Christy Barritt: Gaffe Out Loud

By Kelly Bridgewater

Actress Joey Darling is beginning a new season . . . of her TV show and her life.

Joey Darling’s life is finally on track. Her hit series has been picked up by a new network, her relationship with Detective Jackson Sullivan couldn’t be better, and she’s even bought a house. But right after taking possession, Joey discovers a dead body upstairs.

Joey knows she won’t have any peace until she figures out why a dead woman was left at her house and who killed her. And she desperately needs peace as the “normal” life she’s trying to establish quickly progresses from great to the brink of collapse.

The countdown is ticking as Joey must soon leave to begin filming. But one gaffe after another slows her investigation and makes her question her choices. The closer Joey gets to answers, the more someone is determined to make sure this season of her life is canceled—permanently.

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Reading a Christy Barritt novel is like returning to a family reunion after a couple months away. I get swept up into the character's lives right where Barritt left them in the last book. I watched the characters move forward, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. I enjoy returning to familiar characters and familiar settings. Barritt is also a wonderful creator of cozy mysteries. All of her mysteries are different and unique. I don't know how she does it. As for me, her newest book in the Joey Darling series, Gaffe Out Loud, had a mystery element I didn't see coming, but I thoroughly enjoyed the hunt as Joey and Jackson worked together on their relationship and the hunt for clues. The story moved quickly, and I was sad to see another Barritt novel end, but I know Barritt will write more, so it lifts my spirit. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of any of Barritt's previous 

novels or enjoy a good mystery to pass the time.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

From Amazon

About the Author:

USA Today has called Christy Barritt's books "scary, funny, passionate, and quirky."

A Publishers Weekly best-seller, Christy writes both mystery and romantic suspense novels that are clean with underlying messages of faith. Her books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery, have been twice nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, and have finaled for both a Carol Award and Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year.

She's married to her prince charming, a man who thinks she's hilarious--but only when she's not trying to be. Christy's a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who's known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado.

Christy currently splits her time between the Virginia suburbs and Hatteras Island, North Carolina. She has more than fifty books published with over one million copies sold.

For more information, visit her website: www.christybarritt.com. (Taken from Amazon.)

Christy Barritt: Flaw Abiding Citizen

By Kelly Bridgewater

Where’s the director when you need him to call “cut”?

Just when Joey thinks she’s closer to answers about her father’s mysterious disappearance, more questions surface. The starlet is determined to find her dad and to put an end to the crazy stalker fan club trying to manipulate her decisions. But life has plot twists she can’t see coming.

Secrets abound—secrets from the most unlikely of people—and Joey’s had enough. She’s tired of flawed theories and abiding by other people’s rules. Doing what any good citizen would, she seeks resolution, knowing the stakes are higher than just herself.

Dangerous encounters meet the wannabe detective at every turn. As the end of one mystery draws close, it’s clear that Joey will either end up with the answers she seeks or find herself in the closing credits . . . for one final time.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

I really couldn't wait to get my hand on Flaw Abiding Citizen by Christy Barritt, her latest addition to the Worst Detective Ever Mystery Series. This book is the sixth book and does answer some questions that have been lingering over the series. The romance between Joey and Jackson comes to a screeching halt than picks right up into Hallmark movie style romance. It was a long time coming. Joey finally learned not every guy is going to screw her over like her ex-husband. The friendship between Joey and Zane keeps moving forward with questionable hints at feelings on Zane's part. As for the plot, it focused more on finding Joey's dad than any previous book and the mystery surrounding his disappearance. This book flew by in a couple of hours, and I'm glad I spent time with Joey again. I can't wait for the next installment in the series. With two more books promised featuring Joey, I'm curious where Barritt take her next.

I received a complimentary copy of Flaw Abiding Citizen from Christy Barritt, but the opinions stated are my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Christy Barritt: Blooper Freak

By Kelly Bridgewater

Real life is nothing like TV.

Joey Darling, actress and detective by default, is reminded of this point daily. If only problems could be solved in sixty minutes, complete with commercial breaks, closing credits, and a catchy theme song.

Joey accompanies Detective Jackson Sullivan to a crime scene, only to discover she knows the victim. After a friend is accused of murder, Joey can't refuse her help--however bumbling it might be. Unfortunately, she only seems to dig up more questions instead of desperately needed answers.

When a misguided fan offers clue, Joey discovers something much deeper than a single crime. But can she sort through all the various story lines to get to the truth? Or will one blooper after another put not only the investigation in jeopardy but her life as well?

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Blooper Freak is the fifth installment in the Joey Darling's The Worst Detective Ever Mystery series by Christy Barritt. With mystery and romance, the story centers around a dead body found buried in the sand. Joey continues to use her detective skills from Raven Remington to solve this mystery. With a trail of clues and interviews, Joey is on the way to solving the mystery. But this time around, a friend is accused of being the murderer, so Joey is more determined to clear her friend's name. The romance between Joey and Detective Jackson Sullivan heats up a little more with this installment. Not too cliché romance novel romance, but a romance which grows with respect and admiration as Jackson and Joey learn to trust and learn more about each other. The plot moves quickly as Joey and Jackson work as a team to solve the mystery. I finished the book in a couple of hours, flying through the pages. Overall, Blooper Freak is another wonderful installment in this series. I can't wait to read more of Christy Barritt's writing. 

I received a complimentary copy of Blooper Freak from Christy Barritt, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Christy Barritt: Join the Flub

By Kelly Bridgewater

There’s no business like show business . . . especially when a killer is involved.

Joey Darling’s local movie premiere was supposed to be a win-win for everyone involved. All the proceeds would go to the children’s wing at a local hospital, and the online buzz would create positive press for the area’s tourism. But things go awry when the event is sabotaged and Joey’s stunt double is seriously injured.

Suspects seem sparser than quality G-rated movies, and police fear the intended target was actually Joey. Detective Jackson Sullivan and neighbor Zane Oakley—two men competing for Joey’s affection—insist on trading off guard duty until the bad guy is behind bars. To make matters even worse, Joey’s ex shows up right before the release of his tell-all book about his life with the Hollywood sweetheart.

Someone seems determined to create real-life drama. But Joey isn’t one to be deterred. Though a movie-worthy villain wants to pull the plug on this production—and maybe even on a few people’s lives—Joey is determined that the show must go on.

http://www.christybarritt.com/book/join-the-flub/

My Thoughts:

Every book by Christy Barritt is usually a part of a series. She does a good job at writing serial novels where the characters are repeated over and over. She did this with her Gabby St. Clair series, and she is doing it again with her Joey Darling, aka Worst Detective Ever series. I always feel like I'm returning to a friend's house and watching my friend as she struggles through life, romance, and a different mystery in every book. I do love this! It brings me back every time.

With her latest addition to the Joey Darling series, Join the Flub, I still feel the same way. I feel like I'm following my friend Joey around as she struggles with her life and all the issues it brings. This time, if you have been reading the previous three novels, we come closer to realize who in the love triangle that Joey actually likes more. The sparks fly more in this book than in any of the previous ones. As for the plot, Barritt always does a great job at throwing the character into a difficult situation in the first chapter, then we have the rest of the novel to follow Joey around as she tries to solve the mystery and keep herself alive.

Overall, Join the Flub is a good addition to the Worst Detective Ever series, and I highly recommend it to fans of cozy mysteries with a hint of romance. The story speaks to the mystery loving person I am, and the characters are fascinating with a wonderful mystery to solve.

I received a complimentary copy of Join the Flub by Christy Barritt from Christy Barritt, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Christy Barritt: Reign of Error

By Kelly Bridgewater

Sometimes in life, you just want to yell “Take two!” When a Polar Plunge goes terribly wrong and someone dies in the icy water, former TV detective Joey Darling wants nothing to do with subsequent investigation. But when her picture is found in the dead man’s wallet and witnesses place her as the last person seen with the man, she realizes she’s been cast in a role she never wanted: suspect. Joey makes the dramatic mistake of challenging the killer on camera, and now it’s a race to find the bad guy before he finds her. Danger abounds and suspects are harder to find than the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island. But when Joey finds a connection with this case and the disappearance of her father, she knows there’s no backing out. As hard as Joey tries to be like her super detective alter ego, the more things go wrong. Will Joey figure this one out? Or will her reign of error continue?

From Amazon

 My Thoughts:

Reign of Error by Christy Barritt continues her story featuring Joey Darling as she hunts for her missing father. From the first chapter, I was drawn into the suspense with a dead body coming on shore after the Polar Plunge. Throughout the novel, Joey with help from Zane and Jackson, tries to solve the murder of "Mark Hamill" as she refers to the dead man. As for the pace of the novel, it seemed to move a little too slow for my taste. Yes, Joey did chase the bad guys and hunt for clues, but Barritt does follow the convictions and formula for a mystery. The romance . . . there appears to be  a love triangle brewing under the surface. Nothing has happened, but Barritt leaves you wondering what guy she will ultimately pick in the end. Even though the novel moved a little slow for my taste, I still enjoyed the novel and can't wait to read Safety in Blunders, which is the next book.

I received a complimentary copy of Reign of Error from Christy Barritt, and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

What do you think of murder mysteries? Do you think they should be described in the story, so that you feel like you're there or keep in the background like most mysteries and cozy mysteries do?