Mary Kennedy (1)

Dead Air (Talk Radio Mystery, #1) by Mary Kennedy

Maggie is a Psychologist living in Florida. She has a talk radio show,where she helps people with their problems. When a prominent guest Sanjay Ginjii ends up dead, it is clear he was murdered. It does not take long for her friend and roommate Lark to be the number one suspect. Maggie starts to investigate to clear her friend, and solve the mystery.

A fast paced cozy murder mystery with a classic who-done-it style. The suspect list grows as secrets are revealed. Plenty of twists and turns with a splash of humor fit well into the story. Maggie is very likable, as well as her eccentric out spoken mother. Lark is likable too. Overall I found Dead Air enjoyable and feel those who like a a good cozy murder/mystery will enjoy it as well.… (más)

One of the reasons that I love Facebook is the joy in discovering authors that are active on social media. In reading cozy mysteries by Lorraine Bartlett/Lorna Barrett, I also discovered The Cozy Chicks Group on Facebook and The Cozy Chicks Blog with posts from multiple authors. By participating in the online event on 26-Oct-2016, Halloween with The Cozy Chicks, I was lucky to win a French Vanilla candle (my favorite scent!) as one of the prizes from author Mary Kennedy. I was “overdue” to begin reading novels by Mary Kennedy as introduced through The Cozy Chicks so I ordered my first choice of “Nightmares Can Be Murder” (A Dream Club Mystery).

The pleasure of meeting the two (2) sisters, Allison (Ali) and Taylor, warmed my heart particularly with the southern charm that the setting of Savannah, Georgia brings to the storyline. Ali is the owner of Oldies But Goodies vintage candy store and Taylor has come from Chicago to help her sister as sometimes Ali’s creative side distracts her attention from the financial and marketing sides of owning a business. Ali is also hostess to Dream Club members that meet to discuss their dreams and the interpretations of their dreams but also to delight in the exquisite food selections that Ali provides for tasting and especially her desserts. Scout and Barney are the treasured feline companions of sister Ali.

Taylor becomes a sleuth as Ali becomes a “Person of Interest” in a murder and through the interactions with Dream Club members, store customers, meeting Ali’s friends in the community, and a renewal of friendships with others that have moved back to Savannah, there is the perfect opportunity for growth of the series and the rekindling of romance.

I rarely am aware of dreaming let alone remembering anything more than a tiny fragment and the dreams are too infrequent for me to fathom joining a Dream Club but I’d certainly be a customer of the Oldies But Goodies vintage candy store. It’s a cozy mystery that brings memories of times of a slower pace and a few experiences of bliss in the pleasures of southern hospitality.

My lower star rating is due to copy edit errors that are distracting to me as a reader. I am hopeful for improvement as the series continues.
… (más)

A Deadly Fundraiser is the fourth book in the Talk Radio Mystery series.

It was really enjoyable spending some time with Dr. Maggie and Vera Mae.

Dr. Maggie continues to give help to the folks of Cypress Grove and is enjoying her talk radio job at WYME, but everyone deserves some personal time and that is what Maggie is doing in this novella.

The Historical Society and the Preservation Committee have combined efforts and are holding a gala fundraiser to support renovations to Mayfair House. WYME has purchased a block of tickets and Maggie and Vera Mae will be attending the party. One of the first things Vera Mae notices is that the architect for the project, Greg Towner is there with his girlfriend, Sherry Phillips. Also in attendance is his soon to be ex, Lily.

After a while, Molly Sanders, the head of the Preservation Society, announces that there will be a scavenger hunt for those interested and that each room would have a clue as to what the item is and to record the find and the room. Along the way, Maggie and Vera Mae run into Nick Harrison, a reporter and good friend of Maggie’s, and he invites himself along on the scavenger hunt. He convinces his friends that the basement should be next as he heard that there was a speakeasy during Prohibition in the basement. But they find more than a speakeasy. They hear a muffled noise and soon find a hidden room off the speakeasy. In the hidden room, they find racks of vintage wine and the lifeless body of Greg Towner.

So, Maggie and Vera Mae, never ones to pass up a good mystery set off to learn who wanted Towner out of the picture.

I love the characters in this enjoyable series. Maggie is determined young lady not to let much stand in her way as she searches for the killer. But my favorite characters are Vera Mae. Vera Mae is the director/producer of Maggie’s show. You can always count on Vera Mae coming up with a good ol’ down home saying and is always busy keeping Maggie centered. Lola, Maggie’s mother has got to be my favorite. Lola has always been a B-movie star, but to hear her tell it she was the star, not in a snooty way, but just puffing up her roles. It’s really humorous to read how she is planning her next “starring” role.

If you’re looking for an interesting, quick read with a nice dose of humor, give this story a try.

I’ll be watching for the next book in this series.… (más)

This short story is part of the Talk Radio Mysteries series by Mary Kennedy. It isn't necessary to have read any of the previous books in this series to fully enjoy this one. Maggie is a radio talk show host in Florida but just like Frasier Crane, she used to be a psychiatrist. She gave up her practice for an easier life but has found that she's also pretty good at sleuthing. While participating in a scavenger hunt at a local mansion during a high society fundraiser, she and a few other friends stumble across a dead body in a secret passageway. Maggie could just let the police handle the investigation, but as a local radio host, she has an awful lot of connections and people are good at opening up to talk when she's around. It doesn't hurt that she's dating someone in the police department either. The radio show angle is fun, and I love a good scavenger hunt, especially one that takes place in a mansion with secret rooms. If you are looking for a quick mystery with fun characters, try this one.… (más)