Smoke (Imogene Duckworthy Mystery #2) by Kaye George

Smoke (Imogene Duckworthy Mystery #2) Reviews

• 
  R.P. Dahlke

  This is Kaye George's second in the Imogene Duckworthy (every time I say that name I have to smile) series. The characters all have colorful names like Hortense, and Tinny Bucket, and her husband, Beryl, better known as Rusty... as in Rusty Bucket. Hilarious!
  
  All of the characters seem to live up to their wildly colorful names. And Immi, as friends and family call her, is certainly a character. Barely out of her teens, she's a single mom with a four year old daughter, a job she's hanging onto, living in a backwater Texas town, and has aspirations, or as my grandmother would say, gumption--she wants to become a private investigator.
  
  You would think Immi is fooling herself, wouldn't you? She should be taking secretarial courses, or nursing, or something useful. Ha! Ms. Goerge does a great job of convincing readers that they should root for Immi and her heartfelt desire to solve crimes and become a P.I. I know I sure did.
  
  There's laughter, red-herrings that throw her (and us) off the right track, but Immi prevails in a way that made me want to hug her, which I think would surprise her, as she doesn't seem to think she's anything special.
  
  And that, my friends, is the beauty of a really good author. Someone whose deft writing makes you want to live around the corner so you can catch up on the characters.
  
  I sure hope there will be more of Imogene Duckworthy (who makes me smile) for some time to come.
  
• 
  Arthur Stewart

  A murdered potbellied pig, a man on a meat-hook in the jerky smokehouse, an unwed mother aspiring to become a private investigator, a multitude of possible suspects and motives – now, what could possibly go wrong? This is an engaging, who-done it murder mystery within a wholesome context of family life in a small Texas town. A very good read! Author Kaye George knows what she’s doing with murder mysteries, and she does it very well.
• 
  S.M. McElligott

  I love mysteries with quirky well rendered characters and Smoke fits the bill big time! The heroine Immy Duckworthy is lovable and laughable at the same time. The other characters are memorable in their own funny ways. The plot moves at a nice pace and intrigued me right up to the surprise ending. I will read more of this author.
• 
  andrea

  A bit of an improvement over the first installment. At least Immy wasnt as large of an inept idiot as in the first book and the jokes weren't as lame...but this series isnt very good. Glad theres only one more.
• 
  Gail Baugniet

  A Rodeo of Mayhem and Deception
  
  Kaye George’s Smoke: An Imogene Duckworthy Mystery tells a fast-paced tale of a young woman, residing with her daughter and mother, whose main desire is to become a Private Investigator. Imogene (Immy) is taking a course in PI work and has a special how-to book she consults while she tries to investigate one untimely death after another in her small Texas town.
  
  Even with suspected murder, there is humor at every turn, not the slapstick kind or the wisecracking snark of new, but good old-fashioned, subtle “Immy” speak that had me smiling often and laughing out loud more than once.
  
  While reading the story, I was pleased to learn about potbelly pigs and bull riding. Both topics well researched and presented with an insider’s knowledge.
  
  The easygoing writing style is deceptive as Ms. George stays below the radar while spinning her tale of mayhem and deception. This is not a “Cozy” as I had expected. The scenes speed up quickly and the pace of the story makes it impossible to put down.
  
  What’s up next? Broke: An Imogene Duckworthy Mystery.
  
• 
  Lynn Farris

  ‘Smoke’ is the second book in the Imogene Duckworthy Mystery series by Kaye George. The first one in the series, ‘Choke,’ was nominated for an Agatha Award in the First Novel Category. ‘Choke’ is a great book, but I like ‘Smoke’ even better.
  
  This story revolves around pigs and is completely delightful.
  
  To read the complete review see:
  http://www.examiner.com/article/enjoy...
• 
  Patricia Gulley

  A great second book in the Imogene Duckworthy Mystery series now that Immy is becoming a PI.