Jill Brock

I enjoyed Pennywise, the first Maggie and Odessa mystery, by Jill Brock and I liked Semisweet, the third in the series even more. Maggie Swift wants to be a private eye and is working with Frank, a real PI, who thinks she is just doing background checks and similar things for him. Her best friend, Odessa is a dessert maker who supplies cakes and other desserts for her sister's restaurant.

Maggie has taken on the project of finding out more about Henry for his mother-in-law to be. He is a good-looking wealthy man who is about to marry her daughter, Eloise. Both Maggie and Odessa think there is more to this story and they work together to find out about Henry's business. When a building inspector turns up dead after giving them a concrete sample they think there may be problems with the development project Henry is building.

Meanwhile, Eloise is quite a demanding bride to be and Maggie has become her wedding planner and Odessa is making the wedding cake. In addition, Odessa is being chased by a bug exterminator who she thinks is trying to kill her. She is also wondering about her relationship with Lee, her lawyer boyfriend. She has found the perfect dress but wonders if there is a future for them.

Brock keeps things moving and has created a likeable duo. I laughed out loud several times and look forward to reading more about these two and their adventures.… (meer)

This is the third book in the Maggie and Odessa series, however this is the first I have read. The book is entertaining with distinctive continuing characters, as well as a mixed bag of tricky characters filling out the current book. I found it unusual and interesting that although I believe Maggie is the main character, the story is told by Odessa, like Watson to Sherlock Holmes. Maggie is ostensibly working as file clerk and receptionist for a private eye but she is determined to take on a case of her own. In "Semisweet" she gets her chance, or more correctly, she makes her chance. Odessa, O to her friends and Dessa to her boyfriend Lee, is Maggie's "sidekick". Odessa is a dessert chef, working both privately and at her sister Candace's restaurant, the Blue Moon, when she isn't running after Maggie helping solve crime.

The story opens with a terrified Odessa being held with a knife at her throat in the almost empty restaurant. Good opening, certainly gains the reader's attention, and I liked the humorous touch in this scene as well. We meet Maggie first via cellphone, as the knife wielder is handcuffed and led out of the restaurant. A bright, cheery happy voice breaking the tension. We meet her in person two days later accompanied by the woman involved in what Maggie refers to as her first case. Her boss was out when she took the call and she decided this was a good time for her to take on a case of her own, licensed or not.

The story revolves around this case, a strange one if ever there was. Maggie is to act as a wedding planner for Mrs. Verde's daughter, Eloise. The well-to-do Mrs. Verde will pay whatever the cost. Odessa is to make the wedding cake and desserts, and even Candace is involved as caterer and assistant to Maggie as a planner. Strangely, while planning the wedding for Eloise, Maggie is also supposed to be digging up dirt on Henry, the bridegroom-to-be, and make sure the wedding doesn't happen! What could be cozier? If this were not enough, Maggie has to take along her 8 year old Houdini son part of the time, frustratingly helpful as he is. This, then, is the theme of this humorous but captivating book.

Jill Brock has created many opportunities for sleuthing, especially when finding dirt on Henry is not panning out very well and time is running out. When strange events start gearing up, usually with Odessa as a victim, things get interesting.. This causes the story, though focused, to take several changes in direction. These events run the gamut of lies to murder, but who is really involved? Is Henry really Mister Nice Guy, or is he an expert at illusion? There is a lot of fun and adventure in this cozy mystery, with enough questions to mull over and enjoy. I predict these characters will become favorites.… (meer)

Jill Brock’s novel is about a divorced woman, Odessa Wilkes who recently lost her high paying job and is working part time making desserts for her sister’s restaurant. She is dealing with less money and struggling with her self esteem. In addition to all that, working for her sister is hard as Candace can be very demanding. Odessa’s life is further turned upset down when her best friend Maggie Swift hysterically comes into the restaurant one day concerned about her missing husband Roger. Is he having an affair, has he stolen from the company? These questions nag at both Odessa and Maggie. Odessa agrees to help Maggie get to the bottom of what is going on but she does not realize how dangerous this is going to be.

This adventure throws Odessa and Maggie into the roles of amateur detectives as they get involved with many unsavory characters. In addition, quite unexpectedly, Odessa’s ex husband shows up adding to her turmoil. This novel has it all: romance, mystery, suspense, adventure and humor. Brock writes about real multidimensional people who are witty and funny and so I found myself laughing out loud and rooting for these two unlikely sleuths. Also throughout the book, there is character growth in the two main characters, which is often missing from mystery stories. I could not put the book down and after finishing it, I was hoping Brock would write a series so I could read more about the adventures of Odessa and Maggie.… (meer)

This is a funny mystery written by Jill Brock.
Odessa Wilkes's life has spiraled out of control when she loses her job and is dumped by her boyfriend all in one day. She is stuck baking for her ovebearing sister at the family restaurant for a living.

Odessa's life is further thrown for a loop when her best friend Maggie comes into the restaurant
,with her son Rocket in tow, crying that her husband , Roger, has disappeared. After much drama and pleading on Maggie's part Odessa agrees to help find the missing Roger.

The plot thickens after Maggie finds some insurance files that Roger has signed which is unusual since he wasn't involved in that aspect of the job anymore. She also found a mysterious list of numbers.

So Odessa and Maggie start their search for Roger armed with their copy of 'Private Invesigating for Dummies' and helped or hendered by a wide assortment of characters from Odessa's Aunt Renne to the sinister Hamm.

I really enjoyed this book and will be seeking out other books by this author. I recieved this book through reviewthebook.com for free and I am not required to write a favorable review.… (meer)