Your Chariot Awaits (Andi McConnell Mysteries, Book 1)

Reviewed by Laura V. Hilton Andi McConnell is celebrating her sixtieth birthday--but turning sixty is not for the weak of heart. She is fired from her job, breaks up with her boyfriend, and receives an unexpected inheritance from an eccentric uncle--a sleek black stretch limo. Andi isn't quite sure what she's going to do with the limo, but it sure isn't what happens. Less than twelve hours after getting the vehicle, her ex-boyfriend's body is found in the trunk. As the prime suspect, Andi wants to prove her innocence, so she joins forces with a nosy but charming former TV private eye in a hilarious attempt to find the killer. I fell in love with Lorena McCourtney's books with her previous series (which ended long before I was ready!) so I was totally thrilled to get to review her newest book, the first in the Andi McConnell Mystery series, Your Chariot Awaits. Andi is a wonderful heroine, old enough to be my mother, but lively and full of life. I fell in love with her and with her nosy TV private eye, Fitz. The secondary characters are all well developed. There are plenty of red herrings in the book to keep the reader guessing, but I correctly guessed the murder before the end of the book. Still, it was well written enough that I had to keep reading to see what happened next. I love this new series and am anxiously awaiting the next book in it. Armchair Interviews says: You'll love this series.

Lorena McCourtney's latest character Andi McConnell bursts onto the fiction scene in Your Chariot Awaits. As the book opens, Andi turns sixty, loses her job at the local insurance company due to a merger, and breaks up with her boyfriend. Oh, and if that isn't enough to make any woman seek her bed with a box of bonbons and a chick flick, Andi inherits a shiny limousine from her uncle and before she can decide what to do with it, a dead body is found in the truck. Not just any body, but that of her recently estranged boyfriend, Jerry who she threatened with a shovel in front of her neighbors. Andi soon becomes a prime suspect in the murder and has no choice but to investigate to clear her name. She teams up with her new acquaintance and potential future love interest, Fitz. Though Fitz's more than willing to help Andi solve the murder, his only qualification for the job is the role of a detective that he played on an old television show. What follows is a bumbling search for the killer, leaving you laughing and smiling all the way through. Though Andi is older than many protagonists in today's fiction market, McCourtney writes Andi in a way that all generations of readers can relate to her. She's spunky, vulnerable, and shares the same fears we all deal with everyday. Even I, an avowed computer nerd, embraced the woman who doesn't own even one computer. Really. Not one. In addition to the fun read and enjoyable characters, McCourtney weaves in a strong spiritual message. She exposes the non-believer Andi to Christianity through a warm, pregnant twenty-something neighbor who encourages but never preaches. And, the unlikely friendship between the two women is believably written and natural despite the years difference in age. So if you're looking for a well written cozy mystery, one that makes you laugh and smile, pick up McCourtney's Your Chariot Awaits. You won't be disappointed.

Lorena McCourtney is back with a new series that proves that just because you're over 50 doesn't mean you still can't have fun. Andi McConnell has just been laid off from her job. Things are still ok though because she's just inherited a limo from a crazy uncle she barely knows. But before she can enjoy her sweet new ride, she's knocked unconscious and wakes up to find a dead body in her trunk. Now Andi has to be on her guard as her house is ransacked and she's being watched to see if she knew the killer's secrets. With her pregnant tenant and an ex TV detective to back her up, will she be able to find the killer before he gets to her? This was a wonderfully fun book to read. I love all the characters in this book. Andi, Fitz, and Joella seem like an unlikely threesome that end up gelling well together. Andi is a wonderful character. I love especially that she was dating a guy younger than her in the beginning of the story. She's very feisty and doesn't consider an age to be a problem to her at all. She doesn't act her age basically. Other than the occasional references to her turning 60, I wouldn't have thought of her as being that old at all. I do hope that in the next book Joella is able to play another role because I like her character very much. I think a series on her would be fun to read as well. Fitz reminds me of an aging Magnum PI, not really old but a TV actor who's past his prime. He has good chemistry with Andi and I'm hoping something will come out of it. The action in the book is fast paced especially the last few chapters. The mystery is very good and I had no clue who the killer really was until the very end. I really admire Andi for still wanting to own that limo even after knowing there was a dead body in it. I would have gotten that car destroyed! While there isn't as much humor as there was in the Ivy Malone stories, I still laughed a lot while reading this book. How Andi gets the car from her eccentric uncle and his way of distribution made me giggle a lot. Especially funny is the scene when Joella thinks she's in labor but it's really due to bad indigestion. The part when the pair realize how bad their breath really is was a hoot. I really can't wait until the next book comes out in the series. It's given me the urge to go find a limo and ride around now!

I loved all the personalities of all the characters in this book. Especially of the dead eccentric rich uncle who left stange articles of inheritance to family members. Andi McConnell at age 60, my age, really made me able to relate to her feelings in the story. The book has great comedy which made me laugh out loud at times, a good who done it story line which kept me guessing till the end. The nosey next door neighbor was an added delight. And what can I say about the limosine with the bulletproof windows and unique inside decore? It added a very fun part to the story. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series which I hope comes out soon. I also loved this author's Ivy Malone Mystery Series which I recommend to all to read.

Lorena McCourtney out-does herself every new book she releases. Just when I think she can't get any better, she does! This book is a thrilling, mysterious, witty, humorous ride! And all in a "limozeen" as the Uncle Ned character calls it. Can't wait for the next book in this series. Once again, thank you Lorena for such a fun read. LOVE IT!!!!!