JUST IN TIME by Suzanne Trauth
The Fourth Dodie O'Dell Mystery

Dodie O'Dell is smoothing things over at the Windjammer as the exuberant new sous chef settles in, bringing new recipes and breaking things with equal abandon. Though somewhat chaotic in the restaurant, chaos is quite the norm for the Etonville Little Theater. This time the group is teaming up with the Creston Players for an outdoor production of Bye Bye Birdie. Despite a few love triangles, rehearsals are going smoothly, thanks in part to Ruby, the accompanist brought in by the Players. The septuagenarian may be brusque, smoke like a chimney, and tipple from a flask, but she's practically a musical genius. Nothing runs smoothly for long for the ELT, however, and just before opening night Ruby is found dead in her car. Was it a heart attack, drunk driving, or murder? The only thing known for sure is that the show must go on!

It's great to be back with the gang from the ELT and the Windjammer. I love the addition of Wilson who merrily enjoys his life and work and is always there when you need him. The angst of teenage romance as well as middle aged romance makes an appearance as Dodie and the Chief solidify their relationship. Indeed, the many faces of love color this fourth Dodie O'Dell Mystery. What do you do for love? And what happens when love is thwarted?

A victim whose life was as mysterious as her death is the center of this quick reading mystery. Dodie pretty much played by the rules in this book, though I did gasp out loud at one move she made which was so wrong as to be unbelievable as well as unconscionable to me. I still do like her though. The rest of the ensemble is well developed and even the small roles add ambience and character to the mystery.

JUST IN TIME captures the love, laughter, and dismay that is all a part of community theater. I want to visit Etonville, eat at the Windjammer, and watch a production of the Etonville Little Theater.

Dodie O'Dell works at the Windjammer Cafe, and is helping with the Etonville Little Theater's latest production, Bye, Bye, Birdie. They're performing with members of nearby Creston's theater group, and all seems to be coming together at first. But soon it's apparent that there is trouble with the cast that keeps things from running smoothly. The director Walter is unhappy that the woman he's enamored of, Lola, is involved with another member of the crew, Dale Undershot. Pauli, a local teen who's a whiz on computers and technology, is hankering for Janice, who plays the lead, but she seems to only have eyes for Romeo, who's playing Conrad Birdie. And so it goes...

However, an elderly woman from Creston, Ruby Passonata, is the pianist and she's a genius at it but not very nice to the people around her. In fact, there isn't anyone who wants to spend time with her and after seeing Dodie and her boyfriend Bill, who's the police chief of Etonville, she makes a cryptic remark about relationships that Dodie just doesn't understand. When Ruby dies in what at first appears to be an accident but is soon discovered to be an attempt at hiding a murder, Bill is stumped and asks Dodie to keep her ears open and see if she hears anything about the Creston Players that could hint at who wanted to kill Ruby.

When Dodie and Lola venture out to Creston to Ruby's apartment to see if she has the cue notes needed for the play, they don't expect it to be so clean, Dodie finds a scrapbook that Ruby kept which details her early years, is surprised to find Ruby went to a prestigious music academy, and traveled world wide playing. But the scrapbook mysteriously ends in 1969 and Dodie wants to know what stopped Ruby. So she decides to try and find out why Ruby stopped her burgeoning career and wound up playing for a small town theater group. So Dodie sets forth merely to find out more about the reclusive woman, but doesn't realize that in doing so she might be putting her own life in danger.

First off, I have to say that this is the first book I've read of Ms. Trauth's, yet because it is the fourth in the series I rather expected more from the author. I knew very little about the numerous characters and they seemed way too quirky for me. In most books there is only one person who is quirky, but in this book everyone except Bill seems to be a little bit over the top in that area. The other thing that bothered me is the way like, Pauli like, talks. He sounds like a Valley girl. I would have enjoyed his character more if he could actually form complete sentences once in a while.

While I knew who the killer was almost immediately, (to be fair, though, I read a lot of mysteries, so unless it's hidden well, I can usually figure it out just by something that's said or done early on), it was still interesting to me to learn the reasons why they wanted Ruby dead. Bits and pieces were strewn throughout the story, so you didn't learn it all at once, and that's always a good thing.

The plot was done well, and I thought that everything came together nicely in the end; there were a couple of harrowing moments for Dodie, but she bore them out decently and I have to say that I enjoyed the ending, giving us a promise of what is to come in future books. Recommended.

The best one so far in the entertaining series. Delightful characters. I look forward to reading the next one.

Dodie is back and once again ignoring her love interest Bill when she starts investigating the murder of Ruby, the accompanist at the Little Theater. I'm less enamored of the theater end of this cozy than I am of the Windjammer Restaurant (I'm not a big fan of theater based cozies) but Trauth managed to do a good balance. I like Wilson, the new sous chef, and the problems at the Windjammer meshed nicely with the story. There are some red herrings and some twists (and some good back and forth with Bill). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

3.5 stars

This pleasant cozy takes place in a small coastal town and features Dodie O'Dell, the manager of a restaurant, girlfriend of the police chief, and behind the scenes cast member of the local theater group. This is the fourth in the series and I think reading the earlier books would provide welcome background.

The theater group's latest musical is Bye Bye Birdie and the brilliant pianist/accompanist is an acerbic older woman named Ruby. When Ruby is found dead in her car under suspicious circumstances, Dodie starts examining the woman's life to see if she can make sense of her death.

This is a readable and lightweight cozy with a large cast of characters that it is sometimes difficult to keep straight. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Just in Time by Suzanne Trauth is the fourth book in A Dodie O'Dell Mystery series but can be read as a standalone.

This is the first read in the series for me an I had no trouble following the story although some of the secondary characters were not as well introduced and at time it was slightly hard to keep track, Again this could be due to the fact that I haven't read previous books.
Main character Dodie is running her restaurant and taking part in the local theater production. Tempers are flying high when rehearsal accompanist is found dead in her car. So Dodie with help of her boyfriend Bill who just happens to be Police Chief.

Fun and engaging read with lots of red herrings. Nicely written and steady paced.
Moments of humor add to the charm of the book. Good choice for cozy mystery lovers.

Business is humming at Dodie O'Dell's Windjammer Restaurant, where she offers theme menus connected to the Etonville Little Theatre’s amateur productions. This June, the theatre is collaborating with the neighboring Creston Players to stage Bye Bye Birdie under the stars—their first musical! There's a contest in the play to pick a fan to receive rock idol Conrad Birdie's last kiss before he ships off for the Army, so Dodie plans a contest to pick the food for a pre-show picnic. But before the show opens, Ruby, the rehearsal accompanist, is found dead in her car. Why would anyone murder the crusty old gal who loved to sneak a smoke and a nip between wisecracks? Once again, the resourceful restaurant manager must play the part of amateur sleuth, accompanied by Police Chief Bill Thompson, who also happens to be her beau. Confronted with a chorus of suspects, she'll need to stay composed to catch the killer—or it'll be bye bye Dodie…

This is my first time reading this series, so I didn’t get as much introduction and description of many of the secondary characters as might exist in earlier books. It is not essential to this mystery to have read the earlier books, however it may be the reason some of the characters come across as not being as fully developed as the reader might like. The mystery was easy to solve well before the ending . It was still fun to read to the end to find out if I was right.

Just in Time is an engaging addition to this clever series by Suzanne Trauth.
Dodie O'Dell is a strong, colorful character who manages the Windjammer Restaurant.
She has a tendency to get mixed up in murder investigations, much to the chagrin of her boyfriend Bill, police chief at the sheriff's department.
Having close connections to the local small theater, it's no surprise when Dodie becomes involved in another murder investigation.

This particular book captured my attention from the beginning and kept me engaged all the way through.
All the characters work well together and this makes for an excellent cozy mystery.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

It's great to be back in Eatonville, NJ with Dodie and the intriguing cast of characters in 'Just in Time'. This time the players are presenting "Bye Bye Birdie" and the musical director dies in a suspicious automobile accident. Dodie, much to the concern of her Police Chief boyfriend Bill, just can't stop herself from wanting to learn about the life of this woman who was an internationally renown concert piano prodigy, who suddenly gave up her career. As she gets further into the mystery dark secrets are revealed. The story was suspenseful with a hint of humor and satisfying romance, all combined to make it a great read. I look forward to many more.

Just in Time is the fourth book in Suzanne Trauth’s Dodie O’Dell Mystery series. The storyline is well plotted, steadily paced with lots of twists and turns, and the well-developed characters are affable. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick, easy read. The mystery is solid, with enough suspects and red herrings to keep the reader engaged.

Dodie O’Dell lives in the quaint community of Etonville, New Jersey and is the manager of Windjammer, a local restaurant, and an honorary member of the Etonville Little Theater. Eatonville’s theater group and the Creston Players are working together to perform the musical, Bye Bye Birdie, in June. Walter Zeitzman, the theater manager, is the designated director for this production. Dottie talked Police Chief Bill Thompson, who is also her boyfriend, into playing a police officer in the musical. Dodie likes to create theme menus to complement the plays and since she’s stumped on the menu, decides to run a contest to pick the food for to be featured at the Windjammer during the week before the play’s opening night. The Windjammer’s owner and chef, Henry, chose the winners since he was doing the cooking. Dottie’s friend, Lola Tripper, met Dale Undershot, one of the Creston Players, online and they’re playing the lead roles.

Before the play opens, a member of the Creston Players, Ruby Passonata, the accompanist, is found dead in her car, a victim of carbon monoxide poisoning. Alex Milken, Creston Players’ musical director, steps in as her replacement. Police Chief Bill Thompson asks her to stay out of the investigation, but to keep her eyes and ears on the actors and production crew and report anything odd or interesting to him. Secrets are discovered about Ruby’s life and Dottie is intrigued. She wants to know more about the pianist’s life, so she enlists the help of Pauli, a teenage tech guru, to delve deeper into Ruby’s past than she’s able to do. Delving into Ruby’s past seems harmless enough, but Dottie experiences odd occurrences with her car and in harm’s way on more than one occasion.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I highly recommend this fourth book in the series. I enjoyed the small town amateur theatre, the Windjammer restaurant, along with the interesting and well written characters. The whodunit was well paced and kept me guessing.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

I received a free copy of Just in Time (Book 4 of the Dodie O’Dell Mysteries) by Suzanne Trauth in exchange for an honest review. The main character is Dodie O’Dell who owns the Windjammer Restaurant and who is helping to produce the local theater’s performance of Bye Bye Birdie. Before opening night, the piano accompanist is found murdered in a way meant to make her death look accidental. The lure of the mystery is irresistible, so Dodie diligently pursues her amateur investigation. Before long, Dodie begins to have accidents, too.

I must disclose that I am a series novice; this is the first book in the series that I have read. I found the characters and the plot easy to follow even though this is the fourth book in the series. This was a good book worth the time spent reading.

#JustInTime #NetGalley

Dodie O'Dell has a restaurant to run, community theater rehearsals and performances to help with, and a police officer boyfriend to hang out with. But when she learns some surprising secrets about an elderly neighbor, she finds the time to investigate. Are these old secrets connected with current murders? If so, Dodie's in danger.

The is a lightweight, light-hearted mystery with very little actual sleuthing. The protagonist stumbles onto things, often before the police. But it's a fun read with interesting characters. Brush up on "Bye, Bye Birdie" before you start!

Thanks to Netgalley & Kensington Books for allowing me to read this fun read in exchange for an honest review.

Loved getting to know the wide variety of books, and how all the excitement & mystery built around the theatre performance, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good light read!

Just in Time is the forth in the Dodie O’Dell mystery series by Suzanne Trauth. The action takes place with Dodie splitting her time between Windjammer, her restaurant, and rehearsals and performance of Bye Bye Birdie, the current production being offered by the local community theater in cooperation with the community theater from a neighboring town. This is my first read in the series, so I didn’t get as much introduction and description of many of the secondary characters as might exist in earlier books. It is not essential to this mystery to have read the earlier books, however it may be the reason some of the characters come across as not being as fully developed as the reader might like. There were some indications that relationships among some of the secondary characters have grown through the books and if you are interested in following those types of storylines you might do well to read the books in order.

Clues and red herrings are liberally sprinkled throughout the book, along with some threads of what appear to be continuing relationship threads from earlier novels. The mystery was, for me, easy to solve well before the denouement, and in advance of when Dodie, the protagonist, realized the who and why of this particular murder. It was still fun to read to the end to find out if I was right.

This is a light read, perhaps best suited for taking with you to the beach or on vacation. There were some characters, Wilson and Henry to name a couple, who appeared to have more depth and who I would enjoy seeing in even larger roles. Particularly Wilson’s obvious zest for life is a refreshing and joyful part of the book and a great foil for Henry’s darker, more critical personality. If the series continues it would be interesting to see how these characters and their relationships continue to grow and progress.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Surprising good! Must more than I expected. I like the detailed writing. There was a good flow that did have the level of detail so often missing in a book. I could understand the character's steps to get to the end. Though the ending did have a surprise guilty party. The mix of the mystery and the restaurant was interesting. And the love interest was a nice addition to the overall story. I thought the book was great. So glad I read this one.

Another series to add to my to be read pile. Super fun characters that you see in any small town, along with the gossip that spreads like wildfire. Interesting story with enough to keep your attention along the way. Enjoyable.

This is a well plotted mystery with an entertaining story, a lead character who is funny and charming and an interesting setting involving a small town community theater. I found the earlier books in this series well worth reading and this one is no different. Dodie is the manager of the Windjammer Restaurant and is providing concessions for the Eatonville Little Theater's performance in the park of "Bye Bye Birdie". When Ruby, the piano accompanist is murdered Dodie (despite pleas from her boyfriend Bill, the police chief, that she not get involved in investigating) is drawn to find out more about her and when she finds out that she was a world renowned concert pianist who suddenly gave up her career at the age of 29, Dodie resolves to find out what led to ending her career and whether or not that led to her death. I was drawn in to the mystery of Ruby and enjoyed spending time with Dodie, her restaurant staff and the theater people. I highly recommend this book.