PICKED OFF by Linda Lovely
The Second Brie Hooker Mystery

A Halloween themed political fundraiser for Eva's friend, Carol Strong, turns frightening when people start running from the haunted barn. The cause is not the scary decorations, but rather the bloody body of Carol's son, Zach, star quarterback of the Las Vegas Aces. With Zack in a coma, Brie tries to puzzle out who attacked him. Was it one of the local enemies from his past? Did it come from a disgruntled football fan or someone from his team? Or was the attack politically motivated, a way to bring down his mother and stop her running for governor? While Eva comforts Carol, Brie, along with Mollye, Andy, and Paint search for the truth.

Lies, deception, and trust are at the heart of this second Brie Hooker mystery. Who is telling the truth? Who can you trust? There are lots of characters with ulterior motives and plenty of suspects and I, for one, wasn't trusting anyone! The mystery was cleverly plotted with plenty of action and lots of humor. My favorite bits included scenes with Duncan and Rita! I could picture their antics as well as their heroics perfectly! Although not a fan of love triangles in mystery series, I do like the underlying friendship and camaraderie of all three characters. Indeed family and friendship is at the heart of this series.

PICKED OFF is a fun mystery that celebrates friends and family while providing plenty of action and laughs.

In this second in series the author has included the perfect mystery elements. This book has a crime, a kidnapping and political intrigue. Bree is enjoying her new life working at the dairy farm and fitting into the small town. I love that she is a fellow vegan and determined to educate those around her with the failings of eating animals. It is so refreshing to have a vegan protagonist !
As Halloween approaches Bree and her Aunt Eva are setting up a haunted barn for the festivities on their dairy farm. After the son of a friend is injured , Bree is investigating why someone would want to attack him. Of course her investigation will lead her down a path of danger of a kidnapping and many clues abound before the culprit is found. Along with the sleuth are many different elements that make this book so fun to read. There is a lot of action and humor along the way.
I enjoyed all of the suspense, the twist and turns and the supporting charcters. Part of the fun of this series is the relationship between Bree and her Aunt Eva. There is much to love about this wonderful series. I look forward to the next in series.
Thank you for the ARC which did not influence my review.

PICKED OFF, the second book in the Brie Hooker Mysteries by Linda Lovely, is a terrific addition to a zany series that will keep you entertained! From the opening scene to the final chapter, there are several attention grabbing plotlines to keep the reader turning pages. Protagonist, Brie Hooker, is a vegan yet finds herself working at her Aunt Eva’s Udderly Kidding goat dairy farm, tending to 400 goats. Surrounded by meat and cheese loving family and friends, Brie still holds her own and has taken it as her mission to convert them by introducing her vegan fare a little at a time. Aunt Eva is quite the character and the repartee that she and Brie have is quite humorous. I also enjoy Brie’s curses of choice, which are concoctions of meat and cheese phrases. This adds to the colorfulness of the dialog without resorting to inappropriate language. Another colorful addition is Brie’s best friend, Mollye. She is a great sidekick and adds more hilarity to each scene she’s in. Also, I can’t overlook the two male supporting characters, Andy and Paint. These hunky best friends both want to date Brie and she in turn is enamored of them both. While I don’t mind a love triangle starting out in a series, I’m not a fan of it continuing past the first book. For me, in this instance, it did detract from the overall plot and mystery which is unfortunate because I do love the characters and Ms. Lovely’s writing style.

That said, when the story centered on the mystery at hand I was enthralled! A contender for South Carolina’s governorship goes missing, her pro-football quarterback son is attacked, and his old high school friend is found murdered. Not only was I kept guessing about who the killer could be, I was kept guessing about who the intended victim(s) really were and why they were the victim. Could it be someone who opposes the political candidate or does someone from Vegas have it in for the quarterback? Haunted houses, secrets from the past, sketchy news reporters, and the theme of gambling are woven into this fun read!

Picked Off by Linda Lovely is the 2nd book in A Brie Hooker Mystery series, and another great addition. Brie and her aunt Eva, are hosting a fundraiser at Kidding Dairy when a local celebrity is attacked with a pitch fork. Why would someone attack him at their dairy, Brie vows to find out. Once I started this book, I could not stop reading it until I was done. Not only is this book an exciting mystery but also very refreshing and a quick read. If you love fun cozy mysteries, which are my favorite, you will love this book.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is such a fun series and it is interesting to see how the mystery plays out since it does not hinge on someone being murdered.

I've really enjoyed getting to know these characters - Brie the vegan chef, her wacky friend Mollye, Aunt Eva, and of course the two men vying for Brie's affection - Paint and Andy. And of course the goat farm's name is very creative - Udderly Kidding.

This book pulled in politics, attempted murder, kidnapping, and gambling into the why of the mystery. There is a murder but as I said earlier, it is not what causes Brie and the gang to start looking into this curious situation. I was partially surprised at how the mystery portion unveiled. While I wasn't totally shocked at who was behind it all, it did take awhile before I guessed it might be this character.

I still love the way Brie uses meat and cheese to substitute for curse words. It cracks me up every time.

This is a fun series and the only thing that might make it better is some vegan recipes.

Picked Off
A Brie Hooker Mystery, Book #2
Linda Lovely
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Udderly Kidding Dairy is hosting a campaign fundraiser for Eva’s best friend, who hopes to be South Carolina’s next governor. The candidate’s son, a pro quarterback, is flying home for the wingding. And Brie’s eager to get a close-up view of the cute tush she’s admired on TV, even though she’s reluctantly sworn off even more tempting local beefcake.

The campaign fundraiser promises to be a huge success until a pitchfork attack turns the goat farm into a crime scene—again. To protect her friends, Brie puts her sleuthing skills to work. Will she live long enough to find out who’s behind a vicious assault, a kidnapping, blackmail, and murder? (Goodreads)


Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. I like the interactions between Brie, Aunt Eva and Mollye, Brie’s friend. They are sometimes outrageous and always funny. I enjoy spending time with them and seeing what they are up to. I have to say that I wish Brie would make up her mind about her love interests, Paint and Andy. I started getting frustrated with her wishy washy ways. That is only my opinion and others may not feel the same way. I hope the next book settles the issue.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and she created a farm setting that was teeming with some incredible animals, especially one special mule. The mystery had enough suspects and clues to consider and even though I thought I knew who had done the deed, I was wrong. But that is okay with me.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. And if you are an animal lover, you should read this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Henery Press, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

What drew me to this story was that I did read the previous book and did want to continue the story. The cover draws you in with its farm theme.

This book can be read as a standalone. I like the wit, the characters have spunk and relevancy of issues being discussed in the book. Just be forewarned there is much innuendo in this book. The plot is engaging and there is humor even if some of it falls flat.

This one deals with gambling addiction, greed and of course, jealousy. It is set in around Halloween and can be added to the holiday themed book section.

It took a while for the murder to occur, I read cozy mysteries to solve a murder or a puzzle and be entertained.

My favorite time of year! The Halloween season is upon Udderly Kidding Dairy, along with election season. Brie Hooker and her Aunt Eva are dead center in all the activities.
When a famous football star is attacked in the haunted barn and his mother, the candidate, goes missing Brie and friends (yes, just friends, for now) take it upon themselves to find out who and why, along with what makes Zack's phone so important.

The animals are not as involved in this book as the previous one, but the humans are acting like animals! The story twists and tangles, making everyone question if and how the assaults are related. The action moves forward at a terse, tense, quick pace. It gently focuses on some adult issues but the writing is not graphic, so as to offend. You can read this as a stand alone mystery.

I loved some colorful phrases and hope I find occassion to use them myself.

I accepted a copy of this book to review. The opinions are my own. I can't wait to see where they all go from here. Brie may be the main heroine, but Mollye sometimes steals the spotlight.

The second book in the Brie Hooker series is another story covering a serious matter. The goats, donkey, the guard dogs are there to add relief as the tension grows as things become difficult for Brie and her Aunt Eva. A dread Lover's Triangle is developing and it is slightly different.
At Udderly Kidding Dairy friends have gathered to plan a fundraiser for Carol Strong, Eva best friend who is running governor of South Carolina. It has Halloween theme with a haunted house. Carol's son is the quarterback for a professional football team that is expected to go the Superbowl. The fundraiser is a success until the quarterback is an attack with a pitchfork in the haunted barn. The dairy is again a crime scene attracting a lot of media because of persons involved. Brie and her friends begin to explore for answers. They will discover revenge, murder, betrayal and vicious assault before they find answers. I highly recommend the book and series.

Disclosure: Many thanks to Henery Press for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.

Halloween brings a fundraising costume party for Carol Stone who is running for South Carolina governor. A friend of Eva and Brie, the farm is the site of the event. When the event is disrupted by opponents and Carol's pro quarterback son is critically injured, Brie and friends jump right into the fray. Carol's disappearance complicates the case. An entertaining search for the perpetrators leads Brie and her pals on a chase through the woods and leads to their capture.

The review appears on MapYourMystery.com Monday, May 7.

I don't think I've reviewed a book that has disappointed me as much as this second in Linda Lovely's Brie Hooker Mystery series. The tone was off-putting relating to sexual and political matters, the main character largely unlikeable and the descriptions of the people of South Carolina an anti-tourism success. Coupled with this was an incomprehensible religious reference that was offensive. I was so looking forward to 'Picked Off' after the series introduction, and I'm sorry it turned out like this.

This was a good follow up to the first book in the series. Brie is back and this time she is investigating why someone would want to attack the son of her aunt's best friend. Of course her investigation will lead her to be in danger.

I really liked reading about Brie, her Aunt Eva, and her friends. I enjoyed how they all came together to investigate what was going on. What I didn't like about this book was Brie's dilemma in regards to Paint and Andy. She needs to make up her mind whether or not to be in a relationship with one of them. I am starting to find it creepy that Paint and Andy don't mind that the other is flirting and trying to be with Brie. I hope this doesn't last long in this series.

I really enjoyed that there was a lot of action in this book. It seemed like Brie was in danger a lot during this book and I enjoyed all of the suspense.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the galley.

When Brie and her friends Paint and Andy are getting Udderly Kidding Dairy ready for a Halloween fundraiser for her Aunt Eva's best friend Carol Strong, who is running for governor, all talk is about Carol's son Zack, who grew up with the two men and has now made it big in football. But no sooner are they talking about him when he shows up to visit with his old friends.

Once the costumed affair is underway, everyone seems to be having a good time...until Zack is found unconscious in the barn, having been hit on the head and then stabbed with a pitchfork. The attack has left him in a coma, and since almost everyone wore a mask, no one can tell who the attacker might have been.

But it doesn't stop there. Soon Carol disappears, and both Brie and Eva thinks she might have been kidnapped. It doesn't help that suddenly the town is filled with people from Zack's football team, including a pair of hired thugs who are more menacing than protective. And if Brie doesn't figure out what's going on pretty soon, she might be the next one in the line of fire...

First off, I should get the things that bothered me out of the way: Having read the first one, I was looking forward to this book. However, this time out, Brie is really concerned with sex (as she reminds us how long she's been celibate). Also, as I've said before, if this were a man and he were making remarks about two women who were interested in him, the demographics would be a whole lot different on peoples' opinion of the book.

Her friend Mollye, who is supposed to be witty and funny, comes off like a twisted teenager in this book. She's constantly making sexual innuendos which seem out of place considering there's a man in the hospital and his mother is missing. I just felt that she never took the situation seriously; it gave me the impression that this book was centered more on the romantic angle, and because of that, the mystery angle suffered. It wasn't until the second half of the book when there's a murder to be solved. (Let's face it, folks, you read a mystery because of the murder, and you expect it fairly early on). Unfortunately, since I'm not the least interested in love triangles, it made the first part of the book slow going for me.

But once the mystery started to get going, so did the action. The pace picked up, and suspects began to come out of the woodwork, making the last half of the book quite interesting. There were some harrowing situations that Brie managed to get into (and out of) and I enjoyed this immensely. The words began to flow off the page, bringing us into the story and keeping us involved right up until the end. It was this half that saved the book for me, and the best part of it, in my humble opinion.

Brie manages to think on her feet in tight situations, and that's always a good thing. I found the writing to be very good, the plot line engaging. I enjoyed how everything came together nicely at the end, and look forward to the next in the series. Recommended.

I received a free copy of Picked Off (A Brie Hooker Mystery) by Linda Lovely in exchange for an honest review. Brie Hooker and her Aunt Eva are hosting a Halloween themed campaign fundraiser for friend Carol Strong, who is running for governor. At the fundraiser, the gubernatorial candidate’s famous son, Zack Strong, is viciously attacked. Goons soon pop up around town menacing Carol, Brie, and others. Then, Carol disappears. Who has it in for the Strongs? Are the crimes motivated by politics, money, or something else?

The beginning of the story drops you right into the action in the most hilarious way. The story flows well and is entertaining.

#HeneryPress #NetGalley

Get ready for another madcap adventure with Brie Hooker and her Aunt Eva at the goat farm! It’s close to Halloween and the gang’s been working on a scary haunted barn. Brie is still being courted by best friends, Paint and Andy, and trying to decide who she likes best. Senator Carol Strong’s son, Zack, a pro-quarterback for the Las Vegas Aces, comes home to visit and is attacked and badly injured during the haunted barn event. The sheriff, Brie, Aunt Eva, and Sala Lemmon, owner of the Aces, aim to find out who hurt him and why! The exciting plot deals with the seriousness of gambling addiction. Author Linda Lovely has some surprises for readers and the story is a swift, humorous read! Note: Contains mild adult language.

I reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and Henery Press.

This is the second book in the Brie Hooker Mystery Series by Linda Lovely (the first was Bones to Pick), however, it was the first in the series I read. I generally hate to start in the middle of a series, but I had the opportunity to review it for NetGalley and it looked like an interesting premise.

Brie Hooker lives with her aunt Eva at Udderly Kidding dairy farm. Eva’s best friend, Carol (who is really more like family), is running for office and Eva agreed to have a Halloween-themed fundraiser at the farm, complete with haunted house. However, the evening takes a turn when Carol’s son Zack is attacked with a pitchfork in the barn and goes into a coma. Another family member is soon targeted, and everyone is on edge wondering who the culprit could be, and the reason behind it.

I was a little disappointed in this book. For one thing, it references the first book a few times and while you don’t have to have read it to enjoy this book, I always recommend starting in the beginning. Second, Brie is consumed with her sex life (because it has been 19 months since she has had the pleasure, as the reader is reminded often) and which of her suitors she should choose. Every single chapter discusses it. I don’t mind it if it is a romance, but in a mystery I like to focus on, well, the mystery. I also got tired of hearing her exclamations: rotting ribeyes, pickled pig’s feet, deviled ham! The first five or six were cute. After that, I was over it. I will admit I skimmed or skipped several pages in the book just to get to the climax. I cared enough to stick with it to find out who the culprit(s) was/were, but barely. It was nice to get to know Brie and her friends, but I think one book was enough in this series for me.

I love how you had me guessing till the end and all the little things in the story. I loved all the town people. So I would have to say great book to pick up for a quick weekend read

Will post hen I can on Good reads- link is not available yet.

The first book I've read in the series, and I know this because they kept mentioning previous items and people. This is fine if I've read the previous ones, a reminder is good, but when I have not read them it is just background noise. Overall though, a good cozy mystery of Brie and her gang trying to solve who the bad guys are who attacked the pro-football player, the son of her aunt's friend, during the Halloween party. Would recommend.