giovedì 3 novembre 2016

Recensione: Jamie Quinn Mystery Collection: Box Set Books 1-3 di Barbara Venkataraman



Books 1-3 of the Jamie Quinn Mystery Series! Including: 

"Death by Didgeridoo"-Winner of the Indie Book of the Day award. Reluctant lawyer, Jamie Quinn, still reeling from the death of her mother, is pulled into a game of deception, jealousy, and vengeance when her cousin, Adam, is wrongfully accused of murder. It's up to Jamie to find the real murderer before it's too late. It doesn't help that the victim is a former rock star with more enemies than friends, or that Adam confessed to a murder he didn't commit. 

"The Case of the Killer Divorce"-Reluctant lawyer, Jamie Quinn, has returned to her family law practice after a hiatus due to the death of her mother. It's business as usual until a bitter divorce case turns into a murder investigation, and Jamie's client becomes the prime suspect. When she can't untangle truth from lies, Jamie enlists the help of Duke Broussard, her favorite private investigator, to try to clear her client's name. And she’s hoping that, in his spare time, he can help her find her long-lost father. 

"Peril in the Park"-There's big trouble in the park system. Someone is making life difficult for Jamie Quinn's boyfriend, Kip Simons, the new director of Broward County parks. Was it the angry supervisor passed over for promotion? The disgruntled employee Kip recently fired? Or someone with a bigger ax to grind? If Jamie can't figure it out soon, she may be looking for a new boyfriend because there’s a dead guy in the park and Kip has gone missing! With the help of her favorite P.I., Duke Broussard, Jamie must race the clock to find Kip before it’s too late.


Barbara Venkataraman is an attorney and mediator specializing in family law as the protagonist of this books Jamie.
I think that this series is particular both for the choice of female main characters than for the structure of plot.
From the start of reading I have thought that the story was set  as a TV film at episodes, because the chapters are very short so it is as see a scene change.
While Jamie isn't the classic and usual heroine of book , also if cozy mystery book. Unfortunately, this didn't  work for me and this peculiarity make me to not like  Jamie very much as the short chapters make my head spin.
 Jamie remember me the ispektor Columbo from namesake series tv. Smart yes , capable yes, but also sloppy and messy. We meet her in a hard moment of her life, when she is grieving her mother's death (in the first book) , and we come to know she has studied Law for lack of better ideas and attitudes: " God, I hate being a lawyer" as she frequently complains,not like her friend Grace that seem motivated in her job ( nice side character however).
Anyhow she escape her depressed state with her first homicide case and she is very good to look up clues as seek the help of PI Duke( funny and interesting side character). So the mystery is very good in all three books, because the reader understands and follows  the investigations .
I liked more the second book of series, sure more of third , when magically we discover that Jamie and Kip are a couple. But while she is happy and brillant, not so Kip that not seem so  close-knit with her(  and his next trip to australia ,at the end of book, not bode well).
In the end , I think this might be a "It's not you , it's me" situation , because the books are good but I could not connect with the main protagonist.

**I received this copy from Barbara Venkatarman in exchange for my honest review.

RATING: 3 STARS



Series: Jamie Quinn Mystery - Books 1-3
Publication Date: September 3, 2014
Publisher: Barbara Venkatarman
Genre: Mystery Anthology
Print Length: 361 pages
Available from: Amazon


 Barbara Venkataraman è un avvocato e mediatore specializzato in diritto di famiglia, come la protagonista di questo libro Jamie.
Credo che questa serie è particolare sia per la scelta del personaggio principali femminile che per la struttura della trama.
Dall'inizio della lettura ho pensato che la storia era impostata come un film TV a episodi, perché i capitoli sono molto corti: è come vedere un cambio di scena.
Mentre Jamie non è l'eroina classica ed usuale dei libri, anche se di libri gialli. Purtroppo, questo non ha funzionato per me e questa particolarità non mi fa  piacere Jamie molto e i brevi capitoli mi fanno girare la testa.
 Jamie mi ricorda il tenente Colombo della serie tv omonima. Intelligenti si, capace sì, ma anche sciatta e disordinata.Noi la incontriamo in un momento difficile della sua vita, quando  sta soffrendo per morte della madre (nel primo libro), e veniamo a sapere che  ha studiato legge per mancanza di  migliori idee e preferenze: "Dio, odio essere un avvocato "si lamenta spesso, non come la sua amica Grazia che sembrano motivato nel suo lavoro (personaggio secondario ma bello ).
Comunque lei  esce dal suo stato di depressione con il suo primo caso di omicidio ed è molto brava a cercare indizi utili e l'aiuto di  Duke, un investigatore privato (personaggio divertente e interessante ). 

Il mistero è molto buono in tutti e tre i libri, perché il lettore capisce e segue le indagini.
Mi è piaciuto di più il secondo libro della serie, sicuramente più del terzo, quando magicamente scopriamo che Jamie e Kip sono una coppia. Ma mentre lei è felice e brillante, non così Kip che non sembra così affiatato o innamorato con lei (e il suo prossimo viaggio in Australia, alla fine del libro, non promette nulla di buono).
Alla fine, credo che questo potrebbe essere un "Non sei tu, sono io"  situazione, perché i libri sono interessanti ma io non ho potuto connettere con la protagonista principale.


VOTO: 3 STELLE

Recensione a cura di LIDIA