natesbookstack's review
5.0
The second book in the Discreet Retreval Agency absolutely does not disappoint. Sometimes a second book can drag or try too hard to be similar to the first. This while being a murder mystery is still just as funny and Lola finds herself in even crazier situations. Many parts of the book had me laughing out loud, sometimes my boyfriend would start laughing because he wanted to be a part of the hysterics.
Lola Woodsby, left penniless by her philandering dead husband and her cook Berta begin their own Discreet Retreival Agency in the first book and catch a murderer. They come back in this story hired by the mother of a bride to be to retrieve a diary that she writes in. Of course it is not very simple they need to go to a health farm on Long Island run by Lola’s ex brother in law Chisholm. One morning while trying to get the diary from the bride to be the groom to be’s mother is found murdered at the health farm. The bride to be is found missing as well as her diary. Lola and Berta are fired but then hired by the husband of the dead woman to solve her murder. Hijinks and hilarity ensue and RALPH COMES BACK!!!!!!!
Lola Woodsby, left penniless by her philandering dead husband and her cook Berta begin their own Discreet Retreival Agency in the first book and catch a murderer. They come back in this story hired by the mother of a bride to be to retrieve a diary that she writes in. Of course it is not very simple they need to go to a health farm on Long Island run by Lola’s ex brother in law Chisholm. One morning while trying to get the diary from the bride to be the groom to be’s mother is found murdered at the health farm. The bride to be is found missing as well as her diary. Lola and Berta are fired but then hired by the husband of the dead woman to solve her murder. Hijinks and hilarity ensue and RALPH COMES BACK!!!!!!!
multiclass_geek's review
4.0
In this follow-up to Come Hell or Highball, the story continues with another case for the Discreet Retrieval Agency. The story has good character growth; not just the same story repeated. Lola has to come to terms with her new occupation and stop trying to pretend she's not a private eye. Berta and Ralph also have their own character growth.
ninjamuse's review
2.0
In brief: Lola Woodby and her Swedish cook have been hired to retrieve an incriminating diary from a health spa—but their plans are derailed when another guest is murdered! Who did it? Why? And will that fink of a detective apologize for running off to Cuba? Second in a series.
Thoughts: This is another of those “the second in the series doesn’t hold up” books. I don’t know whether Chance was trying too hard, or not hard enough, to capture the 1920s feel, or whether her characterization was off, whether she was writing too fast and carelessly or I simply knew the shtick from the last book, but this fell flat for me in a pretty big way. It was enjoyable enough to burn through, gave me an adequate number of laughs, was strong enough not to give away the culprit or motive, but I’m not sure I’ll be continuing with the series and I was glad to close it and move on to something else.
Warnings: Not really, but another of those “white and straight” ones. Heterosexual does he/doesn’t he shenanigans.
5/10
Thoughts: This is another of those “the second in the series doesn’t hold up” books. I don’t know whether Chance was trying too hard, or not hard enough, to capture the 1920s feel, or whether her characterization was off, whether she was writing too fast and carelessly or I simply knew the shtick from the last book, but this fell flat for me in a pretty big way. It was enjoyable enough to burn through, gave me an adequate number of laughs, was strong enough not to give away the culprit or motive, but I’m not sure I’ll be continuing with the series and I was glad to close it and move on to something else.
Warnings: Not really, but another of those “white and straight” ones. Heterosexual does he/doesn’t he shenanigans.
5/10
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