Was so excited about a new series by Amanda Flower - one of my favorite authors and then when I was granted an audio version to "read" that's even better! The story surrounds Darby Piper who as a partner with Samantha Porter owns a detective agency. But when Samantha is found murdered, Darby is totally thrown for a loop. Not only is she the prime suspect but instead of inheriting Samantha's part of the agency she is saddled with Tate Porter - Samantha's nephew - who seems to be a unreliable world traveler with a past. Will they be able to get along and figure out who and why Samantha met her end?

I really enjoyed the story as well as the narration by Laura Faye Smith. I can foresee a future of unusual collaborations between the two principals and know that Ms. Flower's writing will bring them even more fully alive! ( )

Darby and Samantha own and run Two Girls Detective Agency, with Samantha owning a majority of the business as well as being Darby’s mentor. Now, Sam has died in a car crash, and police are looking at Darby as the chief suspect in what has turned out to be murder. Sam’s nephew Tate has returned home from world traveling, he says, on a planned visit, having no idea it would coincide with his aunt’s death. A visit to Sam’s lawyer reveals that Tate has inherited his aunt’s estate and her part of the business, not Darby as she had expected, since Sam had changed her will a few years prior. Sam was about to dissolve the business and take another job anyway, much to Darby’s dismay. Add into the mix Sam’s unhappy boyfriend, who wished to marry her but was rejected instead. So many suspects, so many reasons for murder, but Darby remains the prime one. She wonders if a case from the past may have put a target on Sam, specifically concerning Sam’s own father’s murder. It’s a race for Darby to find out what Sam knew that got her killed, before she ends up being arrested or worse, the next victim. This mystery is wondrously intriguing and quite well written. It has all the flavor of a small town, with likable and interesting characters and a somewhat quirky one thrown in the mix as well. It’s a very promising start to a delightful series, with all the excellence we’ve come to expect from the writings of Amanda Flower. ( )

Author Amanda Flower begins her "Piper and Porter Mystery Series" with "Dead-End Detective", an entertaining cozy mystery with an appealing female lead. Darby Piper and Samantha Porter had been good friends and partners in the "Two Girls Detective Agency" for over ten years. Samantha held the larger share of the agency, and when she suddenly decides to sell the business, Darby is at a loss. The agency is not only Darby's livelihood, it's her home--she lives upstairs above the office. Her shock becomes true heartache when Samantha is killed in a car accident and suspicion is cast upon Darby. Another unsettling surprise is the fact that Samantha had left her share of the business to her nephew, Tate Porter, who returns to the beautiful lakeside community of Herrington, New York to find out the truth about his beloved aunt's death. Tate, an army veteran, and a man with an air of mystery all his own, is now technically Darby's boss. Interest grows between Darby and Tate as they work together to solve the case. All along the way, Darby must deal with cantankerous cats, her ex-boyfriend, policeman Austin Caster, and her super-organized librarian mother. I enjoyed "Dead-End Detective", and I look forward to more mystery adventures with "Piper and Porter".

Book Copy Gratis Hallmark Publishing ( )

Dead-End Detective by Amanda Flower is the debut of A Piper and Porter Mystery series. We are transported to Herrington, New York on Seneca Lake where Samantha Porter and Darby Piper run Two Girls Detective Agency. Darby is upset because Samantha is talking about selling the business and a taking a job as head of security at Lake Waters Retreat. Samantha is then murdered, and someone has set up Darby to take the fall. Darby reluctantly teams up with Samantha’s nephew, Tate Porter to find the killer. I thought Dead-End Detective was well-written with interesting characters and a beautiful setting. I like that the author took the time to establish the setting and the main characters. Tate is still a bit of an enigma, but I am sure we will get to know him better in each subsequent book. He is a charmer and I like how kept popping up when Darby attempted to investigate on her own. I liked Darby’s mother who is the town librarian. The whodunit had several suspects, misdirection, and subtle clues. Someone worked hard to frame Darby. I like how it all came together, though, I did feel that Darby stumbled upon the solution. I would have preferred for Darby to solve the case since she is supposed to be such a good detective. I like how she questioned her various suspects and solved her open cases. There is humor in the story that mostly comes from the elderly Mrs. Berger and her spoiled cat, Romy. There is romance potential for Darby. There is her ex-boyfriend (who does not deserve her) and Tate. I loved the name of Darby’s cat, Gumshoe. There is a secondary storyline involving Matt Billows who owns Lake Waters Retreat. He is trying to buy Mrs. Berger’s land which she does not want to sell. Dead-End Detective is a good start to this new series, and I look forward to reading the next installment in A Piper and Porter Mystery series. Dead-End Detective is a charming cozy mystery with one dead detective, an itinerant nephew, a climbing cat, a tenacious nonagenarian, and a set-up sleuth. ( )

cozy-mystery, murder, private-investigators, greed, family-dynamics, friendship, law-enforcement, exmilitary, small-business, small-town*****

It was the start of a very bad week for Darby. First she finds out that her best friend and business partner of over ten years has sold the business out from under her. Then said friend is dead, Darby is chief suspect, then finds out that their earlier agreement on passage of ownership goes to the nephew, and it was absolutely stunning. What more could go wrong?! Great characters and plot twists made this a really fun read that kept me guessing to the end. Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Hallmark Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!
This time Dreamscape Media and NetGalley allowed me to listen to the audio performed by Laura Faye Smith . She does a great job of adding to her tone so that it fits the character. She does an inspired job with the narration and dialogue. Great voices that are distinct and consistent, but the male voices need more work. Even so, I think that the story is better in audio. Besides, it is hard to read print while doing mindless things! ( )