Cooked Goose

Rating:
Summary: The best Savannah Reid feast yet
Review:

Savannah Reid was a Georgia Peach who became a San Carmelita police officer. However, her tangy mouth led to her removal from the job. Instead, Savannah opened up a private office as an investigator, who relishes giving a hard time to her former employers. Her favorite target is Captain Blass, who mutually loathes the transplanted Southeasterner. To make matters even worse, Blass has a fit when circumstances forces his daughter Margie to move in with Savannah.

In the parking lot of a department store, there have been a rash of rapes perpetrated by a man wearing a Santa Claus suit. The culprit's MO changes when he abducts Margie at Blass' home. Marge escapes and calls Savannah, who has been there for the teen before. Blass asks Savannah to keep his daughter with her until they catch the psychopath. However, the rapes stop and cop killings begin, making the sleepy town unsafe for anyone.

The fifth novel in the Savannah Reid mysteries is by far the best entry in a well-written series. The exciting police procedural includes a delightful female protagonist, who takes pleasure in being bigger and stronger than most males. However, what turns THE COOKED GOOSE into a major winner is the disinct development of the personalities of the support ensemble. Readers will not feel empty after perusing this novel.

Rating:
Summary: A satisfying repast
Review: I have read all of the Savannah Reid series (so far). What makes the series stand out is Savannah's personal relationships (from family to friends to enemies) and the variety of personalities involved in her world. Of course, being a private investigator exposes Reid,et al. to a variety of characters with a variety of responses. Oh, but this series is fun! Every book is a must read!

Rating:
Summary: A satisfying repast
Review: I have read all of the Savannah Reid series (so far). What makes the series stand out is Savannah's personal relationships (from family to friends to enemies) and the variety of personalities involved in her world. Of course, being a private investigator exposes Reid,et al. to a variety of characters with a variety of responses. Oh, but this series is fun! Every book is a must read!

Rating:
Summary: I love this series!!!
Review: I love this series and can't believe it took me so long to find this author. This is the first series in a long time that has me laughing and sometimes crying thru the book. The warmth of the characters, their faults - they seem like real people and it didn't take long for the author to make you care about them. I love Dirk and his relationship with Savannah. Savannah is a tough but soft female and her side comments are what have you laughing and smiling. This is a series that I hope is long run. This author - with her first book grabbed a fan and with each book to her latest has moved herself up to the top of my list of favorite authors. If you like Kathleen Taylor, Caroline Haynes, Rhett MacPherson, even Susan Cooper Rogers - you will like this author. If you haven't read any of McKevett's books, start with Just Desserts. After that they can really be read in any order. But for shock value, read Just Desserts first. Don't miss out on this wonderful and talented author!

Rating:
Summary: Southern Hospitality in California
Review: Plus-size Savannah Reid (private detective) is working with her good friend Dirk, and her Baywatch worthy assistant, Tammy Hart, to find a serial rapist whom dresses up as Santa Claus when he attacks his victims. But soon Savannah has a bigger problem, her old boss (Captain Bloss), wants her to be his 16-year-old daughters bodyguard, since she was the most recent victim (or, almost victim) of the attack. Soon Savannah is working hard to survive the holiday season, be a baby-sitter, be a hostess to her unexpected sister, brother-in-law, and their treacherous kids, and solve the mystery of the serial rapist, before he moves on to bigger things, such as murder.

This was my first Savannah Reid mystery, and I must admit, I was very impressed. The characters are very likeable and entertaining, and Savannah's feisty attitude is enough to make anyone laugh out loud. A must-read holiday mystery, that is great year-round.

Rating:
Summary: Great series!!!!!
Review: Savannah Reid is assisting her former partner Dirk is solving a series of vicious rapes. The victims are kidnapped from a local shopping mall by a man dressed as Santa. The attacks are becoming more and more violent. Her sister Vidalia is very pregnant and angry at her husband Butch. Her arch enemy Capt Bloss' daughter is almost a victim of the rapist, and Van makes herself responsible for everyone.

This is a fast moving mystery with lots of twists. The characters are very realistic and the author involves the reader in the storyline, her descriptions are very good. I will definitely be reading more of this series.

Rating:
Summary: Great series!!!!!
Review: Savannah Reid is assisting her former partner Dirk is solving a series of vicious rapes. The victims are kidnapped from a local shopping mall by a man dressed as Santa. The attacks are becoming more and more violent. Her sister Vidalia is very pregnant and angry at her husband Butch. Her arch enemy Capt Bloss' daughter is almost a victim of the rapist, and Van makes herself responsible for everyone.

This is a fast moving mystery with lots of twists. The characters are very realistic and the author involves the reader in the storyline, her descriptions are very good. I will definitely be reading more of this series.

Rating:
Summary: West coast female private eye
Review: The main ingredient is the overweight butch (if I'm allowed to use that word) cantankerous,forty plus, gourmet Savannah Reid. Good sub-plot about her family back in Georgia and good minor characters. No animals but two animalistic five-year olds. The main plot, about a serial rapist cop-killer, rather creaks. It's more of a thriller than a mystery because the killer's identity is made obvious early on. A hilarious opening scene.
It's probably unfair to compare this with Sue Grafton just because it's a female private eye set in a California beach resort town - you can't copyright the West Coast and anyway Chandler got there first - but comparisons keep coming to mind and Grafton is a superioir litarary product. McKevett does not have Grafton's (sometime over-prolix) gift for scene-setting. Her tone is not as ironic and she gets preachy and sentimental. Grafton is all first person whereas this is told from Savannah's POV but sometimes switches to the murderer's or victim's point-of-view. Recipes for cornbread that involves melted bacon fat and for a stuffing (apparently called dressing in Georgia) that assumes you've made the cornbread and uses that as an ingredient, and then uses 6 ounces of butter. Does Savannah ever get her cholesterol checked? It was my first McKevett and I ordered two more paperbacks

Rating:
Summary: Not What I Was Expecting, But Good Anyway
Review: The town of San Carmelita is trying to get into the holiday spirit, but someone has taken things too far. The mall parking lots are being stalked by the Santa Rapist. PI Savannah Reid has been asked by her friend, detective Dirk Coulter, to help nab this jerk before he ruins the town's Christmas celebration. There are very few leads to go on until one smart kid manages to get away. Now Savannah is asked to keep the girl safe, getting her mixed up in a family she'd rather avoid. The stakes are raised when a shooting occurs. But is it connected with the case?

Normally, I read series in order, but a friend had sent me this book and I thought it'd be fun to read a mystery set around Christmas time this month. This book wasn't quite what I was expecting. From the title of this and others in the series, I was expecting a light, cozy type book. Obviously, I hadn't read the back cover. This book is much darker then what I normally read. In fact, I almost quite when I realized what I'd gotten myself into. I hate to quit on books, however, and I'm glad I persevered.

The story works on several different levels, with sub-plots to keep you entertained. Even so, the mystery developed nicely, with plenty of red herrings that kept me guessing until the end. Savannah and her friends and family are interesting characters, and I enjoyed spending time with them, even if the reason why wasn't pleasant.

I don't know if this book was abnormally dark for the series of if this is normal. All I do know is that I enjoyed it and think I'll be spending more time in San Carmelita. I just won't do it until I'm ready for a book that's a bit darker then normal.

Rating:
Summary: Not What I Was Expecting, But Good Anyway
Review: The town of San Carmelita is trying to get into the holiday spirit, but someone has taken things too far. The mall parking lots are being stalked by the Santa Rapist. PI Savannah Reid has been asked by her friend, detective Dirk Coulter, to help nab this jerk before he ruins the town's Christmas celebration. There are very few leads to go on until one smart kid manages to get away. Now Savannah is asked to keep the girl safe, getting her mixed up in a family she'd rather avoid. The stakes are raised when a shooting occurs. But is it connected with the case?

Normally, I read series in order, but a friend had sent me this book and I thought it'd be fun to read a mystery set around Christmas time this month. This book wasn't quite what I was expecting. From the title of this and others in the series, I was expecting a light, cozy type book. Obviously, I hadn't read the back cover. This book is much darker then what I normally read. In fact, I almost quite when I realized what I'd gotten myself into. I hate to quit on books, however, and I'm glad I persevered.

The story works on several different levels, with sub-plots to keep you entertained. Even so, the mystery developed nicely, with plenty of red herrings that kept me guessing until the end. Savannah and her friends and family are interesting characters, and I enjoyed spending time with them, even if the reason why wasn't pleasant.

I don't know if this book was abnormally dark for the series of if this is normal. All I do know is that I enjoyed it and think I'll be spending more time in San Carmelita. I just won't do it until I'm ready for a book that's a bit darker then normal.