Accident Book Tour Stop and Review

On Tour! Check out Accident!

GENRE: Cozy Mystery

About the Book

Charlotte returns to solve another case in the second installment of the Charlotte Smart Mystery Series.

Greg Smart, Charlotte’s brother, has flown in from California for his big sister Charlotte’s 70th birthday. Charlotte, the previous year, solved a murder when Greg visited her at her retirement village.

The police officer who took a shine to her during the prior case has just asked Charlotte to take a look at a baffling hit and run “accident” that has left one victim dead. Charlotte weeps to discover that the victim is a child, and the second victim, the child’s older sister, is injured. Charlotte agrees to help immediately, and as soon as the two meet the child bonds with Charlotte who takes her under her wing. Charlotte will not let this child be hurt again. Meanwhile Greg continues to have an unexpectedly interesting love life while he and Charlotte work together to help to piece the child’s life and family back together by bringing a murderer to justice.

Nellie’s Review

After two children are run down in the street, Charlotte Smart is asked to consult on another police case, this time involving an accident that police suspect may be more. 

Overall, I didn’t care much for the book.  What I did like as the clever idea with the older detectives, however, when I happened upon their ages in the book, I found myself surprised.  The main character is in his 50s and his older sister is 69, though they act like they are well into their 80s or further. 

What didn’t fit well for more was the writing style.  It is written in first person, present-tense which I found awkward, personally.  This may not bother someone else who is used to reading this type of prose.  I found the text written a little dryly as well. 

I grew tired of the main character’s interest in women outside his soon-to-be spouse (despite his insistence that he loved her).  In particular, the discussion of other women’s curves in several instances had me rolling my eyes.

Another thing that I will mention since this is being billed as a cozy mystery is the language.  Most cozies contain no (or very mild) language.  This book contained a fair amount of bad language, including the f-bomb.  I did want to point that out for readers who like a cozy that is truly a cozy.

This book may be a good fit for another reader, but was not my cup of tea.

Author Interview

Thanks for taking the time to share a bit about yourself with my readers and me! Tell us a little about yourself.

I have had several distinct careers. As a young man, I was a professional baseball player in the Yankee organization. I became a psychologist and a college professor and served for fifty-plus years. I my recent time I have been a writer, having written over thirty novels….

How long have you been writing?

Seriously for about thirty years.

Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose the cozy mystery genre?

In my youth I had no thoughts about professional writing. The mystery genre bloomed when I imagined my real-live sister, Charlotte, who indeed lived in a PA retirement village, might be the heroine in solving murders, a la Agatha Christie’s characters. Charlotte lived to 99 and passed last year, a few months short of her 100th birthday

Do you prefer to read cozy mystery books, or do you have another favorite genre? What are you reading now?

I read all sorts of novels. I really appreciate Howard Fast who wrote many historical stories. His characters are never all bad or all good.

Do you have a favorite place to write?

Not really. My computer is in the back room near my kitchen.

What’s on your desk (if you write at one!)?

Lots of pictures of my three children and two grandchildren, along with my three sisters (all gone now) and twin brother (also gone).

What is the first book you remember reading as a child? What was one of your favorite books you read as a child?

My favorites were the Dr. Doolittle books. Charlotte would read them to my twin and me when we were quite little.

Do you like audiobooks, physical books, or e-books better? Why?

I’m not a skilled tech person, so I read the actual paper books.

If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?

I spent many months in Estonia on a Fulbright grant, and considered it a second home. Loved the people, their food and hospitality.

What or who has influenced you the most as a writer?

I mentioned both Howard Fast and Agatha Christie. I’ve read maybe fifteen of each of their novels.

Do you have any author friends who support you while you’re writing? Do you belong to any writing groups?

I have been going to a writers’ group for over fifteen years, a two hour meeting every two weeks. Lately, our numbers have dwindled to only 3 writers.

Finally, what are you working on now? Can you tell us a bit about it?

My most recent completed novel is called Exoplanet, about an eerie man who may or may not have come from outer space. He falls in love with an earthling, and one can imagine the complications that sets up. Currently, I am on page 160 of a sport/love/mystery novel called Going, Going, Gone. I’m having so much fun!

About the Author

Stan is a wonderful man. He just turned 90, and he just retired from teaching at Cal State Northridge (CSUN), and was their oldest and longest-serving faculty ever. He taught marriage and family counseling, and was once, briefly, a Yankee, and was also, for about 10 years, the baseball coach at CSUN. He is a lovely man with many students indebted to him. He also wears butterflies. Many decades ago students started gifting him with butterfly pins; he has hundreds, and every day he pins one on. I know he is older but he is still writing and is a vital and lovely person.

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