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A Lucky Whiskey Mystery #1
A Shot of Murder
When it comes to murder, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good
Ten years after leaving the small town of Gett, Florida, for Hollywood stardom, Charlotte "Charms" Lucky, who has never quite lived up to her surname, returns home to run the Lucky Whiskey distillery while her grandfather recovers from a heart attack.
Making whiskey is harder than Charlotte imagined, especially with longtime rivals and resentful townsfolk interfering at every turn. She'll need more than a lucky charm to keep the family afloat, especially when she discovers her former high school boyfriend's pickled corpse in a Lucky Whiskey cask, and her grandfather is arrested for the murder. Charlotte has one shot to clear his name and save the family business, and that is to find the real killer among a town full of suspects.
Ten years after leaving the small town of Gett, Florida, for Hollywood stardom, Charlotte "Charms" Lucky, who has never quite lived up to her surname, returns home to run the Lucky Whiskey distillery while her grandfather recovers from a heart attack.
Making whiskey is harder than Charlotte imagined, especially with longtime rivals and resentful townsfolk interfering at every turn. She'll need more than a lucky charm to keep the family afloat, especially when she discovers her former high school boyfriend's pickled corpse in a Lucky Whiskey cask, and her grandfather is arrested for the murder. Charlotte has one shot to clear his name and save the family business, and that is to find the real killer among a town full of suspects.
312 pages, Paperback
Published June 8, 2019
6 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Kazimer
48 books163 followersJ.A. (Julie) Kazimer lives in Denver, CO. When she isn't looking for a place to hide the bodies, she spends her time with a pup named Killer. Other hobbies include murdering houseplants and avoiding housework.
She spent a few years as a bartender and then wasted another few years stalking people while working as a private investigator before transitioning to the moniker of WRITER and penning over 15 titles.
Visit her website at jakazimer.com and sign up for her THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO MURDER Newsletter.
Links:
http://www.jakazimer.com
http://www.facebook.com/JulieAKazimer
https://twitter.com/jakazimer
She spent a few years as a bartender and then wasted another few years stalking people while working as a private investigator before transitioning to the moniker of WRITER and penning over 15 titles.
Visit her website at jakazimer.com and sign up for her THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO MURDER Newsletter.
Links:
http://www.jakazimer.com
http://www.facebook.com/JulieAKazimer
https://twitter.com/jakazimer
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
August 27, 2019
A Shot of Murder by J.A. Kazimer is the first book in the new cozy A Lucky Whiskey Mystery series. Just as with other cozy mystery series out there each book of this series will have it’s own mystery to be solved so they can be read on their own too without worrying about cliffhangers.
In A Shot of Murder Charlotte “Charms” Lucky has returned to her home town of Gett, Florida after a decade of trying and failing to succeed in Hollywood. Charms has returned to help with her families Lucky Whiskey distillery after her grandfather’s heart attack.
Growing up in Gett wasn’t always fun when your family is on the outs with the rich Gett family the town was named after either so Charms is not surprised she doesn’t get a glowing welcome. What she never expected though was to find a body at the distillery with a Gett investigating and her grandfather a suspect.
Normally I am one that seeks out overly quirky and unique cozies and I suppose A Shot of Murder should have qualified but there were just several things that bugged me with this opener. Now one may not bother other’s but is a pet peeve of mine is too many same named characters to sort out…The Getts. But that became background with a few other issues with repetitiveness and just over the top silliness in the actions/dialogue of the characters that ended up feeling like poking fun at small towns. In the end definitely not my favorite opener in a cozy series.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
In A Shot of Murder Charlotte “Charms” Lucky has returned to her home town of Gett, Florida after a decade of trying and failing to succeed in Hollywood. Charms has returned to help with her families Lucky Whiskey distillery after her grandfather’s heart attack.
Growing up in Gett wasn’t always fun when your family is on the outs with the rich Gett family the town was named after either so Charms is not surprised she doesn’t get a glowing welcome. What she never expected though was to find a body at the distillery with a Gett investigating and her grandfather a suspect.
Normally I am one that seeks out overly quirky and unique cozies and I suppose A Shot of Murder should have qualified but there were just several things that bugged me with this opener. Now one may not bother other’s but is a pet peeve of mine is too many same named characters to sort out…The Getts. But that became background with a few other issues with repetitiveness and just over the top silliness in the actions/dialogue of the characters that ended up feeling like poking fun at small towns. In the end definitely not my favorite opener in a cozy series.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
June 9, 2019
200 years ago, Lucky Whisky was founded in Gett, Florida. When Lucky shared his secret recipe with this best friend Gett, he stole it and started a rival distillery. Centuries later, the feud between the families (and the distilleries) hasn’t gone away...
About the Book
Charlotte Lucky isn’t exactly Gett, Florida’s favorite citizen. Too many remember the time she defaced the local water tower with a suggestive update to the town’s name (Getting Lucky). And her most memorable role during her recent stint in Hollywood—victim #2 in an STD commercial—hasn’t helped them forget, much less forgive, her youthful hijinks.
When she returns to town after her grandfather Jack--owner of the Lucky Whiskey Distillery--has a heart attack, she finds herself to be an outsider in her own town. Brodie Gett, her childhood nemesis and grandson of the town’s founding family, thinks none too fondly of Charlotte. And Roger Kerrick, her high school boyfriend, now works as her grandpa’s chief distiller.
But she never gets to find her place in the town, because the first cask of whiskey she tries to tap contains Roger's pickled body. Now her chilly reception back home poses a real threat. Brodie’s brother, Sheriff Danny Gett, arrests Jack on suspicion of Kerrick’s murder. Charlotte’s only hope of clearing him is to pry loose enough information about the night of the crime to unmask the real killer. But it will take more than luck to save Charlotte from the perils of tracking down a coldblooded murderer.
Reflection
I found the mix of drama and laughs charming! The town of Gett was the type of small town that if a resident leaves for a few years, they come back as an outsider. And that’s what Charlotte is dealing with. A bit of sharp-tongued rapport between Charlotte and rival Brodie Gett (of Gett the town and Gett whisky, the rival to Lucky whisky owned by Charlotte’s grandfather) really made the enemy-to-friends vibe. This is a fun first book in a new cozy series!
I really liked the way the author wrote the dialogue between the characters. Brodie and Charlotte have a great back-and-forth that really engaged me. I'm so curious to know more about Charlotte's parents though! I suspect we may get a book on that very subject!
A few reviewers noted that this got a tad repetitive, and while I agree, it didn't bother me! I found the murder mystery remained front-and-center, and had enough suspects, clues, and red herrings to keep my mind spinning. The setting and the theme of this cozy were so fun, and the author kept the balance of mystery over cutesy!
Thank you to Kaye Publicity and Midnight Ink Books for my copy. Opinions are my own.
About the Book
Charlotte Lucky isn’t exactly Gett, Florida’s favorite citizen. Too many remember the time she defaced the local water tower with a suggestive update to the town’s name (Getting Lucky). And her most memorable role during her recent stint in Hollywood—victim #2 in an STD commercial—hasn’t helped them forget, much less forgive, her youthful hijinks.
When she returns to town after her grandfather Jack--owner of the Lucky Whiskey Distillery--has a heart attack, she finds herself to be an outsider in her own town. Brodie Gett, her childhood nemesis and grandson of the town’s founding family, thinks none too fondly of Charlotte. And Roger Kerrick, her high school boyfriend, now works as her grandpa’s chief distiller.
But she never gets to find her place in the town, because the first cask of whiskey she tries to tap contains Roger's pickled body. Now her chilly reception back home poses a real threat. Brodie’s brother, Sheriff Danny Gett, arrests Jack on suspicion of Kerrick’s murder. Charlotte’s only hope of clearing him is to pry loose enough information about the night of the crime to unmask the real killer. But it will take more than luck to save Charlotte from the perils of tracking down a coldblooded murderer.
Reflection
I found the mix of drama and laughs charming! The town of Gett was the type of small town that if a resident leaves for a few years, they come back as an outsider. And that’s what Charlotte is dealing with. A bit of sharp-tongued rapport between Charlotte and rival Brodie Gett (of Gett the town and Gett whisky, the rival to Lucky whisky owned by Charlotte’s grandfather) really made the enemy-to-friends vibe. This is a fun first book in a new cozy series!
I really liked the way the author wrote the dialogue between the characters. Brodie and Charlotte have a great back-and-forth that really engaged me. I'm so curious to know more about Charlotte's parents though! I suspect we may get a book on that very subject!
A few reviewers noted that this got a tad repetitive, and while I agree, it didn't bother me! I found the murder mystery remained front-and-center, and had enough suspects, clues, and red herrings to keep my mind spinning. The setting and the theme of this cozy were so fun, and the author kept the balance of mystery over cutesy!
Thank you to Kaye Publicity and Midnight Ink Books for my copy. Opinions are my own.
April 20, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley and Midnight Ink Publishers for providing me with an advance copy of A Shot of Murder by J. A. Kazimer, the first in a new series featuring Charlotte Lucky, known to most of the people in town as Charms. It is set in a small town in Florida where Charms and her family are known for their Lucky Brand of Whiskey.
The book has a good plot, with Charms discovering the body of her whiskey label’s master brewer in the cask of the current batch of whiskey that is aging. Unfortunately, the plot gets lost in the various themes of the book and the telling of the story from Charms point of view.
Before for the plot can get established these themes begin, starting with the running feud between the Lucky family and the Gett family, for whom the town is named. The feud reads a lot like a David and Goliath type relationship characterized by constant bickering and the on-going rivalry between the two families with the Gett family being the family who owns and basically runs the town and the Lucky family being the struggling family the Getts would like to own. Predictably, Brodie, the handsome Gett son steps up to try and help Charms clear her grandfather of the murder after his older brother, the sheriff in town, arrests him. The remainder of the book is constant bickering and misunderstanding between Brodie and Charms.
In addition to the relationship between the two central characters who are “curiously” drawn to one another, there is a theme of the hard-luck, poorly educated South. The story is told in the first person by Charms who constantly uses incorrect English. Assuming this is deliberate rather than the author’s mistake, it grates on the reader as it constantly pulls you out of the story. In addition, there are often words that, although correctly spelled, are the wrong word for the sentence; the author’s tendency to remind us constantly of certain facts such as that Charms once acted in an STD commercial while living in California; and Charms’ behavior which is more consistent with an adolescent than a grown woman. The combination is one that serves to frustrate the reader and take away from what was a reasonably good plot otherwise.
The overall book comes across as a caricature of the south and southerners, portraying the region as poor, uneducated, “good ‘ole boys, living a hardscrabble life on the edge of the Everglades. No doubt the south has its share of both these, but a constant diet of them throughout the pages of a full-length novel becomes tedious and ultimately serves to detract from the book. The novel may have an audience among those people who enjoy shows such as “Duck Dynasty” and “Moonshiners”, but may ultimately wind up frustrating other readers more than it entertains.
The book has a good plot, with Charms discovering the body of her whiskey label’s master brewer in the cask of the current batch of whiskey that is aging. Unfortunately, the plot gets lost in the various themes of the book and the telling of the story from Charms point of view.
Before for the plot can get established these themes begin, starting with the running feud between the Lucky family and the Gett family, for whom the town is named. The feud reads a lot like a David and Goliath type relationship characterized by constant bickering and the on-going rivalry between the two families with the Gett family being the family who owns and basically runs the town and the Lucky family being the struggling family the Getts would like to own. Predictably, Brodie, the handsome Gett son steps up to try and help Charms clear her grandfather of the murder after his older brother, the sheriff in town, arrests him. The remainder of the book is constant bickering and misunderstanding between Brodie and Charms.
In addition to the relationship between the two central characters who are “curiously” drawn to one another, there is a theme of the hard-luck, poorly educated South. The story is told in the first person by Charms who constantly uses incorrect English. Assuming this is deliberate rather than the author’s mistake, it grates on the reader as it constantly pulls you out of the story. In addition, there are often words that, although correctly spelled, are the wrong word for the sentence; the author’s tendency to remind us constantly of certain facts such as that Charms once acted in an STD commercial while living in California; and Charms’ behavior which is more consistent with an adolescent than a grown woman. The combination is one that serves to frustrate the reader and take away from what was a reasonably good plot otherwise.
The overall book comes across as a caricature of the south and southerners, portraying the region as poor, uneducated, “good ‘ole boys, living a hardscrabble life on the edge of the Everglades. No doubt the south has its share of both these, but a constant diet of them throughout the pages of a full-length novel becomes tedious and ultimately serves to detract from the book. The novel may have an audience among those people who enjoy shows such as “Duck Dynasty” and “Moonshiners”, but may ultimately wind up frustrating other readers more than it entertains.
September 2, 2020
A Shot of Murder is a lighthearted Southern cozy mystery and the debut novel in A Lucky Whiskey Mystery series. The story is told from Charlotte Lucky’s point-of-view. She has returned to Gett, Florida to help her grandfather after his heart attack, but Charlotte continues to hold onto her studio apartment in LA (a girl can hope). When Lucky finds their head distiller of The Lucky Whiskey Distillery shot to death in one of their casks of aging whiskey, her grandfather is arrested. Lucky begins questioning people around town and accusing them of murdering the man. Readers are then introduced to what seems like the entire population of Gett with many of them having the last name of Gett or related in some capacity. The two whiskey families (Gett and Lucky) have been feuding for two hundred years and Lucky is happy to keep the tradition alive. The Gett family is wealthy and owns many businesses in town while the Lucky family is decidedly luckless. The bickering and rivalry continues throughout the story. Brodie Gett offers to help Charlotte, or Charms as he calls her, is clearing Jack’s name. Distrust, miscommunication, and misunderstanding persists between them all through A Shot of Murder. Other recurring themes are Charlotte’s Prius (mentioned approximately 30 times), Brodie’s Jeep, the STD commercial Charlotte starred in (big mistake), extraordinarily bad food at the Gett Diner, and Charlotte blamed for writing Getting Lucky on water tower as a teenager. The townspeople are portrayed as redneck Southerners, with bad tempers, shabby clothing, large trucks, big guns and bad grammar. Alligators seem to pop up whenever Charlotte is in trouble (which is frequently) and incapacitated. The mystery was hard to concentrate on with everything else that was going on along with the multiple attacks threatening Charlotte’s life. Identifying the guilty party is, unfortunately, a cinch along with the reason for the violence. There is one man who believes a woman’s place is on her knees (and, unfortunately, he does not mean praying) and is particularly violent towards Charlotte. Foul language is rampant in A Shot of Murder. Charlotte is an immature woman with her foot stomping when she does not get her way, petulant attitude, eye rolling, accusations, rudeness, yelling and foul mouth (plus she is clumsy). I found reading A Shot of Murder to be a frustrating experience (it gave me a migraine). I did like Rue Gett and her grandson, Brodie. It is plain to see that Jack loves Charlotte. They have a sweet relationship. I liked that the book was set in the sunshine state. A Shot of Murder could have benefited from a severe editing and a major rewrite. A Shot of Murder is a blithe cozy mystery with attacking alligators, wrecked whiskey, bobbing body parts, detestable diner food, and feuding families.
January 10, 2019
The Hatfields & McCoys of Whiskey
The Lucky's and Gett's have been making the best whiskey in Florida for generations.
Charlotte Lucky returns home to small town Gett, Florida from Los Angeles after spending ten not so lucky years trying to be an actress, to help run family owned Lucky Whiskey Distillery with her grandfather Jack.
One morning Charlotte finds a worker fermenting in a casket of whiskey and her grandfather is arrested for the murder. Well that's not good.
Will Charlotte uncover the truth, in between shots of the good stuff, or will her grandfather spend his golden years in jail? What small town secrets will be uncovered and how far will people go to keep them a secret.
A well paced read. Although bit repetitive. How many times do i have to read about Charlotte driving a Prius, vandalizing the water tower, and that she was an actress.
I would like to see Charlotte become a deputy in 'A Lucky Whiskey Mystery Book 2'.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.
The Lucky's and Gett's have been making the best whiskey in Florida for generations.
Charlotte Lucky returns home to small town Gett, Florida from Los Angeles after spending ten not so lucky years trying to be an actress, to help run family owned Lucky Whiskey Distillery with her grandfather Jack.
One morning Charlotte finds a worker fermenting in a casket of whiskey and her grandfather is arrested for the murder. Well that's not good.
Will Charlotte uncover the truth, in between shots of the good stuff, or will her grandfather spend his golden years in jail? What small town secrets will be uncovered and how far will people go to keep them a secret.
A well paced read. Although bit repetitive. How many times do i have to read about Charlotte driving a Prius, vandalizing the water tower, and that she was an actress.
I would like to see Charlotte become a deputy in 'A Lucky Whiskey Mystery Book 2'.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.
January 16, 2019
**I received this ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
I haven’t read a lot of mystery books, but this one has me rethinking that. I sat down with the plan to just read a few chapters and before I knew it hours had passed and I had read the entire book! I loved the characters, especially Charlotte. Her interactions with the townsfolk were always amusing, although I did really feel bad for her the way some were holding a grudge over something from years ago. I 100% believed Charlotte as a character and immediately like her. Brodie and Charlotte have a great back-and-forth relationship and Danny is a great nemesis.
There is just the right balance of drama and comedy throughout the book to keep it from getting too serious or too silly. The mystery was also engaging and had me guessing until the end – with so many suspects and motives hopefully it will be the same for all readers! The twist at the end definitely has me excited to find out what happens next with Charlotte. I’m also hoping we learn more about what happened with Charlotte’s parents, I’m sensing a book all about that mystery. This is definitely a great first offering for the series.
The only negatives had to do with the author’s tendency to repeat the same things over and over again…how good looking Brodie is, what kind of car she drives, the commercial she filmed when she was in LA, etc.
I haven’t read a lot of mystery books, but this one has me rethinking that. I sat down with the plan to just read a few chapters and before I knew it hours had passed and I had read the entire book! I loved the characters, especially Charlotte. Her interactions with the townsfolk were always amusing, although I did really feel bad for her the way some were holding a grudge over something from years ago. I 100% believed Charlotte as a character and immediately like her. Brodie and Charlotte have a great back-and-forth relationship and Danny is a great nemesis.
There is just the right balance of drama and comedy throughout the book to keep it from getting too serious or too silly. The mystery was also engaging and had me guessing until the end – with so many suspects and motives hopefully it will be the same for all readers! The twist at the end definitely has me excited to find out what happens next with Charlotte. I’m also hoping we learn more about what happened with Charlotte’s parents, I’m sensing a book all about that mystery. This is definitely a great first offering for the series.
The only negatives had to do with the author’s tendency to repeat the same things over and over again…how good looking Brodie is, what kind of car she drives, the commercial she filmed when she was in LA, etc.
January 29, 2019
Thank you for allowing me to review this book although I am still unsure where to begin....well, perhaps with my biggest pet peeve....No one over the age of 6 stomps their feet to try and get their way, that's why they are usually called a petulant child and NOT a woman nearing the age of 30. I mean seriously that was truly silly and just ridiculous. Let's not forget calling him 'Grodie Brodie' as she did in elementary school?! I liked the idea of the story and the characters certainly have the potential to be a lot of fun but, truth be told I am not sure that I would continue the series unless Charlotte has a major personality overhaul because she's just plain irritating. The every blink of the eye switching who she thinks is the guilty party gives the reader whiplash. I will really consider reading the next book if the series does continue.
.....and one final thing to the editor's of this book...PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE delete the 300-400 times that she mentions that her car is a Prius. Once is enough at the beginning of the story.
.....and one final thing to the editor's of this book...PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE delete the 300-400 times that she mentions that her car is a Prius. Once is enough at the beginning of the story.
July 16, 2019
"Never be ashamed to be a woman," and I wasn't. Not now. Or ever.
There was a day I sat browsing through Netgalley, and I ended up requesting an absurd amount of cozy mystery galleys. A shot of Murder is the last in that group that I could actually read (one I couldn’t….always make sure there aren’t 20 other books in the series before you check it out.) So thank you to Netgalley and Midnight Ink for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Also some content warnings: murder, attempted rape
Synopsis
Charlotte “Charms” Lucky returns home from LA when her grandfather Jack has a heart attack. The small town of Gett, FL is definitely the opposite of big shot LA, but it does have something that LA doesn’t: the whiskey making business.
It’s a brief return, just to help Jack get back on his feet. Charlotte will help run the business, but it’s all in good hands as they have the best distiller in the business. Until he turns up dead. With the competition breathing down her neck to try and buy out the business, and her old time rival back in town as well, Charlotte now needs to clear her family name and save her grandfather from jail.
Characters
Charlotte Lucky - "Charms" returning home from LA to take care of her grandfather after he has a heart attack.
Jack Lucky - Charlotte's grandfather, who raised her after her parents died. Also the owner of Lucky Whiskey
Brodie Gett - honorably discharged from the army and former adversary of Charlotte
Rue Gett - 80 year old grandmother of Brodie and Danny. She's the owner of Gett Whiskey
Danny Gett - town's sheriff
Rants, Raves, and Reviews
I don’t pretend to think writing cozy mysteries are easy or anything. Mysteries need to make sense, with clues thrown through out the book and a reasonable solution. In some ways, this book had a good plot: two families have been competing for the best whiskey for 200 years. Lucky’s distillery is having some money issues, and Gett’s is sniffing around to potentially buy them out. Also maybe Charms and Brodie are super into each other and don’t quite realize it. Or at least she doesn’t.
That’s about where the fun stops. I don’t know enough about the author, but I don’t get the impression she’s lived in a small town in the south. Now granted, I lived in a town in the midsouth that wasn’t quite as small as this, but still ridiculously small enough that everyone knows everyone’s business. So I am not going to act like I know everything, but this doesn’t feel like someone who understands small town life.
By the end of this book you know super well:
Charlotte painted the water tower and oh boy does everyone hate her for it (it is mentioned 26 times.)
Getts are the worst.
Maybe gators are the worst. (gators are mentioned 34 times)
Brodie Gett is actually the worst according to Charlotte.
Hey did you know that this town is small and redneck-ish?
And also super white for South Florida?
Our main character is/was an actress and did a small role on NCIS and an STD commercial. Will she go back to LA?
Lucky is the best whiskey and it must be mentioned every time whiskey is mentioned
Seriously, this book suffers from being way too repetitive. And just poorly constructed. Everyone is so angry at this woman who, as a teenager, changed the water tower from saying “Gett” to “Getting Lucky.” NO ONE holds a grudge that long without a reason. Was it brand new? Did it cost them some best small town in America award? No. It’s just something that happened, and apparently nothing else has happened in the last ten years that is even close to that bad.
This town is on the poorer side, with less than 1,000 people. Yet it doesn’t seem that whiskey is what’s keeping the town a float: in other words, this isn’t a town that solely exists because of the two distilleries. Well, okay, it probably should be, but it isn’t quite presented that way.
My other major issue with this book is that at one point Charlotte was almost raped by a guy named Boone Daniels. Not the pioneer Daniel Boone, of course. Brodie Gett, who we are constantly told was a terrible person, saved her and beat up Boone. And then apparently she was distraught because he didn’t try to kiss her? AFTER A GUY ATTEMPTED TO RAPE HER? A guy that’s still in town, who is only met with kind of mild contempt from most people.
That night Brodie had kindly drove me home, lecturing me on the evils of all guys. Besides himself, of course. For the barest of seconds, I thought for sure he'd try and kiss me. But he didn't leaving me oddly disappointed.
I’m sorry, but, no. I am to the point that if there is a rape story in a book, it needs to have a point. It needs to carry weight. It needs to not be able to be replaced by something else tragic without changing the story. It also shouldn’t have the person who almost gets raped disappointed because her hero didn’t try to kiss her. Christ that was a slap in the face.
Overall this reads like a decent third draft that needed a good beta reader to firmly tell the author “hey. Here’s a few issues we’ve got.”
Final Moments
It is a fine cozy mystery, but I can recommend so many better ones. Ones that don’t feel repetitive or have such an easy plot to solve. Ones that don’t quite insult all of Florida and southerners. (Only we Southerners can do that.)
All in all, I will probably potentially give the second book a read to see if things improve, but I don’t know if I actively recommend this one.
Also, it weirds me out when the main character in books refers to their chest by her actual measurements, multiple times.
January 26, 2019
When Charlotte Lucky’s grandad has a heart attack, she leaves her life as an actress in Los Angeles and heads home to Gett, Florida to help him recover and run the family Whiskey business. Coming home again Char, or Charms as her friends call her, fiends that ten years hasn’t changed the town and its residents much.
After dinner, Char heads out to check on a batch of whiskey and finds their head distiller floating in the cask, shot dead. When Grandad Jack is arrested for the murder, Charms begins digging around and trying to find the real murderer. When her childhood friend and nemesis, Brodie, tries to alternately help her and warn or off from investigating she’s torn between trusting him and suspecting him.
What secrets are the folks of Getts keeping and who would kill one of their own and why? Charms intends to find out and save Jack, even if it may cost her everything.
This was a great first book in a new series. The characters are well developed and the writing is done well. I could hear the accents and Southern twang come through the written word. Looking forward to more in this series.
After dinner, Char heads out to check on a batch of whiskey and finds their head distiller floating in the cask, shot dead. When Grandad Jack is arrested for the murder, Charms begins digging around and trying to find the real murderer. When her childhood friend and nemesis, Brodie, tries to alternately help her and warn or off from investigating she’s torn between trusting him and suspecting him.
What secrets are the folks of Getts keeping and who would kill one of their own and why? Charms intends to find out and save Jack, even if it may cost her everything.
This was a great first book in a new series. The characters are well developed and the writing is done well. I could hear the accents and Southern twang come through the written word. Looking forward to more in this series.
May 19, 2019
Charlotte Lucky returns home to Gett, Florida to help her 75 year-old grandfather, Jack, recovering from a heart attack, run the family distillery, Lucky Whiskey. Bad news – Charlotte finds Roger Kerrick, Lucky’s distiller, stuffed into a cask in the rackhouse.
Lucky Whiskey’s chief competitor is Gett Whiskey, run by Rue Gett, grandmother to Brodie, Charlotte’s high school nemesis, and Danny Gett, local sheriff. Danny quickly arrests Jack for Roger’s murder sending Lucky into a tailspin. Trying to figure out what to do next to keep the distillery operating, Charlotte uncovers the fact that Roger embezzled $50,000 from the company and they were almost broke.
Charlotte decides the only thing to do is to find the killer and get her grandfather back. Brodie offers to help her investigate but she’s not sure she trusts him, and Danny directs her to stay out of his investigation. Ignoring the sheriff’s warning, Charlotte starts sleuthing. A fire breaks out at the distillery. Charlotte is run off the road by a vehicle Charlotte believes is Brodie’s Jeep.
J.A. Kazimer devises a good plot, but the story is very slow to develop. The characters are interesting, especially the relationship between Charlotte and Brodie, who, since the first grade, refers to her as Charms. The action picks up as Charlotte identifies suspects and tries to find motives and alibis. Looking forward to reading the next Lucky Whiskey Mystery.
Lucky Whiskey’s chief competitor is Gett Whiskey, run by Rue Gett, grandmother to Brodie, Charlotte’s high school nemesis, and Danny Gett, local sheriff. Danny quickly arrests Jack for Roger’s murder sending Lucky into a tailspin. Trying to figure out what to do next to keep the distillery operating, Charlotte uncovers the fact that Roger embezzled $50,000 from the company and they were almost broke.
Charlotte decides the only thing to do is to find the killer and get her grandfather back. Brodie offers to help her investigate but she’s not sure she trusts him, and Danny directs her to stay out of his investigation. Ignoring the sheriff’s warning, Charlotte starts sleuthing. A fire breaks out at the distillery. Charlotte is run off the road by a vehicle Charlotte believes is Brodie’s Jeep.
J.A. Kazimer devises a good plot, but the story is very slow to develop. The characters are interesting, especially the relationship between Charlotte and Brodie, who, since the first grade, refers to her as Charms. The action picks up as Charlotte identifies suspects and tries to find motives and alibis. Looking forward to reading the next Lucky Whiskey Mystery.
May 19, 2019
This is the start of a new Lucky Whiskey Mystery-series. Charlotte "Charms" Lucky has come home to Gett Florid after ten years of glamorous life in Hollywood. Her grandfather is having health issues and Charlotte is taking care of him and the Lucky Whiskey distillery, a family business. Charlotte finds a body in one of the whiskey casks and her grandfather is accused of murdering an employee. Gett is a small town of 845 people where the Gett family owns another local whiskey distillery. Gett's and Lucky's are in competition. Charlotte starts to investigate the murder. She just can't believe the grandfather who took care of her after her parents died, could kill a man. Gorgeous Brodie Gett promises to help Charlotte with her quest.
Charlotte is resourceful and headstrong. She can identify the brand of whiskey from people's breath. Brodie is a Gett and has secrets of his own.
In the start I had trouble getting in the story. There were so many characters and sometimes I had to go back and check who they were. After a while the story sucked me in. The setting is interesting. The alligators seem to be a part of people's daily lives. They pop up when you least expect it.
This was a nice cozy mystery. I look forward to reading more books from this series.
Thank you NetGalley and Midnight Ink for a copy of this book.
Charlotte is resourceful and headstrong. She can identify the brand of whiskey from people's breath. Brodie is a Gett and has secrets of his own.
In the start I had trouble getting in the story. There were so many characters and sometimes I had to go back and check who they were. After a while the story sucked me in. The setting is interesting. The alligators seem to be a part of people's daily lives. They pop up when you least expect it.
This was a nice cozy mystery. I look forward to reading more books from this series.
Thank you NetGalley and Midnight Ink for a copy of this book.
June 10, 2019
This was a really great start to a new series. I loved the characters, especially Charlotte. Her interactions with the townsfolk were a delight and I liked her straight away.
The balance of drama to comedy was perfect. The mystery was very engaging and had me guessing until the end. There were many suspects with plausible motives and the twist at the end definitely added to the story. This was a brilliant opening for the series. Highly recommended. Rating: 4 Stars.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Midnight Ink via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
The balance of drama to comedy was perfect. The mystery was very engaging and had me guessing until the end. There were many suspects with plausible motives and the twist at the end definitely added to the story. This was a brilliant opening for the series. Highly recommended. Rating: 4 Stars.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Midnight Ink via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
May 21, 2019
This is the 1st of the Lucky Whiskey Mystery series. Charlotte (called Charms) Lucky (I kept wanting to say Lucky Charms lol) returns to Gett Florida to help her Grandfather in the family whiskey business after he has suffered a heart attack. The prior ten years found Charms in Los Angeles trying to be an actress and now coming home she learns some things have not changed. She also learns the whiskey business is hard the and riff between the Gett and Lucky families still exists. It doesn't help that Charms finds a dead body in one of the Whiskey caskets and the sheriff (Gett family) arrests her Grandfather. Another Gett brother Brodie (oops almost wrote Grodie as this is what she calls him a lot .. Grodie Brodie) wants to help Charms clear her Grandfather's name. Is he trying to help her, hit on her or distract her from the real killer who might be in his family. This series has a lot of potential. I do find the main character very immature at times and it will be interesting to see how the modern day version of Hatfield and McCoys plays out.
June 7, 2019
Comedy and drama come to a head in this mystery story about murder. I started this one and and ended it way before I thought I was going too. And I have to say that I loved it. From the cover to the story itself I had a blast with this one and I can not wait for the next one. This was a great start to a new series!! All the characters were there and formed I loved Charms and really love how this all turned out.
Go Into This One Knowing: Slightly Repetitive
Go Into This One Knowing: Slightly Repetitive
June 4, 2019
A humorous southern mystery. Many delightful lines. The murder kept me guessing. The typos kept me stumbling with hopes that all are caught before final publication. I realized that I was reading an advance reader copy. Amusing relationship between "Charms" and "Grodie Brodie." I guessed early on about the water tower, but the murderer was not apparent to me. Nobody walks anywhere in Los Angeles, so Charlotte walking three miles to get to her dinner engagement was a treat. LA had not changed this southern gal. I look forward to reading the next one in this new series. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.
February 18, 2021
Reuniting with her grandfather didn’t go as planned, for Charlotte, she bumbled unto some old secrets, and her inquisitiveness almost cost her fatally. It’s full of antagonistic fun engagements with Brodie that set ablaze and commotion in her heart. This is the first in the Lucky Whiskey series, and I tell you, the first glass was addictive, just right, I loved it.
June 3, 2019
Charms has returned to Florida to help in her family's whiskey business (and lick her own wounds) and walked right into a murder mystery when she finds the distiller dead and stuffed in a whiskey barrel. There are multiple themes in this new entry in the cozy genre= too many for me at least. There's a rivalry with Gett Whiskey, a possibly rekindling romance, a grandfather who has been arrested, and so on. I also felt it would have benefited from another edit. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
September 14, 2020
I originally thought I wasn't going to like this book. It was about distilling whiskey, which seemed strange, and it had a really slow start for me. But, I changed my mind about 10% into the book. The characters seemed to come alive at that point and I devoured the rest of the book! For me, this turned out to be the beginning of a very promising series!
Thank you to NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.
May 17, 2019
It's a good cozy, engaging and entertaining.
I had some issues with Charlotte because she grates on my nerves but the cast of characters was quite likable.
I liked the humour, the plot and the mystery that kept me guessing till the end.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I had some issues with Charlotte because she grates on my nerves but the cast of characters was quite likable.
I liked the humour, the plot and the mystery that kept me guessing till the end.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
May 3, 2019
Firstly thank you to NetGalley for this ARC - took longer than expected to come around to finishing it. My first initial impressions weren't good and I wasn't really enjoying the fist 50% or so of the book.
We are introduced to Charlotte 'Charms' Lucky, a local town girl who moved to LA from a small town called Gett, her aspiring actress dreams are put on hold as she returns to Gett to help her grandfather out with their whiskey distillery Lucky Whiskey. The character of Charms for me became annoying and irritating with such quotes like "Channeling my inner brat" or "I stomped my feet like a child" - I am not sure how the author expects us to relate to 20-something woman acting like a child who wasn't getting her way.
Her grandfather Jack is suspect number 1 for the death of their employee Roger who is found on the distillery premises in a cask. She then embarks on her own investigation to find out the real killer. This is where I began to get annoyed with her behaviour. Thankfully after the 50% mark - her behaviour changed and became more appropriate, much better humour added to the story. And this is what saved the rating for me. As one other reviewer mentioned, if this was become a series Charlotte would need a character improvement in order for the reader to relate in some way.
We are introduced to Charlotte 'Charms' Lucky, a local town girl who moved to LA from a small town called Gett, her aspiring actress dreams are put on hold as she returns to Gett to help her grandfather out with their whiskey distillery Lucky Whiskey. The character of Charms for me became annoying and irritating with such quotes like "Channeling my inner brat" or "I stomped my feet like a child" - I am not sure how the author expects us to relate to 20-something woman acting like a child who wasn't getting her way.
Her grandfather Jack is suspect number 1 for the death of their employee Roger who is found on the distillery premises in a cask. She then embarks on her own investigation to find out the real killer. This is where I began to get annoyed with her behaviour. Thankfully after the 50% mark - her behaviour changed and became more appropriate, much better humour added to the story. And this is what saved the rating for me. As one other reviewer mentioned, if this was become a series Charlotte would need a character improvement in order for the reader to relate in some way.
April 28, 2019
I received and ARC copy of this book from NetGalley.
Hollywood actress Charlotte "Charms" Lucky comes comes home to Gett, Florida to care for her grandfather after his heart attack. Caring for him entails taking care of their whiskey distillery and opening a cask leads to the discovery of the body of an employee in the whiskey. When her grandfather is arrested for the murder, Charlotte knows she will have to look for the killer herself. Her high school nemesis, Brodie Gett of Gett Whiskey, says he'll help, but is he trying to distract her and keep one of his own family from being caught?
This is a solid first novel in a series where the small town's two biggest employers are rival whiskey distillers. Family loyalty is more important than anything else. The ending is abrupt, maybe because the author plans on starting the next installment where this book left off?
Hollywood actress Charlotte "Charms" Lucky comes comes home to Gett, Florida to care for her grandfather after his heart attack. Caring for him entails taking care of their whiskey distillery and opening a cask leads to the discovery of the body of an employee in the whiskey. When her grandfather is arrested for the murder, Charlotte knows she will have to look for the killer herself. Her high school nemesis, Brodie Gett of Gett Whiskey, says he'll help, but is he trying to distract her and keep one of his own family from being caught?
This is a solid first novel in a series where the small town's two biggest employers are rival whiskey distillers. Family loyalty is more important than anything else. The ending is abrupt, maybe because the author plans on starting the next installment where this book left off?
June 24, 2019
Small town Gett, Florida. Gators. Competing whiskey distilleries. And then a body found in a cask of whiskey.
A fun read and somewhat predictable, but fun, nevertheless. Learned some things about the distillery process and never would I contemplate spending $200 on a bottle of whiskey, small batch or not.
A fun read and somewhat predictable, but fun, nevertheless. Learned some things about the distillery process and never would I contemplate spending $200 on a bottle of whiskey, small batch or not.
June 20, 2019
A Shot of Murder is a small town murder mystery. This is the beginning of a new series with very real, southern characters. Charlotte Lucky is the main character and the people in her small home town definitely have opinions about her. The premise is that the distiller of a local family whiskey maker is killed and hidden on Lucky Whiskey's property. In short order the wrong person is arrested and Charlotte must solve the case.
This reminds me very much of the Wine Country Mystery series by Ellen Crosby. If you enjoyed that series or want a quick murder novel this one might work for you.
This reminds me very much of the Wine Country Mystery series by Ellen Crosby. If you enjoyed that series or want a quick murder novel this one might work for you.
August 1, 2021
A Shot of Murder by J.A. Kazimer
Book #1: A Lucky Whiskey Mystery
Source: NetGalley and Midnight Ink
Rating: 3½/5 stars
There is only one thing in the world Charlotte Lucky would lay down her life for and that thing is actually a who. Charlotte’s grandfather, founder and head of Lucky Whiskey is in a bad way and if Charlotte doesn’t make some solid decisions soon, her grandfather is going to be worse off than he already is.
In the face of heart attack recovery, Charlotte has packed up her Hollywood life and headed home to the small town of Gett, Florida. With a population of roughly everyone knows everyone, Charlotte isn’t thrilled to be home, but she is thrilled to see her beloved grandfather. With strict orders from the doctor and his home nurse to layoff the bad food, cigars, and whiskey, Charlotte has no choice but to take over the running of the distillery. Though she was raised onsite, Charlotte isn’t a whiskey maker by nature so learning the ropes from the ground up is going to be a wild ride.
As Charlotte begins to take over the family business, she immediately notices a huge problem, the company is on the verge of financial ruin. Not wanting to upset her grandfather, Charlotte keeps the information to her herself and presses forward right on into the next huge problem, a dead man in one of her precious casks of whiskey. To say this is a disaster as well as a tragedy doesn’t even come close and Charlotte can’t keep this from her grandfather since he’s the prime suspect!
Charlotte wasn’t thrilled about having to come home and she’s even less thrilled that the idiot child town sheriff has arrested her grandfather. The idiot child doesn’t seem to want to see reason and listen to common sense, so Charlotte embarks on her own investigation into the heinous crime. As Charlotte quickly discovers, not everyone in town is thrilled with her return while others seem a bit too enthused. Sifting through friends and foes while trying to solve a murder isn’t going to be easy, but Charlotte would rather die than see her grandfather waste away in prison.
The Bottom Line: Oh, how I love a good small-town mystery! When you add in the history and drama of everyone knowing everyone else, suddenly you have a much richer and more complex cast of characters and that I will always love and appreciate. The only real issue I have with this book is Charlotte’s constant bad attitude toward Brodie Gett; while I appreciate, they have a somewhat contentious history, the middle of a murder investigation isn’t the time to be dredging up petty dramas from the past. With that said, Charlotte’s attitude wasn’t enough to keep me from enjoying this book. In fact, I was able to get through this rather quickly thanks to its pure entertainment value.
Book #1: A Lucky Whiskey Mystery
Source: NetGalley and Midnight Ink
Rating: 3½/5 stars
There is only one thing in the world Charlotte Lucky would lay down her life for and that thing is actually a who. Charlotte’s grandfather, founder and head of Lucky Whiskey is in a bad way and if Charlotte doesn’t make some solid decisions soon, her grandfather is going to be worse off than he already is.
In the face of heart attack recovery, Charlotte has packed up her Hollywood life and headed home to the small town of Gett, Florida. With a population of roughly everyone knows everyone, Charlotte isn’t thrilled to be home, but she is thrilled to see her beloved grandfather. With strict orders from the doctor and his home nurse to layoff the bad food, cigars, and whiskey, Charlotte has no choice but to take over the running of the distillery. Though she was raised onsite, Charlotte isn’t a whiskey maker by nature so learning the ropes from the ground up is going to be a wild ride.
As Charlotte begins to take over the family business, she immediately notices a huge problem, the company is on the verge of financial ruin. Not wanting to upset her grandfather, Charlotte keeps the information to her herself and presses forward right on into the next huge problem, a dead man in one of her precious casks of whiskey. To say this is a disaster as well as a tragedy doesn’t even come close and Charlotte can’t keep this from her grandfather since he’s the prime suspect!
Charlotte wasn’t thrilled about having to come home and she’s even less thrilled that the idiot child town sheriff has arrested her grandfather. The idiot child doesn’t seem to want to see reason and listen to common sense, so Charlotte embarks on her own investigation into the heinous crime. As Charlotte quickly discovers, not everyone in town is thrilled with her return while others seem a bit too enthused. Sifting through friends and foes while trying to solve a murder isn’t going to be easy, but Charlotte would rather die than see her grandfather waste away in prison.
The Bottom Line: Oh, how I love a good small-town mystery! When you add in the history and drama of everyone knowing everyone else, suddenly you have a much richer and more complex cast of characters and that I will always love and appreciate. The only real issue I have with this book is Charlotte’s constant bad attitude toward Brodie Gett; while I appreciate, they have a somewhat contentious history, the middle of a murder investigation isn’t the time to be dredging up petty dramas from the past. With that said, Charlotte’s attitude wasn’t enough to keep me from enjoying this book. In fact, I was able to get through this rather quickly thanks to its pure entertainment value.
September 3, 2020
After spending ten years trying to make it in Hollywood, Charlotte Lucky is back in the small town of Gett, Florida to help take care of her grandfather and run the family’s whiskey business. Things are not exactly going well—making whiskey is hard work, and Charlotte also must deal with a rival whiskey-making family and the lingering resentment of the townspeople over an old high school prank. And it only gets worse when Charlotte finds the body of Lucky Whiskey’s main distiller—and her ex-boyfriend—stuffed in a barrel of whiskey. When the local law enforcement centers their investigation on her grandfather, Charlotte is forced to team up with her whiskey-making rival to find the real killer and prove that Jack is innocent.
A SHOT OF MURDER is the first novel in the cozy mystery series by J.A. Kazimer. The story has a good plot, and Charlotte has a legitimate reason for getting involved in an amateur investigation. The local law enforcement have basically decided that her grandfather is guilty and are not pursuing any other suspects. There is a lot of back and forth between Charlottes and her rival Brodie Gett—she cannot decide if she can trust him or not. Nor can she decide if he should be one of her main suspects. Their back and forth, hot and cold “relationship” got a bit tedious at times. It felt like every other page Charlotte was had to question Brodie or herself for putting up with Brodie. She constantly believes the worst of him and there are countless misunderstandings between them that cause unnecessary drama. Charlotte is supposed to be in her late 20s, but her maturity level seems to be stuck in her late teens—as does the maturity level of some of the locals that Charlotte encounters. She constantly compares Gett to Hollywood, causing her to find the hometown lacking as she portrays it as a clichéd small southern town.
Overall, A SHOT OF MURDER was an interesting story and the mystery plot kept me guessing until the end. The resistiveness of certain aspects, as well as Charlotte’s immature attitude, kept me from fully getting into the novel. Because I like the concept, I will give the second novel in the series a try.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of A SHOT OF MURDER.
A SHOT OF MURDER is the first novel in the cozy mystery series by J.A. Kazimer. The story has a good plot, and Charlotte has a legitimate reason for getting involved in an amateur investigation. The local law enforcement have basically decided that her grandfather is guilty and are not pursuing any other suspects. There is a lot of back and forth between Charlottes and her rival Brodie Gett—she cannot decide if she can trust him or not. Nor can she decide if he should be one of her main suspects. Their back and forth, hot and cold “relationship” got a bit tedious at times. It felt like every other page Charlotte was had to question Brodie or herself for putting up with Brodie. She constantly believes the worst of him and there are countless misunderstandings between them that cause unnecessary drama. Charlotte is supposed to be in her late 20s, but her maturity level seems to be stuck in her late teens—as does the maturity level of some of the locals that Charlotte encounters. She constantly compares Gett to Hollywood, causing her to find the hometown lacking as she portrays it as a clichéd small southern town.
Overall, A SHOT OF MURDER was an interesting story and the mystery plot kept me guessing until the end. The resistiveness of certain aspects, as well as Charlotte’s immature attitude, kept me from fully getting into the novel. Because I like the concept, I will give the second novel in the series a try.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of A SHOT OF MURDER.
January 1, 2021
This is going to be one of those rare occasions where I'm going to rate and share a review on a book I didn't finish.
Let's start with some positives... The setting, story concept, and main character were interesting enough to keep me reading for as long as I did. So, well done. This could turn out to be a really fun read. Which is why it got two stars, instead of one.
Constructive criticism time: I made it through 19% of the book and really wish I had the stamina to keep reading, as I could see the potential begging me to continue. But the extreme lack of editing or proofing just made me give up. It became so wince worthy that it was colouring my view of the storyline and making me start to dislike the characters. I honestly don't think they were poorly written. I don't think the book was poorly written. I strongly feel the book, characters, and author were let down by the ARC having little to no proofing or editing done to it before it was sent to reviewers.
Normally, with ARCS, I expect the odd mistake. But when I started being able to tally up to 5 a page, sometimes in a SENTENCE, a had to stop. I know, as a reviewer, I'm not perfect when it comes to writing, grammar, etc. But my reviews aren't sent through the process of editing, proofing, spit polishing, etc.
And the formatting was NOT set for Kindle, and so new paragraphs started mid-sentence. New chapters were just number at the bottom of the page, and the actual new chapter started on the next page. Shocking formatting I'd barely accept from my 11 year old in a school project in Word. Definitely not in a Netgalley ARC.
So please take this constructive criticism as help, not an insult. I feel 'A Shot for Murder' has the potential to be a great, fun cosy mystery. I just couldn't handle to total lack of decent editing. I feel the publisher has really let the author and book down by sending out such a badly formatted and seemingly unedited ARC.
Let's start with some positives... The setting, story concept, and main character were interesting enough to keep me reading for as long as I did. So, well done. This could turn out to be a really fun read. Which is why it got two stars, instead of one.
Constructive criticism time: I made it through 19% of the book and really wish I had the stamina to keep reading, as I could see the potential begging me to continue. But the extreme lack of editing or proofing just made me give up. It became so wince worthy that it was colouring my view of the storyline and making me start to dislike the characters. I honestly don't think they were poorly written. I don't think the book was poorly written. I strongly feel the book, characters, and author were let down by the ARC having little to no proofing or editing done to it before it was sent to reviewers.
Normally, with ARCS, I expect the odd mistake. But when I started being able to tally up to 5 a page, sometimes in a SENTENCE, a had to stop. I know, as a reviewer, I'm not perfect when it comes to writing, grammar, etc. But my reviews aren't sent through the process of editing, proofing, spit polishing, etc.
And the formatting was NOT set for Kindle, and so new paragraphs started mid-sentence. New chapters were just number at the bottom of the page, and the actual new chapter started on the next page. Shocking formatting I'd barely accept from my 11 year old in a school project in Word. Definitely not in a Netgalley ARC.
So please take this constructive criticism as help, not an insult. I feel 'A Shot for Murder' has the potential to be a great, fun cosy mystery. I just couldn't handle to total lack of decent editing. I feel the publisher has really let the author and book down by sending out such a badly formatted and seemingly unedited ARC.
September 25, 2020
When Charlotte Lucky returns home to help care for her Grandfather and the family distillery it is as if she never left. Small town gossip it seems never fades. The town of Gett seems determined to hold her one and only prank against her for all eternity.
When the Whiskey company's head distiller/ ex high school boyfriend of Charlotte is found in one of the company's caskets after being shot her Grandfather is accused of the crime. Charlotte knows she will need to solve the crime and prove her Grandfather's innocence. No way will he get a fair shake with their main competitors grandson being chief of police.
Complicating matters is the persistent meddling in the investigation by the second Gett grandson. "Grody" Brody had always caused her trouble. Their past makes it hard for her to trust him. Could he be he murderer?
The interaction with local citizens with whom she shares a past added to the small town feel the author set as the location. I found it a refreshing story line due to the fact that Charlotte is not a "natural" at solving crime. I also liked seeing her doubt herself along the way. I am sure I would doubt myself if I was suddenly thrown into the middle of a police investigation. I love the romantic tension between Charlotte and Brody. It was also amusing to have her so unaware of his feelings for her.
The characters are well written and i found myself enjoying my visit to Gett, Florida. I also found the information on whiskey production very interesting.
When the Whiskey company's head distiller/ ex high school boyfriend of Charlotte is found in one of the company's caskets after being shot her Grandfather is accused of the crime. Charlotte knows she will need to solve the crime and prove her Grandfather's innocence. No way will he get a fair shake with their main competitors grandson being chief of police.
Complicating matters is the persistent meddling in the investigation by the second Gett grandson. "Grody" Brody had always caused her trouble. Their past makes it hard for her to trust him. Could he be he murderer?
The interaction with local citizens with whom she shares a past added to the small town feel the author set as the location. I found it a refreshing story line due to the fact that Charlotte is not a "natural" at solving crime. I also liked seeing her doubt herself along the way. I am sure I would doubt myself if I was suddenly thrown into the middle of a police investigation. I love the romantic tension between Charlotte and Brody. It was also amusing to have her so unaware of his feelings for her.
The characters are well written and i found myself enjoying my visit to Gett, Florida. I also found the information on whiskey production very interesting.
October 30, 2020
Princess Fuzzypants here: Charlotte returns to Everglades Florida when her grandfather has a heart attack. She leaves her so-so Hollywood career so she can help him recover and run the family distilling business. Her surname is Lucky, a moniker she shares with the Boutique whiskey they make. The name does not describe what awaits her.
First she finds the body of the key employee in a barrel of whiskey and her grandfather is arrested for his murder. Then all sorts of dangerous and threatening things begin to happen to both her and the business, not the least of which is the damage the deceased managed to do prior to his demise. Charlotte figures if someone had not already killed him, she might have done the deed herself.
As Thomas Wolfe wrote, you can never go home, at least not if you do not expect the mistakes you made growing up in a tiny town to be forgotten. Charlotte is reminded daily of her peccadilloes and the worst perpetrator is her childhood nemesis, Brodie, who happens to be part of the family who share their name with the town. The feud between the Gett and the Lucky families is as turbulent as ever, a fact not made any easier by Charlotte’s conviction that one Gett or another is the killer.
This book drips with atmosphere as thick as the humidity around her. With a truck load of colourful characters, including a gator named Boots, this is a rollicking and suspenseful mystery that kept me guessing to the end. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and look forward to the second book in the series.
Five purrs and two paws up.
First she finds the body of the key employee in a barrel of whiskey and her grandfather is arrested for his murder. Then all sorts of dangerous and threatening things begin to happen to both her and the business, not the least of which is the damage the deceased managed to do prior to his demise. Charlotte figures if someone had not already killed him, she might have done the deed herself.
As Thomas Wolfe wrote, you can never go home, at least not if you do not expect the mistakes you made growing up in a tiny town to be forgotten. Charlotte is reminded daily of her peccadilloes and the worst perpetrator is her childhood nemesis, Brodie, who happens to be part of the family who share their name with the town. The feud between the Gett and the Lucky families is as turbulent as ever, a fact not made any easier by Charlotte’s conviction that one Gett or another is the killer.
This book drips with atmosphere as thick as the humidity around her. With a truck load of colourful characters, including a gator named Boots, this is a rollicking and suspenseful mystery that kept me guessing to the end. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and look forward to the second book in the series.
Five purrs and two paws up.
June 17, 2019
"A Shot of Murder" earns 5/5 Oak Casks...Entertaining!
I looked at the creative book cover and was intrigued to read J. A. Kazimer's new book in her Lucky Whiskey Mystery series. A whiskey distillery in Florida? I'll take a shot of that! J. A.'s book follows the traditional, yet entertaining, cozy formula I enjoy with Charlotte "Charms" Lucky, a young women who's lately not experienced much luck, coming home to run the family's whiskey business while her grandfather recuperates. She discovers running the business isn't easy with a centuries-old feud and business competitors to contend with and locals that can't forget her youthful pranks causing more headaches. But, it's her high school boyfriend found dead and her grandfather's arrest that causes the most difficulty. I enjoyed the first-person narrative sharing Charms' inner thoughts, flashbacks, and frustrations along with vivid descriptions and dialogue. There was talk that the book was "repetitive," but for me it didn't take away from the mystery and my enjoyment of the characters. I look forward to the next book, but I have one suggestion, selfish a bit, I'd love to have had a few culinary treats and libations included: a whiskey cocktail or a few entrees or desserts to tempt the senses. Whiskey is the perfect flavoring for so many treats.
Disclosure: I received an ARC from NetGalley. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
I looked at the creative book cover and was intrigued to read J. A. Kazimer's new book in her Lucky Whiskey Mystery series. A whiskey distillery in Florida? I'll take a shot of that! J. A.'s book follows the traditional, yet entertaining, cozy formula I enjoy with Charlotte "Charms" Lucky, a young women who's lately not experienced much luck, coming home to run the family's whiskey business while her grandfather recuperates. She discovers running the business isn't easy with a centuries-old feud and business competitors to contend with and locals that can't forget her youthful pranks causing more headaches. But, it's her high school boyfriend found dead and her grandfather's arrest that causes the most difficulty. I enjoyed the first-person narrative sharing Charms' inner thoughts, flashbacks, and frustrations along with vivid descriptions and dialogue. There was talk that the book was "repetitive," but for me it didn't take away from the mystery and my enjoyment of the characters. I look forward to the next book, but I have one suggestion, selfish a bit, I'd love to have had a few culinary treats and libations included: a whiskey cocktail or a few entrees or desserts to tempt the senses. Whiskey is the perfect flavoring for so many treats.
Disclosure: I received an ARC from NetGalley. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
September 29, 2020
This is a fun new cozy series I enjoyed from cover to cover. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity.
This is the debut book in the new cozy series " Lucky Whiskey Mystery Series". I enjoyed the author's setting of a small town of Gett Florida in a whiskey distillery business. The protagnist is Charlotte who was a aspiring actress in Hollywood returned home to care for her ailing Grandfather and his business. Charlotte had aspirations she is not quite ready to relinquish to small town Florida and creating Whiskey. She is not well liked among the local people and when a body is found in one of their caskets she has to step up to save her Grandfather and his business from ruin as well as save her future .
I like Charlotte who has love for her Grandfather enough to help him and save his business while making a new unexpected life for herself. She is portrayed as a real person with disappointments and dreams never realized. For this I thank the author as this is a charcter I look forward to knowing in the series. The setting of a distillery is interesting and fun to learn about. The introduction of charcters as her nemesis during her sleuthing all add to the fun. I look forward to the next in series .
This is the debut book in the new cozy series " Lucky Whiskey Mystery Series". I enjoyed the author's setting of a small town of Gett Florida in a whiskey distillery business. The protagnist is Charlotte who was a aspiring actress in Hollywood returned home to care for her ailing Grandfather and his business. Charlotte had aspirations she is not quite ready to relinquish to small town Florida and creating Whiskey. She is not well liked among the local people and when a body is found in one of their caskets she has to step up to save her Grandfather and his business from ruin as well as save her future .
I like Charlotte who has love for her Grandfather enough to help him and save his business while making a new unexpected life for herself. She is portrayed as a real person with disappointments and dreams never realized. For this I thank the author as this is a charcter I look forward to knowing in the series. The setting of a distillery is interesting and fun to learn about. The introduction of charcters as her nemesis during her sleuthing all add to the fun. I look forward to the next in series .
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