Prawn of the Dead

Lemon Layne Mystery Series, Book 1

By: Dakota Cassidy

Narrated by: Hollie Jackson

Length: 5 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

My name is Lemon Layne, and if asked to describe myself, like maybe on a dating site (which is never gonna happen), I'd have to go with best convenience store/barbecue joint owner in the Pacific Northwest. I live in the tiny tourist town of Fig Harbor, Washington, with my adorably neurotic best friend, Coco Belinski; my a-little-left-of-center (read "totally out there") mom, May; and my trouble-making pet monkey, Jessica Fletcher.

Oh, and last but certainly not least, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool amateur sleuth. Yep. I'm literally incapable of resisting a good mystery. No matter how great or small, I love to help solve a crime. From the mysterious disappearance of Ho Hos in my store to a lost piece of jewelry, I'm always ready to put on my Sherlock Holmes cap.

When I find my mother's ex-boyfriend murdered in our convenience store bathroom with a piece of his skull missing, and my mom's a suspect in a murder investigation, my mystery solving goes from zero to 100. To really make matters worse, the town's local conspiracy theorist and official doomsday prepper, Cappie, somehow finds out the victim isn't just missing a piece of his skull - he's missing a piece of his brain!

©2017 Dakota Cassidy (P)2017 Tantor

Another good series from Dakota

This book is the first in another good series from Dakota Cassidy. The characters are well crafted and believable. Can't wait for the next installment.

Its not for me

The relationship between lemon and coco seems forced and i don’t understand the monkey being necessary. Its ok. I just don’t think it’s my style.

Great Fun a must read series

Dakota Cassidy does it again with this funny cozy mystery. Lemon is an amateur sleuth with a menagerie of eclectic friends, mother and a monkey named, Jessica Fletcher. Her mother’s, May, former finance, Marwin, died of a heart attack in Jessica's family rest room of their convenience store. But that does not quite explain the hole in his head.

Lemon’s best friend Coco and their childhood friend, Justin, a policeman, beg her to stop asking questions, detective badges in Cracker Jack boxes do not make you a real detective. But she cannot stop. Even when she has cleared her mother’s name, which was her rational for getting involved in the investigation, Lemon still cannot stop.

While Lemon is talking loud to everyone in town, we get to meet many of the residents of the tiny town of Fig Harbor and the zombies that come to the town.

Dakota gives you all the fun and characters that make reading a cozy story enjoyable.

Good story

The book was good. The narrator, however, was annoying. She made Coco seem derisive and pretentious. I hate the inflection she uses at the end of every word Coco says.

Snark, Sass and Murder! Loved it

Lemon an Coco are the ying and yang in this cozy mystery. Lemon with her irrestiable nosey nature and Coco trying to keep it together these two are a duo as they try to fight off wait what Zombies. Well at least the Zombie wannabe. This book willm have you laughing till no end. I love Lemon' s mom May she is a riot. I would recommend this to any one who loves snark and humor.

Hollie does an amazing job with the voices. I love her inflection, and her characters. She does such a great job you forget it's one person. However feel that yiubare right there watching the book plat out. AWESOME!

So much fun😍💯 recommend

I loved both books, I certainly hope Dakota writes more books to the series. The humor was excellent as well as the story. The narrator brought it to life ❤️ This is one of a handful of books that I didn't know who the murderer was. What's that being said I can usually figure out who did it within the first couple chapters

Should Be the Perfect Cozy

This should be everything a fan of cozy mysteries could want. All the necessary aspects are present: amateur sleuth, small town, kooky characters, a meddlesome pet. But something is just wrong. It's been hard to define. I felt as if the author listed all the things required for a light-hearted cozy, and then asked "Just where is the limit of absurdity beyond which a book shouldn't go?" ... and then crossed it. It was TOO broad a parody of a mystery. A pet, yes ... but a monkey? Mom was not just a bit of an oddball, but odd beyond all reason. And then, it did the one thing that should be verboten in cozy-land. We discover in the end that the bad guy came out of nowhere. That's not fair. We can't play along when we aren't given sufficient info. There ought to be a clue somewhere that the most discerning reader could pick up on.

Omg! Who chose the narrator?

I love Dakota’s books, but this is the VERY FIRST AUDIBLE book to which I have ever tried to listen. WHO CHOSE THE NARRATOR? She sounds like she should be teaching a Lit. class at Oxford - TOTALLY not what this book needs. She doesn’t sound like what the main character should sound like - she sounds like an English nanny who is my age - in her 50’s - instead of a 20’s - early 30’s something young woman from New England. It’s been hard to get into the story bc of this problem.

Meh.

The character was less tenacious and more disrespectful and petulant. After disregarding everyone’s warnings to back off and let the police take care of it she was SURPRISED to be confronted by the killer… I know it’s just a story and what not but MFC was hard to like. This is just my opinion and others seem to have liked this story.