No Substitute for Murder

( 96 )

Overview

Notice: This mystery contains no vampires, werewolves, zombies, or space aliens. It was not tested on laboratory animals. It makes no claims to political correctness. Characters may not be fully clothed at all times.

Divorced from a philandering con man and downsized from her job as a talk radio show producer, Barbara Reed is desperate for money. She’s got a mortgage, a ...
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No Substitute for Murder

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More About This Book

Overview

Notice: This mystery contains no vampires, werewolves, zombies, or space aliens. It was not tested on laboratory animals. It makes no claims to political correctness. Characters may not be fully clothed at all times.

Divorced from a philandering con man and downsized from her job as a talk radio show producer, Barbara Reed is desperate for money. She’s got a mortgage, a college loan, an aging car, and a ten-pound dog named Cheese Puff.

With her unemployment checks running out, she signs on as a high school substitute teacher and learns what stress is all about. When she finds history teacher Henry Stoddard strangled with his own outdated tie, her stress level soars into the red zone. Then she’s assigned to cover his classes.

Stoddard was a bully and a blackmailer. The list of suspects is a long one, and police put Barb at the top. When she discovers a second body, the noose of circumstantial evidence tightens.

With help from the showgirl widow of a reputed mobster, a trash-scavenging derelict, and members of the Cheese Puff Care and Comfort Committee, Barb struggles to keep a grip on her job, her sanity, and her freedom.
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780983735922
  • Publisher: Carolyn J. Rose
  • Publication date: 1/1/2012
  • Pages: 245
  • Sales rank: 1,260,033
  • Product dimensions: 6.00 (w) x 9.00 (h) x 0.75 (d)

Meet the Author

Carolyn J. Rose is the author of several novels, including Hemlock Lake, Through a Yellow Wood, An Uncertain Refuge, Sea of Regret, A Place of Forgetting, and No Substitute for Murder. She penned a young-adult fantasy, Drum Warrior, with her husband, Mike Nettleton.

She grew up in New York's Catskill Mountains, graduated from the University of Arizona, logged two years in Arkansas with Volunteers in Service to America, and spent 25 years as a television news researcher, writer, producer, and assignment editor in Arkansas, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. She founded the Vancouver Writers' Mixers and is an active supporter of her local bookstore, Cover to Cover. Her interests are reading, gardening, and not cooking.
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 96 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(31)

4 Star

(31)

3 Star

(24)

2 Star

(7)

1 Star

(3)

Your Rating:

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 96 Customer Reviews

  • Posted January 25, 2012

    No Substitute for a Hardy Laugh

    I found this book to be very engaging, and extremely funny. The main character, Barbara, is easy to identify with, and her dialogue with her Inner Critic is very realistic and also helps to highlight the need that most of us have to tune him/her out. Barbara's dog, Cheese Puff, made me want to go out and get another dog. The similes are fresh and vivid, the writing easy to read.

    I was reading it on a Nook on an airplane, when during one of the most tension-ridden scenes, I heard the announcement that we HAD to shut off our electronics. I was quite frustrated to be forced to wait.

    As with other books I have read by Carolyn J. Rose, I feel I have met her characters, and they stay in my mind for days afterward. I also really enjoyed the "pop quiz" questions at the ends of the chapters, which were very funny and also taught me a lot about what it would be like to be a substitute teacher.

    22 out of 22 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted April 19, 2012

    I Also Recommend:

    The Divorce Club

    One of my fav books. It did not disappoint!

    One of my fav books. It did not disappoint!

    5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 12, 2012

    R

    A smart ,fun mystery with much humor. I plan to read the author,s other books.

    5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted June 3, 2012

    This new mystery by Carolyn J. Rose is the kind of book to run t

    This new mystery by Carolyn J. Rose is the kind of book to run to when you want to relax and enjoy a light-hearted read. Even from my very limited subbing many years ago, I could relate, but the characters are so brightly drawn and the plot so quick-moving that you needn't have spent an hour behind a teacher's desk to appreciate the main character's situation. This story is the opposite of the hard-boiled noir mystery. Hyperbole rules with smile-inducing similes.

    4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted January 19, 2012

    fun read

    Lots of twists and turns. A bit of romance and a murder in a school room make for exciting reading. I always look forward to Carolyn Rose's new additions

    4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 9, 2012

    Absolutely loved it!

    Great main character and supporting cast. Very clever and quite humorous!

    4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 3, 2012

    Great book

    Loved this book. As a teacher (and former substitute) this book was relatable. The multiple choice question at the beginning of each chapter was great--made me keep reading to see her funny answers.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 27, 2012

    Great book

    Enjoying it a lot!!! So hard to put down

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 18, 2012

    This is a great read and by far my favorite of all her novels. Y

    This is a great read and by far my favorite of all her novels.
    You'll find yourself snickering and laughing through most of it. The pop quizzes at the start of each chapter are hilarious, but my above all favorite character is Cheese Puff!

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 17, 2012

    Very Enjoyable

    This is a fun and engaging read. Loved her characters. Full of life and murder too. Also an interesting look into the life of substitute teaching. I will be buying more of her books.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted June 5, 2012

    entertaining

    This is not your typical "can't put it down" mystery. It was a change of pace from what usually appeals to me it was different and quite entertaining. I enjoyed it!

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted June 5, 2012

    Loved It

    This is a quirky and sweet mystery. I loved every page of it and am looking forward to reading more by this author.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 4, 2012

    Liked alot

    I liked this book alot. It was my first read from this author. The humor of the characters was spot on for the way the story flowed. The who dun it was also very well portrayed. Really enjoyed this book.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 1, 2012

    Average read

    Beach read, not exciting, funny, no real plot, cute characters.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 30, 2012

    Boring

    After 50 pages, it was still clumsy, and well, pretty boring. I just couldn'tget into it.

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 26, 2012

    Fun read

    Short read but entertaining. Multiple choice questions are kind of annoying sice they add nothing to the story and most have no real answers. Fun read....would recommend.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 8, 2013

    Highly Recommended - you will be glad you tried it!

    I am drawn to books with school settinga and faculty as the main characters. This book is delightfully written with a Substitute Teacher as the very well-drawn main character. The ploy of the starting each chapter with a multiple choice question, is enjoyable and clever. Teachers and non-teachers will enjoy getting to know Barbara, Mrs. B, Cheese Puff, and others in Barbara's life. Hope this is the first in a series!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 29, 2013

    Enjoyable read

    I liked this lighthearted book. I especially likrd the lack of of excessive profanity and the absence of blatant (soft porn) sexuality, both straight and gay. The story was good and the characters likable and real.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 18, 2013

    Entertaining book if you are looking for a light read. Good cha

    Entertaining book if you are looking for a light read. Good character descriptions, likeable main character especially, but kind of plodding in a few spots.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 8, 2013

    q Marshman

    A good read, quirky and frustrating to start, however, Barb comes alive and the LIttle Prince lives happy ever after! Good who done it

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
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