
Southern belle BeBe Loudermilk has lost all her worldly possessions, thanks to a brief but disastrous relationship with the gorgeous Reddy, an "investment counselor" who turns out to be a con man. All that's left is a ramshackle 1950s motel on Tybee Island, an eccentric beach town that calls itself a drinking village with a fishing problem.
Breeze Inn is a place where the very classy BeBe wouldn't normally be caught dead, but with no alternative, she moves into the manager's unit, vowing to make magic out of mud. The work is grueling, especially dealing with the bad-tempered caretaker, a fishing captain named Harry who's trying to earn enough dough to get his boat out of hock. With the help of Harry and her junking friend Weezie, BeBe soon has the motel spiffed up and attracting paying guests.
Then there's a sighting of Reddy in Fort Lauderdale, and BeBe decides to go after him. She puts together a posse, and with the irrepressible Granddaddy Loudermilk snoring in the backseat of the Buick, heads south. The plan is to carry out a sting that may be just a little bit outside the law but that, with any luck at all, will retrieve BeBe's fortune and put the dastardly Reddy in jail, where he belongs. And maybe Harry, who's looking more hunky every day, will finally get his boat back.
©2006 Mary Kay Andrews; (P)2006 HarperCollinsPublishers
"Andrews writes with tongue firmly in cheek, presenting a cast of eccentric characters and a plot that's decidedly over-the-top." (Publishers Weekly)
In a predictable story of BeBe Loudermilk's efforts to recover her personal fortune from a con man, Mary Kay Andrews offers up some entertaining mind candy. Savannah businesswoman and Southern belle BeBe moves into a decrepit motel, which she inadvertently comes to own, and works with the current manager and a cast of other lovable but forgettable characters to turn her life around. Isabel Keating reads the story with aplomb, adjusting her voice appropriately for each character. The result is perfect, with the humorous dialogue remaining lively, dynamic, and enjoyable. While the story itself is amusing enough, Keating's interpretation makes it much more fun. (c) AudioFile 2006
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