Definitely suspenseful, trying to figure out the murder of a young woman next door. Full of unusual twists. Good read!

The characters really grabbed me in the first book but the continued use of profanity in this series, however minimal, distracts and takes away from what could be a good cozy series.

Takes place in Oakwood, Ohio. No one knew who wrote the "Ask Jackie Advice Column" for the Oakwood Register.that answered questions by advising how to handle problems. Charley Carpenter lives with her wheelchair bound father and has a store called The Hat that has been vandalized. Next door a new family has moved in and the older daughter of the wife has been murdered. Charley and her boyfriend Detective Marc Trenault uncover family secrets of the new neighbors that lead them into exciting things that keep you on your toes. Ends with a very good epilogue.

Third in the series, first that I have read. Loved it! Set in Ohio, just outside of Wright- Patterson AFB.
Not sure the description of the colonel who is also a surgeon wearing suits to work or having an aide are accurate but it made for an interesting twist in the story. The story kept me guessing, the characters are well written and most are adorable. Love the interaction between Charlie’s father and his caregiver and all the friends. Very supportive community in this book. I liked all the reveals. Read and enjoy. Will go back and read the first two as soon as I get the chance.

This is the third installment in the Oakwood series and they just keep getting better.
Charlie and her friends, along with her beau Detective Marc Brixton try to untangle the mystery of the dead woman in the house next door. His boss and the Sheriff try to block Marc at every turn due to a personal grudge ..but the group perseveres, risking arrest...but not in time to avoid another death in the same family.
Secrets abound, and the letter in the advice column Charley connects to the murder..seems to point at family...but is it the right family member? Charley suspects several, one who is cleared by her own death...but new leads seem to point at then clear her suspect pool.
I love the way the group chases down clues and follows them to the murderer....not the person arrested or their own favorite suspect.
I've enjoyed this series and requested an ARC from NetGalley as soon as I saw it was on offer, and have already recommended it to cozy reading friends.

What fun to visit my old stompin' grounds. I love that I can picture just where you are talking about. The mystery was well done. I was surprised how slow I was to figure out who did it. I got sidetracked by smaller story lines. The book has so much going on that I totally lost track of time. Next thing I knew it was the wee hours of the night. That, for me, says the book has an attention grabbing story..

Charley Carpenter is know around town as business owner, daughter, girlfriend, neighbor, and civilian sleuth who has helped the local police solve a few murders and mysteries. In her community, everyone is extended family that watches out for each other...until a new family moves in next door to Charley and her Father. While the new family doesn’t return the sentiment, when tragedy strikes the family, Charley is determined to seek justice for the family and care for this in need.

Local police detective, and Charley’s boyfriend, Marcus comes home from a trip to find he arch nemesis has taken over the investigation and he isn’t allowed to even offer his thoughts on the case. This puts Charley in a bad spot, but she won’t let her neighbors down and she begins to unravel the mystery of murder. Along the way, Charley and her friends make some discoveries that the lead detective on the case couldn’t even begin to uncover since he’s so determined to charge the wrong man rather than look deeper.

This is the third in a series and is a new author to me. I enjoyed the well developed plot and characters and the murderer was a great mystery until the very end. This is a great read that you will become thoroughly absorbed in. I can’t wait to read the first two books in the series!

This is an engrossing mystery with intelligent characters and a plot concerned with the important issue of child abuse. Charlie Carpenter has a reputation for crime solving in her small Ohio town along with a relationship with the local homicide detective, Mark. A new family has moved in next door and they are particularly unfriendly, but one night Charlie meets Sarah, the daughter of Judith who is married to Dr. Paxton Sharpe. Sarah seems to be asking for Charlie's help but is called back inside. Several days later Sarah is murdered, her body found by Charlie. Local Sheriff deputy George Drummond is put in charge of the investigation and he has a bad history with Mark so Charlie is told to stand back. However when she discovers a secret about Judith's twins she gets involved anyway and is the one to find the truth. I highly recommend this book.
S