Greased Wheels

Rating:
Summary: Wanna read a really good mystery?
Review: An auspicious beginning for a new author. I'm usually a fan of more slam-bang stuff (Lee Child, John Sandford, Robert Crais) but I read Greased Wheels in one sitting. The characters are real, the pace is energetic and the plot is just darned interesting. Who woulda thought a temp worker could be a fascinating protagonist? Kyle Shannon is as intrepid as Miss Marple and as likeable as Jessica Fletcher. As a sometime fire buff, I was impressed by Linda Mickey's firefighting knowledge. And those cinnamon rolls! I couldn't get the smell out of my nose for days. . .

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating story of corporate greed.
Review: Fed up with corporate backstabbing and bureaucracy, Kyle Shannon exchanges her lucrative position for the life of a temp - responsible for her own benefits and insurance, forever curious about the next assignment. It seems an easy thing to do, as coping over a recent breakup helps Kyle stay in focus in the working world.

Badgered by a friend into re-entering the social scene, Kyle takes in a fundraiser and inadvertently finds her next assignment as a temporary executive assistant to a vice-president at Choice Manufacturing. The pay is good, the job fits her expertise, and Kyle likes the idea of working outside Chicago to test her fondness for the suburbs. Finding a popular "Mom and Pop" corner market, operated by the affable Penzlers, is also a plus...until Kyle discovers not everyone in Lake County is endeared to the shop's quaint ways.

The people of Choice are eager to appropriate the land under the store for their new headquarters, and appear to make headway with certain members of the county's zoning commission despite the Penzlers' reluctance to leave. When a formidable member of the board (and supporter of the new building) is found dead, plans are tossed aside, and though Kyle understands the temporary nature of her job she is nonetheless pulled into the drama. Nearly everyone she has met in her time at Lake County is suspect, to say nothing of that brief moment when Kyle herself handled the antique murder weapon at the benefit...

Written with a clear first-person voice, Linda Mickey's Greased Wheels gets off to a slightly slow start, yet spins into a fascinating story of corporate greed in the midst of small-town mentality. Kyle Shannon makes an effective, albeit reluctant sleuth, torn between her desire to maintain distance (hence the temp work) and to help a loved local icon keep his livelihood.

Kathryn Lively

Rating:
Summary: Greased Wheels kept my interest all the way
Review: Greased wheels is a wonderful book. It kept my interest from beginning to end. The main character, Kyle Shannon is a very competent woman working as an office temp. I liked following her thoughts and her confidence and wondered what she would be like to know.
Linda writes well, and I hope to read another book by her soon!

Rating:
Summary: Greased Wheels kept my interest all the way
Review: Greased wheels is a wonderful book. It kept my interest from beginning to end. The main character, Kyle Shannon is a very competent woman working as an office temp. I liked following her thoughts and her confidence and wondered what she would be like to know.
Linda writes well, and I hope to read another book by her soon!

Rating:
Summary: Greased Wheels is an engaging, well-crafted mystery
Review: I found this book to be lots of fun--I read it in one sitting! Initially the many players involved confused me a bit, and this made it hard for me at first to get into the plot, which in a nutshell is about the battle over a valuable piece of real estate that leads to murder. What stood out about this mystery is that although it's not as "glamorous" as some mysteries I've read--main character Kyle Shannon is a temp and the players are store owners, businessmen and wives--it had a meaty story with lots of detail, sympathetic characters and an authentic local flavor. It's real. It takes place in Lake County, Illinois, as well as Chicago, and I think readers who live in these areas will enjoy the location descriptions. Surprisingly, as I read, I found that an intelligent temp is a perfect vehicle for solving a mystery--and I learned a lot about the temporary lifestyle. Who would have thought that would be so fascinating? I'm hoping that in the future the character of Kyle Shannon will be further developed. I'm definitely looking forward to more of Linda Mickey's mysteries!

Rating:
Summary: Comments from Bugsy's Friend
Review: Linda Mickey has a great perspective of the business world and she has constructed her lead character as both realistic and charming. 'Greased Wheels' had a large amount of office lingo, accounting language, and politcal structures, but the information didn't overwhelm or interfere with the flow of the story. Kyle Shannon, as the protagonist, may have some extraneous character details and lack of a personal life, but she is relatable and self-confident. Hopefully, all her temp assignments in the future won't lead to such drama, and she can identify her true calling as a detective!

Rating:
Summary: Can't Wait for the Next One!
Review: This was an excellent mystery with well developed characters, especially the protagonist, Kyle Shannon. I can't wait to read about Kyle's next adventure! Linda Mickey did a great job drawing the reader into the scenes. As a person who is in the staffing industry, the author painted a very real picture of the life of a temporary and the interesting things they face on a daily basis. Great read, looking forward to the next one!

Rating:
Summary: Can't Wait for the Next One!
Review: This was an excellent mystery with well developed characters, especially the protagonist, Kyle Shannon. I can't wait to read about Kyle's next adventure! Linda Mickey did a great job drawing the reader into the scenes. As a person who is in the staffing industry, the author painted a very real picture of the life of a temporary and the interesting things they face on a daily basis. Great read, looking forward to the next one!