Trouble in Dixie: A Familiar Legacy Novel

Happy Friday!  I hope you have had a pleasant week.  Familiar Legacy is a series about a cat named Trouble who fancies himself a sleuth.  The series consists of Familiar Trouble, Trouble in Dixie and Trouble in Tallahassee which will be out on September 12.  

Trouble in Dixie by Rebecca Barrett is the second book in the Familiar Legacy series.  Julia Hampton is cat sitting, Trouble for her friend, Tammy Lynn.   Julia lives in Savannah, Georgia and is a PI for her firm, The Hampton Detective Agency. Julia’s degree in Russian Art History comes in handy when she is asked to investigate an art theft for The Weatherby Insurance Agency.  Julia is asleep when Trouble hears noises in the office below.  Julia, with Trouble’s assistance, scares off the thieves.  Nothing was taken from her office, but the intruders seemed particularly interested in her files (which are now scattered around the office).   The next day Julia heads to her meeting with Peter Ryder at The Weatherby Insurance Agency after retrieving her briefcase (she left it at her parents’ home the previous night with the files Ryder gave her).  Peter has not shown up for work and is not answering his phone.  He had asked Julia to look into the theft of a Nicolai Fechin portrait along some missing Russian jewelry.  Is Peter’s disappearance related to the thefts?   Julia with some unexpected assistance (along with Trouble) sets out to get answers and recover the missing items.

Trouble in Dixie is a light cozy mystery novel.  While the second book in the series, it can be read alone (easily).  I found the story easy to read and to have a good flow.  I also appreciated the beautiful old Southern setting of Savannah, Georgia.  However, I found the story to be lackluster (lacked dimension).  The focus is on romance (what is happening to cozy mysteries).  The mystery portion (what there is of it) is easily solved.  Most of the mystery plays out, but the bad guy can easily be picked out.  I wanted more solid content and less thinking about handsome Mitch Lawson.  Less repetition about Julia’s background would also have been appreciated (from old money, good family, etc.).  I am rating Trouble in Dixie 3 out of 5 stars.  I was entertained by Trouble’s chapters.  I liked Trouble more in Trouble in Dixie than I did in Familiar Trouble.  He was light-hearted and humorous.  Aunt Ethel was a hoot.  I wish she had been the main character (an eccentric older woman).   Trouble in Dixie is a cute story, but I am just not the right audience.  I like more mystery (complicated, hard to solve) in my cozy mysteries. If I wanted that much romance (where it dominates the book), I would (rarely) pick up a romance novel.  

I appreciate you reading my latest book review. May each of you have a stupendous Friday.  I will be reviewing Pieces of Happiness by Anne Ostby the next time.  I am enjoying Grave Errors by Carol J. Perry.  I hope each of you have a delightful book to entertain you and take you on a grand adventure.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Familiar Trouble: A Familiar Legacy Novel

Greetings!  I had the best surprise this weekend.  A neighbor that I have not met before saw me outside and asked if I owned a calico cat.  Miss Penny, our long haired calico, disappeared almost a year ago from our yard (an escapee), and I was never able to find her (despite my walking and driving around calling her name).  She has been two houses down this entire time!  Miss Penny lucked out finding such kind people to take care of her.  My mother and I are thrilled to have her home.  

Familiar Trouble by Carolyn Haines is the first book in Familiar Legacy series.  Tammy Lynn owns the Book Basket in Wetumpka, Alabama where she lives with her cat, Trouble.  Tammy is at Rook’s Vantage stargazing when she hears a noise.  She walks over, investigates and is attacked by a person in black.  Tammy ends up unconscious. When she awakes, she finds that all four tires of her vehicle have been slashed.  Deputy Aiden Waters transferred to Wetumpka six months prior.  He is on the trail of the Silk Stalking Killer (SSK) who killed his wife.  Debby Caldwell, a local bank worker, has disappeared and Trouble has found a vital clue near where Tammy was attacked.  Did Tammy interrupt SSK the night before?  Aiden has begun to care for Tammy and now her life is threatened. He does not want to lose another woman he cares about to this serial killer. Trouble puts his detective skills to work to help Aiden and Tammy catch the elusive SSK.  

Familiar Trouble is a spin-off of the Familiar series by Carolyn Haines.  In this series, we are introduced to Trouble, Familiar’s son who is a fan of Sherlock Holmes.  I thought Familiar Trouble was an easy to read cozy mystery.  I enjoyed the sections written in Trouble’s point-of-views.    I found them entertaining and would have enjoyed more.   My rating for Familiar Trouble is 3 out of 5 stars. I felt, though, that the characters lacked depth.  The author did not provide enough background detail on Tammy Lynn (more detail is provided on Trouble than Tammy).  The mystery idea was interesting, but I identified the killer before the first body turned up.   There is a small suspect pool and one individual stood out.  It would have been better if the author had included more action and had upped the suspense factor.  The romance factor is prominent and moves quickly.  I found many details repeated several times throughout the story (like the author was padding the story).  If you are burnt out and looking for a little light reading, then take a look at Familiar Trouble.  The next book in the series is Trouble in Dixie by Rebecca Barrett.  It turns out (I found this out after I read the book) that each book in the Familiar Legacy series is being written by a different author (and seem to have different main characters--Trouble is the one constant).

I appreciate you reading my latest review.  I am currently reading The Dream Keeper's Daughter by Emily Colin (it is way too long).  May each of you have a wonderful day.  I will be reviewing A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White next time.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader