Book Review/Feature: Little Dirt Road and Juiced

Happy Wednesday! I have been running errands and then on the phone literally the entire day. I really hate scheduling appointments, especially medical ones, because it's just a pain. I also got to take my vehicle for an oil change and $800 later.... I'm not even kidding... I have two new tires AND an oil change. I just want it on the record that every time I've ever had something in a tire it has been because of Matt driving my vehicle. He got it "fixed" a few months ago and I said, I don't think this is actually fixed, but you know, I don't know what I'm talking about. 

Even though I'm paying $800 today, I really enjoyed listening to the tech explain to Matt that the tire clearly wasn't done correctly. I don't want to say I told you so, but..... let's just say my track record of being right is pretty strong. 

In other news, I have a couple of books I think you might like if adventure with a little mystery sprinkled in. It's a departure from what I've been reading lately, and I really needed the change of pace. 

Book Review/Feature: Juiced & Little Dirt Road

Both books are the latest installments of The O'Malley Adventures (books 3 and 4), and I should mention I haven't read books one and two. I don't think you necessarily need to read these in order but I think it would add to the character development of our main characters. I personally like seeing the arc of the characters over an entire series, if done correctly you really see them change as a real person would. Let's take these in order so I don't get mixed up. 

Little Dirt Road: Bad Men on Whidbey Island

The O’Malleys are doing what? How is it possible that dangerous complications arise from their simple vacation in wine country? With their recent move to South Whidbey Island, only the O’Malley’s would stumble upon drug smugglers, embezzlers, and murderers amongst the locals. The quirky, pastoral island, reachable by a less than speedy ferry from Mukilteo or the narrow, deteriorating Deception Pass bridge, is no match for the wicked men about to visit.

A notorious drug lord and a nondescript enforcer with freakish hell-raising skills invade the peaceful Pacific Northwest island—where not even the friendly locales and free-roaming long-eared rabbits can soften his homicidal heart.

Weeding through the facts and surprisingly connected characters with their trusted friend, Bellevue Detective Bill Owens, the narrative swirls from Mexico to Canada and throughout Puget Sound. It’s a heart-racing and outrageously offbeat adventure for two innocent people, proving once again that trouble will find the O’Malleys without the slightest amount of effort on their part. 

I mean, who doesn't like a vacation going to hell, am I right? I've never personally been to the Pacific Northwest, but the descriptions were so spot on and descriptive, that won points with me. Let's talk about the things that made it tough for me first because there are far more good than bad. Having read two of Ted's books now, I get the impression his skill is in weaving the story together, and that means giving you some strings as you go and somehow by the end they all come together before you know it. It's 100% an issue with me, I have some cognitive issues so I sometimes have a hard time remembering those details so it takes me a bit at the end to connect things. Some of the twists were predictable, but not all. One of the perks of this for me was that you didn't necessarily seen some of them coming, so I appreciated that, it makes the book hard to put down and a rather quick read. I would say overall this is a little different, but in the best way possible. It made going into the next book much easier because I liked the writing style, but now I feel kind of invested in the O'Malleys! 

Juiced: A Whidby Adventure

An invention that can save the planet?
Somehow, someway the O’Malleys have found themselves in the thick of things once again. On peaceful, bucolic Whidbey Island, they become entangled in a corporate plot to stifle a paradigm-shattering discovery, one that promises to upend conventional thinking, topple markets, and create an entirely new industry.
Kevin and Jenne, along with scientists from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, find themselves pitted against a band of bumbling criminals who will stop at nothing to get what they want—including arson and murder.
It’s another rollicking adventure for the retired interior designers ably assisted by their favorite detective, the FBI, and Emma, their ever-vigilant German Shepherd Dog.

So... what I gather from these is that Kevin and Jenne are forever falling into trouble somehow, no matter where they go or what they are doing. While we aren't dealing with a drug lord in this one, we are dealing with some serial criminals who aren't real smart. Let's just say they aren't watching enough Dateline because they kind of fumble along the way. I suppose if this was real life, that's for the best if you're tasked with catching them. I want to also say I love their dog. I really wish my dog was helpful, let alone dependable. I could be being murdered, but if it is his naptime, I'm on my own. 

This story centers around an invention of a power source that could really upend science, but also how society functions. Obviously, not everyone would be excited about that, specifically anyone that would be losing power and/or profits, but our rag tag team of heroes are on the case. I actually liked this one slightly more than Little Dirt Road, only because I felt like this one had a little more action. Coincidentally, I was just watching a documentary that talked about arson and how investigators can tell if a fire was arson or not, so I liked that this book featured arson. Which sounds weird to say. Overall, I liked this one and again, flew through this one in less than a day. If you're stuck and need a quick one to read, definitely consider these!

Thank you to Ted Mulcahey and Author Marketing Experts for having me on this tour and mailing me copies for review!