A Lainie Lovett Mystery (The Lainie Lovett Mysteries Book 1)

This lively book hooked me from first page. The lead character is an ordinary intelligent teacher who loves what she does. If something needs fixing, she fixes it. When wrongfully accused of murder, she fixes it, bu solving the case.

I suppose it's because I am now a man of a certain age that I enjoy novels - especially mystery novels - featuring more mature men and women.
Or maybe I always have since I must admit that I've been a big fan of Agatha Christie's "Miss Marple" mysteries since I was a teen.
Whatever the reason, I find mysteries that revolve around characters who are not dewy-eyed 20-somethings more enjoyable than those featuring younger protagonists. They seem more realistic to me because the main characters have garnered enough wisdom and life experience to work through many issues that younger people often cannot since - while they may be smart and tech savvy - they just haven't been alive long enough to not just see what's going on around them but also understand people and events.
As a result, I find that - in general - mysteries featuring older man and women in starring roles do not disappoint and "Still Kicking" certainly does not. Its heroine is a 40-something widow who teaches fourth grade and still plays recreational league soccer. (I must say that, as someone who played rec league basketball and softball into my late 50s, I liked the fact the author created a middle-aged character who is physically active.) Lainie Lovett is smart, attractive, loyal to her friends and teammates, a great teacher, and a mom who has raised two children. She has borne the grief of losing her husband to cancer and carried on and that makes her an admirable character.
It also makes her a believable one.
That's important to readers like me because we need to be able to invest in the characters, to care about them if we are going to continue reading.
"Still Kicking" is a classic "wrong-place, wrong-time" mystery with a nice little twist. Lainie gets wrapped up in a murder case simply because she went to a crime scene after hearing some gossip that a local developer was murdered. From that point on the mystery unravels slowly as she tries to figure out who the killer is and why the victim wound up dead in an especially gruesome manner. There are a fair number of red herrings - always a good thing, in my opinion - and even a budding romance. Lainie isn't sure of herself when it comes to dating at her age and author Judith Arnold paints a nice portrait of a woman who is not only trying to figure out the identity of a killer but also her own emotions.
Arnold has a nice narrative style and that makes "Still Kicking" a relatively quick read. Her description of the Boston suburbs is well done and the dialogue is - here's that word again - believable.
The verdict: A well-thought-out, nicely plotted mystery with a great heroine and a novel I highly recommend.

I suppose it's because I am now a man of a certain age that I enjoy novels - especially mystery novels - featuring more mature men and women.
Or maybe I always have since I must admit that I've been a big fan of Agatha Christie's "Miss Marple" mysteries since I was a teen.
Whatever the reason, I find mysteries that revolve around characters who are not dewy-eyed 20-somethings more enjoyable than those featuring younger protagonists. They seem more realistic to me because the main characters have garnered enough wisdom and life experience to work through many issues that younger people often cannot since - while they may be smart and tech savvy - they just haven't been alive long enough to not just see what's going on around them but also understand people and events.
As a result, I find that - in general - mysteries featuring older man and women in starring roles do not disappoint and "Still Kicking" certainly does not. Its heroine is a 40-something widow who teaches fourth grade and still plays recreational league soccer. (I must say that, as someone who played rec league basketball and softball into my late 50s, I liked the fact the author created a middle-aged character who is physically active.) Lainie Lovett is smart, attractive, loyal to her friends and teammates, a great teacher, and a mom who has raised two children. She has borne the grief of losing her husband to cancer and carried on and that makes her an admirable character.
It also makes her a believable one.
That's important to readers like me because we need to be able to invest in the characters, to care about them if we are going to continue reading.
"Still Kicking" is a classic "wrong-place, wrong-time" mystery with a nice little twist. Lainie gets wrapped up in a murder case simply because she went to a crime scene after hearing some gossip that a local developer was murdered. From that point on the mystery unravels slowly as she tries to figure out who the killer is and why the victim wound up dead in an especially gruesome manner. There are a fair number of red herrings - always a good thing, in my opinion - and even a budding romance. Lainie isn't sure of herself when it comes to dating at her age and author Judith Arnold paints a nice portrait of a woman who is not only trying to figure out the identity of a killer but also her own emotions.
Arnold has a nice narrative style and that makes "Still Kicking" a relatively quick read. Her description of the Boston suburbs is well done and the dialogue is - here's that word again - believable.
The verdict: A well-thought-out, nicely plotted mystery with a great heroine and a novel I highly recommend.

A light and enjoyable book. The main character is an elementary school teacher, who doesn't swear but enjoys a glass of wine or a beer occasionally, and narrates her story with humor. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale though I don't personally care for soccer!

PRO: An exciting whodunit that keeps the reader guessing. I liked the overall premise and the way Lainie’s positives, including keeping physically fit, were presented. CON: The profanity and casual sex took away from, rather than added to, my reading experience. I’d definitely read more from this author IF she aligned her books more with the clean Cozy format.

I could have done without the profane words, they did not add any value to the story. With that being said the story line was good. I figured it out but it was fun reading how things unfolded; not to mention Lainie getting her groove back. The small town police reminded of a group just short of Keystone cops. They became focused on the obvious without digging deeper. All in all it was a good read, I am taking stars for the profanity.

Mature characters who are imperfect and capable of mistakes in judgment make this tale vibrate. I really couldn't tell where the story was going to lead. Liked particularly the twist of the ex wife founding the organization protesting the victim's construction projects from her alimony settlement.

I am only about half way through this book but may not finish. My copy is having some technical issues. I have never had this problem before. So far there have been at least 4 "blank pages." The writing just stops in the middle of a sentence, I "turn the page" to find a completely blank screen, I turn the page again and and have moved forward to a different place in the story. I have no idea how much of the plot I have missed. The story itself is okay but not great enough to tolerate much more frustration.

I’m a Judith Arnold from way back, and it’s great to see her sharp insight about people and trademark humour in the mystery genre. I actually read Dead Ball, an earlier version of this book, which is now republished with minor changes.
Lainie Lovett is a widowed, fiercely dedicated fourth-grade teacher. The biggest excitement in her quiet life comes from her hard-fought battles on the soccer field in the town’s women’s league.
The book starts slowly, with Lainie spotting a teammate’s husband looking far too friendly with an improbably busty companion. The man has made enemies, as you might expect in a sleepy Boston suburb he is transforming into McMansion Town. Not to mention that his wife has sworn to kill him if she ever catches him cheating on her.
Next thing Lainie knows, the husband is dead and she is way up there on the suspect list. The only way to save herself is to figure out who really dunit.
And I had a great time watching her do it.

If you like an intriguing mystery, like I do, you'll love this story. It's about a fourth-grade teacher who only wants to help the police, but ends up in jail as a suspect. But she uses her intelligence and wits to solve the mystery and save herself and her fellow suspect. I've been a Judith Arnold fan for many years and this foray into cozy mystery is a delightful change. There's her usual attention to detail and witty humor that keeps you smiling as you read. Full disclosure. I did receive a copy of the book to read, for an honest review. But I would have bought it anyway. I'll be buying the others in this series. I love Lainie Lovett.

*NOTICE: I received this book free from eBook Discovery. This is my voluntary, independent, and honest review.* Meet Lainie Lovett: widow, mother, fourth grade teacher, and lifelong amateur soccer player. She's a stable, upper middle class, don't-rock-the-boat solid citizen, until by chance she and her soccer team girlfriends see a team mate's husband in a bar, with a floozy who isn't his wife. Days later, said hubby turns up dead; Lainie's curiosity leads her accidentally to the murder scene, and to Bill Stavik, hunky employee of the deceased and now prime suspect in his boss's murder. Lainie and Bill are attracted, and their attraction leads the local cops to suspect Lainie as well. The romance bumps along as does the murder investigation. Lainie's struggle to clear herself with only her own wits and resources lands her in increasing difficulties, until mild-mannered good girl Lainie gets her inner Nancy Drew on and solves her problems her way. Like all good mysteries, there are twists, turns, and red herrings aplenty. The romance simmers in the background, adding to the complexity of the plot. The cast of well-drawn supporting characters livens up the book, while the author's deadpan humor and droll narrative keep the mood light. Still Kicking is the first of three Lainie Lovett mysteries; I for one will certainly read the next!

Still Kicking:A Laine Lovett Mystery by Judith Arnold drew me in from the moment I saw the title. This is my first Judith Arnold book and I'm now a big fan. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, especially Lainie and the interactions with her soccer friends. Add in a great mystery with humor and wit and I'm thoroughly hooked.

Lainie Lovett is a widow, a loving mother, an exceptional fourth-grade teacher and a member of the women's soccer team, the Rockettes. An unfortunate power outage causes sprinklers to drench the soccer field and cancel practice. Rather than head for home, Lainie, and two of her teammates, Sheila and Annie, head to El Camino for beer, margaritas and chips. There they witness another teammate's husband, Arthur Cavanagh, cozying up to a busty blond and the next morning he is dead. Although he has plenty of enemies, because Lainie shows up at the crime scene the day his body is discovered, she suddenly is high on the suspect list and the only way off the list is to figure out who actually pulled the trigger on the lethal nail gun.

I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery. The review and opinions are my own.

Still Kicking is the first book in The Lainie Lovett Mysteries series. Lainie is a single Mom, a 4th grade teacher and loves playing on the Rockettes soccer team. When a team members husband is murdered Lainie is shocked to learn she is a suspect. Knowing she didn't commit the murder and afraid the local police want look for the real killer Lainie does the only thing she can do, find the truth! This was my first book by Judith Arnold and I loved Still Kicking. I highly recommend to all mystery lovers.

An enjoyable read that tells the story of a woman soccer player who inadvertently gets mixed up in a murder case. Her fellow soccer players sustain her innocence, but unfortunately not everyone feels the same, especially the principal of the school where she works as a 4th grade teacher. Lots of twists in the plot make it an interesting read. I particularly liked the author's sense of humor.

congratulations to ms. Arnold for a well crafted story.her heroine is a warm lovable person a model for most of us.the story is told at a good pace which makes keep on turning the page. i hope the author will write more such good stories.

Lainie Lovett is fast approaching 50, a recent widow, fourth grade school teacher, and star soccer player. When she shows up at a crime scene, and there makes the acquaintance of the man accused of the murder, she finds herself charged as an accessory. Things keep going from bad to worse for Lainie as she is forced to try and prove her innocence. This book is equal parts romance and mystery. While I am not a fan of romance novels, I found this one thoroughly entertaining. I felt for Lainie, got sucked into her plight, and couldn’t stop reading till I reached the last page.