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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
Perfect for a holiday weekend. This was like Spellman Files meets Stephanie Plum meets Oceans Eleven. I loved how author Gretchen Archer interspersed her character's backstory with the daily drama of her mysterious new casino job. This book had the right amount of depth and humor, which made it fast, enjoyable, and fun!
Double Whammy is a low 3 star but the series has some promise with an interesting main character with a sarcastic personality. This is definitely written to appeal to female readers.
A fun, fast paced book that had me laughing out loud. It had funny and relatable characters and a unique plot that was fun to read.
The free preview was so good-I paid retail to continue reading! So funny, well plotted, great characters. I couldn't put it down- it is hilarious. If Stephanie Plum moved to Mississippi, this would be her story. Davis Way from Pine Apple, Alabama takes a mysterious job at a Biloxi casino. Her police background may help her solve the convoluted puzzle or she may end up sleeping with the fishes. Archer has a Southerner's way of looking at things which probably doesn't make much sense to non-Southerner's! But, she throws in tons of gossipy behind the scenes of family and casino life, and the voices are so dead-on and realistic. This is the first book by Archer and it shows in a few slow spots along with the over the top mystery, I had to go back in a couple of places and re-read to make sure I understood who was who, but overall the plot works very well and I can't wait to read more in the series.
Oh my goodness, y’all. This book – this heroine – is so delightful and quirky!
Davis is an endearingly flawed heroine whose first person narrative voice adds a whole other level of snark and hilarity to the story, which is not without its heart tugging moments as well. I knew I loved her when she dubbed the two beefy security guys “Teeth” and “No Hair”, highlighting their dominant physical features. I completely embraced her when she developed a serious crush on the guy whose condo she’s subletting, based solely on his pictures and his clothing.
The mystery (more than one) is really well presented, but it’s the process of solving the various dilemmas that’s even more fun. Davis is a hoot and her methods (both her own and the ones she’s assigned) are intriguing and clever. Supporting characters are also flawed and endearing – endearing because of the flaws in many cases – and more than one thread is introduced in this first book that will carry over into the rest of the series. (Though, not to worry, the specific story arc in Double Whammy is tied up at the end.) George is another character you’ll come to love as the book progresses – and, of course, there’s Bradley Cole.
Bottom Line: Humor, snark, a little romance and a lot of fun are the hallmarks of this unique cozy mystery! Davis is a mix of Stephanie Plum (from Janet Evanovich’s series) and Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality, and you’ll often find yourself just wanting to hug her. While chuckling at the quirkiness that makes her distinctly “Davis”. I’m anxious to check out the other books in this series now (thankfully, there are 6 out so far so I don’t have to wait) to see how some of the subthreads play out. Great characters, great narration, and a great mystery equal a great read!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)
see my review at Reading Is My SuperPower
Davis is an endearingly flawed heroine whose first person narrative voice adds a whole other level of snark and hilarity to the story, which is not without its heart tugging moments as well. I knew I loved her when she dubbed the two beefy security guys “Teeth” and “No Hair”, highlighting their dominant physical features. I completely embraced her when she developed a serious crush on the guy whose condo she’s subletting, based solely on his pictures and his clothing.
The mystery (more than one) is really well presented, but it’s the process of solving the various dilemmas that’s even more fun. Davis is a hoot and her methods (both her own and the ones she’s assigned) are intriguing and clever. Supporting characters are also flawed and endearing – endearing because of the flaws in many cases – and more than one thread is introduced in this first book that will carry over into the rest of the series. (Though, not to worry, the specific story arc in Double Whammy is tied up at the end.) George is another character you’ll come to love as the book progresses – and, of course, there’s Bradley Cole.
Bottom Line: Humor, snark, a little romance and a lot of fun are the hallmarks of this unique cozy mystery! Davis is a mix of Stephanie Plum (from Janet Evanovich’s series) and Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality, and you’ll often find yourself just wanting to hug her. While chuckling at the quirkiness that makes her distinctly “Davis”. I’m anxious to check out the other books in this series now (thankfully, there are 6 out so far so I don’t have to wait) to see how some of the subthreads play out. Great characters, great narration, and a great mystery equal a great read!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)
see my review at Reading Is My SuperPower
Did not finish. It was light enough but I did not care about the main character or the evolving mystery. I had no desire to read further
This book was hilarious! A great introduction to the series. Davis Way is a former cop & computer hacker, twice married to the same ass, & applies for a job at a casino. She's hired & really doesn't know what her job actually is. Plenty of characters to keep her on her toes. The mystery has to do with gambling machines & winnings. Humorously written as she has mishaps & makes some really stupid decisions. Family dynamics with her hateful mom, loving father, & so so sister. Clean language & no sex scenes. I'm definitely reading the next in the series.
After shooting herself in the foot...well, discharging her firearm in the general direction of her ex-husband anyway, Davis finds herself all but unemployable as a police officer.
Then she lands a job working for a casino investigating scams and people who are cheating the system and she's found her niche. But coworkers who are acting suspiciously and a demanding boss make for a hard field to plough.
Double Whammy is a pretty good little mystery set in the South (Mississippi). There is a little too much going on for it to be great and the narrative is occasionally a little confusing (I mean at one point I thought, 'wait a minute, did they just have sex' or the Davis would say things like 'three weeks later' and it would take me a minute to realize she wasn't being literal just saying how she felt).
But overall, despite the imperfections...maybe even because of them, it's a fun read.
Then she lands a job working for a casino investigating scams and people who are cheating the system and she's found her niche. But coworkers who are acting suspiciously and a demanding boss make for a hard field to plough.
Double Whammy is a pretty good little mystery set in the South (Mississippi). There is a little too much going on for it to be great and the narrative is occasionally a little confusing (I mean at one point I thought, 'wait a minute, did they just have sex' or the Davis would say things like 'three weeks later' and it would take me a minute to realize she wasn't being literal just saying how she felt).
But overall, despite the imperfections...maybe even because of them, it's a fun read.
So there’s a lot going on in Double Whammy, and you’re going to have to suspend your disbelief a little. Well a lot. Also it maybe helps if you’re not familiar with the ins and outs of how casinos work and the rules about them in the US. It’s also doing a lot of series set up so expect to meet a lot of characters to keep track of. And it moves fast. There’s a lot of plot. But I enjoyed it as long as I didn’t think too hard about any of it! Davis is an interesting mix of smart and stupid, she’s quite snarky and can be a bit mean at times but I liked what the book was trying to do.
Book #82 read in 2016
A little silly, but still good.
A little silly, but still good.