name. She tried to tell her handlers that she was not cut out for WITSEC, but they keep reminding her that it takes time. She has adjusted somewhat with the help of Trooper First Class James Bittinger (Jimmy) who knows about her past and has become her friend. Could he be more than a friend? Time will tell, but while Happy is out plowing snow for the town, her plow uncovers a body. She feels so terrible for the dead man even though she had nothing to do with his death. Was his death just a tragic accident? This was a humorous mystery with dialog that will make you laugh out loud as Happy fumbles her way through life and the WITSEC program. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

[BlueFalkon95 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of this book intrigued me to read and found that it was very interesting and hard to put down. Happy’s new life which enjoys but dislikes not being able to do what she used to do is making her restless. Happy risks her job by taking her dog with her, an incident causes issues and puts her on suspension. A murder mystery which leaves her feeling puzzled and delves in to solve the mystery. I love the ending and I hope that she really gets what’s deep down in her heart.
Review run date on 18 May 2020 for Netgalley and Facebook also will be posted on Amazon.com.au, goodreads, Barnes and Noble, kobo, googlebooks and iBooks. I received a complimentary copy of this book from BooksGoSocial through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Facebook reader blog page link, is https://www.facebook.com/BlueFalkon95...
#PlowedOverOnTheWing #NetGalley

[Zuzu Burford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book from NetGalley
An interesting story that combines safe houses, relationships, mysterious death, that all comes together making an enjoyable read. Lucy / Happy is a complex character with an outward strong confidence only to have a fragile inner person and doubts from a past life making decisions borderline.
The back story concerning Lucy previous life was interesting the way Ellen Callahan drip fed details little by little along the way with another piece of the jigsaw building empathy for Happy.
Plowed Over is a mystery rather than a thriller well written interesting characters, great setting, and a satisfied reader.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story reveals insight into the kind of PTSD that someone in witness protection suffers and the feelings of isolation and fear that they will forever lose who they are. It is also a good mystery novel populated by some very interesting characters., including the main character who named her snowplow like a Minnesotan. The mystery swirls around the man whose body she discovered while plowing a mountain road during a snowstorm.
I requested and received an EARC from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley.

[Brenda G. Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the book mostly because I live where at Deep Creek Lake. It was fun to be familiar with the setting. I have to say every time anyone said "Happy Holiday" I cringed. The name distracted me, just didn't make sense. The love story, or whatever it was, was ok. I didn't expect the ending though, the killer was not on my radar. It kept me reading to find out. Thanks to the author. I like fiction mysteries set in Maryland or other places I am familiar with. It's easy to imagine where the characters are. Being a Marylander this was very believable.

[Esther Lehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book

The main character Happy Holiday is captivating and very well created by this author. The storyline is flawless and written with expertise I have not read in a long time. The author was very well researched about snow plows, harsh weather and criminology to create this novel.

By adding a beautiful romantic story threading through the mystery makes this book exciting, fun and interesting.

I highly recommend this book, you will thoroughly enjoy it.

[J.M. Ralley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like mysteries then this is the book for you. It’s well-written, hooks you in immediately and you cannot out this book down. The story is too the point,there’s now dallying around. The subplot of its budding background romance is perfectly fitted in. Althrough I did want to deck Jimmy at one point.
The author has a way of making you feel for Happy and her struggles.
This is one I definitely recommend and look forward to more from this author.

[R.T. Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! Captivated from page one, the main character Happy Holiday took me for a well-written, suspenseful ride that didn't end until the last chapter. And just like the best thriller ever, it kept me guessing all the way to the end. A definite 5-star read, no doubt. Highly recommended!

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy was a bicycle messenger in a city. Next thing she knows she is in witness protection, has a new name and driving a snow plow. How awful when she plows up a dead body. She becomes investing in figuring out why he died. She is quite the character. She doesn't seem to think before she acts. Makes for an interesting story. I liked the book.

I read this on NetGalley

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

PLOWED OVER: ON THE WING by Ellen Ann Callahan. Second book to feature Happy Holiday. A mystery is solved as Happy still struggles to come to terms with her life in the witness protection program. Unique and quirky supporting characters make for an enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

[T Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's an excellent and very interesting plot and a well written story, with something happening all the time. The setting is also interesting, and best of all the great characters is of course Happy, a strong young woman.

[Bernie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plowed Over is the second book in the On the Wing series written by author Ellen Ann Callahan. Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the advance copy. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more in this series.