Putting Down Roots in Kinsey Falls

Kinsey Falls #2

by Gayle Leeson

Joanne Faraday comes to Kinsey Falls to find her birth parents. What she doesn’t expect to find is eccentric Greta Parker and her band of Silver Sleuths. The amateur “detectives” mistakenly think that Joanne is hiding something and start following her all over town. Joanne doesn’t know whether to be amused or horrified, but their antics are a welcome distraction from her own worries. Greta Parker is absolutely certain that newcomer Joanne is up to something. Her best guess--and it's backed up by the Silver Sleuths--is that Joanne is planning some sort of heist. Thinking that Joanne might be in dire financial straits, Greta thinks maybe they can lure Joanne away from the dark side with the offer of a fund-raising bake sale. But when Joanne’s and Greta’s worlds collide in an unexpected way, both women have to take stock of what they really want out of life … Praise for Book Hightail It to Kinsey Falls "If you need a break in your day from the stress and strife this is a perfect story for you... This author usually writes cozy mysteries. I am so happy she has now brought her wonderful writing style to Women’s Fiction. I am excited about this series and am anxiously awaiting book #2." - Lori Caswell, Dollycas' Thoughts "This is a novella and not a cozy (even though the author does write cozies) but it was so enjoyable! I think what I liked best was the conversion of a former mall into micro apartments with retail on the first floor. I have read about this and think it is brilliant marketing and a great way to use an abandoned building. There were so many great characters in this story and I can only see more depth to the characters to be developed over future books. " - StoreyBook Reviews

130 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2018

About the author

Gayle Leeson is a pseudonym for Gayle Trent. I also write as Amanda Lee. As Gayle Trent, I write the Daphne Martin Cake Mystery series and the Myrtle Crumb Mystery series. As Amanda Lee, I write the Embroidery Mystery series.

The cake decorating series features a heroine who is starting her life over in Southwest Virginia after a nasty divorce. The heroine, Daphne, has returned to her hometown of Brea Ridge to open a cake baking and decorating business and is wrestling with the question of whether or not one can go home again. She enjoys spending time with her sister, nephew, and niece, but she and her mother have a complicated relationship that isn’t always pleasant. Daphne has also reconnected with her high school sweetheart and is pursuing a rekindled romance while desperately trying to put her past behind her.

Kerry Vincent, Hall of Fame Sugar Artist, Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show Director, and Television Personality says the series is “a must read for cake bakers and anyone who has ever spent creative time in the kitchen!”

Says Dean Koontz, #1 New York Times bestselling author, “One day I found myself happily reading . . . mysteries by Gayle Trent. If she can win me over . . . she’s got a great future.”

The Embroidery Mystery series features a heroine who recently moved to the Oregon coast to open an embroidery specialty shop. Marcy Singer left her home in San Francisco, along with the humiliation of being left at the altar, in order to move to Tallulah Falls and realize her dream of owning her own shop. She takes along her faithful companion, a one-year-old Irish wolfhound named Angus O’Ruff. She makes many new friends in Tallulah Falls, but she also makes a few enemies. Thankfully, her best friend Sadie MacKenzie and her husband Blake run the coffeehouse right down the street from Marcy’s shop, the Seven-Year Stitch; and Detective Ted Nash always has her back.

Publishers Weekly says, “Fans of the genre will take kindly to Marcy, her Irish wolfhound, Angus O’Ruff, and Tallulah Falls. This is a fast, pleasant read with prose full of pop culture references and, of course, sharp needlework puns.”

Pat Cooper of RT Book Reviews says, “If her debut here is any indication, Lee’s new series is going to be fun, spunky and educational. She smoothly interweaves plot with her character’s personality and charm, while dropping tantalizing hints of stitching projects and their history. Marcy Singer is young, fun, sharp and likable. Readers will be looking forward to her future adventures.” (RT Book Reviews nominated The Quick and the Thread for a 2010 Book Reviewers’ Choice Award in the Amateur Sleuth category)

I live in Virginia with my family, which includes her own “Angus” who is not an Irish wolfhound but a Great Pyrenees who provides plenty of inspiration for the character of Mr. O’Ruff. I'm having a blast writing this new series!

Reviews

[Sally Coles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kinsey Falls is a disused mall that has been turned into shopping centre downstairs and housing upstairs, seniors on one side and young professionals on the other and Joanne has turned up there looking for her birth family. Greta the head of the silver surfers however thinks there is a more sinister motive and decides that she and her gang need to keep an eye on her! What will happen when they find out her real reason for being there!

A short fun story I loved Greta and the silver surfers will have to read more in the series.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to thank NetGalley & Grace Abraham Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a fair & honest review.
This was a short, quick, fun read. But, be aware, this is NOT a cozy mystery. It was listed as a cozy, but it's more chick-lit/romance. There is no crime to solve.
OK, now that we have that out of the way, the book was cozy, in the sense that it was like a warm hug. I think other cozy lovers will enjoy it.
The premise of turning an old shopping mall into apts. for Seniors & YPs ( young professionals) on the upper floor with shopping & restaurants on the main floor is genius! I've seriously thought about writing to our local paper about our all but abandoned mall doing this!
This book is only 130 pages, but the author does a great job of fleshing out both the setting & the main characters.We're given enough info on secondary characters to like them. And they are all unique individuals.
Joanne is the YP who is just looking for family. Greta is the Senior who originally thinks Joanne is up to no good. Not only is Greta a hoot, but she is the heart of Kinsey Falls. I really loved her!
The message of the story, about what family is was made quite clear, but without being cloying or so sickening sweet as to give you cavities.
Take a trip to Kinsey Falls, I think you'll enjoy it. I know I'm looking forward to reading more of this series & I read 90% cozy with the rest being a mix, but mainly true crime ( a real pendulum swing, I know).

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Putting Down Roots in Kinsey Falls by Gayle Leeson is another lovely read about residents of seniors and YP community.

Well known and much liked characters greet readers with new adventures of Greta, Millie and other golden oldies and their much younger friends.
This time mystery is unraveling as someone is looking for parents, Greta is being matchmaker again and so much more is going on in this charming mixture of cozy read and romance.

If you want to read about love, good and caring people, real life situations, lots of laughs with the little mystery throw in this is the perfect choice.
No foul language, no x rated scenes this charming and sweet book with a feel good vibe is a right choice for both young readers and older ones as well.

I received a free ARC copy for an honest review.

[Rachel V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books, it’s a feel good, fun, sweet series. This time around the seniors suspect one of the young professionals at the community living center is up to no good. When they start snooping they discover that she’s actually there looking for her birth parents and desperately seeking a family. Surprisingly they find out she might have a close connection to one of the seniors so they take a dna test. I’ve really enjoyed both of the books in this series and found myself reading as fast as I could to find out the dna results and was holding my breath when she received the information. The scene with Joanne and the dad who raised her was heartbreaking but very true to life and Gayle wrote about it so well. I can’t wait for the next one in the series because I’ve enjoyed so much getting to know this little community in the books and look forward to more.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in Gayle Leeson’s Kinsey Falls series follows new resident Joanne Faraday. Greta and the Silver Sleuths are suspicious of Joanne because she likes to keep secret what she’s doing in the business centre. While Joanne did come to Kinsey Falls in search of a secret, she is not seeking this information out of malicious intent to any of the citizens.

I quite enjoyed this instalment of this charming series. I can’t exactly pinpoint what changed for me between book one and book two but I know I preferred Roots to Hightail It. And Hightail It is not a bad book or an unenjoyable read at all, but in this one, I found the characters more endearing and more relatable and Greta specifically I grew to like as a character and as a person very much. If the author ever writes more books in this series, I know I will eagerly look forward to reading them.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun quick story of the happenings in the shopping mall turned retail center, community center, senior and YP housing. My biggest struggle was the shift in main characters between this book and the first one in the series. I am guessing there won't be a central character, but instead these will be vignettes featuring different people who live and work in the Kinsey Falls center. I do really enjoy the interaction between the seniors and the YP (young professionals) and often thought that this re-use of all those now vacant sprawling malls would be ideal! If you have an afternoon to follow the antics of some active seniors and the 20-somethings they seem to be able to keep up with, this is the quick escape for you!

A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Grace Abraham Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joanne Farraday's adoptive parents were older when they decided to grow their family. Now her mother is gone and her father has descended into Alzheimer's. She knows that her birth mother is also dead so Joanne goes to her mother's home town to see if she might have any other living family. But she's setting off alarm bells. The reading group, the Silver Sleuths, have decided that, with all the questions she's asking, she must be up to no good.
This was a surprisingly short story (around 100 pages) and that made it harder for the characters to really develop but there was a nice story arc and some set ups for further books in the series.

[Wulfwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this on Audible.
The narrator, Renee Dodd was fantastic. I really enjoyed this recording. The story was interesting and fun! I learned some things I didn’t know. I love the characters. I even enjoyed the author notes and acknowledgments. I do recommend this book! Read it. Especially if you love wildlife. Possum. I had a good time with this and I think you will to. It’s like a playing a Hallmark Movie in your head! I can’t wait to read more of this series.

[K is for Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like silly cute cozy mystery slueth books, you will enjoy this quick read of a story. Greta seems to read more into what is happening when a new person comes to town. If you are looking for deep mystery this isn’t it.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hit