Series: Southern Eclectic (Book 1.5)
A prank war erupts in Lake Sackett, Georgia and coroner
Frankie McCready has to turn to the gorgeous but surly new sheriff for help.
The McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop has
crickets running rampant in the store and hot sauce in the Snack Shack’s
ketchup bottles. But as the county coroner, Frankie has enough on her plate
without worrying about the increasingly mean pranks being played at her
family’s business. And the arrival of Sheriff Eric Linden, both devastatingly
attractive and painfully taciturn, is enough to push her over the edge.
Linden, who didn’t seem to get the memo about men in
uniform and Southern charm, is condescending and cold, revealing absolutely
nothing about his past as an Atlanta police officer, while also making
Frankie’s job as coroner as difficult as possible. And with the town’s Fourth
of July celebration coming up, it’s essential for McCready’s to be cricket-free
and in good working order. Strangling the sheriff will make her job even
harder. Can Frankie hold off the threats to preserve her own sanity?
Good story, but it really should have been the opening
chapters of Ain't She a Peach?, which I read first. This chronicles the way that
Frankie and Eric met and their initial interactions. It also includes the
beginnings of the prank war that continues into that book. Even so, it was a
fun read.
Frankie likes to cut loose now and then but prefers to do
so away from her overprotective family. On her latest trip to Atlanta, she
hooked up with Eric and had a mind-blowing night with him. But Frankie avoided
any awkward morning after moments by sneaking out while Eric was still asleep.
Imagine their shock a short time later when Eric showed up as the interim
sheriff in Lake Sackett.
Because Frankie is also the county coroner, she and Eric
have frequent encounters that only get more awkward. Frankie wonders what
happened to the fun-loving guy she slept with, because Sheriff Eric is cold to
her, dismissive of her as coroner, and determined to see foul play in every
death. It was fun to see these two dance around each other, especially when it
came to Frankie 'splaining the difference between small town and city life. At
the same time, Eric thinks that Frankie doesn't take her job seriously enough. It
all comes to a head when an accidental death on the lake brings their two
philosophies into conflict. I had to laugh at the way Frankie got her point
across. It was satisfying to see that both of them learned something from the
experience, giving hope for a better working relationship in the future. Of
course, underneath all the antagonism their attraction still bubbles away,
waiting for its chance to burst forth.
Another part of the book deals with the rash of pranks
and vandalism against the funeral home. Frankie is pretty sure she knows
exactly who is behind them, but she has no proof. It's clear to the reader
also, especially during Frankie's encounters with him, and I would have
cheerfully pushed him off the dock first chance I had. I liked how Frankie
tried talking to his parents, but they were of the type who think their child
can do no wrong. Their conversation did not go well, and the story ended with
Frankie saying, "Game on."
Overall, it's a good introduction to the next book, but if
I had read it first, I would have been very frustrated by the unfinished feel
to it. Knowing now that it is a prequel helps a little, but incorporating it
into Ain't She a Peach? would have been more satisfying.
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