No More Time

In this novel, Dodie O’Dell, series protagonist, is on vacation at the Jersey shore, accompanied by her boyfriend, Police Chief Bill Thompson. While Dodie and Bill have come to spend two weeks at the shore, except when he is required to return home for a few days, she learns early on that she will be joined once again by the people from the local community theater, the Eatonville Players. They have been selected to participate in a community theater contest being held at a theater in the beach town where Dodie is vacationing.<br />As the book begins the reader is introduced to Dodie’s former boyfriend who materializes on the porch of her rental cottage. A leftover hippie type, Jamie is so lovably quirky Dodie and Bill allow him to stay and camp out on their porch. Almost at the same time Jamie’s old partner Vinnie, now going by the name Vincent, appears. Vinnie, Jamie and Dodie were good friends in the past, but now Vinnie seems to have undergone a transformation although Dodie doesn’t understand the changes. He seems to have gone from a hard partying, good time guy to a major business mogul now. Not long after seeing Vinnie, he is murdered on his yacht.<br />Dodie determines she needs to solve the mystery of how Vinnie became Vincent and who murdered him as Jamie is considered a prime suspect and she is convinced that isn’t true. In her attempt to find the answers, Dodie question several of the people she’s met through the theater contest, and develops some strong suspicions as a result.<br />Meanwhile, Bill’s pride and joy, his gold BMW, is stolen. He spends time checking on the investigation with a friend who is part of a special task force trying to bring down an auto theft ring. Levity is provided in the form of various quirky characters who are part of the Eatonville Community Theatre. They are an on-going part of this series and readers who like to watch relationships unfold may enjoy reading the series in order. The mystery for this book stands alone, however, and there is enough information about the characters that the reader will have no problem figuring out relationship nuances.<br />Overall, this is a fun, easy book to read. It’s the perfect thing to take to the beach if you want a book that is a little mystery, a little fun, and a little romance. It was not hard to figure out who was the villain of the piece, but it was still enjoyable for a light read. The book is well written with ample clues and red herrings to increase the reader’s enjoyment. Be prepared to suspend some disbelief in terms of Dodie’s activities as she investigates. She has a miraculous ability to put herself in dicey situations and then manage to extricate herself. Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me an Advanced Digital Reader copy in exchange for an unbiased review. <br />

The 5th book of Dodie O'Dell is an enjoyable and relaxing read. Dodie and Bill are at the Jersey shore for a vacation. The Eatonville players are there to participate in a contest for the best theater group. Dodie has an unexpected visit from her former boyfriend, Jackson, who is accused of killing his partner. Dodie feels he is not a killer and begins to look into the MURDER. Bill's car is stolen and he becomes involved with state auto thief taskforce. Dodie is looking for answers to the problem of the murder in order to prevent Jackson' s arrest. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND SERIES.<br /><br />Disclosure: Thanks to Lyrical Underground for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

I really liked this cozy mystery, set at the New Jersey shore. It made me feel like I was on vacation myself at times. I was able to get into this book right away—much more quickly than with most books. There was plenty of fun, with one main mystery to be solved, along with some smaller ones. I really liked the main characters—Dodie, her boyfriend Bill and her best friend Lola—and the minor characters were quirky and intriguing. The mysteries were just complicated enough, but not overly intricate. There was good resolution and a hint of what might occur in the next book. This author is new to me and I’d like to go back and read the first part of the series. I’d really recommend this book—it was a nice escape for me.

Another entertaining installment in an enjoyable series. Not sure how I felt about the change in location. Probably didn't help that I found Dodie's ex-boyfriend Jackson annoying rather than endearing. Also, I think he should have been implicated in the death much sooner; it would have justified Dodie's rather extreme involvement early on. Like the second book in the series better, I think (I read it right before this one, hence the comparison). Though I continue to enjoy the crazy townspeople and Dodie and Bill as a couple.

4.5 Stars<br /><br />This is the fifth book i the Dodie O’Dell Mystery series by Suzanne M. Trauth<br /><br />This is a new author for me and I have to say I wasn’t disappointed. This was a fun summer read. Dodie O’Dell and her police chief boyfriend, Bill are Etonville for a much needed vacation from the stress of all the sleuthing she did in the four previous books. But as we know death doesn’t take a holiday and Dodie finds herself immersed in another mystery she must uncover.<br /><br />Dodie’s former flame, Jackson shows up on her doorstep wanting a place to stay and makes an uncomfortable atmosphere when she and Bill just want to be alone and bask in the sun of a time away from everyone. But it seems nearly everyone has followed her on vacation and it is business as usual when Jackson’s former partner in a boat charter business ends up dead. Now Dodie must uncover the truth or watch Jackson go to jail for a murder she hoped he didn’t commit.<br /><br />This was a fun jaunt into New Jersey culture. I found it quite entertaining and all the elements just seemed to naturally flow from one scene to the next. There were no cringe-worthy moments and that is always refreshing. I will definitely be checking other other Dodie books. This book really keeps you guessing and there is so much going on that it sometimes makes your head spin. But in a good way.<br /><br />Highly recommended.<br /><br />I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

No More Time by Suzanne Trauth is the fifth in the Dodie O'Dell mystery series. Dodie is the manager of a restaurant and her boyfriend, Bill, is the Chief of Police in the town of Etonville, New Jersey. They are currently on vacation in Candle Beach on the Jersey Shore. They know one person there, Grody, who runs a restaurant, the Sandbar, just like he had back when Dodie lived there. Different restaurant. She has just run into another acquaintance, Vinnie C who was her then-boyfriend's partner in a fishing/tour boating business. He is older but sure looks to be doing better than when she had seen him last. Also in town are her best friend, Lola, and her cohorts from the Etonville Little Theatre, who are competing in a contest to determine the best community theatre in the state. And who should show up but the the-boyfriend, Jackson, to sleep on the front porch. Neither Dodie nor Bill is thrilled with that arrangement. All kinds of things happen: there is a murder, Bill's car is stolen, the ELT folks get into all kinds of mischief, and Dodie, again, nearly dies. <br /><br />No More Time is a pretty cute mystery. Dodie is one of those people who seem to attract murder and at home, in Etonville, the Police Chief, Bill, has learned to put up with her help. Here she is nothing but an annoyance, but of course, that won't stop her. Dodie is clever, resourceful, friendly, and curious. She is a little wacky, but no overly so. Her friend, Lola, is on the prowl, which is irritating at times, but Dodie loves her anyway. Bill, in this story, is a pretty one-dimensional character, but really, the story is all about Dodie, so it doesn't matter so much. No More Time is entertaining, and actually, a pretty decent mystery. I recommend it. <br /><br />I received a free ARC of No More Time from Cozy Mystery Review Crew. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. <br /><br />

Dodie O’Dell is taking a vacation at the <br />Jersey Shore. Dodie resides in Etonville <br />where her friend, Bill Thompson is Chief<br />of Police.<br />Dodie moved to Etonville after Hurricane <br />Sandy during which her ex-boyfriend and<br />his chart boat partner lost their boat. They<br />all went their separate ways after the havoc<br />the Hurricane caused.<br />Now not only is Dodie back to vacation but<br />her ex shows up out of the blue. Why is he<br />there what is going on??<br />Next the Etonville community theater group <br />arrives on the scene for the state community <br />theater competition.<br />Mix sun, sea, sand, a variety of delicious food<br />with theater, secrets, devious dealings, a car<br />theft ring, murder, subplots within the main plot.<br />humor with a cast of cleverly created, colorful,<br />and well defined characters.<br />This story is so well written you will feel as if <br />you are right along side of the characters.<br />This is book # 5 in the Dodie O’Dell Mystery <br />series. It can be read as a stand alone.<br />A Highly Recommended Read!!!<br />I volunteered to read No More Time. Thanks to<br />the author via the Cozy Mystery Review Crew<br />for the opportunity. My opinion is voluntary and <br />my own.

*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.<br /><br />Dodie just wants to enjoy her vacation with Bill back in her pre-hurricane life. Things start great and then her ex boyfriend shows up making himself at home. If course this makes things awkward but that is just get beginning because he ends up a murder suspect. A murder, secrets, and a vacation atmosphere combine into one intriguing story that you won't be able to put down. A great addition to this theatrical cozy mystery series. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.

No More Time by Suzanne Trauth is the five book in her Dodie O'Dell mystery series. Dodie is on vacation with her boyfriend, supposed to be having a romantic time together when a series of people she knows or used to know make a myriad of appearances. She witnesses a bit of an encounter between her ex-boyfriend and an old "friend" of his and then within less than 24 hours said "friend" is found dead. The suspect? Her ex-boyfriend. Who's guilty and why? What's the truth and what is really going on?<br />No More Time is the first book that I have read by this author, but I thought that this book sounded fun and as I am an avid reader of cozy mysteries I was sure that I would take to this book as a cat takes to a ball of yarn. I will admit that the drama and suspense in this novel are well done. I love that the author doesn't give overt or covert clues as to who the murderer really is. There are some clues dropped here and there that make you suspicious of certain individuals, but that's only because of their demeanor and shifting personalities. The supporting characters, for me, really bring this story to life and add a nice flair of entertainment throughout. They pop up when they are most needed and really bring this story a nice splash of character and interest with their antics and issues. The storyline flows nicely and overall keeps me engaged as I read along to discover who really killed Vincent and why they did it. I had some suspicions as the story moved along, a couple of times I went the wrong direction, but I enjoyed the fun of trying to figure it out before the author did the big reveal. <br />I hate to say this, and maybe it's because I've not read the previous books, but I did not like Dodie that much as the main character. It honestly starts with her feeling the need to insert herself in Vinnie's (Vincent) path while she and her boyfriend are out. Vinnie didn't recognize her, and he obviously wasn't interested in socializing with her, so I felt that she was out of line. Add in her hesitation at "how" to introduce her boyfriend...and she and I were off on the wrong foot. I get that she's an amateur sleuth, but I felt that she handled certain situations wrong, because...it's not like this is her first "case." She'd know her ex was lying and not pursue it at that moment, but then when the opportunity was less opportune THEN she'd choose to chase him. Also, Jackson was too much of a "surfer dude" at times. I get being "clueless" or at least playing the role, but he honestly took things a bit far. I'd go so far as to call him completely daft. I honestly felt bad for Dodie's boyfriend, Bill most of the time. Having to put up with so much ridiculousness, but the author had him being extremely understanding to the point where it was hard to believe at times. I kept wondering...if the shoe was on the other foot (roles reverse) would Dodie be as understanding? Some of the characters I felt were true to life, but I felt that others fell short or just were too over the top. <br />Now, I'm not saying that this book doesn't have its good moments, but I just felt disappointed that I didn't like the main character because of the particular choices she makes and/or refuses to make throughout the story. She just honestly ended up, for me, being an annoying character half the time. If asked if this book could be read as a stand-alone, I think that the answer could be yes. I don't think that there is anything tying this book directly to the previous ones, so I think that it's safe to say you can read this book by itself. Just remember that the relationships between the characters have already been established and that you're only going to get the basic connections between them. For that I am going to rate this book a soft 4 out of 5 stars. I think that I'll go back and read the first book and see if I change my opinion concerning certain characters. <br />For those who enjoy a good mystery novel a few mild thrills then this book would make a good choice. You get the sand, beach, lots of sunshine, plenty of drinks, and murder.

No More Time is the first book of author Suzanne Trauth that I have read as well as being the fifth book in the Dodie O'Dell Mystery series. I found this cozy mystery delightfully engaging and kept me guessing until the very end - just the way I like my cozy mysteries. <br /><br />I did have reservations about jumping into a series at book 5. Admittedly, I did not have a back history nor experience the development of the relationship between Dodie O’Dell and her boyfriend, Police Chief Bill Thompson but surprisingly I did not miss that history too much.<br /><br />The story begins with Dodie and Bill vacationing on the Jersey shore, back to Dodie’s home town before Hurricane Sandy. And who shows up??? Dodie’s ex - Jackson. Seems some funny business is happening between Jackson and an old business partner, Vinnie. At least until Vinnie is found dead! And to make matters worse - Jackson is the prime suspect. To muddy the waters further, the Etonville Theatre Group arrives to participate in the Jersey Shore theatre festival. If this isn’t enough, Bill’s car is stolen! And he must get in the action with the local constabulary to find out what happened to his car and hopefully get it back!<br /><br />So with able bodied police working on solving a murder and an auto theft (okay… many auto thefts apparently) it seems that this vacation will be anything but dull. Especially since it seems that Dodie has a six sense about these kinds of mysteries.<br /><br />There is a lot of side stories which keeps the momentum going. I quite enjoyed all the story lines. It was just busy enough to keep this readers interest, but not so busy as to be distracting from the main plot line.<br />There were certainly funny moments peppered throughout. One will definitely chuckle during the final evening of the Jersey Shore theatre festival!<br /><br />As what is expected, Dodie uses her “amateur” sleuthing skills to eventually solve the murder (and the auto theft mystery as well). She also manages to garner enough beach time to enjoy her vacation, even if she does help out with the catering at the opening night of the festival.<br /><br />And I must also say, I liked the cover art. It seemed in such contrast to the first four in the series. All in all - an enjoyable read. So much so that I would like to go back and read the first four books in the Dodie O'Dell Mystery series.<br />