Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction, by Amy Metz
Series: A Goose Pimple Junction Mystery, #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Southern Ink Press, Blue Publications
Publication Date: 2nd ed, 9-6-14 (1st ed, 8-5-12)
Paperback: 252 pages
ISBN-10: 0989714020
ISBN-13: 978-0989714020
eBook File Size: 563 KB
ASIN: B00NE1H8FW
The Blurb
Starting a new life in the colorful town of Goose Pimple Junction, Tess Tremaine tries to learn the foreign language of southern speak and to resist her attraction to local celebrity Jackson Wright, while dealing with the strange things that happen to her when she begins looking into a seventy-five-year-old murder.
A bank robbery, murder, and family tragedy are the background of the mystery which Tess and Jack attempt to solve. As Tess gets close to the truth, she encounters danger, mystery, and a lot of southern charm. Her quest to find answers brings her friends, enemies, and a new temptation for which she’s not sure she’s ready.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
If brains were dynamite, Willy couldn’t blow his nose. Could a murderer be that stupid?
Jack can charm the dew right off the honeysuckle. Could a murderer be a fine southern gentleman?
Told with southern humor, Murder & Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction is a murder mystery that will keep you guessing and laughing until the very end.
The Review
I've read an amazing book, y'all — Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction by Amy Metz. Let me tell you a little about it.
Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction is a time-slip novel, set partly in the 1930s and partly in the present. I was so caught up in the two story lines, past and present, that I didn't want to put it down.
The main character in the present-day story line is Tess Tremaine, a newly-divorced children's book author who has just moved to Goose Pimple Junction from somewhere up north. She's having some difficulty understanding what the townsfolk say, because of their slow southern drawls, and the odd phrases and expressions they use.
As Tess puts it, "Is there a thesaurus for Southern-speak I could buy? A dictionary for colloquialisms?" Jackson Wright is happy to step in and act as interpreter, as these examples illustrate.
"...We’ll go back out if y’ont us to, but I don’t see much point. That cat’s long gone now.”
Tess leaned over toward Jack and said out of the corner of her mouth, “Y’ont?”
Jack whispered back, “If you want.”
Tess nodded her head. “I didn’t realize I’d need a translator when I moved here.”
“Stick with me, kid.” Jack winked.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Hidee, Tess, hireyew?”
Tess looked at Jack questioningly, and he mouthed, “How are you.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Boy, you can put your boots in the oven, but that don’t make ‘em biscuits.”
“Just what exactly does that mean?” Tess asked.
“It means … ” Jack glared at John Ed, “ … that he thinks we’re lying.”
By the end of Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction, Tess is becoming proficient in goosepimpleisms, as you can see in this conversation between Tess and her son Nick.
He nudged her a little, and she opened her eyes.
"What?"
"You fell asleep."
"I did not. I was just checking for holes in my eyelids."
"You know, you've gotten a lot weirder since you've been here, Mom."
Author Amy Metz has created a very believable world — the small southern town of Goose Pimple Junction, Tennessee. As someone who grew up in a small southern town, I was glad to see that Amy has written her main character, Tess Tremaine, as one who enjoys our unique southern ways and words. Amy's love for the South and respect for Southerners comes through in her writing.
The citizens of Goose Pimple Junction are all three-dimensional and realistic, including the secondary characters. Some of them are folksy and charming, some are nosy busy-bodies, some are creepy — just like in real life.
Author Amy Metz has clearly indicated the year for each section of the book, so there's no confusion when the time-slips occur. By the end of the book, all the loose ends in the mysteries of the present day and the mystery of the 75-year-old murder have all been tied up and solved. I like how everything comes together. You won't want to miss the exciting climax to the present-day story line! I really love that part.
Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction is a fast-paced, fun, and enjoyable read. After finishing the book in two days, I was a little sad to leave Goose Pimple Junction and its townsfolk that I had quickly grown to love. Luckily, I can take another trip to Goose Pimple Junction again, when I read the second book in the series, Heroes & Hooligans in Goose Pimple Junction. I'm looking forward to my return visit!
To sum it all up, Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction by Amy Metz is amazing, and worthy of our highest rating, Five Kitties!
Five out of five kitties
Note: I received a complimentary copy of Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction from the author,
in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.
The Author
About Amy Metz
Amy Metz is the author of Murder & Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction. She is a former first grade teacher and the mother of two sons. When not actively engaged in writing, enjoying her family, or surfing Facebook or Pinterest, Amy can usually be found with a mixing spoon, camera, or book in one hand and a glass of sweet tea in the other. Amy lives in Louisville, Kentucky.
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