Murder in Wacka-Doodle Florida

By: Rita Moreau

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

A feisty 60-something woman and a beautiful spirit—or ghost or apparition, whatever you want to call Irma—solve kooky mysteries.

Mabel Gold had a perfect life as a Long Island wife and mother. Until her doctor husband dumped her for a scheming bimbo. After eating a few gallons of ice cream and feeling sorry for herself, she did what any gal from Brooklyn would do—she picked herself up and decided not to become a big, fat blob. She’d show the jerk.

A fresh start in Florida was like a glass of orange juice in the morning. Just what she needed. Of course, there were things that seemed a bit wacky. Like palm trees at Christmas, plastic pink flamingos in front yards, and dolphin-shaped mailboxes.

Her old friend, Lili gave her the encouragement she needed. Instead of dwelling on what she lost, Mabel got bold. She’d show her idiot ex-husband that she wasn’t devastated. She’d show her grown kids that she wasn’t going gaga. She joined Lili and her husband on a cross-country trip driving an F-150 and hauling a vintage camper.

She felt feisty and happy for the first time in a long time. Life in Florida was great. She loved her pink bungalow. She loved sitting in her lanai and watching the boats go by on the Intracoastal waterway canal. She really loves sipping cocktails with bamboo umbrellas. Life in Florida was wacky. And fun. Even the iguanas that climbed on walls. Or the alligators that hid under cars.

Even the ghost who was now part of her life. An unexpected bonus that came with her vintage camper. It seemed that Irma, a former showgirl, had been haunting the camper for years. Of course, she didn’t believe in ghosts. No one does. Until one shows up sitting beside you in the shotgun seat.

Now after traveling over two thousand miles together, Irma was very real. She needed help to do some good deeds to get through those Pearly Gates. Mabel had no choice but to help her.

Even her five grown children were starting to believe. Their mother certainly wasn’t a boring housewife anymore. They even liked all her new friends. A pair of crazy Greek aunts, a bunch of nuns who ran a happy garden, a handsome Cuban detective, an accountant with a bossy secretary, and even Limo Louie, a lawyer who worked out of his Cadillac.

Sure, it’s wacky, but that’s the joy of living in Florida. The sun shines most of the time, an occasional hurricane that will blow you away, and you discover that the ghost who is haunting you has friends. Too many friends. It’s enough to make your head swim.

Life is never boring in Wacka-Doodle Florida.

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If you like kooky mysteries, you’ll love Mabel and Irma and Lili. A trio of amateur sleuths who never have a dull moment. Tripping over bodies makes life interesting.

Mehhh

I usually love anything written with a Floridian background. Especially mysteries. This one was very basic. It was not quick to catch my attention, but it was very short so not to worry. The automated voice wasn’t too awful, but inflections were adequate at best. Overall, I do not recommend this novel, nor this author