The Curse of the Golden Yo-Yo

by Robin Bowles

Meet Cornelia Finnigan, the loudest, loveliest and luckiest PI around.

With a swagger, a smile and a slash of lipstick she takes on the mystery of a torched Ferrari, investigates the case of the poisoned Pekinese puppies and stumbles into the world of missing persons, drug deals gone wrong, laundered money and murder.

And then there's Elvis, the tennis pro and a solid gold yo-yo to die for...

279 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Moz · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter used to work for the publisher of this book and had copies of all the author's works which is how it came into my possession. As I like the crime genre, serious and humorous, I thought I'd fit it in between more serious tomes.

Some might say it is light-weight and fluffy which belies the obvious work the author did behind the scenes because it is well thought out and the plot well constructed, even if somewhat unbelievable. However, as a book to lift the spirits during lockdown, it hits the spot. I have a copy of the sequel too which I will read after a couple more "heavier" reads.

This might be ideal as an audio book to listen to in the car on a long journey as it doesn't need a lot of concentration and has the requisite characters dotted throughout. A bit of fun.

[Tricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an ok read about a female PI.

I read a lot of these books and this one didn’t wow me.

I thought the way the book ended was a bit strange.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a light read to end the year. A
I found it interesting as it is set in Melbourne, so the setting is familiar.
It is a bit dated. When you include brand names of clothing it will at some point get dated. Also, the use of fax machines and the unreliablilty of mobile phones, also dates the book.
Cornelia, came across as a bit ditzy, she took a lot of risks.
But she solved the cases.

[AngelaC · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a quick, easy, predictable but fun read, this is it. The heroine is a hapless private investigator who becomes embroiled in some serious crime, with the yo-yo of the title providing an additional bit of background interest. This is a fluffy crime novel but it's just right when you have no time or inclination to go for the serious stuff.

[Sherry Mackay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 really. Not a bad read. Just a bit of fun A shame the author has only written one more of these and it seems impossible to get hold of. If you like a fun story about a private investigator who is 6 feet tall with crazy hair and a crazy dog this is for you.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun so far

[Amanda Meggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cornelia seems to solve most of her cases by stumbling over the info she needs. A fun read.