Linda Lovely’s Brie Hooker series debuted with Bones to Pick, and Lovely’s back with the sequel, Picked Off, every bit as filled with humor, wrapped in a great mystery.
Vegan Brie Hooker finds herself living with her Aunt Eva at Udderly Kidding Dairy goat farm in South Carolina. Their barn is hosting a costume fund-raiser for Eva’s friend, Carol Strong, running for Governor. Carol’s hunkey football player son is scheduled to arrive, too, a nice prospect as Brie can’t decide between to equally attractive men, good friends, who both want to date her.
Then an scary incident that night brings injury and makes the barn a crime scene. It sets off a string of events that include a kidnapping, blackmail, and lead to murder.
There’s a serious string of crimes happening, despite the humor Lovely injects to balance the happenings. Brie finds herself using doing her darndest to get to the bottom of things, often putting herself at risk.
Brie’s a gutsy gal, and easy to like, but she’s not a pushover. Smart and strong, Brie somehow manages to to stay on top of the eccentric characters while she gets to the bottom of the nastiness. There are hijinks coupled with real terror and life-threatening action at times.
With the southern setting perfectly drawn, Lovely’s mysteries provide plenty of action with a complex plot. This is the perfect series for summer beach reading.
Thanks so much for the wonderful review! Much appreciated. I have tons of fun writing this series. I’ve even taken part in two goat yoga classes for the series.
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Okay, gotta ask… what the heck is goat yoga? ; )
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Micki, it’s a lot of fun but there’s a lot more playing with baby and mama goats than there is yoga. Google “goat Yoga” and you’ll find a ton of photos and clips. The idea is to help you be in the moment and appreciate nature.
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It appears my answer to Micki Browning about goat yoga may not have been seen by all. Goat yoga is a hoot. At Split Creek Goat Dairy, between Clemson and Anderson, a yoga instructor conducts a yoga class outdoors. We place our mats on the grass and after we begin the kids (baby goats) are let loose. They are playful and curious. They may run between your legs, prance on your back, or try to eat your shoelace. Their antics will make you laugh, which is also a healthy exercise. In one of the sessions, we went out into the pasture with the nannies, who, it turned out, were even more curious (and focused) than the babies. They would lean against you as you stretched, nibble the back of your shirt, and, at times it seemed, try to imitate you. Great fun–with the goal of being in the moment and part of nature.
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