Legwork

I LOVE the way Munger describes her characters, nailing them in just a sentence or two. She crafts tight plots filled with fascinating suspects -- and the setting is right here where I live, adding to my enjoyment. (Oh -- she turns left there. That would make her just about to go into -- yep, sure enough, there she is.)Hard-drinking, junk-food-loving Casey is my latest favorite detective. She's 35-40 and 170 pounds of outrageous muscle -- according to Casey. Sorry, Case, but you eat like that and it can't possibly be all muscle. Maybe all that Southern Atmosphere burns it off.I read three Munger books in a row this weekend. Can't get enough! Is there any way that Casey could switch books and teach Stephanie Plum a thing or two? Never a klutz, Casey is one dangerous woman who lives her life flat-out hard. Watch out for those cops on I-40, Casey!

What I want to know is why I had to discover Casey Jones by accident. Think Kinsey Millhone's sassy southern cousin...or Judge Deborah Knott with an attitude...and I can't understand why she isn't as famous. She's hilarious and effective, and I look forward to reading more of her adventures!

Thank God for Casey Jones. Finally a female PI who is both real enough to relate to and fantastic enough to entertain. She sustains my disbelief in the most enjoyable way. She is also surrounded by characters equally entertaining and a plot line with twists and turns in all the right places. I highly recommend this book!

A northerner and newcomer to the south this book was a hilarious introduction to some class culture in my new home. The heroine is sweaty, saucy, and steely; a bright woman of a certain age and disposition who, after some hard knocks falls into a life for which she is particularly well suited. She is the legs, eyes, and brains for a mountain of slough with a P.I.'s license, (unattinable for her). I often found myself laughing out loud. It unfolds handily, murder, politics, passion. The author takes a nice chunky bite out of the hides of local developers and people for whom appearences are everything. One of my favorite scenes involves the garden club, our heroine, and chicken salad sandwiches. I look forward to the next offering in this series.

My hobby is blasting books that have been over-hyped by publishers, but I got to admit it-- this book delivers (not that it seems to be getting any sort of push from Avon, but it deserves one). It is very, very funny with sharp writing, great characters and a fantastic female detective that makes Kinsey, V.I., Stephanie etc. look like wimps. I'm a guy and I loved it. I suspect women will love it even more (my sister's the one who recommended I read it). The writing style is very sarcastic and on the mark about the South, take it from a former Georgia boy. It is definitely more on the hard-boiled side compared to other books with female protagonists these days. Very hip-- I highly recommend it.