Review of Lowcountry Bombshell (A Liz Talbot Mystery, #2)

I was fortunate enough to win a free copy of Susan M. Boyer’s first Liz Talbot Mystery, Lowcountry Boil last year from Goodreads. This year I am a member of NetGalley and have had the privilege of receiving an electronic copy of Ms. Boyer’s latest Liz Talbot Mystery, Lowcountry Bombshell for the specific purpose of reading and reviewing on my Blog, Living Life by the Seat of Your Pants.

These mysteries are like so many others that I have read lately, and have become a favorite distraction of mine. They are light, fun, set in small towns that are full of quirky, and also dangerous characters – a great, short time distraction for all that ails us in our stressful, hectic everyday lives.

In Lowcountry Bombshell, Private Eye Liz Talbot has recently moved back to the North Carolina Island town of her birth, Stella Maris. Her new client is the doppelganger of a certain 1950’s Blond starlet who died too early surrounding mysterious circumstances that to this day still baffle us.

Coming upon the 50^th anniversary of said starlets’ death, Liz’s client, whose life has run a close parallel to the Blond Bombshell – at the beginning we don’t know if it was patented that way or fabricated, hires Liz to “…keep me alive.”

I do like how Ms. Boyer gets right into the flow of the issues – starting with the first chapter – right off the bat. The story is full of twists and turns, touches on crazy family members and unsavory characters, murder, attempted murder, and even a bit of romance and rivalry.

Unlike her counterparts in this genre, such as Janet Evanovich, Lorna Barrett, Joanne Fluke, and even Charlaine Harris (her lesser know characters – Harper Connelly, Lily Bard and Aurora Teagarden), I’m hoping Ms. Boyer presents more scenes and background on the quirky cast of characters of Stella Maris in future books.  

I look forward to reading more of Liz Talbot’s adventures for many years to come!

Lowcountry Bombshell (A Liz Talbot Mystery, #2)

Henery Press
Publication Date: September 3, 2013

Disclaimer:
This book was provided to reviewer from the publisher, Henery Press through NetGalley for the sole purpose of reading and review.

Home Is Where the Heart Is...

I haven’t lived in Massachusetts for almost 19 years. Yet, as I sit in my parent’s kitchen I know that this is home and always will be…even if they are the ones to move.

I still tell people when I leave San Diego to come to Mass that, “I’m going home.” Whether it’s for a week, a month or longer – time does not matter.

It’s possible that I may never come back to live….or, I could, who knows? I don’t.

Mom asks me every time I get laid off (which for those of you who know my track record, is about every 3 years), “So, are you moving back?”

This time, I told her I’m waiting for divine intervention, whether it’s for a job or just because it’s time for me to leave SoCal…or stay in California. I don’t know. And that’s okay with me…for now.

Massachusetts is where the highest concentration of my family is, even though some have left – to Texas, New Hampshire, Florida, New Jersey, North Carolina, Virginia, New York, California, and others have never lived here – Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Maryland, this is still Home - to me.

People ask me why I moved to San Diego and I tell them the story of how my Mom’s best friends’ daughter who used to babysit me and who we’ve known since I was four (basically my big sister), was living in San Diego and she tried to urge me to come out there – maybe go to college there. I didn’t.

But when I was in my “first real job” after college for about a year, I finally made my flight plans in April to go to San Diego in June, and the next the day there was a reorganization at my work and I could have been laid off, but they kept me on until June and then laid me off – so I took it as a sign that maybe it was time to venture out into the world - divine intervention mingled with me making a choice.

So, I went to San Diego for a few weeks, came back & in September drove with “big sis”. Figured I’d be there for a year or two…Alas, it’s been almost 19 years.  Talk about time flying!

I have never had tons and tons of friends (although you wouldn’t know it by my 1050+ Facebook friends ;D ) – but Social Media has done wonders for connecting with old friends, family, business associates, classmates who weren’t so friendly (but I guess time and maturity heals those wounds), family you’ve never met, and starting relationships and maintaining them with new people you meet.

Now, I have connected with people and when I’m home I try to see them, and when I’m 3,000 miles away I miss them but can still stay in touch.  It’s very amusing when I think of it, that if I chose to move back I will have a larger group of friends to see and hang out with than when I left!

So I sit in my parent’s kitchen - watch Dad eat lunch and read a book, wait for Mom to come home from the grocery store, anticipate seeing my sister and cousin tonight, and hope to see my adorable niece, and brother and sister-in-law again before I leave, I finish this post and think about moving back and what that would bring. I still have no idea one way or another, and am waiting for divine intervention to step in and pinch me – with me having the choice. But, I’m glad that for right now - I Am Home.