Picked Off is another intense, edge-of-your-seat cozy mystery set in the world of a vegan working her family’s goat dairy farm. The South Caroline world of Brie Hooker created by Linda Lovely is spectacularly written and the images of each scene in the book were not only vivid but easy to get immersed in as you read. The world and characters were written well, and I felt like I was there at the farm, on the climbing trails, or in the middle of the scuffles.

Brie’s character is down-to-earth, enjoyable, and a completely likable character. It is no wonder she has two suitors vying for her attention and affection. Paint and Andy, men on complete opposite ends of the spectrum, are well-written and caring, each wanting Brie for themselves. Aunt Eva is a quirky yet strong woman who demonstrates the ability to be independent and self-sufficient. Brie’s friend Mollye (yes, it ends with an “e”) rounds out the character list quite nicely.

Regarding Brie’s love life, the author developed an unusual relationship status for her. The direction the author is taking Brie's potential love-match is different from most relationships in books and found that I enjoyed the differentiation. Regardless of the outcome, I like both guys, so I am not really rooting for one over the other. I would be fine with whatever direction the author takes. Well, maybe that's not true. If I were to pick, I would pick Paint, but I like a little bit of bad boy in my men.

The author did a wonderful job weaving everything in this book together. The book contains attempted murder, disappearances, and a tangled web of one disaster after another, carefully explained, envisioned, and played out. Add those elements to simmering romances, secrets, a vegan working on a dairy farm, and one unpredictable mule and you have one spectacular tale in Picked Off. The plot is solid, and I didn't see the conclusion coming. There were several suspects to choose from and the correct one was camouflaged quite well. Picked Off is a great novel that drew me in, kept me engaged, and continued to pique my curiosity from the very beginning. I can't wait to see where Linda Lovely takes Brie, Eva, and the rest of the cast in the next book.

What a great addition to this wonderful cozy mystery series. This time Brie gets wrapped up in the investigation of a pro football player that has been attacked. Her eclectic style mixed with the farm details, vegan bits, and her aunt makes for a comical story line that you can really get hooked on. Add the cheese curses plus a hoot for her best friend to bring on the laughs even more. I have to say that this is very well written cozy that I highly recommend to fans of the genre. I really enjoyed it so I give it 4/5 stars.

We are back to Udderly kidding Dairy with Brie and Aunt Eva in book 2 In this cute cozy series. The farm is hosting a fund raiser for Aunt Eva’s best friend, Aron who is running for South Carolina governor. When her son Zack is stabbed in the Halloween inspired haunted barn it puts a damper on the festivities. I think Brie. Reds to finally choose a steady boyfriend as the series continues. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Picked Off: A Brie Hooker Mystery Series
By Linda Lovely
Henery Press
June 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

The death of her Aunt Lily led Brie Hooker back to Ardon County, South Carolina, where she stayed to help her other Aunt Eva run their Udderly Kidding Dairy. A devout vegan, Brie has grown to love the goats of the cheese and milk farm, even when they are a little aggressive with greetings (and an inadvertent turned back). The dairy farm of four-hundred goats is about to become even more boisterous when they host a Halloween-themed fundraiser for Carol Strong, Aunt Eva’s friend and a candidate for governor. Arriving in town to support Carol is her nephew Zack, a pro quarterback for the NFL taking time off between games to lend his celebrity status to the event. Not everyone approves of a female candidate with an anti-development stance, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that her welcoming speech is interrupted by the CAVE men, the accurately named Citizens Against Virtually Everything who are thrown off of the property. It may be a case of too little too late though, as Zach is later found bludgeoned and stabbed with a pitchfork in the Udderly Haunted Barn of Horrors.

Brie had thought that having to wear a risqué mermaid costume would be her biggest trauma of the night, but now she must worry that the attack was intended to affect Carol. The arrival of the NFL Las Vegas’s team owner and teammates complicate matters for the police, but it’s Zach’s past as a youth Ardon County that may have led to resentment and revenge in the present. This is almost enough to distract Brie from her enviable romantic life, which has her being wooed by two best friends whose friendship she is terrified of ending.

Politics get ugly in this absolutely charming farm-centric mystery, and the author skillfully incorporates timely topics within a very cozy setting. Brie swears using cheese and meat names, embraces addictions to coffee and caffeine, and corrals her aunt’s five Grand Pyrenees guard dogs. Fake news being wielded by a very biased, conservative newspaper becomes weaponized, and residents feel its impact despite the knowledge that they should know better. Those with little interest in professional football will become fascinated with the business aspect of running a team, although I admit that I still don’t understand how fantasy football actually operates. Perhaps an even bigger fantasy to emerge from this second in the series are relationships between Brie and her beaus, but readers can anticipate a lot of fun potential for the future. The writing is sharp and the plotting even more deftly handled in this unpredictable, extremely humorous mystery.

I have mixed feelings about Picked Off by Linda Lovely. I love Brie and all of her friends, who I first met in Bones to Pick. Her aunt is awesome, feisty and honest and loving. She and her friends, Mollye, Paint and Andy make a great team, even if they’re a bit bumbling, like any good amateur detectives. They are funny and truly care about each other. The mystery is good. We’ve got plenty of suspects and motives, which is not surprising considering the victim – who doesn’t actually die by the way – is a professional football player and his mother is a politician. We’ve got rednecks and franchise owners and gamblers.

Then the author goes and ruins it all with a love triangle, which was my problem with the first in the series too. I had hoped she would let that go by the wayside, but nope. Apparently Brie can not be “just friends” with either of them – again, so at the end of this one they’ve all decided that one week she will date guy #1 and the next week guy #2. Sorry if that’s a spoiler but it really annoys me. Especially because other than that it’s a really good series.

Picked Off takes place around Halloween, so if you’re looking for a cozy in October, keep it in mind

Picked Off by Linda Lovely is the second book in the Brie Hooker Mystery series. It is nearly Halloween at Udderly Kidding Dairy. Brie and her aunt are hosting a political event at the farm. When the candidate's son is brutally attacked in the haunted barn, Brie finds herself investigating once again. I enjoyed the setting and the mystery. The characters have promise, but most act like silly teenagers. The sexual innuendos grew tiring quickly and seemed out of place with the age of the characters. I was slightly put off by the casual use of a Ouija board, but that was a small part that I could overlook. I do hope the characters "grow up" in book three.

Brie Hooker and her Aunt Eva live and work on the Udderly Kidding Dairy Farm - a goat dairy farm. They've consented to host her Aunt Eva's friend Carol's campaign fundraiser- which in the flavor of the season is a masquerade party complete with a haunted house in the barn. Carol's son, Zack, a pro-quarterback flies in to attend.

This mystery has so much: a vicious pitchfork attack, blackmail, kidnapping, and murder. It even alludes to the dangers of gambling. And yet it's not too much. There's rarely a dull moment once the action starts. Action packed scenes are balanced with investigation and discussion. There are motives old and new for the crimes. And while there are references to previous events, this book can be read as a standalone.

As with many cozies, romance is a subplot. Brie is attracted to two men and has refused to date either because they are best friends. By the end of the book, this changes and leaves the future open. This will allow for growth and change in the main character of Brie.

Other than Brie and Eva, my favorite character is Brie's close friend Mollye. Mollye is dating a police officer and runs a new age store. She also easily comes up with some of the most out-there ideas for how to proceed with investigating the mysteries.

The plot is well-paced. It's well-written. I enjoyed the characters and their adventures as they try to solve the mysteries, Overall, I give this book 4 stars.

Picked Off by Linda Lovely is the second Brie Hooker mystery. It was released June 5th, 2018 from Henery Press.

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Picked Off

by Linda Lovely

I enjoyed Picked Off, a cozy mystery by Linda Lovely, but I didn’t love it and I didn’t think it was as good as the first book in the series.

On the positive side, it has an interesting plot, likable characters and appropriate injections of humor. In fact, there is an exciting escape scene that is as funny as all get out! It’s worth reading the book just to experience that piece of writing. There are lots of fun, folksy figures of speech to roll off the tongue and stir the imagination.

On the negative side, Brie, who is helping her Aunt Eva with Udderly Kidding Dairy, is as enmeshed as ever in her attractions to Paint and Andy who are best friends to each other. The irony of a vegan who runs a dairy farm and engages in cheese and meat curses is lost on no one and remains amusing in the second book. The romantic triangle, however, is losing its appeal. Brie, along with the author, appears stuck on the fence. My other criticism is that there were a few loose ends that did not get tied up. I am especially interested in the missing backpack containing evidential video footage. It seems to have dropped off the radar.

The basic plot is interesting: Carol Strong is campaigning for South Carolina governor and her son, football star Zack, is attacked during a Halloween themed rally for her benefit. There is more mayhem, lots of entanglements, and plenty of folks to accuse. Imagine trying to identify suspects when most guests are wearing masks. Brie, her friend Mollye, and Aunt Eva find themselves overly and dangerously involved, but the reader benefits by enjoying the plot’s development.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #2 in the Brie Hooker Mystery Series

Publication: June 5, 2018—Henery Press

Memorable Lines:

My nerves jangled. Who could blame me? Yesterday’s assault would have scared the beans out of a bowl of chili.

Eva returned around lunch time, exhausted. Airlines could assess a surcharge for the size of the bags under her eyes.

…we were more out of our depth than a vegan at a wienie roast.

I think this book shows a series starting to get into its stride - I enjoyed this more than I enjoyed the first Brie Hooker mystery. It still has it's problems - Brie still comes off as one of those self-righteous people who goes on and on to everyone around them about their superior lifestyle choice (in this case veganism) which makes her hard to really like and I'm not sure that the love triangle that is being set up is satisfactorily resolvable (unless we're going to end up with a menage - which isn't really a thing you get in the genre!) - but the mystery is good and the resolution is satisfactory. I'll probably come back in a few books time and see how it's going.

This is the second book in the Brie Hooker series. Brie is a vegan chef who has returned back to her home farm roots. None of her family and friends are vegans and, while she stays true to her foodstuff, she still has to be able to work and live with those who eat meat.

Brie is now living with and working with her aunt at Udderly Kidding Dairy, a goat farm. She has decided to stay put for a while and even start working on her special plan of a vegan bed and breakfast establishment.

The only problem is that murders keep happening and she keeps stumbling over them. She tries to keep her distance but then, a sleuth has to do what a sleuth has to do.

She is aided not only by her aunt but also by a somewhat ditsy new age girlfriend. Then too, there are the two now in her life. One is a good guy veterinarian and the other is a bit of a bad boy moonshine distiller. Brie can’t make up her mind about which man to date.

This makes up the only plot point that I’m not thrilled about. She should know her own mind and be willing to let one of these men go. I hope the author does not continue with this as, the further it goes, the more unpleasant it becomes.

Apart from that, the book is humorous and a quick read. I do wish that some of the great sounding vegan dishes had recipes included in the book.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

I truly enjoyed the storyline of this mystery series. The characters were interesting and the story flowed. I had a hard time with all the puns and the corny names of things, which I think distracted me enough to not give this book 5 stars. But I would read the next book in the series, puns and all. I just think it could do without them.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises.

Scenes were perfectly described. I had no trouble visualizing any of the settings. It would be fun if there were a few recipes at the end of the book, just to sample some of the dishes Brie made. The food-related substitutes for cursing didn't really appeal to me, but that's just personal taste. I also thought this book was maybe a little more sex-oriented than many Henery cozies. Between the part sex played in the investigation, Brie's thoughts about her two pseudo boyfriends, aunt Eva's casual sexual relationship with a friend, and Brie's friend Mollye's innuendos, sex seemed to play a bigger role in this book than in most of the cozies I've read. I should mention, however, that most things weren't described in a lot of detail.

Most characters were very easy to visualize thanks to the way they were presented, though a few of the lesser bad guys became somewhat difficult to keep straight in my mind. The mystery might have gotten a little over complicated, but it was alright for the most part. I liked that Brie doesn't exactly run headlong into dangerous situations, she gets pulled into them. There was also a fantastic action sequence involving a mule and a goat. You'll know if when you see it. It was a lot of fun.

I wasn't expecting the scene with the Ouija board. I went into this book not knowing about Brie's friend, Mollye's, job. Oversight on my part. But it was easy enough to skim that part. I also wasn't a fan of Brie's prolonged indecisiveness over which of two guys to date. She clearly liked having them both on the hook, based on her reaction to the idea of them dating other women. The guys' solution...well, I since I wasn't a fan of the whole situation, I might be perceiving it as more belittling to Brie than it actually is.

Though this series wasn't really for me, I did enjoy some parts of it quite a bit. It has a whole lot of charm and some of the characters were really memorable. I'm sure the series will continue for a long time.

I was shocked at how much I loved the second in this series. I feel like it got a pacing down that I liked and the characters were jumping off the page. Brie was even stronger and more vegan and I think she was more in control than the first book. Aunt Eva was just as sassy and Paint and Andy just as in love with Brie. While I am not typically a sports fan I admired Zach and I found the fantasy football leagues fascinating. You hear about the Fantasy Football Leagues but unless you know something about football you don’t know much about them. The mystery had me turning pages to see how Carol was coping with everything. What this series has is heart and a strong family relationship outside of the mystery elements. Cannot wait for more of the series!

Synopsis: It’s been seven months since Brie Hooker, a vegan, moved to Udderly Kidding Dairy to live with her feisty Aunt Eva, a confirmed carnivore.
But tonight there’ll be no family feud over dinner entrees.
Udderly’s hosting a campaign fundraiser for Eva’s best friend, who hopes to be South Carolina’s next governor. The candidate’s son, a pro quarterback, is flying home for the wingding. And Brie’s eager to get a close-up view of the cute tush she’s admired on TV, even though she’s reluctantly sworn off even more tempting local beefcake.
The campaign fundraiser promises to be a huge success until a pitchfork attack turns the goat farm into a crime scene—again.
To protect her friends, Brie puts her sleuthing skills to work. Will she live long enough to find out who’s behind a vicious assault, a kidnapping, blackmail, and murder?

There is trouble at Udderly Kidding Dairy when someone is assaulted during a Halloween themed campaign fundraiser. Brie Hooker thinks the key to the assault may be the victims cell phone but things become a lot more complicated when the victims mother disappears and Brie and her friends discover an interesting video on the cell phone.

Although this is a cozy mystery it is also full of humor and it will have you chuckling over vegan Brie's wit and her meat and cheese curses such as wiener warts and hairy pork rinds.

This is the second book in the Brie Hooker Mystery series but could easily be read as a stand alone. Thanks to NetGalley and Henery Press for an ARC in exchange for a fair review.

Another hit in this series. I would recommend reading the first novel, though not necessary it does help with the flow of this book. I loved that we are in Halloween and the harvest time at the barn. It was fun to see a holiday here, and I hope for Christmas next. I would highly recommend this book to readers and fans of Janet Evanovich and Tonya Kappes. This is also for readers that don’t mind some colorful language and humor. I for one, will read it again and keep with this series.

Goodness did she leave any crime out? Assault, Kidnapping, Blackmail and murder? We have all. Along with the twists and turns. A fast paced story making this a fast page turning read.

I enjoyed the location. Give me a few animals. Some fun and quirky characters and for me that is the makings of a very good
Cozy Mystery.

Although I am not a fan goats (been around a few in my day) but
Linda Lovely almost makes me change my mind. She includes a few that add some fun and charm to the mix.

Picked Off is book 2 in the series but it is written as a stand alone.
It was a great #2 leaving me waiting and wanting more.

This one I would have considered picking up just for the cover.
Horses, Mules and Mini Donkeys are my love. I would have been itchin' to turn the pages to see how they might play into the story.

Pickd Off was a great Cozy Read.

I received a complimentary copy.

I was asked to review Linda Lovely's second in the Brie Hooker Mystery series Picked Off and was excited to download my ARC from Netgalley. I loved the first one and the second one did not disappoint. This one had a bunch of great storylines and I enjoy the wannabe love triangle between main character Brie and best friends Andy and Paint. I also love that Brie is a vegan, which is such an odd part of the plot and yet comes together beautifully. Lots of animals, dogs and mayhem at their farm. The mystery in this one I very much enjoyed, the political twist was not what I expected and read really well not a predictable run of the mill plot line. I really enjoyed it. I could not put it down and I read it in one night. This one is out June 5th and well worth the read. A fine Henery Press book! *Not sure why but Amazon has the cover below. I liked both covers but this is what it looks like if you go looking for it.

Southern charm and farm fresh this story is sure to entertain. Lots of action. The euphemisms are a hoot. The triangle romance is getting stale, and I had hoped for a third party, Zack, to sweep our protagonist off her feet, but it was not to be.

In this second book of the series we meet Carol who is Eva's friend and a state senator. Carol is running for governor and Brie along with her Aunt are getting the farm ready for a get together where she will speak about her running points. Brie along with Andy and Paint are setting up the Udderly Haunted Barn of Horrors to help raise money to put towards Carols campaign. Carols famous footballer player son, Zack, will be joining the party to help promote his mother and catch up with old friends. When Zack is found in the Barn of Horrors knocked out and stabbed it doesn't look good. Follow along as Brie and her friends delve into who would want to hurt Zack and why. When Carol goes missing things seem to go from bad to worse. Is Carol alive? Why was she taken? Will they be able to find her? Is what happen to Zack and Carol connected? With long ago issues, a reporter who is always out to make the family look bad, and a security duo on the take will Brie be able to sort through it all? This was a great read that I couldn't put down and had me laughing the whole way through. I had my suspicions on who the culprit was but was surprised in the end. I can't wait to see what happens next!!!