Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

I thought it was a good book. I didn't get as connected as I would have liked but I would read more from this author.

From the punny title to the gotcha whodunit, I can always count on this author's cozy mysteries to provide a fun escape from real life. Although I somehow missed the first book in the series, this provided enough details that I did not feel lost or confused. And being a dog lover, well, how could I not love that the writers were double-booked with a dog show? If you're looking for a fun read that will help you forget the stress of daily life, this series is just what you need!

I really loved this first book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

Charlee Russo, arrives in Portland Oregon, as a guest speaker at Portland’s Writers Conference, requested by her good friend Viv. When Viv picks her up at the airport, Charlee, realized this was not the conference she signed up for. As Charlee takes over the preparations for the conference, she finds herself thrown in, head-first, into chaos. Upon arrival, Charlee finds the hotel overbooked between the writer’s conference and a dog club. Things were bad enough with all the challenges, and Charlee thought they couldn’t get worse! Then, Viv adds finding Hanna, her daughter, to Charlee’s list. Trying to figure out if Hanna has taken off on her own, or if she was truly kidnapped, Charlee is in a race against time in order to save the conference, and possibly Hanna too!

This is the second book in the series, sadly I missed the first. I had no trouble following along as Ms. Clark added enough information to the background story. I found Charlee to be humorous as well as resourceful. Her people skills were quite helpful in dealing with those involved with the conference, as well as the catering staff, and dog club participants. The plot interesting, the characters engaging. I look forward to reading the next installment in the series. I received this complimentary copy from @NetGalley, and @Midnight Ink in exchange for an honest review.

Fiction Can Be Murder, the first book in the Mystery Writer’s Mystery series, introduced us to Charlemagne (Charlee) Russo, the mystery writer in question, after her unpleasant agent is found murdered.

Book two picks up a few months later, with Charlee due to speak at a writer’s conference organised by her friend, Viv. However, she instead finds herself in charge of organising the whole about-to-be fiasco, as Viv is a little more concerned with the kidnapping of her daughter! Can Charlee juggle hotel cock-ups, double booked doggies, and dark suspicions?

I hadn’t been completely enthralled with the first book, but this one feels like an improvement. Certainly, I was kept guessing as to which way the plot was going to turn. Charlee is reasonably relatable here, trying to help in awful circumstances, and behaving in a pretty plausible way – not often the case in such books!

I enjoyed the easy, mostly fun read and the not entirely obvious twists and turns. The ending is perhaps a little weak, but more in terms of how we get to the big reveal rather than the solution itself.

I was unsure about continuing with this series after book one, but after this instalment I’d be happy enough to continue.

I apparently read the first book in the series, Fiction Can be Murder, but honestly don't remember anything about it. So, this was like meeting the characters for the first time.

It starts with our MC, Charlee Russo, a mystery writer, arriving in Portland to attend a writers conference. Her friend, Val, who is supposed to be picking her up, is late, and when she arrives she's in a state of agitation about her daughter Hanna, who has apparently been kidnapped. From here, the story just heads all over the place, with the hotel chef having been fired, the hotel double-booking a dog agility show beside the writing conference, most of the volunteers for the conference coming down with food poisoning, and Charlee left holding the goody bag of getting it ready for the attendees! She's completely unprepared for this, as she is supposed to be a speaker not a volunteer, but gamely sets about doing what she can to get things organised.

Charlee gets pulled into the kidnapping mystery mostly because she keeps hearing Hanna's name around the hotel and wonders what's going on. Nothing is quite what it seems, and Val is absent for a good portion of it, before finally showing up to help out with the conference set up. Charlee spends her time thinking about her speech, wondering what's really going on and trying to help with the event.

There was a lot of stuff over what was essentially two days - secret doors to the hotel basement, mysterious meetings between people in the hotel garden, dog agility trials, 'Brad Pitt', a high-strung event volunteer and some new dishes by a very young, very keen, but not particularly good, stand in chef.

A light, fun, easy read and I can forward to the next one in the series.

This second book in Becky Clark's mystery writers series starts with an interesting premise, a writer's conference where anything that could possibly go wrong does go wrong.

The book starts slowly and I kept thinking about putting it aside. A plodding plot and characters I didn't much care for. However, I stuck with it and, in the end, I was glad I did.

The series shows promise and, at this point, I'll track down the first book in the series and likely will follow this one.

I'd give it a tentative recommendation. Not bad but a series that shows promise.

Foul Play on Words had a lot of potential. The main character, Charlee Russo, a novelist who was coming to a writer's conference to give a keynote address, found herself thrust into helping put the writer's conference together and help her friend, Viv, find out if her adult daughter had truly been kidnapped.
Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. All of the situations Charlee found herself in and the people she met should have been really entertaining. Unfortunately, it read more like a tiresome series of calamities that got in the way of the mystery, which was clever and well thought out.

3.5 stars. I love the main character, Charlee, in this series. She's got a great voice and gumption as she takes on the challenges in this book. But I'm not sure I believed that her "friend" would bail on her own conference when she knew that she had no reliable, experienced volunteers to help. Show up, but be distracted, yes. Dump stuff on Charlee and disappear? I don't know. While the circumstances were supposed to be stressful, I didn't get a good sense of these two characters as "friends" either. The number of fiascoes with this conference was almost unbelievable as well. The mystery in this is unusual, too, as Charlee wonders for a good portion of the story if a crime has even occurred. All of these factors made it difficult for me to just enjoy the story and get lost in it. It took some effort to push through.

If you are a fan of the series already, check this one out and see what you think. I loved the parts where Charlee gets to be a writer and mentor at the conference. I wished there were more of those sorts of scenes in the book. The dog agility pieces in the story were also enjoyable.

In Becky Clark's Foul Play on Words, the second installment in the Mystery Writer's Mystery cozy series, this mystery will strike a chord to all writers who want to get published. It would resonate with each and every one of us. It all started when Charlemagne "Charlee" Russo is asked to speak at a local writer's conference in Portland for her friend Viv and to help her out. Besides that, she requests Charlee's assistance in locating her daughter Hanna who went missing and agreed to look for her. AS a mystery writer herself, Charlee notices a lot of strange happenings at this writers conference while she went to look for help for Hanna: a sick food staff, computerization registration issues, a double booking with a dog agility show, and a whole lot more. Things couldn't go from bad to worse when agents and editors were stuck by the storm as Charlee had to do double duty to give feedback to first pages and sound advice to all types of writers. She also met some nefarious people at the conference that she became puzzled with including Viv's ex-husband Garth and Hanna's friends. Was she really missing or left on her accord? Charlee didn't get any resounding answers from Viv on her financial issues either. Before this conference can fall apart, it would be up to her to find Hanna and get down to the bottom of it before its too late for everyone conference attendee there to solve the puzzle.

This is a fun cozy read ! Foul Play on Words has a different setting for a cozy as it begins at a writer’s conference.

Charlee who is a mystery writer is in charge of a writer's conference with her friend. Liv helping her set up and arrange the event. The conference is off to a rough start with problems with a chef and a dog agility contest that has put dog owners at odds. When Liv's daughter is kidnapped Charlee begins to investigate on her own even though the girl is 21, willful and Charlee does not believe she was kidnapped. As she investigates she soon finds reasons to believe that the girl was kidnapped and soon clues abound and suspects.

I am not a fan of kidnapping stories but this had a good sleuth and likable supporting characters . I like this unique cozy and look forward to the next in series. It was fun to learn about a writer's conference and all that goes into such a event.
Thanks to Midnight Ink and Net Galley for a copy in exchange for my personal review.

“Foul Play on Words” is book two in Becky Clark’s “Mystery Writer's Mystery” series. The main character Charlemagne “Charlie” Russo continues from the first book, “Fiction Can Be Murder,” but new readers can jump right in without any problem. Characters are briefly introduced, and previous relationships fold easily into current scenario. It begins just three short weeks after the events in book one, and readers find Charlie Russo waiting at the airport.

This is Charlie’s story; it is her narrative, filled with insecurities, fears, coping strategies, triumphs, and tragedies. In the continuing first person narrative, she talks directly to readers and shares her apprehensive about the upcoming writing event. “I love Portland. But I’m here to speak at a writers’ conference, and I’m nervous. I’ve been on panels before, and taught workshops, but my friend Viv, who’s the organizer, wants me to give the keynote speech at the banquet on Saturday.” She also gives readers an immediate feel for what is to come. “What kind of people know people who get kidnapped? I guess I would have said the same thing about murders three weeks ago.”

Colorful and dramatic characters make their presence known, and as a mystery writer, Russo sees drama and mystery everywhere including drugs, kidnapping, and assorted potential crimes, not to mention the dogs. She shares her coping strategies. “I took a deep, cleansing breath like my yoga instructor taught. I held it for the count of five, then released for the count of five.” At any big conference, there is bound to be some sort of a problem, but unfortunately, Russo finds that at this conference one unfortunate thing leads to another and trauma piles on top of trauma.

Readers listen in as she argues with herself and rationalizes her decisions; “It has been well-documented that my sleuthing skills only worked in fiction, not real life.” She analyses the people she meets; “Clearly, this boy knew who had money and who didn’t, but I was grateful for his help and chose to ignore his, I’m sure, unintended insult.” She solicits advice from friends and relatives; “All you can do is get some evidence of foul play.”

This is an entertaining book to read. There is plenty of trauma and drama for the characters, but none for readers. After all, where else but a writers' conference would someone write a haiku about a kidnapping? I received a review copy of “Foul Play on Words” from Becky Clark, and Midnight Ink, and NetGalley.

Foul Play in Words is a funny cozy mystery with some good characters. This is the first I have read by this author.

This was absolutely awesome and so funny in places! I just love the author's sense of humor which transfers easily to her characters. I don't think Viv, Charlee's good friend, was mentioned in the first book, at least I don't remember her, but she and the conference were the center of this book. The first one took place in Charlee's home state of Colorado, and we met her writers' group. The writers' conference was being held in Portland, Oregon, and suddenly Charlee found herself in charge, turning more than the kidnapping into a mystery, suspecting everyone of different things. It was pretty comical when she was following different people around and calling the police to report a kidnapping that she had no evidence of ever happening, since Viv swore her to secrecy.

When the perp was caught it was a great showdown. Charlee used her instincts and wits from being a mystery writer to trap that person. After having used the iron to attach conference patches to countless t-shirts, Charlee also found out that the iron came in handy for other things too. I loved that all the little ends were neatly wrapped up at the final banquet, a good happy ending for all. Even though there was no murder, I was so interested in finding out more about the case, that I didn't really think about it or attempt to anticipate a murder. It was different in a really good way--I already know from reading the first book that the author is also great at a murder mystery, and now I can't wait for the third book! I may give the first book a reread in the meantime...and maybe this one too. ;)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

An amusing and confusing cozy mystery. Is there a kidnapping? Hotel double booked for two events? Some well-known names being used by unknown people. Adds to the humor. A fun romp with the dogs adding to the tale.

I liked this book a lot. I enjoyed meeting the characters. I enjoyed the mystery. It was a quick, fun, light read. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Foul Play on Words is a cozy mystery set at a writer’s conference with dogs and a possible kidnapping on the side.

Charlee, a mystery writer, is forced to run a writer’s conference when her best friend, Liv, tells her she has to look for her daughter Hanna, who has been kidnapped. The conference is rather a mess what with double booking the conference rooms with a dog agility show and the recent firing of the chef that was providing the food. In addition, all the experienced volunteers are home sick with food poisoning from tasting the chef’s food. Maybe it is a good thing he was fired!

As Charlee begins to whip the conference into shape, she gets pulled into Hanna’s disappearance. Charlee increasingly believes that Hanna has run off—rather than being kidnapped. At 21 years old, Hanna can basically do as she likes.

I’m not sure why but Foul Play on Words didn’t enchant me the way I expected. It had a writer’s conference, a dog show, funny lines and a cozy mystery plot. However, it never seemed to come together into a coherent plot. But just because I didn’t like it doesn’t mean that you will not so I’ll give it 3 stars.

Thanks to Midnight Ink and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The language is good, the characters are great, but the story and plot are more like a very bad comedy than a mystery.

Charlee has flown into Portland to be the prime speaker at a writer's conference. When her friend Liv picks her up from the airport she is a wreck claiming her 21 year old daughter has been kidnapped. As Liv searches for her daughter Hanna, Charlee takes over planning the conference. Now funds are missing, a dog show has been double booked into the hotel and Liv isn't sure if Hanna hasn't kidnapped herself . A good story, can be read as a stand alone as this is book 2 in the Mystery Writer's mystery series. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.