Eye Spy by Jenna Mattison – Book Feature @goddessfish

Website: http://jennamattison.net/

Available at Amazon

 

Book Review by ROz:

 

Jenna Mattison writes with a quirky, funny style that kept me engaged through the entire story. You get to see into the life of a woman in denial. After 20 years of marriage, after giving up her life, her mother’s expectations, and pretty much her identity, her friends pull her aside and tell her they think her husband is cheating on her. Liza’s reaction.

 

What? No way.

 

Well, yes way. Liza begins her new life after kicking her husband to the curb, taking up with an ex-cop with a spy shop, and delves into a mystery she is unwittingly pulled into. I enjoyed the banter and between the main character and Jack, the Bogart speaking sleuth. He picks her up, helps put her back together, and is easy on the eyes, to boot. There is the initial attraction that gives way to much more, but I did get a little put off by the ease of which this not-quite-divorcee manages to land men, left and right. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure a healthy dose of confidence is liberating, but I think the story gets tied up with her emotions, rather than actually having a mystery. There is one, but it kind of peters out and literally climaxes on a single page, much like a horrible blind date. To be fair, it is very well written, very clever in its humor, but the mystery gets left out of the fun.

 

I’d recommend the book for a quick, fun read. As far as being a ‘mystery’ – it doesn’t really have enough substance to call it that, but I did enjoy it. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

 

 

 

 

BLURB:

When Liza Radley realizes it’s cheatin’ season and no self-respecting detective’s gonna spy on her husband for the $800 and change she has hidden in a plastic soap dish, she does what any normal transplanted Georgia Peach would do–she becomes a private eye. While downing her fourth maple-glazed curbside, Liza discovers “Eye Spy”, a shop for the self-motivated sleuth in the heart of Boston. Inspiration strikes and she enters the world of Jack Parella, the owner/operator who talks like Humphrey Bogart but with a Southie accent and is more than willing to train Liza in the ways of amateur sleuthing, while simultaneously infuriating and titillating her. Though Liza starts the journey intending to rebuild her crumbling suburban life, she finds herself thrust into a fiery mystery as head of “Crimes of the Heart Detective Agency” with Parella by her side. Thus our dynamic duo is primed for their next adventure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Excerpt:

 

All men cheat. At least that’s what I’d always heard but I never believed a word of it.

Until today.

I’m Liza Radley, I live in a two story gunmetal grey house near the end of a cul-de-sac. Bernie and I couldn’t afford actual cul-de-sac status six years ago when he started his practice here in Andover. Since then we’ve built our lives together brick by brick but now I find myself rifling thru his underwear drawer on a Thursday morning wondering if some young wolfette is trying to blow our house down.

Or blow my Bernie for that matter.

I mean, it’s not like I actually suspect him of the big A, but over breakfast my three best friends staged the suburban version of an intervention and now that the dirty little thought is lurking I can’t resist committing cardinal sin #1 from the Bad Wife Handbook. Snooping. Plus I want to prove the girls wrong and show them that my Berns and I are still in happily wedded bliss. Okay maybe not bliss…but I don’t know if bliss is even possible after 10 years of marriage so let’s just say we’re content in a frozen-lasagna-sex-once-a-month-with-the-lights-off sort of way.

 

Jenna Mattison

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Mattison started her career in Chicago appearing on television and radio.  She founded founded Cheshire Smile Productions, bringing to life and penning her first feature film FISH WITHOUT A BICYCLE, a festival winning coming of age comedy which was directed by Brian Austin Green.   “Fish” is now available on Netflix. Mattison also wrote Cheshire’s second release THE THIRD WISH now available at Blockbuster and distributed by the Hallmark Channel.

 

Lionsgate’s FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY, based on a true story of Jewish gangsters set in the 1970’s starring James Caan, Paul Sorvino, Edward Furlong and Jeffrey Tambor was also produced and written by Mattison.   Most recently Jenna has written a TV movie called COMMITTED, which wrapped production this spring to premiere on television this fall. Her novel The Tree Of Jesse is a romantic religious thriller and will be released this spring, available worldwide. Mattison next novel is Eye Spy the first in a comedic romantic suspense series available this summer.

 

Jenna will be awarding one digital copy of Eye Spy to a randomly drawn commenter at every stop.

 Please leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy!!

 

Website: http://jennamattison.net/

Available at Amazon