Competition Can Be Murder: Charlie Parker Mysteries, Book 8 (Charlie Parker New Mexico Mystery) Paperback – Import, 5 July 2016

There is a riveting and action packed climax to one of the predicaments. The second kidnapping ordeal was a little predictable in my opinion - I suspected who the culprits were. The characters in book 8, both unsavory and pleasant, were well described - I could envision hearing and seeing them. Although I thoroughly enjoy the author's detailed characterization of these players, the flip side is that I don't need details of Charlie brushing her teeth or shaving her legs. I didn't care for the underlying union bashing and elitist themes but I understand that is part of the story line to make the mysteries. Charlie nor Drake are union haters or elite snobs and push through to do the right thing and at the end of the day have each other in spite of the work-cation spoilers. I've already started book 9, hoping it would start off with where the exciting end of book 8 ended - but I won't spoil it for others. Solid 4.8 stars! Go Charlie!

I've been reading and enjoying the series -I didn't read the second book because I wasn't tempted with Pacific sea resorts as I much prefer New Mexico. I didn't mind this number 8 being set in Scotland, though, as I like the UK, however I am disappointed in the plot. Too many characters, and the second and third plots are unnecessary. This wouldn't have been too bad if I hadn't noticed an astounding error concerning the two stolen lambs, whose mother has allegedly been killed by a mountain lion...or so says the thief's wife. I was so surprised I checked, just in case I was mistaken in my belief. I was right : Mountain lions aka cougars or pumas don't exist in Europe.A minor mistake, some would say, yet up until now Ms SHELTON has been very good on fauna and flora and it's quite surprising. All in all the book is not up to the author's talent, which doesn't mean I'm not recommending it. I like the series. I only wish the leading character weren't so emotionally crippled at times, and didn't forget to offer condolences to bereaved people before asking them questions. I'm still looking forward to reading the next book, anyway.

Connie Shelton makes the most of her visit to Scotland with her background to this book( so different to New Mexico which is Charlie's home)Two main plots here with Charlie & Drake operating at times alone & then together.Very exciting with the helicopter flights over the North Sea to the oil platforms & the wicked perfomances of some of the people on the rig trying to prevent Charlie & Drake completing their flights.The other plot is about a kidnap & Charlie solving it.Again an enjoyable read.

I really enjoy this series, and would usually rate each one 4-5 stars but sadly I can only give this a 3 star review. The reason? While Connie Shelton has brilliantly captured life in the Highlands (I found the descriptions, culture and the way the characters talk - most of the time - well written and observed), there were several glaring, and embarrassing, errors. Apart from the Americanisms coming from some of the Scottish characters (fine if coming from Charlie and Drake, but not from the locals), the factual errors like mountain lions and wolves in Scotland made me put the book down in frustration. Others have pointed out that the time of year would mean longer periods of daylight and how lambs wouldn’t still be lambs by August. Smaller errors such as Drake searching for ID for his injured assistant for her ‘medical insurance’ (not needed for the NHS) - which could easily have been a culture misunderstanding, but not referred to again to clear it up, and the use of words like ‘trash’ for rubbish and ‘mail’ instead of post - both spoken by a Scottish character, all irritated. A little more research would have gone a long way.

Having read all of Connie Shelton's two series, Charlie Parker and Samantha Sweet, I can say this one is the best book she has written. The writing is smooth, flows well, the amount of research she has done shows in the detail, and the plot is realistic. The stories are always good, clean fun, and this book has the added bonus of terror that doesn't let up. The characters grow with each book, so they really must be read in order. That's not a problem, as Kindle has them all. I would highly recommend this book, this series in fact, to anyone who loves a good story.