Just Desserts

Savannah Reid, Book 1

By: G. A. McKevett

Narrated by: Dina Pearlman

Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Finding herself in over her head with a case involving a politician's infidelities, Memphis-born karate expert Detective Sergeant Savannah Reid is told that she must turn in her badge because she is overweight.

©1995 G.A. McKevett and the Kensington Publishing Corp. (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Great book to start a series.

Would you consider the audio edition of Just Desserts to be better than the print version?

Have not read the written edition of this book.

What did you like best about this story?

An interesting assortment of characters. I liked that the main character is from the south and she is proud of her southern roots. She is smart and sassy with a taste for chocolate.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Savanna pretends to be a drunk woman looking for her cheating boyfriend as a ploy to get into the apartment of an escaped prisoner.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Southern comfort meets southern California

Any additional comments?

Looking forward to character development and meeting all of Savanna's family.

Couldn't Finish

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No, The narrator would not pause at certain points in the narration and you would feel like she was reading a run-on sentence. I ignored the first instance, but it happened multiple times. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and stopped listening. This is probably a good book.

ok listen...better off reading

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have listened to many audio books and the narrator to this story is terrible. It makes it hard for me to get through. So, I will make sure any other books I will read.

Would you be willing to try another book from G. A. McKevett? Why or why not?

Reading only

Would you be willing to try another one of Dina Pearlman’s performances?

NO WAY!!

Great Story but it's performed like a machine gun

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Narrator

Would you be willing to try another one of Dina Pearlman’s performances?

I have to, because the story is great and I got them as audible-deals. But the rest of the series I rather read myself

It was just okay

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I don't know. It just never really grabbed my attention.

What do you think your next listen will be?

I might try the I Love New York series.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narration wasn't too bad.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

That is the thing. The story didn't really spark anything. To be fair, I read this book several weeks ago so I may have forgotten some things. With that said, I really had to work to remember this book.

Any additional comments?

I normally gravitate towards lighter reads like Evanovich, Kinsella, etc. If you like a more serious read with a female character try Sue Grafton.

Cross Between Bewitched and Rachael Ray

It's almost unimaginable that I didn't enjoy a novel with the word "Desserts" in the title. Sadly, I was expecting a light hearted southern mystery without the supernatural twist.

I have no problem believing in ghosts and evil spirits but not "magical" pies which make people fall instantly in love and "sweeten" sour personalities.

While well written and humorous at times, the plot was just not my cup of tea. I would absolutely try another book by this author in another genre.

Half an hour of my life

I listened to about 30 minutes of this before abandoning it. The characters are so trite, they qualify as caricatures.

Amateurish writing sinks a promising character and potential mystery series

This book introduces Savannah Reid, a cop in Los Angeles originally from Georgia. Her situation is fairly involving from the start – she's 40 and a little overweight and working on a high-profile homicide that she gets fired from. In her disappointment at her dismissal she begins to connect with her male cop partner in a new and a sexual way. At this point, the writing, which had not been great but I was willing to overlook that, became pretty bad "she was overwhelmed by an overwhelming feeling of..." Really? Was there an editor? An English teacher? I kept at it for a while but then her teenage sister arrives from Georgia at four in the morning on an alleged redeye flight. This makes me crazy. No such flight exists. This is an easy enough thing to check, especially with the Internet. Not only that, the girl talks about having picked up some cute clothes at the boutiques at the Denver airport when she changed planes there. If she in fact had taken a flight that would arrive LAX at 4 o'clock in the morning, she would have transited Denver at about 3AM local time. There's no excuse for this. Too bad, because I wouldn't mind knowing what happens to this character, not to mention the solution to who killed the Councilwoman's husband, but it's just too tough to get through.

Rather Predictable mystery

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I think that the narrator's southern drawl was a bit much for me. I also think that the series set-up is not that promising. The mystery itself and the various side-plots are a bit predictable.

What could G. A. McKevett have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I think it's just not that complicated enough to please me. I like cozy mysteries and police procedurals but I think that I would give my gold stars to Louise Penny and Donna Leon and some of the thrillers I have heard on Audible. This is a good light mystery.

What three words best describe Dina Pearlman’s performance?

Southern, cloying, annoying

Could you see Just Desserts being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I don't think so. That woman who is on Mike and Molly perhaps.

Any additional comments?

I don't think I will pursue this series. I think it tries a little too hard to be cute. Oh, and did I mention cleavage? How many times are we treated to a description of ample cleavage? I'd rather hear about personality traits.