On the HahaFiction shelf

Nearly Departed in Deadwood

by Ann Charles

Deadwood Mysteries · Book 1 · 2011

Violet Parker has three weeks to make her first real-estate sale or lose the job she hoped would support a fresh start in Deadwood. Girls are disappearing from town, and she fears for her daughter. Selling an unpromising old house is only one of the problems competing for her attention.

Crime & thriller Mystery Amateur sleuth Banter

From the publisher’s blurb

“Little girls are vanishing from Deadwood, South Dakota.”

Read the full description at Blackstone Publishing

Search on Amazon

Paid link · We earn commissions from qualifying Amazon purchases. Affiliate disclosure

What makes it funny?

At her first meeting with Harvey, Violet tries to keep selling while he points a shotgun at her. Their conversation wanders into his gambling debt and a disastrous attempt at bikini mud wrestling, with Violet offering customer service through her panic.

The comedy at work

Violet’s first-person narration gives her frightened thoughts more freedom than her professional smile. The gap lets her curse a terrible referral inwardly while she tries to persuade the armed homeowner to sign a contract.

Try this if…

A fit for readers who like a sarcastic amateur sleuth juggling work and motherhood, with romance and a little paranormal suspense around a dangerous criminal investigation.