Clever, funny, and full of twists 🔄🕵️‍♂️. Switcheroo is a unique, quirky mystery with a fun premise and unforgettable characters. E.J. Copperman’s writing sparkles with humour and wit, blending laugh-out-loud moments with clever plotting. I adored the offbeat detective dynamic and the playful tone that keeps the story light, even amidst murder and mayhem. A must-read for fans of comedic mysteries with a twist.

Having a unique perspective considering their own upbringing, siblings Fran and Ken Stein run their New York City K&F Stein Investigations specializing in locating parents and children of adoption. Their current client is Austin Cobb, a mixed-race autistic man who wants to hire Fran and Ken to find the parents who gave him up for adoption. Motivating the search is also his need to know whether his autism was the reason why his parents gave him away, but it’s more the fact that his adoptive parents signed non-disclosure agreements that has Fran especially concerned. She’s right to have her suspicions, as soon Fran is threatened, Ken ineffectually kidnapped, and the possible biological parents being linked to a murder.

While most investigators would be extremely alarmed with the intimidation tactics, Ken and Fran are unique. Not only are they oversized and topping way over 6 feet tall each, they are genetically altered to have enhanced strength and charging portals. Their parents were genius scientists who have been forced to go into hiding themselves, leaving their children to be raised by their aunt. Fran has finally disclosed her special attributes to NYPD Detective Richard “Mank” Mankowietcz, at the same time ending their budding romantic relationship. That’s on her end though, as despite her always calling him for unofficial police help, Mank is more than open to having her in his life. Ken himself is busy with tracking down the mysterious Malcolm X. Mitchell, who claims not only to be another of their siblings but to also share their genetically altered biology.

By this 3rd of the series, the science fiction element is less of a surprise and smoothly plays into the mystery plot. In fact, it’s easy to forget that Fran and Ken are genetic creations, right up until Fran easily hoists a thug off of the ground or throws a table across the room. Fran’s gift for snark and passive-aggressiveness are just as enhanced as her strength, both which burst out whenever ruffians attempt to futilely intimidate her. The author’s trademark humor continues to shine, as well as allowing him to return to topics explored in his earlier books which featured an amateur detective on the spectrum. Terms and diagnoses have changed, and here Fran has to adjust to how she approaches him, taking in considering his literalness and different forms of expressiveness. Ken and Fran continue to learn more about their background and their parents, and readers will delight in the investigations that allow for superheroism with genuine emotion and dash of romance. Readers looking for a funny, entertaining twist on the private detective mystery genre will be delighted by this suspenseful, lightly sci-fi novel.

Fran’s latest client, Austin Cobb, is trying to track down his birth parents. While he has dim memories of his father teaching him to read using road signs – he was put up for adoption. And the unspoken question has to be – was he put up for adoption because of his autism? But when Fran learns of an unsolved murder that somehow is entangled in this increasingly complicated adoption case, all sorts of odd things begin to happen.

For starters, Fran’s mother contacts her and frantically warns her against having anything to do with someone who turns up in the office, talking and acting like some Hollywood villain. Fran shares her concern with Ken, who I’ll be honest – I didn’t ever like very much. Much of the time, I got the sense that Fran didn’t like him much, either. They spend a lot of time snarking at each other – and while I understand all about sibling rivalry, it too often tipped into passive-aggressive nastiness for my taste.

Fran is more relatable. This time around, we get to see more of her pain at having been brought up by her aunt, rather than her parents. I found some of the situations quite poignant, as the plot gets ever more labyrinthine. There is also Fran’s relationship with Mank, the detective she was formerly dating. I like her confidence in her own attraction, especially as a lot of the men she encounters don’t react or behave well to her being taller and stronger than they are. I thought Copperman successfully nailed that unpleasant dynamic, highlighting it without being preachy or heavy-handed.

I was a bit startled when I heard the news that this is to be Fran and Ken’s last book – though on reflection, I’m not all that surprised. Somehow, the laugh-aloud humour I got used to enjoying throughout the Jersey Girl series is missing here. There were plenty of amusing moments, but just as many times when I felt the humour was either a tad forced or missed its mark. That said, I was caught up in the mystery and was keen to discover who did what to whom. I’ll be interested to see what this talented and quirky writer comes up with, next. While I obtained an arc of Switcheroo from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

Third book in the series
Fran and ken Stein are a sister and brother investigators who specialize in finding the birth parents of
adoptive children. The two have a unique background that is a plus in investigations. The latest client
Austin is eager to find his birth parents and discover if they gave him up because he is neurodivergent.
As the investigation continues, both are told to stop investigating or face the consequences. The
investigation will have them looking into an unsolved murder and child adoptions. The descriptive
text will have one turning the pages to uncover what roles the people Fran and Ken encounter play in the case.
#Switcheroo #SevernHouse #NetGalley

Fran tells this story of what happens when she teams up with her brother Ken to find the bio-family of their new client Austin, who believes he might have been placed for adoption because he is neurodivergent. This is an unusual sort of novel-it blends the cozy with a bit of sci fi (Fran and Ken's back story) and a dollop of the paranormal. What it also has is a hoot of a narrator and a good heart. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

In this well-written and visually descriptive narrative, the author set the stage for an intriguing and suspenseful tale that I could not put down until all the facts were uncovered. The mystery was executed with flair making it easy to follow along with what the author intended. Fran and Ken were at their best as they tried to figure out who was doing what to whom and why the secrecy. Danger lurked in their path as they got closer to discovering had transpired years ago. The witty quips and engaging dialogue added to some amusing moments. Overall, an excellent and enjoyable read. This is the best book in the series and sad to know this will be their last case.

Fran and Ken Stein, brother and sister, help adopted children find their birth parents. I love the backstory on this duo. And their names! Get set for a fun quirky read. You'll laugh out loud as you try to guess whodunit! Thanks #Netgalley and #SevernHouse for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Fran and Ken Stien are siblings whose parents "manufactured" them. After creating them, their parents left them for parts unknown. Now in their 30's, they work as private investigators specializing in finding biological parents for children who are adopted.

Austin Cobb comes to them and wants to hire them to find his biological parents. Fran goes to the adoption agency and finds the adoption file to be super sealed. No one will divulge the information in the file. The more she pokes and prods to get the information the more dangerous it becomes. But no fear there, because she and her brother have extraordinary strength that gets them out of all kinds of messes.

Interesting concept and interesting characters. Finding birth parents becomes difficult and dangerous for our sibling private investigators.

Fran and Ken Stein (clever, right?) are a dynamic brother-sister duo working as private investigators, specializing in helping adopted children find their birth parents. Their latest case brings them to Austin Cobb, a medical researcher on the autism spectrum, who has been haunted by the question of why his birth parents chose adoption. Eager to find answers, Austin hires Fran to investigate, only for her to uncover more questions than answers. But, Fran and Ken aren't your average investigators (but I’ll let them tell you about that).

When I first received my DRC, I wasn’t aware that this was part of a series, so please take my review with a grain of salt as I’m sure there’s a lot of important backstory I missed.

The story definitely grabbed my attention in the beginning. I found Fran’s witty side comments amusing and was intrigued by the mystery unfolding. However, by the end, I found the side remarks to be a bit exhausting, and I struggled to connect with Fran—or any of the characters, for that matter. While I’m sure this book will appeal to many readers, it wasn’t quite for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the review copy!

I liked this book! It was a good creepy thriller and the addition of some paranormal activity gave it a good extra twist! I think it was entertaining, kept me engaged since page one! I id enjoy the whole story!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Enjoyabk2 story. Interesting characters development and has a mix of sci fi and paranormal with murder mystery.

Easy to read and kept my interest.

#Switcheroo #NetGalley is the third book in this series, featuring Fran and Ken, private investigators and siblings.
Fran is helping a client locate his birth parents, which should be a typical case for her.
As Fran investigates, she runs into obstacles and things just aren't adding up.
While I enjoyed the story, I found this to be less cozy mystery and more sci-fi than anything else.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.