Pineapple Circus

Pineapple Port Mysteries #13

by Amy Vansant

Now in the center ring... murder!
Newly-minted private detective Charlotte Morgan, resident orphan of the Pineapple Port 55+ community, discovers she might not be an orphan after all. Stunned by the news, she distracts herself with a cat burglar who left a smear of make-upped whiskers on a sliding glass door, and a path straight to "Clown Town" a retirement community for retired circus performers. When a fortune-teller doesn't see her own death in the cards, Charlotte's burglary becomes a murder investigation!

Charlotte's neighborhood moms, Mariska and Darla, can't help with this one. They're busy infiltrating an underground golf cart racing ring, led by a shady operator and her toady sidekick...

When another circus performer falls victim to the Big Top Killer and Stephanie goes missing, Charlotte finds herself walking a highwire of danger...this killer isn't clowning around!

WARNING! Fans of the series will be particularly shocked by the breathless ending! (though every book can be read as a standalone).

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

260 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2021

About the author

Amy Vansant is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author who writes with an unique blend of thrills, romance and humor (occasionally with a touch of time travel or fantasy). Check out the Pineapple Port Mystery series or her Urban Fantasy Thriller, the Kilty Series!
Website: http://www.amyvansant.com/
She loves interacting with fans when the dog isn't laying on top of her, so stop by her blog or Twitter and say hi!

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved this series since the first page of the first book ... and it's still a hoot! The hilarious goofiness and cast of quirky, eccentric (to put it mildly!) characters hits my funny bone just right ... every single time. If you're humor-challenged ... it happens 🤷‍♂️... prob'ly Pineapple Port isn't the place for you to visit. 😁

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Pineapple Port book yet!!
Such an exciting book! Non-stop action, drama, hilarity and surprises!! This book has it all!
I was literally on the edge of my seat the entire time!!
Highly recommend!

[Kathy Kennerley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! I can always count on a fun read with this series. Great characters and mystery.

[Julie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The main story was interesting but it was the side story that stole the show for me, where else are you going to find drag racing on golf carts? You have got to love Mariska and Darla as characters. Don't get me wrong the rest of the characters and mystery was funny too but those two are one of a kind. The story revolves around a circus community and gives you plenty of chances to chuckle at the wonderful characters and some of the situations Charlotte finds herself in. Also there is a surprise with a big plot twist that is going to affect the rest of the series. Wow, the author continues to keep the series interesting and you begging for the next book. I can't wait.

When a cat burglar leaves behind a big clue to there identity Sheriff Frank calls in newly minted private detective Charlotte to help with the case. The clues lead Charlotte to a community where circus performers retire to and she arrivies just in time to find a body. Who killed the fortune teller? And why didn't she predict her own death? After thinking Charlotte was an orphan for most of her life she is shooked when a surprise visit turns her world upside down. With Mariska and Darla up to something on there own, Charlotte turns to that unlikely source for help when another performer is found dead. Will Charlotte and her mother be able to find the killer before he strikes again? In a community where nobody is what they seem things are going to get hot and that's before Charlotte's nemesis Stephanie gets involved.
I was given this free review copy book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[BookHound · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another installment in the Pineapple Port series does not disappoint. The story opens with Charlotte meeting her parents for the first time after discovering her mother wasn't really her mother but her aunt (yup, that's another story). After a short visit, Charlotte gets a reprieve when Sheriff Frank calls to find out if she would like to help with a murder. Lots of twists and turns with this who-dun-it, Charlotte's parents and Declan help solve the murders. It also has a surprise at the end for one of the main characters - finally. Oh, there's even golf cart races and winner takes the pink slip among the older folks in the community.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this hilarious book! Charlotte discovers that Shee is not her aunt & she meets her father. She has to adjust to no longer being an orphan. When retired circus performers start being murdered in Big Top retirement village Frank brings Charlotte in to investigate! Darla gets hooked on golf cart racing after losing her new cart to its diabolical previous owner! Mariska and Darla fear losing Charlotte to her be parents who live on the opposite coast. I love this serious. This is my favorite book so far. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series! Highly recommend this book and this series!

[Janet Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh Out Loud Funny with Shee and Mason
This book is the thirteenth in a series that would be best enjoyed when read in order. This episode has a marvelous murder mystery wrapped around a circus-performer retirement community. It is ripe for laughter! Better, Shee and Mason ( Shee McQueen Mysteries) come to tell Charlotte the truth about who they are and stick around to help solve her cases. It is fun to see the family similarities and watch them all work together. The nut did not fall far from the tree.

[Sandy Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Mystery, Another Winner!

OMG! This series gets better with each new entry. The crime may be common, but the execution is totally unique. And the trademark subplot involving Charlotte’s wonderfully quirky neighbors is downright hilarious. (Think Lucy and Ethel at their wackiest.) But the true heart of these stories lies in the relationships among the characters that get stronger with each new adventure. That totally seals the deal for me.

NOTE: For maximum enjoyment, these stories must be read in order as each new novel builds on the previous ones. Enjoy!

[Polina Posner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action and surprises from the very first page to the last!
The retiment community of circus performers is the latest to attract the attention of the newly minted PI. Charlotte must grapple with murder and mayhem to solve several mysteries in both her investigations and her personal life. The supporting characters are, as always, lending to more mayhem and humor.
Wonderful mystery and a great continuation of the series

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte Morgan is a newly licensed private investigator. She is also the resident orphan of the Pineapple Port 55+ community...or is she? This story has some very strange and unique characters as it continues the story of Charlotte and the residents at Pineapple Port and the neighboring community of "Clown Town"...just don't let the residents there hear you call it that. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. It was very entertaining.

[Tanya Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite series. I really enjoyed 2 worlds coming together in this book. I liked Darla and Mariska’s subplot. Some of the Kitty thing and the trapeze stuff was off for me. Stephanie!? WTF! I feel like we’ll hear more.
I do have a concern, can’t we ever have Declan and Charlotte at least leave each other’s homes in the morning? After 13 books, I think it can still be kept clean. They need to progress some.

[Rose Mcclarin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everybody loves the circus, until someone starts killing the players and then there's the cat girl to complicate things as if things weren't strange enough with Charlotte, Declan, Seamus, Mariska, Darla, Frank and Bob meeting Charlotte's parents Shee and Mason add to this the illegal golf cart races and you have more things going on than you can imagine. Plenty of twists and turns and tons of surprises. In the end there is one more death and the murderer is revealed.

Great Read

[Elaine C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

When residents of the Big Top Community (a.k.a. Circus Town) become murder victims, Charlotte decides to continuing her search for the murderer. However, Stephanie's back in town and with her Mother gone, she's sure she can win Declan back ... or is her murderous DNA proclivities too hard for her to resist? As for Darla and Mariska, there's trouble brewing with Darla's new golf cart ... she's accused of stealing it ... and then the race is on - literally!!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this series. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. After meeting and learning who her real parents are, Charlotte ends up in Clown Town trying to solve one crime and quickly becomes involved in a murder mystery. And Holy Cow what an ending!!!! Meanwhile in Pineapple Port Mariska and Darla star in their own crazy circus.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pineapple Circus by Amy Vansant

Wow! What a wonderful, fun, cozy (and a bit creepy) addition to the Pineapple Port Mystery series. The beginning was almost as shocking as the ending. These characters are so much fun, yet the mysteries are deeply planned and plotted. Amy Vansant knows how to keep the pages turning. I love everything she writes.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

very enjoyable read

I thoroughly enjoyed Pineapple Circus. The characters are colorful and the plot keeps your interest throughout the entire book.
I would recommend this book and the entire Pineapple Port series to
anyone who likes a good cozy mystery with very interesting characters.

[Alice-Lynne Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

No wonder I'm not a fan of clowns

If every clown I met as a kid ended up living in Big Top I would not be surprised. Perfect backdrop to the kindling of the Shee and Mason firey relationship. Add Charlotte, Declan and their odd posses and get a real thrill of a story! Great continuation of the Pineapple Port stories and characters.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in August & thought I posted a review but cannot find it. I thoroughly enjoy this series. Darla & Mariska have me rolling on the floor laughing and newly permitted PI Charlotte is the common sense factor.

The mystery and subplots were fantastic. The author has a great sense of humor.

I highly recommend this book and the series. It can be read as a standalone.

[Sherry Vaughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engrossing

The hilarity and mystery continues in Pineapple Cove. The humor involves illegal golf cart racing (who knew that was a thing?). The mystery involves the murders of retired circus performers at a nearby retirement community.
The author knits these disparate themes into a humorous and engrossing story.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like Circuses? They you will enjoy the romp through a retirement village for retired circus workers in Florida. The characters are strong and the story line is interesting. When you get a PI license you need to intern and our main character is doing just that. She believed that she was an orphan but receives a surprise visit from a couple. Fast moving story with a number of sub plots.

[Pam Bales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoy this series, but this time not as much. Took me almost a month to really get in to reading it and then finished it rather quickly. Guess I'm not as thrilled with the circus as I once was. It's a nice addition to the series, just didn't enjoy it as much as I expected. On to the next!

[A.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Series fans must read this one!

What happened to Jamie and Stephanie Moriarty? Is Charlotte really an orphan, or does she have some long-lost family members? Who is killing residents of the Big Top circus retirement community? And do people really race golf carts out on a lonely road? For pink slips? Find all the answers in Pineapple Circus. Enjoy!

[Rebecca Ridley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspenseful

Wow! This story was so good for many reasons. The plot was excellent, and the actions was non stop. As always the characters were full of witty dialogues and funny scenes that kept the reader wanting to keep read until the end. However, I didn't expect the twist at the end.

[Alison Ramsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliantly entertaining read. Charlotte is involved with robbery and murder at the retired circus community, while coming to terms with having actual living parents. All the usual gang are here, up to assorted mischief. Lots of laughs, and a few unexpected moments.

[RaChelle Holmberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great series! Received as a gift thought he author's newsletter, I suggest you start with book one, but you don't have to. I especially loved this one - Funny, witty, with great characters and an exciting storyline. As usual. I hear theres another episode coming down the pike - YAY!

[Kelly Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are there roller coasters at the circus? Because this book is a non-stop roller coaster of an adventure! It's an excellent page turner that's a lot of fun. I highly recommend it! If you haven't started this series yet, why the heck not?

[Candy gates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my Charlotte has two huge surprises

I will not even give a hint either. There is so many stories in this one book. Big top circus, Stephanie oh my oh my. Golf cart races. Enjoy this great book.

[Mark Moxley-Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun, interesting read in this series. They're short, but priced well and available in bundles so it works out. Well-written, with interesting characters and settings. This one takes some previous plotlines further, but works well on its own.

[Patricia Moran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why do authors kill important characters? This is a pet peeve of mine. I hate when I get invested in a series and the author starts to kill off important characters. I found this book disappointing in more than one way. By the way what happened to Snookie?

[David M Horak · Rating 5 out of 5]

story was crazy with the circus people.

Too many suspects! Too much weirdness to keep it straight. Then there is Stephanie. Her plan out-witted her. Charlotte and her parents. Darla and Mariska they are Lucy & Ethel!!!