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    Diners, Dives & Dead Ends
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    Diners, Dives & Dead Ends
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    Diners, Dives & Dead Ends
    Ebook331 pages4 hours

    Diners, Dives & Dead Ends

    By Terri L. Austin

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    A QUIRKY, FEISTY HEROINE...

    "With twists, turns and surprises that left me hanging on right to the end, I couldn't put it down. I absolutely can't wait to see what is in store for Rose and her quirky friends next." – Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

    As a struggling waitress and part-time college student, Rose Strickland's life is stalled in the slow lane. But when her close friend, Axton, disappears, Rose suddenly finds herself serving up more than hot coffee and flapjacks. Now she's hashing it out with sexy bad guys and scrambling to find clues in a race to save Axton before his time runs out. With her anime-loving bestie, her septuagenarian boss, and a pair of IT wise men along for the ride, Rose discovers political corruption, illegal gambling, and shady corporations. She's gone from zero to sixty and quickly learns when you’re speeding down the fast lane, it’s easy to crash and burn.

    Praise for DINERS, DIVES & DEAD ENDS:

    "Austin’s debut kicks off her planned series by introducing a quirky, feisty heroine and a great supporting cast of characters and...quite a number of interesting twists." – Kirkus Reviews

    "This traditional mystery captured my attention from the opening pages to the exhilarating finale...this was an enjoyable read in this debut series and I look forward to more adventures with Rose and the gang for years to come." – Dru Ann Love, The Cozy Chicks Blog

    "I predict this will be a long and successful series...I strongly recommend picking a copy up to read this summer. I know I am looking forward to reading more books by this author. Five stars out of Five." –Lynn Farris, National Mystery Review Examiner at Examiner.com

    "What a blast! Diners, Dives & Dead Ends is a fast-paced mystery loaded with wonderful wit and humor that had me laughing and loving every page. Terri Austin will hook you right away and keep you riveted until The End. I want more!" – Ann Charles, Award-Winning Author of the Bestselling Deadwood Mystery Series

    “This cozy mystery was fun! With twists, turns and surprises that left me hanging on right to the end, I couldn’t put it down. I absolutely can’t wait to see what is in store for Rose and her quirky friends next.” – Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

    Books in the Rose Strickland Humorous Mystery Series:

    DINERS, DIVES & DEAD ENDS (#1)

    LAST DINER STANDING (#2)

    DINER IMPOSSIBLE (#3)

    DINERS KEEPERS, LOSERS WEEPERS (Novella after DINER IMPOSSIBLE in HEARTACHE MOTEL)

    Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you'll probably like them all…

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHenery Press
    Release dateJul 17, 2012
    ISBN9781938383014
    Unavailable
    Diners, Dives & Dead Ends

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    Reviews for Diners, Dives & Dead Ends

    3.5/5

    23 ratings3 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      Okay, so almost all guys fall in love with Rose. I can live with that, but the ending! Her choice of whom to call when she was in danger ruined it for me.
    • 2/5
      This really didn't gel with me at all. The one thing that annoyed me was the repetition-there is no need to repeat the same facts chapter after chapter. All that does is add to the length of the book (maybe the idea was to 'pad it out') and treats the reader like an idiot.
      Maybe with some judicious editing this could be a good little novel with broad appeal.
    • 5/5
      Diners, Dives & Dead Ends is such a fun read! It is filled with wonderful characters such as Axton Graystone (Ax for short, whom Rose has known since first grade), Roxy Block (her anime-loving bestie), Ma (her septuagenarian boss of Ma's Diner), Ray (the boss's son who, according to Ma, never does anything right), and Sullivan (more about him later).

      My favorite character is Rose, because of her loyalty to friends, her strength of character, her "wicked sense of humor and independent spirit." Rose (short for Rosalyn), along with her older sister Jacqueline (both named for First Ladies — Rose calls her "Jacks"), was raised in the lap of luxury in Huntingford, Missouri. Growing up, Rose got everything she ever wanted — as long as what she wanted coincided with what her parents wanted for her.

      It wasn't until after Rose's freshman year of college
      ...the college they had chosen for me. A small, private, all-girls-all-the-time school. I hated it.
      that Rose's hopes and dreams collided with her parents' plans for her. Rose refused to return to the women's college, wanting to attend a different college instead, one where she would be happier. Her parents responded to this decision (an unreasonable one, in their opinion) by kicking her out and cutting off all financial support. No doubt, her parents expected Rose to come to her senses, apologize, grovel even, re-enroll at the girls' school, and carry on in their pre-determined plan for her life.

      No doubt, they are astonished that, after five years, Rose is still supporting herself and able to pay for college. (For the details, read the book!)

      Oh, and there are also mysteries. Can't forget them! Rose is quite a sleuth, although a reluctant one, and saves the day by rescuing Ax. (No, that's not a spoiler. This is a cozy mystery. The heroine's best bud doesn't get killed in a cozy.) She keeps asking the police for their help, but they basically ignore her missing person reports, so she has to find him without them.

      Diners, Dives & Dead Ends has a great ending! Author Terri L. Austin picks up a minor plot thread from the beginning of the book, and re-weaves what seems to be the ending of the book into a not-quite-cozy, exciting, thrilling direction — one which ensures that Sullivan will be back in Rose's life for many books to come!

      Oh, Sullivan.... (We always fall for the bad boys, don't we.)

      His blue-black hair was combed away from his perfect face. His gold eyes — not golden-brown, just gold — glittered in the faint glow of my yard sale flamingo lamp. With light honeyed skin stretched over strong cheekbones, he was beautiful — like fallen angel beautiful. He scared me a lot more than the other guy. It was obvious he was in charge and Scarface was just there for back up.

      Putting his hands up in a placating gesture, he stepped into the apartment. He was dressed in an expensive suit with a red striped tie.
      "I'm not crazy about that tie."
      He looked down and fingered it. "Why not?"
      "Did I say that out loud"? God, I was tired.
      "Yes, you did." He walked toward the kitchen. "Got anything to drink?"
      I trailed after him. "Not for you."

      I tried to pull my hands out of his grasp, but he tightened his hold on me. A little shiver zinged through me. Sullivan was the bad guy. Not the guy I should be zinging for.

      He leaned forward, his hands bracing on the armrests of my chair. He was all up in my personal space. And he smelled so good.

      This is just the tip of the iceberg. For more about Sullivan (or BJ [Bossy Jackass] as Rose refers to him, before she sleuths out his name), Ax, Roxy, Ma, and of course Rose, read Diners, Dives & Dead Ends by Terri L. Austin. It's a Five-Kitty read, and highly recommended for all cozy mystery fans, especially those who like their heroines strong and sassy, and their men on the bad side.


      Originally published at JaneReads blog.