Couldn't get past the bad writing. Also seemed like the author forgot what happened in the first book. Seemed inconsistent. Wanted more recipes too. ( )

Enough of Teeny already. One two many of a ditzy blonde with the inhaler. ( )

“Fresh Meat” by Terrie Farley Moran for Criminal Element

To celebrate March Madness, Criminal Element had their own clichés of crime death brackets. The final bracket had serial killers facing off against cooking cozies. I voted to get rid of the serial killers once and for all. I’m appalled that many of you actually want to kill the cooking cozies.

Obviously you’ve never met Teeny Templeton, who first appeared in Gone with a Handsomer Man written by Michael Lee West, and now is back again.

Sure, Teeny is a super cook, excellent baker and can develop recipes that will melt in your mouth and harden your arteries all at the same time. But that is only a small part of her life.

Everyone thinks Teeny’s man troubles are over since she found herself a sweetie, her old childhood crush and present day lawyer Coop O’Malley. But dark clouds are never far away and it seems Mr. Perfect may have forgotten to mention he has an out-of-wedlock child, whose mother is Teeny’s lifelong adversary, Barb. Can’t be good. Can only get worse...and so it does.

Read the rest at: http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2012/04/fresh-meat-teeny-bit-of-trouble-mic...

I didn't even have to read inside the front cover to know I'd love this book. I love Michael Lee West's books! She is an awesome southern writer. I checked the book out and brought it home without even opening it- and it did not disappoint. Teeny, like all Wests heroines, is easy to love. Wests' females are human- imperfect, sometimes a little neurotic, and always easy to identify with. Teeny makes mistakes. She can be impulsive and stubborn. She has bad hair days (every day), and has a strange fashion sense. The reader is immediately drawn to her. Who wouldn't be on her side? Her boyfriend may be seeing his beautiful (and evil) ex. A smart-alek ten-year-old claims he is her father. Then, after witnessing a murder, Teeny is in fear for her own life. Life has never been easy for Teeny- her own mother abandoned her at the local Dairy Queen when she was only eight years old. Raised by her loving Aunt Bluette, Teeny has had do to the very best she could with what little she had to work with. This is what makes her vulnerable. It also gives her strength. Teeny is a gourmet cook, finding recipes for every situation (including The Right To Remain Silent Salsa and I've Already Hired An Attorney Chips). Recipes are included!

West writes a great mystery. I had no idea which character(s) were guilty until the very end. (Don't worry, I won't spoil it.) This book was hard to put down. There were twists and turns on every single page. Just when you think you've got it all figured out, another clue is unearthed which changes everything. Once again, Michael Lee West has written a great southern read- an a great mystery as well.

Read this book if...
*you love southern fiction
*you love a great mystery
*you love "small town novels"
*You are a fan of Michael Lee West

view this review on my blog at : http://freespiritbooks.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-teeny-bit-oftrouble.html ( )

I like Michael Lee West's zany characters and Southern-fried setting, but the theme of this murder mystery (organ harvesting) was clunky, and the pacing was off. The final scene dragged on way too long. Also, romantically, Son Finnegan was more appealing than Coop. ( )