By: KI Thompson Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Bold Strokes Books Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 224 Publication Date: September 16, 2008
Product Description: Two would-be lovers and a decidedly inopportune murder spell trouble, no matter which way the cards fall.
Nothing ever seems to go right in Addy Cooper's life. To begin with, she loses her job when her boss is arrested for importing Russian brides and exporting bootleg copies of yet-to-be-released movies. Then her partner dumps her for the butch UPS delivery driver. And to top it all off, the grandmother who raised Addy and her mentally disabled brother Tommy dies suddenly when a piece of space debris the size of a Kenmore dishwasher lands on her, killing her instantly.
Forced to return to the small town she grew up in, Addy supports herself and her brother by taking on boarders. Her life appears to be returning to normal until she finds herself caught between two love interests, both of whom suspect her of murder. What more can go wrong? Plenty.
boring I just could not get into this book, it didn't seem to have a plot and Addy was just the most boring unsympathetic character, I didn't care what happened to her, all the characters were one dimensional with perhaps the exception of Karen. ...try again Ms. Thompson this one is very forgettable.
Not romantic or a comedy I like other reviewers absolutely enjoyed Ki Thompson's first two books. Therefore, I thought purchasing the third was a no brainer. I was wrong. I guess the author intended for the absurdity surrounding her main character Addy to be true comedy. I honestly cannot say that I laughed or even grinned during any aspect of the story. I tried to see if there was satire in the absurdity and that also fell flat. Additionally I did not find there to be a romantic undertone for any of the characters. Overall in my opinion this book strikes out. Any author can have a flop, let's hope this is a one time occurrence and not a sign of the future for Ms. Thompson.
Not funny, but it has winning moments The front cover of Cooper's Deale says that it is a "Romantic Comedy," so the reader might expect light entertaining fare. While there are some scenes that are reminiscent of the Keystone Cops or the Three Stooges, the greatest part of the book isn't very humorous or funny. That doesn't mean this isn't an interesting story, but that notice on the cover is rather perplexing.
Addy Cooper is called home suddenly by the death of her grandmother in an accident that certainly is unusual. She's hit by a piece of debris from space. Addy doesn't have anything to hold her in California since she's managed to lose her job and her lover in the same day, so she returns to Deale, Maryland, to plan the funeral and care for her brother Tommy, who thinks he's a bird and lives in a tree house. This might seem funny, but what Addy has to deal with certainly isn't. Her brother is fleeing from a tragedy early in their lives and she is forced to take in boarders to support them because she can't risk moving him anywhere else. Unfortunately, Addy arrives back in town just as the FBI is launching an investigation into possible terrorist activity in the town and then a dead body is found on the Cooper's land. Addy finds herself having to deal with Officer Karen Kaczarowski, the love of her life who betrayed her six years before. Karen is still interested in Addy, but so is Liberty McDonald, a new boarder with an ulterior motive. Addy is totally shaken when she finds that both she and Tommy are suspects in the murder and she knows she has to do anything to protect her brother. Addy doesn't know who to trust as she finds herself drawn to both Karen and Liberty only to have them both suspect her of being a killer. When she realizes the terrorists might be coming after Tommy, she'll have to take a chance on one of the women and maybe end up ruining things for herself and Tommy forever.
There is a lot to recommend this book. It shows the type of close-knit community that can exist in a small town, especially one that comes together to protect a man-boy who can't face the reality of his situation. There are quirky characters who become endearing when they will do anything to protect Tommy from the forces that would harm him, including the FBI. Tommy could be a comic figure when he flaps his arms like wings and caws, until the reader understands what drove him to this behavior and then he becomes a sympathetic character. The would-be terrorists are detailed just enough to reveal how they set the investigation in motion and to show the threat they could be to the Coopers. Addy at times is irritating in her behavior, but her devotion to Tommy is admirable and she shines when compared to Liberty McDonald. The undercover agent is a female predator who will say anything to get a woman into bed and doesn't mind abusing her authority to collect evidence. The fact that she becomes almost a buffoon by the end of the book is one of its more rewarding aspects.
Cooper's Deale isn't truly a comedy, though it does have some funny scenes in it. It is a romance, but the major message seems to be how confusing it can be to decide what or who you really want and that you'll make mistakes along the way to deciding. It certainly is topical in that it features domestic terrorists who want to use a "dirty" bomb and deals somewhat with the terrible environmental damage being done to the Chesapeake Bay. A better description would be that the book is an enjoyable combination of romance and adventure with some parts that will make the reader laugh, but it's hardly the slapstick tale that the blurb on the cover seems to indicate. If the reader likes a happy ending however and believes that love conquers all, this is the book to read.
KI Thompson pulls off another one - with a twist Having read this author's 2 other books; House of Clouds (one of the best lesfic books out there) and Heart of the Matter, I automatically ordered KI's next book, Cooper's Deale. I've read it twice now. The first time I read it I laughed a lot at the absurdity of the situations that poor Addy gets herself into. The second time I read it I picked up on even more details that made this story a good one. This is simply a solid dark comedy that teaches us that maybe we should just lighten up and see the laughter in some of the most awful situations.
What kind of situations? Well, falling space debris for one. Also 3 moronic criminals who will make you laugh, but at the same time are not above murder. Addy's ex runs off with a butch UPS driver and her brother thinks he's a bird. He lives in a tree-house "nest". Fern, the local librarian know-it-all moves in with Addy to help with costs, and brings along her seersucker and a penchant for commenting on much that doesn't concern her.
The cast of characters also includes: Karen, a local deputy, who was Addy's girlfriend in highschool before having what Addy refers to as "an affair" with the gym teacher. Liberty McDonald, an environmental FBI agent determined to get to the bottom of some strange radioactivity and a dead reporter. She's not above using her charms to find what she wants. Dee-Dee, A good friend of Addy's. She's the local bartender who isn't adverse to one night stands...at all. Chauncy Velasquez, a retired fisherman who arrived from Mexico 2 years ago, another tenant who moves in with Addy. Does he have his greencard?
So - what ensues is a romp, a dark comedy. Aspects of this book reminded me of Fargo and also the recent movie release Burn After Reading. Enjoy it...and laugh at the absurdity of life.
Lighten up and smile I enjoyed Thompson's first two books so much that buying Cooper's Deale was automatic - but unlike previous reviewers here, I found it easy to relax into this story and smile. Unique plot elements and some eccentric characters, combined with romantic enlightenment and touching angst, all make for an entertaining tongue-in-cheek tale. Thompson's gone the lighthearted route in Cooper's Deale and readers should have no qualms about picking up a copy just for the fun of it.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
