The Welly Wheel Murder

by Stephen John

Gertie decides to face an old nemesis at the Annual Alligator Festival Triathlon competition. Fortune and Ida Belle tag along for support. When they arrive, they stumble on an unsolved murder that took place at the Festival two years earlier.

When Fortune meets a shady character with an agenda and a motive for murder, the Swamp Team 3 jumps into action. They receive help from a colorful local P.I. with sharp wits, unsuspected talents and a taste for nice things. As they dig deeper into the mystery, a conspiracy unfolds that leads them into a deadly, dark world.

The Welly Wheel Murder is filled with twists and turns, funny banter and outrageous situations.

Genres: Mystery

175 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 13, 2021

About the author

Steve is a retired business executive and former sports journalist who now writes cozy mysteries with a twist of sass and suspense. His Miss Fortune novels—set in the beloved world created by Jana DeLeon—blend small-town charm with fast-paced adventure, earning him six #1 rankings in Amazon’s action/adventure category.

Steve’s fiction career began in 2008 with Amazon’s Kindle Worlds, where he was invited to craft stories using established characters. His sharp dialogue and tightly woven plots quickly made him a fan favorite in the Miss Fortune universe.

Beyond cozy mysteries, Steve has co-authored two thrill-packed titles—Devil’s Face and Gray Ghost—with bestselling author David Wood in the Dane Maddock Action Adventure Series. He also collaborated with Jesse Jacobson on Rainhorse, a gritty Western tale of justice and redemption. His standalone novel Night Music showcases his range, blending suspense and emotional depth in a story all his own.

Steve’s first book, Deal Me In, is a nonfiction deep dive into the lives of twenty poker legends, commissioned by Phil Hellmuth himself. His time with poker and sports celebrities—including Doyle Brunson, Jennifer Harman, Johnny Chan, and basketball stars like LeBron James and Rajon Rondo—inspired him to keep telling great stories.

When he’s not writing, Steve enjoys life in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, children, and grandchildren. You might also catch him performing in the Seattle music scene with his acoustic duo, Latitude 47—proof that good stories and good tunes never go out of style.

Reviews

[Mallory · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was seriously disappointed in this story. I usually go into the alternate author stories knowing there will be differences but it honestly bugs me when the characters personalities veer too much from their norm.. I like the addition of the author's own characters but Gertie, IdaBelle and Fortune seem like completely different people from the norm. IdaBelle is feisty and ferocious and this story made her seem like a whimpy old woman, and Ghertie was so far out of character I don't even know where to begin.. even their banter with each other completely deviated from what we normally expect to see from them.. they weren't enjoyable and were basically unrecognizable. And Fortune is a highly trained CIA agent and this author had her acting like a bumbling sidekick, it just didn't work for me. Also the book touted itself to be funny and outrageous, Jana Deleon's story's are often so funny and the characters so outrageous that I find myself laughing out loud. This story however fell far short of that mark. I was very disappointed with the story progression and overall lack of depth. It just felt like a poor attempt at fanfiction. I understand making some changes but you really shouldn't try to change the main characters personalities. That's just a recipe for disaster. I'm actually regretting spending my money on this.

[Donna Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read the title to this newest mystery featuring my most beloved detectives, Ida Belle, Gertie and Fortune, my first thought was, what will this author think of next? But no matter what it is, you can be assured of a rollicking good time as the daring trio face down some of the most nefarious criminals and unique crimes to grace the pages of a comedy-thriller. The action takes place at The Alligator Festival Triathlon, so what more can you say? Once the fun begins, the action starts rolling and bikers make their appearance, there's no stopping the hilarious shenanigans that ensue. These three endearing ladies are my favorite detecting trio and if you haven't made their acquaintance yet, do so immediately.
***I received an ARC from the author. My review is strictly voluntary.***

[Mary Heron · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as the originals.

This is fan fiction but it is fan fiction of the highest caliber. Stephen John is a published author in his own right, he just enjoyed the Charcters from the Fortune Redding series so much he wanted to be a part of the story. They are great additions, the murder mysteries are well thought out and not easy to solve, the secondary characters all add to the story. But still at the centre of it all you have Fortune, Gertie and Ida Belle, the books by Mr John incorporate the storylines from the original series ( by Jana DeLeon) so there no confusion when reading, the humor is still there as is the love and respect these three women have for each other. Always a joy to read.

[Nutnut1(Lornajean Ford) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently discovered this Author. And there seems to be no end to his talent.


This a light hearted somewhat, murder mystery.


After accompanying her friend to the Alligator Festival (bear with me the festival gets weirder in a good way lol)so she can compete. Fortune is curious when told about an unsolved murder that happened a couple of years ago. Interest peaked she embarks on trying to solve it with a her two elderly gun totting friends a fellow PI and a mountain of a woman Carlotta.

This was actually a good teatime or holiday read with some amusing moments.

[Starla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome addition to Miss Fortune World

I loved this book as much as MS Jana DeLeons ' original series. The main characters were so well written and I read this book immediately following Fortune Funhouse it was as if this was book #20. Loved it. A must read! I hope more are written in this series.

[J.A. Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Cozy Mystery

I loved this book! Between the colorful characters and the witty dialogue, I was sucked into the story by page 3. The mystery of who caused Led Sweeney’s death at the Alligator Triathlon had suspense, twists, turns and many nail-biting moments. This is a fun read!

[catherine mosley · Rating 5 out of 5]

2 P.I. & a Festival

The 3 swamp gals, attend the gator festival in Luring. Gerta there to compete in three events. She hasn't gone in a few years so they go early. Old news make them investigate an two year murder case. New leads make two teams join together. As time passes, the plot thickens as do their waistline of many good meals!

[Rochelle Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen John did a great job.

I love the Miss Fortune books and wasn't sure that a different author would be as good. This book was a pleasant surprise. This book read as if it had been written by Jana Deleon. I thoroughly enjoyed the new characters and the usual characters were as much fun as always.

[Brenda Ames · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great except for grammar. Uses "I" often when it should be "me"

Have read several of his books and enjoy them. Except I am not a fan of his grammar. Some teacher forgot to tell him the tried and true way to know which is correct........ Leave out the first part (Tom and) and then you'll know when it really is "I" and when it's "me!"

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good mystery, good laughs. Fun to read about people/places outside Sinful

Swamp Team 3 and their usual comedy crime solving antics. Fun additions to their usual group while crime solving outside their town of Sinful. I enjoyed Carlotta and Brennan. Some misspelled words, better proofreading would help

[Liz Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is a Welly Wheel??

Enjoyed the surprise about the character,Brennan. Did not see that coming.Thanks for the suspense surrounding a silly competition so revered by this community.

[Marie Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soooo Good

Talk about twists and turns AND funny!!! A very entertaining story!! The characters created by Ms. DeLeon are playing themselves well in this work! It's a great mystery; try it, you'll like it!! Enjoy!!

[Virg Jacobsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

I was looking forward to the usual banter between the 3 women and their crazy antics. He just didn't deliver. Story was lame. He didn't do them justice. He shouldn't be using these characters.
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who is a true Fortune fan.

[Charlene Parrish · Rating 4 out of 5]

character flaws

Great story line, no disappointment there. However, the main characters did not have the same flair as the Miss Fortune mysteries. I would recommend reading because I did enjoy the book.

[Josephine Lengyel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved itll

Love anything to do with Fortune and friends! I was laughing out loud at some points. I am going to read some more of your books!
Keep them coming!!

[susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book

This is a great book to read. The story came to life. I would recommend this book to everyone who

[stephanie huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and entertaining with some laugh out loud moments

[Tennye GiOtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

New author isn't as funny or engaging as Janet DeLeon.

[Linda Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smooth transitions

Stayed in charter with the originals. Only thing hard to swallow was the detective coming to the party as a friend.

[Charles Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and very entertaining read.

Read this in one evening. Typically Fortune, Gertie and Ida Belle. Brennan, too, is a winner. Look to read more by this author.

[Debra Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great miss Fortune Murder mystery! A lot of intrigue, and action. With
A lot of twists and turns. Takes you to the end to find out all the answers. A great read.
Debra H.