****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
So people always make a big deal out of "summer reading" & "beach books". This is a book for all seasons, as are Littlefield's other Bad Day stories.Ever since I met the author at a local bookstore event, I've loved her books. I met her without having read any of her work, was charmed by her wit, humor, & I dare say, her sophistication. I bought her first Bad Day book for my mom & my husband bought a copy for himself. Well, Mom loved hers & I loved hubby's! I was hooked. I was frankly a bit surprised that a woman as sophisticated as Littlefield could write with such folksy adroitness. Her wit is down home & sly, modern & timeless. It's these contrasts that I love so much - they're like the warm hot fudge on cold ice cream - seeming opposites which go so well together. You don't have to be an abuse survivor or a woman to thoroughly enjoy the mid-life adventures main character Stella takes us on. Her cadre of compatriots - neighbor kids, young assistant, grown daughter, sexy middle-aged sheriff, abused spouse/clients all make you feel welcome by refusing to be one dimensional or totally predictable. Stella's totally relatable little vanities, worries, ability to multi-task, obfuscate & nurture are at times almost painfully familiar to me, but she always manages to deliver justice, whereas I fall short, so I'm always satisfied.You can read about the plot in the synopsis, so let me just say 2 more things: Her Russian character's accent & manner of speaking are spot-on funny & Littlefield makes crime in both Wisconsin & Missouri seem mysterious & even exciting.
