Dead Giveaway

A Yellow Rose Mystery #3

by Leann Sweeney

She's a Texas heiress and a brand-new P.I. specializing in adoption cases. But Abby Rose focuses more on what money can't buy-like answers in a case of a baby abandoned years ago and a present-day murder.  

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Fiction

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

About the author

Leann Sweeney was born and raised in Niagara Falls and educated at St. Joseph's Hospital and Lemoyne College in Syracuse, NY. She also has a degree from the University of Houston in behavioral science and worked for many years in psychiatry. Her short fiction won many awards and several mysteries were published in small market mystery magazines. Leann has written 13 cozy mysteries: 5 in The Yellow Rose Mystery Series and 8 in the Cats in Trouble Mysteries. #9 is being written now that Leann is recovering from a three year illness after a fall. Both series are published by Berkley and several titles made the NY Times bestseller list.

Reviews

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

This is the third book in the series, which I wrongly thought was second, however, I enjoyed it as a stand-alone. The story was compelling and the mystery was an actual mystery. It took me to the ending to figure out the connections to the past and present.

Now off to read the others.

[Mai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good cozy mystery with a great plot and excellent characters. It was a quick read because I got sucked right in and didn't want to come up for air.

[Killercalico · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Yellow Rose mystery series. Each one gets better and better.

[FangirlNation · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abby Rose takes on another case of detection in her adoption detection agency, Yellow Rose Detectives, in Leann Sweeney’s Dead Giveaway. Hired by 19-year-old NCAA basketball star Will Knight and his adoptive parents to locate Will’s biological parents, Abby finds herself in the midst of a murder from early in her case. All that the family knows about Will’s history is that the mixed race young man was left as a baby on the doorstep of a very eccentric woman, Verna Mae Olsen. So the first stop is to visit Verna Mae, whom Abby and Will find creepy because the woman has obviously been stalking Will his whole life and calls him her boy. A couple evenings later, Abby gets a call from Verna Mae that she has more information for Abby. Unfortunately, when Abby shows up at the coffee house where the pair agreed to meet, she finds the police. Upon calling Verna Mae, Abby finds herself talking to her boyfriend, Sergeant Jeff Klein. The informant has been murdered and buried in a giant pile of used coffee beans.

Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation

[Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one a lot. This mystery involved the past and the present. There were parts that were very sad and parts that were sweet. And it has a fiendishly complex plot. I like the regular characters and the "guest" characters. Except for Aunt Caroline, who was a little less annoying in this book, but maybe a little creepy. But she did contribute something valuable; maybe she is growing. Abby is definitely growing as a person and as a PI. I like the romance. As always, Abby did something(s) rash.

Note: at the end of the book is an "preview" of the next Yellow Rose mystery. The title is "Reality Check." But the book was not published under that title; the actual title is "Shoot from the Lip."

Abby really needs that part of PI training where you learn to lose a tail. Even after a bad experience, she couldn't accomplish it.

[Sandra Holladay · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great read! Lots of tension, emotion, danger (when isn't Abby in danger). Some of the clues to the bad guy(s) were kind of late in the book, but I don't see how they could have been brought in sooner. I love the fact that Abby is a strong woman who isn't surrounded by 'idiot cops' but works with conscientious and competent policemen. The story-line pulled me in and kept me clear through the end.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the three Yellow Rose Mysteries I've read so far, this is the best story! Abby Rose is a private investigator who always finds trouble while trying to solve her cases. This story is not as funny as some of the others, but it's a well thought out plot that kept me interested and wondering until near the end.

[JazzyReadz💜 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. Some parts were really slow and dragged on while others had me on the edge of my seat. The end was cute but predictable. I like Rose even though she could be kind of a dumbass at times. Not sure if I’ll pick up another one of this series.

[Madelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superstar college athlete Will Knight was once a baby abandoned on a doorstep. He hires Abby Rose, Private Investigator to locate his birth family. Abby searches for answers and runs into a lot of problems.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Stephanie Plum, then you will like Abby Rose. This book is especially appropriate during these times due to the underlying theme of interracial relationships. Not only a fun read, but thought provoking at times.

[Tracy Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!! WHAT A STORY!! Fantastic plot that kept me wondering throughout! Several moments where my heart was fluttering with anxiety of Abby’s scary situations! Really enjoyed watching her and Jeff’s love blossom more and more too. The ending was extremely heartwarming!! LOVED THIS BOOK!

[Chaitra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Abby Rose and Kate, but I blow hot and cold on the series itself. This one has megachurch, insanity, competitive sports and adoption all in one, and it somehow hangs together quite well. I enjoyed the story.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series. This shows how religious zealotry and money can mess up a lot of lives......But a compassionate private investigator can help to ease the pain of the past.

[ChrisGA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable characters and storyline.....whimsical cover but mystery is not such. Intriguing plot

[G · Rating 3 out of 5]

NOT a cozy mystery. Way too much swearing. I will not be reading any more from this series.

[Gale Penton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read enjoyed it very much. Good plot and characters. Had me going until the end. I would recommend it

[Angela Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. Mentioned the town's I lived in. When she was eating her Cherry Garia ice cream I was literally laughing out loud. It is my husband's favorite!!

[Angela]

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[Jenny J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is the best book of the series so far. Again I listened to this with Danielle Ferland as the narrator which made the story even more captivating.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is third in a series about Abby Rose, a 32-year-old, wealthy Texan, who has become a private investigator. She specializes in issues surrounding adoptions.

College athlete Will Knight hires Abby to find his birth family. Although happy with his adoptive family, he feels the need to know about his birth family. Nineteen years before, he was dropped at someone's door. There are only two clues: Verna Mae, the woman who found the baby at her door, and a very expensive baby blanket.

Hoping to pump Verna Mae for more info, they plan to meet in Houston. When Abby arrives, she finds that her only human lead is dead. Thus begins a case that takes Abby from Houston to Huntsville (Prison).

As a native Houstonian, it was fun to hear about our humidity, traffic and some of the landmarks around town. The characters were pleasant, though not clearly fleshed-out. The interactions between the twins (Abby has a twin, Kate; both were adopted but not told), ring true.

Unfortunately, I read this via Recorded Books. The person reading sounded like she was about 11 years of age and had an irritating voice. I'm sure it affected my appreciation of the story.
3 stars

Yellow Rose Series
1. Pick Your Poison (2004)
2. A Wedding to Die For (2005)
3. Dead Giveaway (2005)
4. Shoot from the Lip (2007)
5. Pushing Up Bluebonnets (2008)

[Rissa Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Abby Rose decided to take on a P.I case to find Will Knight's biological parents, she never expected to find herself in the middle of a mysterious murder case that was buried nearly twenty years ago. It all started when Verna Mae, the woman who found Will Knight in her doorstep when he was a baby, whom Abby Rose has also recently interviewed, was found murdered in an ally near a coffee shop. Now Abby Rose has partnered herself with the Houston PD Homicide Division to find out more about Verna Mae's sudden death, and how it all connects to her client, Will Knight.

I haven't read that much murder mysteries...actually I can only recall reading the ones "Richard Castle" wrote, being a huge fan of the TV Series, Castle. But I enjoyed reading this one a lot. I felt like I was watching an episode of Castle but longer with more details and descriptions. What I like about reading a murder mystery, as compared to watching one, is that I get to catch the tiny details and descriptions more, as well as having more time to think about answers and theories.

I also enjoyed the plot of the novel itself. It also didn't have unnecessary chapters or characters so I found it smooth and neat from beginning to end.

I randomly picked this up at a book sale for only P50 (around $1) and hopefully I find more of her works 'cause I quite enjoyed this one. A good read!

[Ken Finlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Dead Giveaway", third in the Abby Rose P.I. series, is the best instalment by a long shot.
It's a cosy that teeters on the brink of cosydom (if that's a word, but you get my drift!) with dark secrets, madness and evil sometimes oozing from the pages.
The nature of the genre really restricts it in terms of tension and depth. Personally I think the entire series would be better if written as mainstream thrillers - it doesn't stop them from being good as they stand.
This time out Abby is hired to find the birth parents of an adopted college sports star. There is just one clue, an expensive baby blanket. That single item quickly leads to the father but he's serving a life sentence for a murder committed around the time of the birth.
The search for the mother is a dead end, she was declared dead while on missionary work in Mexico, again around the time of the birth.
Abby's investigation is practical and methodical, though her methods and lack of caution are sometimes questionable. Towards the end there is a decision to be made which the reader just knows she's going to be reckless (you'll know it when you get to that point in the story).
The final chapters are a joy, the strands come together nicely and there is a genuinely HEA guaranteed to wring a tear from the stoniest heart.
It's highly enjoyable.
4 Stars.

[Carla Waddell · Rating 5 out of 5]

DELIGHTFUL!!!

Oh my...I so thoroughly enjoyed this one!

Haven't actually read the first book in this series but that didn't matter. I'm sure I'll do so at some point but I'd rather move forward than read how the main characters' relationship got started. Besides, their personas (individually and collectively) was in-depth enough within this second book in the series that I didn't feel like I was missing some vital piece of the puzzle.

I've liked other books I've read so far from this author. As far as I'm concerned, she is an incredible writer (even when I don't necessarily agree with everything said/done by a character she's included.) This book, however, is perhaps my favorite so far.

In fact, with pithy one-liners throughout (that repeatedly brought a big grin to my face and had me highlighting left and right), an intelligent, savvy, and yet "real" female lead character (that manages to work 'with' the cops rather than despite them), and a cast of characters that kept the mystery unfolding logically and at a good clip, I can't say I've enjoyed a book more than this one.

To put the cherry on top, so to speak, this ebook wasn't chock full of distracting and detracting typos. In other words, this one is 'a winner'!

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8

Another solid installment in the Yellow Rose series.

This time we deal with a bi-racial child who is looking for his birth parents. This time Abby's adoption mystery is very closely connected to another case, one that her boyfriend Sgt. Kline has caught.

There is a bit of racial tension in this book and as it is Texas that makes it understandable especially when Abby is dealing with the older Texan generation.

Anyhoo, Abby is in more danger than usual, Jeff proves that he's a good guy and there are a new set of interesting side characters.

I'd wager to say that this book was a bit more serious than the previous two.

The only thing that bugged me was the Texan sayings. There was too much this time. I understand that this is a fairly common occurence but as a New Yorker I wanted to roll my eyes.

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.

[Jen Ifer's Inklings · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in a series of five- so far. I happened to read it out of order though, with this being my first in the Yellow Rose Mystery Series.

I really liked it more than I expected to. Dispite my not having read the first 2 in the series, I did not feel that I was missing much important information. As with most of these series, the book recapped most information that I would need to understand the relationships of the characters in the book.

Also, most of these chick-lit mystery books are pretty predicable, but this one, while I figured out the connections pretty early on, did leave an interesting twist to the end.

I am anxious to read the others in the series.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely marvelous. I am so glad I stumbled across this series. Abby Rose is the cat's pajamas!

My only complaint---there are only four books out so far, and I foolishly skipped book one. So I have two left, but I already know the solution to the first one. There is no doubt that I will be reading it anyway, and will be vigilant in watching for book five as well!


Edited to add--there are FIVE out already, so count me in for watching for book SIX as well as reading the three that are out already. :-)

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in modern Houston, (yay!) this book features Abby Rose as a private investigator specializing in adoption. Abby has a meeting with a woman who has some information about her latest client, a rising basketball star. But the meeting doesn't go as planned - the woman is dead. Abby jumps into the investigation, frustrating her copy boyfriend, and putting herself at risk. I liked Abby and the setup and plot were both well done, but it was predictable. I thought Abby took some unreasonable risks. Some sex and language in this one.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd in the Yellow Rose Mystery. They keep getting better with every one.

In this one Kate's client Will is trying to find his birth mother. He was left on the doorstep of Verna Mae, but the police took Will and placed him with another family. Will is grown now and plays college basketball and is quite good.

Verna Mae wants to talk to Will, but on the way to meet Kate, she is murdered. Kate is trying to find out why and finds a whole lot of people who are not telling the truth about this kid.

[Shirley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoy the Texas flavor of the Yellow Rose series, although I could do without so many corny sayings, like "the woman had more nerve than a sumo wrestler turned cat burglar' or 'the clock was loud enough to jar the pecans off the tree', or a situation like 'a skunk down a well'. But, hey, maybe they talk like that in Texas, who knows?
My error in thinking this was the second in the series, when it is actually the third, and it seemed to cause no adverse effects. The author recapped the past easily and the book read well enough to be a stand alone.