NO MORE TIME by Suzanne Trauth
The Fifth Dodie O'Dell Mystery

Dodie O'Dell and her boyfriend, Bill, are enjoying a relaxing vacation on the Jersey Shore. Away from the Windjammer and the Etonville Little Theater all that's on the menu is relaxing on the beach, eating good food, and sipping delectable cocktails with no drama. All that changes when Dodie's old boyfriend shows up and decides to camp out on their porch. Then the troupe from Etonville arrive, having received a last minute shot to compete in the New Jersey Community Theater Festival. Stunned that Bill is taking everything in stride, Dodie is less relaxed, especially when an old friend winds up dead and her ex becomes the main suspect. So much for a relaxing vacation.

You learn a lot about people when they're on vacation and we learn a lot about Dodie and Bill in this fifth Dodie O'Dell Mystery. We see how the Etonville Police Chief can be laid back and carefree. And we see how Dodie can't resist a mystery. While I enjoyed the break from Etonville responsibilities and felt bad for the loss of privacy and romance time for Bill and Dodie I loved that Etonville came to the shore. The ELT crew are a hoot and I loved their interactions in the competition and with the other theatre folk.

Ultimately, NO MORE TIME deals with acceptance. Seeing the past for what is was and moving to the future. Loving people for who they are without trying to change them. Dealing with life's surprises with grace and dignity.

Although set on a beach and perfect for summer reading NO MORE TIME is more than a beach read. It's a great character driven mystery that's fun, but has depth as well. The book had me smiling and I closed the final page with a grin on my face!

This is the 5th in the Dodie ODell mystery series. This is the first one that I have read and it can be read as a stand alone, however, I will need to go back and read the others as this was a good story and cozy. Dodie is taking a holiday at the Jersey shore (the town she was at pre hurricane) and so are some of the theater players from her town so she ends up helping out there and then an ex-boyfriend wants her help and before you know it Jackson the ex is accused of killing his partner in their boat business. Dodie knows Jackson is a lot of things not great but killer is not one of them so she sets out to help him along with some of the wacky characters in town with her. This was an enjoyable read and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had more history on Dodie and all the others. So plan to read the others in the series.

A good cozy mystery, enjoyable and entertaining.
I appreciated the cast of characters, the plot and the setting.
Even if I didn't read the other installment I had no issues with the characters or the plot.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Restaurant manager Dodie O’Dell has found her niche in the cozy New Jersey town of Etonville, creating menus that make a delicious double-act with the community theater’s productions. Now she’s ready for a vacation at the Jersey Shore town she called home before a hurricane hit. Sun, salty air, and seagulls make for a nostalgic escape from regular life—until a contingent from Etonville arrives to compete in a Jersey Shore theater festival.

Roped into helping her former boss cater the event, Dodie also gets a visit from her old flame, Jackson, who’s hoping to revive his charter boat business and is looking for a place to crash. Before Dodie can tell him that ship has sailed, Jackson’s partner is found murdered on his boat. Dodie knows her ex is a mooch, but she’s sure he’s no killer. But as she follows a trail of evidence that leads into her own past, Dodie stumbles on a dangerous conspiracy theory that could bring the festival to a shocking finale…

I haven't read the rest of this series, but I feel like I was able to enjoy this one well enough on its own. The characters all seem very well-developed and the plot was entertaining and fun.

The 5th book of Dodie O'Dell is an enjoyable and relaxing read. Dodie and Bill are at the Jersey shore for a vacation. The Eatonville players are there to participate in a contest for the best theater group. Dodie has an unexpected visit from her former boyfriend, Jackson, who is accused of killing his partner. Dodie feels he is not a killer and begins to look into the MURDER. Bill's car is stolen and he becomes involved with state auto thief taskforce. Dodie is looking for answers to the problem of the murder in order to prevent Jackson' s arrest. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND SERIES.

Disclosure: Thanks to Lyrical Underground for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed the previous books in this series but this one just didn’t hold my attention.
I especially found the character of the ex-boyfriend and his “dude” personality annoying.
The whodunit also wasn’t as good as the previous books.

I love Dodie, and have read all of the books in the A Dodie O'Dell Mystery series. I enjoyed Dodie and Bill getting out of Etonville and going to the Jersey shore. The mystery gave me hints, but twists kept me guessing until the surprising ending. For some reason the pace of the book was ponderously slow for me. I read and read and was amazed that I was still in the first third of the book. When it finally picked up and things starting happening I enjoyed it fully. There is a surprise ending that make me anxiously awaiting more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

No More Time is a great cozy mystery that is well written and has fabulous characters. This is a enjoyable book that I would recommend.

Dodie O’Dell and her boyfriend Bill are taking a vacation dow the Shore as Summer comes to an end. What’s supposed to be a relaxing time for both of them turns into anything but relaxing as their hometown theater group heads into town for a festival and Dodie’s ex boyfriend, Jackson literally shows up on her doorstep.

When Jackson’s old business partner is murdered, Jackson is the prime suspect. Even though Dodie’s heart is with Bill, she can’t let an old friend hanging out to dry and starts looking for some dots and ways to connect them in order to clear Jackson.

A fun Summer read. Having spent many a Summer down the Jersey shore growing up, I could feel the sun on the sand, hear the surf, and smell the seafood as I read the book. While this is book number five in the series, it is the first one I have read and was fine as a stand alone. Thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading some of the other in this series.

This book was really good.
I’ve read all the books in this series and I enjoyed that this book took place while Dodie was on vacation. It was a good twist to the story.
I was captivated by the story and was engaged from beginning to end.
I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

No More Time was a fun summer read! Dodie and Bill are vacationing, on the New Jersey shore, and have two surprises spring up in the middle of their romantic and relaxing vacation - Dodie's ex-boyfriend and a long-time friend is murdered. Turns out both Dodie and Bill are keeping secrets about their vacation.

I enjoyed the latest book in the series.. It was interesting to see Dodie and Bill out of their small town and in a new environment by themselves.. However, it doesn't last long when the Etonville theater group blows into town to compete in a theater competition. The quirky characters are lovable and they brought humor to the book. The reader sees a different side of Dodie and what her life was like pre-Hurricane Sandy. Her determination to be self-reliant becomes understandable. However, my hope is that Dodie won't strike out on her own so much to solve crimes, but maybe this case will bring a change.

The descriptions of the beach and seaside activities put me in the mood for vacation! Bring on the sun and mystery!

I received an ARC, from NetGalley, for a fair and honest review of this book.

This is a first rate cozy mystery with a plot featuring plenty of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages. Dodie and her police chief boyfriend are on vacation at Candle Beach on the Jersey shore, where Dodie had lived up until Hurricane Sandy destroyed her home and the restaurant where she was the manager. While on vacation she runs into Vinnie C. who had been a partner with her old boyfriend Jackson in a charter boat business. Soon thereafter Jackson shows up as well, and couch surfs on Dodi and Bill's porch. Dodie witnesses a fight between Jackson and Vinnie and when Vinnie's dead body turns up shortly thereafter and the police name Jackson as a person of interest, Dodie uses her investigative skills to find the truth. Dodie is a likeable character and the book provides her with an engaging cast of supporting characters, including the members of the Eatonville Little Theater who arrive at Candle Beach to participate in the New Jersey Community Theater Festival. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and highly recommend it.

Dodie and her boyfriend Bill are on vacation. They are on a beach vacation down the Jersey shore. They run into several characters from Dodie's past, including her ex-boyfriend, her ex-boss and a former friend. Of course there ends up being a dead body and Dodie has a reason to become involved in figuring out who did it. In the middle of this, the theatre gang from Etonville show up in town as well. Now Dodie has more of her peeps to help her along with solving the crime. I really liked the concept of placing Dodie and Bill in a different place. Even though it wasn't far from home, it was a new setting with refreshing characters and a number of situations happening concurrently. I was beginning to think Dodie was going to need a vacation form her vacation!