"Panic in the Panhandle" By J.C. Kenney: Review/Giveaway

Review by Tracy Condie

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

This new series that starts right out of the gate with a murder utilizing a most unusual weapon––death by gator. Yes, you read that correctly. A really big alligator is used as a really messy murder weapon to kill a transplant from Philly named Fran Cohen. Not to worry. That is not a spoiler. The murder happens before you turn from page one to page two. Benjamin Simpson––everyone calls him Elmo––is the mild-mannered wild animal relocation specialist called to check out the strange noise that leads to finding the alligator. Elmo did not expect to find a gator in Fran Cohen’s condo, or to make a promise to help clear Rambo, the man who owned the gator.


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Image Source Tule Publishing Group
Paradise Springs is your typical beach town in the Florida Panhandle with some locals who are anything but typical. J.C. Kenney has done a great job creating unique characters. A police chief who was a former swimsuit model invokes fear in people with just a single steely gaze, and a deputy resembling Star Trek’s Spock has the disposition of Barney Fife. Suspect number one is Waldo Quigley, aka Rambo, an alligator farm owner. He is a mountain of a man with a mountain-sized appetite for barbecue, but truly a solid guy you can trust. Fran, the victim, rubbed people the wrong way with his talk of updating and rezoning the town of Paradise Springs.

If you think that the characters mentioned so far are interesting, wait until you meet the suspects. Elmo enlists help from his sometimes girlfriend Nicola, aka Nic, and compiles a list that includes a former actress, a Vampire, a psychic, and a celebrity chef. Not your run of the mill list of suspects, but then again Paradise Springs is not a quiet little beach town.

The mystery was very entertaining with every character so unique that you can’t wait to see who you’ll meet next. Many of the characters have secrets. Even Elmo has a backstory most people don’t know about, and contrary to popular belief, he is no slouch. He does a really good job of hunting down clues while covering his rounds. It is surprising how much sleuthing one can get done while checking traps and such. It is almost as if he is being paid to be a PI in addition to a wild animal relocation specialist.

The misdirection was masterful, and the kookiness made me chuckle. This was an entertaining mystery, and I look forward to the next one.

To enter to win an ebook copy of Panic in the Panhandle, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "panhandle,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 2, 2024. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! 

You can click here to purchase this book.
Tracy Condie is a paralegal by day and cozy armchair sleuth by night. When she is not working or reading, she enjoys preparing the recipes found in culinary cozies or researching recipes of meal items described therein and sharing reviews of both books and food on Instagram and on KRL. She lives in Corona, California with her husband and dog Zoolie, and looks forward to visiting with their grown sons when their time permits.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Comments

  1. I always like a good Florida novel.

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    Replies
    1. This sounds like an entertaining mystery! Florida is home to many interesting characters in books and in real life.

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    2. We have a winner!
      Lorie Ham

      Delete
    3. We have a winner!
      Lorie Ham

      Delete

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