Monday, March 17, 2014

Miami Mummies / Barbara Silkstone


Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre:  Humor /Mystery /Adventure

Approximate word count: 45-50,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“Barbara Silkstone is the best-selling author of the Wendy Darlin Tomb Raider series ~ Mystery Comedies featuring Wendy Darlin, Miami real estate broker and part-time Tomb Raider. Silkstone enjoys doing playful things with language as she writes criminally funny tales ripped from the headlines...shaken, not stirred, and served with a twist and a chuckle. She lives in south Florida where she survives on buttered popcorn and fried chicken... extra crispy.”

You can find out more about Ms. Silkstone at her website or connect with her on her blog or Facebook. Ms. Silkstone has also recently opened another website that has nothing to do with books. “The Second Act Café is a place for those lingering on either side of fifty. It’s about getting even by having fun. Life truly should be one long laugh.” Her books are also available on Audible.com.

Description:

“The legendary mastermind criminal and mummy thief, Kyzer Saucy, strikes again. Part-time tomb raider and full-time real estate broker, Wendy Darlin joins her lover, archaeologist Roger Jolley as they struggle to save a rare Miami mummy from the clutches of this evil genius. Can Saucy be stopped before he kills again? Meanwhile can Wendy keep her promise to Alfred Hiccup as he attempts to transmigrate from the afterlife? Or has Wendy finally made one promise too many?

Appraisal:

As always Wendy hits the ground running. She just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time with hormones raging. Ms. Silkstone's plots are character driven and I am not sure she has any control over Wendy at all. She is a smart, take control type of heroine and doesn't let anything get in her way, besides holes in fabric, water in her face, or heights.

Miami Mummies is a homage to Alfred Hitchcock with character names such as Alfred Hiccup, Tippy Henman, Gary Grant, and Stewart James. Tippy's construction site, where the mummies were found, is the old Bates Hotel. In a secondary plot Alfred Hiccup, Wendy's mentor, recruits her to repossess, it's not stealing if it was originally stolen from him, a bronze  Remington statue that has been located in the lobby of the Cowboy Pension Fund on the top floor of the North by Northwest Financial Center in Miami. You can tell Ms. Silkstone had a lot of fun weaving this story and the Hitchcock elements together. I found myself chuckling through it all.

This is not just slapstick humor, there is a good mystery, unscrupulous political figures, evil lobbyists, a spoiled heiress, and a radical spinoff tribe of Seminole Native Americans trying to protect what may be an old Tequesta Indian burial site. Unfortunately, Roger Jolley is away on other mummy business involving the world’s most notorious mummy thief, Kyzer Saucy, who wishes to totally eliminate Roger by crafting an exotic demise. However, when he hears about the archaeological finds around Miami he joins Wendy in her quest to get to the truth about the Miami mummies.

I was glad to see more of Kit Kennedy in this book. He is a lot of fun to have around. I did fear for his safety a time or two through some of the plot twists. Ms. Silkstone does an excellent job bringing her story to life using recent headlines in Miami's news while making it a fun romp through Alfred Hitchcock's movie portfolio. There are a couple of new characters introduced who may make appearances in future books, it will be interesting to see. There is no cliffhanger at the end of this story but some things were not tied up in a neat little bow leaving openings for further adventures.

FYI:

Miami Mummies is the fourth book in the Wendy Darlin Tomb Raider series.
While it could be read as a stand-alone I would recommend reading Wendy and the Lost Boys, London Broil, and Cairo Caper for a complete appreciation of the characters.

Format/Typo Issues:

I found no significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

13 comments:

Barbara Silkstone said...

Thank you for this wonderful five star review. Wendy was so inspired she just headed out on another adventure.

Anne R. Allen said...

Love Barbara's wacky humor. I'm glad you do too, Big Al. Great observation that Barbara may not have any control over Wendy at all :-) Happy to hear there's another Wendy adventure on the way, Barb!

BooksAndPals said...

Thanks, Anne, but I can't take credit for this one. This was ?wazithinkin's review.(Which doesn't mean I don't like Barbara's books, because I do.)

?wazithinkin said...

Thanks for dropping in and commenting Ms. Silkstone. Wendy is such a unique character. I loved the Hitchcock element in this book.

?wazithinkin said...

Thank you for commenting, Ms. Allen. I look forward to more Wendy adventures also.

Unknown said...

Great review, wazi. You had me laughing in all the right ways. Sounds like an unusual series.

?wazithinkin said...

Thanks, Pete. Ms. Silkstone has developed a unique character with Wendy Darlin, she is a lot of fun.

Sibel Hodge said...

I'm a big fan of Barbara's so can't wait to read this! Great review :) xx

Vicki said...

Sounds like a hoot. Love the cover, Barbara. :)

Great review, wazithinkin.

Barbara Silkstone said...

Thank you for all your kind comments. And you are correct, ?wazithinkin. I have no control over Wendy. She embarrassed the heck out of me when she was laying on that gynecologist's table. I never know what's going to come out of her mouth.

?wazithinkin said...

Thanks for dropping in and commenting Ms. Hodge.

Vicki, I think the Windy book covers are alone are entertaining. Thanks for the kind words.

Ms. Silkstone, that scene was hysterical. I'm pretty sure that is when I decided you had no control over Wendy. LOL!

Barbara Silkstone said...

?wazi,
But don't you hate when that happens? There you are on the doctor's examination table one minute, and the next....

?wazithinkin said...

Honestly Ms. Silkstone, I can't say I have ever had a moment like that! I would like to thank you though, for glimpses into what it must be like to live in your head. :D