Man with the Sand Dollar Face

Stick with it! In the first part of the book Hattie is quite nutty and acts crazy. I was tempted to give up. But if you stick with it the story does unfold. The ending is good and by the end Hattie is even a good character. She was truly a product of her environment and the mentality of the time she lived. I am glad I didn't get up on the book.

seniors, mystery, suspense, humor, NOLA

Interesting stream of consciousness mystery narrated by a woman grown a bit odd following a meaningless marriage. At 62 she has her first employment ever and is working as secretary for a hack private investigator in the wonderful city of New Orleans. Boring life until the day that turned her upside down and brought an unfriendly reality into her life experiences! The publisher's blurb covers a lot but doesn't let the reader know how entertaining the story is! The story set up begins rather slowly but ramps up even faster than the humor and left me chuckling well after the end.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Books Go Social via NetGalley. Thank you!

Full of charm… an intriguing plot and the twists and turns throughout make for a satisfying tale… an engaging mystery with a menacing undertone and chilling atmosphere running through it… the conclusion was unexpected and satisfying… fans of Agatha Christie and MC Beaton should enjoy this… A superb and highly entertaining , and a perfect read for those dark, chilly nights.

Widowed, Hattie Crumford wanted more to her life than staring at the four walls of her empty house. No husband, no children and parents long departed, Hattie decides she's going to work and is now secretary to Mr. Woodard, a private investigator. Mr. Woodard most frequently takes on cases of marital infidelity and it's no secret to Hattie that he's also having an affair himself. But Hattie yearns for more excitement in his cases; cases that she might assist Mr. Woodard in solving.

Beware what you wish for...

Hattie comes into the office one morning while Mr. Woodard is away and finds a strange man behaving crazily outside the office door. Pushing his way inside he madly insists seeing Mr. Woodard. As Hattie tries to calm him down and get some information from him, he clutches his chest and falls to the floor. Just before he dies in Hattie's arms he whispers, "The man with the sand dollar face," Hattie runs for assistance and phones the police, but when they arrive back to the office the dead man's body has vanished! The police won't believe her story and no one is interested in finding out what's going on, so Hattie realizes she must do the sleuthing herself.

And so begins the adventure of Hattie Crumford's private investigation. A sixty-something year old PI with a heart of gold and the dream of excitement in her soul. But this isn't a detective novel or a classic movie, Hattie, it's dangerous out in the real world.

I read this book in exchange for an honest review. While it didn't seem to flow as smoothly as other similar books that I've read, the plot was engaging and the heroine was delightful. It would be interesting to see how Hattie's life unfolds now that her first case has been solved. There are plenty of peripheral characters in Hattie's circle now, too, whose lives can make things interesting for Hattie as well. Hint, hint.

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

Once again I would like to thank NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and impartially review, and introducing me to another new Author.
This is a very engaging well written book with an unusual to say the least lady detective.
According to the 'Blurb' accompanying this book, Hattie Crumford, a quirky widow in her early sixties, takes her first job answering the phone in a private investigator's office. Running a little late one morning, she discovers an agitated man pacing at the office door. He insists he must see the PI immediately. In the midst of his anxious demands, he clutches his chest and collapses. Shocked, Hattie runs for help. Upon returning, the man has disappeared. Detective Hugo Gabby and Hattie’s boss, Wallace C. Woodard, are skeptical and dismissive of her story. To prove it’s not her wild imagination, Hattie sets out to find the missing man using only the cryptic note he left in his place and his last words as her clues. As the story unfolds, Hattie Crumford finds herself embroiled in an international drug trafficking ring. Everything hinges on the Man with the Sand Dollar Face.
This book has the feel and style of a Phillip Marlowe or Sam Spade era story, but is set in modern times and as the story develops there is a more edgy serious surprising and somewhat shocking nature to the way our heroine is treated by the villains. A very entertaining new character, lets hope there is more to learn about Hattie and more cases to solve.
Recommended.

My three-word description of The Man with the Sand Dollar Face by Sharon CassanoLochman is engaging, menacing and amusing.

Book synopsis:
A quirky widow in her early sixties takes her first job ever in a private investigator's office. Arriving early she discovers an agitated man waiting at the door. He insists he must see the PI immediately. In the midst of his anxious demands, he clutches his chest and collapses. Shocked, she runs for help. Upon returning, the man has disappeared. The police are skeptical, dismissive of her story. To prove she's not a wacky woman, she attempts to find the missing man using only the cryptic note he left in his place and his last words as her clues.

Meanwhile, the private investigator is onto something and tells her to retrieve a disc in his filing cabinet which must be delivered to the police immediately. When she enters her office the next morning, she's met by two men who usher her out at knife point and drag her into a waiting limo. Abducted and held hostage, she's drugged by her captors who are trying to get the mysterious disc.

As the story unfolds she finds herself embroiled in an international drug trafficking ring. Everything hinges on finding the man with the sand dollar face.

My musings:
I loved this mystery thriller, and that Sharon CassanoLochman has developed a very unique, strong and quirky character in Hattie. The interactions between Hattie and New Orleans detective Hugo Gabby are priceless and come across as very convincing. The storyline is punchy and gritty, and although it begins rather slowly, the pace soon escalates. Rich in comedic value, the humour left me grinning well after the end. Masterfully written and totally compelling, I would love to read a sequel to The Man with the Sand Dollar Face.

Verdict:
An engaging mystery with a menacing undertone that I recommend with confidence.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley at my request, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Interesting storyline with humor and mystery mixed in to make this a quite enjoyable read. Looking forward to reading more from this author.