Margarita Nights

A Sherri Travis Mystery, Book 1

By: Phyllis Smallman

Narrated by: Talmadge Ragan

In a small Florida beach town, Sherri Travis is a bartender with attitude and a woman with an inconveniently murdered husband who turns out to be as much trouble to her dead as he was alive. Sifting through the debris of Jimmy's life, Sherri finds more than a few people who wanted her lying, scheming, scam artist husband gone - but which one actually did the deed?

©2011 Phyllis Smallman (P)2012 Phyllis Smallman

Good beach read

Kind of like it's name sake, the book is straightforward and honest. It's fun with potential for some very interesting character development. Perfect for when you just need some escapism that doesn't make you work too hard.

Very Enjoyable

What made the experience of listening to Margarita Nights the most enjoyable?

The narrator's accents and the ease with which we could keep up with the action.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sherry, of course. She was rather bumbling but you couldn't help but root for her to come out on top.

What about Talmadge Ragan’s performance did you like?

Her accent was charming.

An entertaining, award winning story

Margarita Nights was short listed for the Debut Dagger award in England, and the Malice Domestic award in the USA. It won an Ellis award in Canada.
I was excited to get this, the first book in the Sherri Travis mystery series, in audio format.
The narration by Talmadge Ragan, with her southern accent, is perfect for the story. I can see why Good Morning America recommended it for a summer read.
I loved it, and hope the rest of the series comes soon. It is 5 stars from me.

Jacaranda Jewel

What made the experience of listening to Margarita Nights the most enjoyable?

Phyllis Smallman won the first Unhanged Arthur Ellis Canadian Crime Writing
Award, earning a contract with prestigious McArthur and Company, who
published her novel this spring.

It's a winner from page 1, where we are introduced to feisty bartender
Sherri Travis in Jacaranda, Florida. She's separated from her husband Jimmy,
but when his boat blows up and she's named on an insurance policy, Sherri
finds herself swimming with the sharks in blue waters streaked with blood.

Jimmy was no prince; a legion of people wanted him turned into fish food,
and Sherri's at the top of her game in a hunt to exonerate herself.

Put a sharp-witted woman in the exotic setting of the Gulf Islands playing a
game in which she's both predator and prey, and you have a perfect storm.
The details put the reader on the spot, immersed in place and time: "The
Sunset is the creme de la creme of watering holes. On the second floor of a
pink stucco building decorated with white Bermuda shutters and tall graceful
palms, etched glass doors lead from the lobby of the restaurant into the
bar. Black-and-white photographs of Key West in the thirties line the
Cypress-panelled walls. Overhead, two giant fans on pulleys stir air
smelling of old leather chairs, long ago Cuban cigars and expensive
perfume."

You are there, no doubt about it. Breathe in that warm ocean air and sip a
frosted drink.

Not very entertaining

I hate to give one star to a book . But in this case I don't know what else to give. The characters in this novel aren't very likeable or interesting. And, neither is the plot. When you take that away you are left with an uninteresting book. I couldn't take the lead character serious because she made too many mistakes such as opening her mouth to everyone about her opinions. She didn't take anything serious. I won't be buying the next book.