Texas Troubles (An Ollie Stratford Cozy Mystery Book 1)

Enjoyed a clean twisting mystery. I thought I’d figured out the murder but was wrong. Did caught a few clues but not the necessary ones. I like clean books sex isn’t always that necessary. Thank you mr Lewis

This was an intriguing mystery that kept me guessing! I kind of had an idea of who did it but not really why so I kept thinking maybe it was someone else.

Ollie Stratford accidentally won a Texas homestead so she decided to make the best of it. Widowed and between college professor jobs, she found the place to be really run-down but had a great idea for it, an event center. At first everyone in the town seemed friendly and eager to help but after the murder of a good friend she was planning to meet back up with, someone seemed to be telling her to leave the investigation alone.

I really liked the regular characters of this town, especially Ollie's friend Tanner's uncle even though he wasn't in it a whole lot. They mostly seemed like people I'd want to be friends with. I loved that the homestead came with a dog and at the end, he helped save the day along with a resident homeless guy, Simpkins. Things ended well for Ollie and I'm assuming those at fault were getting their due punishment.

There was definitely a diverse mixture of personalities and I'm anxious to return to the next book and see how Ollie is progressing with her plans for the homestead.

A transplant to Texas myself, I was transported to a sweltering summer in the Hill Country. Texas Troubles is full of twists and turns. I recommend this for a fun, relaxing read. I especially enjoyed her unique, and quirky characters.

I finished reading this the night before we were to leave for a Christmas visit to Texas. After reading for a while, I decided to Goggle Medlin Texas. Thank goodness it isn’t near Grandma’s home!!! Things go on there that you wouldn’t believe and the person you blame it on might not be the one. On the other hand… I enjoyed the story and highly recommend this book.

I really liked the characters and the story was great until right at the end. All of a sudden things seemed to fall together almost like magic, not very realistically, in favor of the main character, leaving out a great amount of detail that really was necessary for things to be plausible. It felt like the author got tired of writing the story and wrapped it up a bit too neatly and quickly. What about the evil real estate agent???

This was a very good story. The characters were interesting . The only problems I found were that the reader was left hanging in regard to the Realtor and also that the sentences were missing simple prepositions. Otherwise, it was very entertaining.

The poor grammar throughout this book distracted from the story. There were far too many mistakes.
One sentence contained 43 words! There were countless lengthy verb clauses with no subject. Some of those, enclosed in quotation marks, could have been attributed to the Texan vernacular. Apparently this author has never heard an educated professional New York businesswoman talk, because they do use the personal pronoun "I".
I would have appreciated more local color, and better developed characters. If this were a " first draft", I'd note that it "had some potential, but needed work.".

My first time to read a book involving Ollie Stratford. The plot was very good involving Ollie as an amateur detective relocating in a small town in Texas to meet with a friend who was murdered. The book describes her daily struggle in trying to fix up her new home and the pressure from various local officials, Well worth reading and I would gladly read another book involving her.

Texas Troubles is an enjoyable and fun read with the main character being a normal everyday woman, not the stereo typical 'Barbie doll' type so often depicted.  She's an adult woman, a little older, a little out of shape and maybe a little over-weight, i.e., normal. The story was good and I kept the pages turning, immediatly reading the other 2 stories of Ollie' s adventures.

To attain the 5-star rating, this author needs a better proof-reader and editor. There are so many editing mistakes it takes the pleasure out of the story. Needs to use more pronouns, correct wrong tense of verbs, plural and singular don't always match, (words like team and department are single entities, therefore it would be the team is going, not the team are going.)  These grammar errors interrupt the flow of the story, stopping your thought processes to figure out what was supposed to be said, as opposed to just enjoying the story. I hope to see improvement so N.C Lewis can get the recognition a good author of enjoyable and relaxing stories deserves.

The main character in this book is a total idjit and reading about her in the book drove me nuts. I detest reading about women who cannot see the obvious written before their faces in big bold letters. If ya got a brain don't read this. I gave it two stars cause somebody somewhere might like this

The thing with cosy mysteries is that the sleuths are rank amateurs that over a cup of tea would review all sorts of hearsay in order to find their culprit. Mostly they are way off track.
With Texas Troubles this is quite the norm as well. Chance lead to the killer, not clever sleuthing.
Serendipity in the end also played a major role in the span of half a chapter solving all Ollie Stafford's problems. Well, perhaps not all, yet. At the end there is still a thread or so unresolved and due for continuation into subsequent releases in this series.
Quite a pleasant, clean cosy mystery suitable for the coffee table. Enjoy!

Seeing how I live in the hill country of Texas, I really liked how Lewis described the hill country of Texas in the book. It was spot on. I also lived in a small town for 13 years and his description of living in a small town was also perfect (sometimes humorously so). Dr. Ollie Stratford is a woman who has all kinds of problems, and things seem to be getting worse. However, she has to s love the murder of a good friend because local law enforcement does not seem to have the time to do it. It is a wonderful book of overcoming problems (even the ones we cause), friendship and loss. I an looking forward to reading "Creek Crisis".

Interesting cozy although how the heroine got there borders are seriously stupid. Our heroine gets caught up in a bidding war between a young desperate couple & some rich guy on a phone--so she bids & wins? Really? She's between college teaching gigs so she moves to the homestead she just overpaid for and is dismayed although the realtor who was responsible for the auction offers her a low offer to at least let her get some of her money back & be free to find another teaching position. The place looks dismal but the last rapid decision certainly didn't turn out well, so she decides to think about it. She goes to town, meets people, may be offered a teaching position and life looks at least possible when a murder throws the whole town in turmoil.

Cozy mystery fans will like this story. But the jerky writing of conversations and thoughts was very distracting to me throughout the book. The characters and storyline are okay but not very unique or grabbing. Hopefully the next book will be better written.

Typical cozy with all things wrapped up in nice neat package at the end. Story requires huge suspension of belief and leaves some missing gaps. Easy read that doesn't require lots of brain power to keep focus.
While I received this book from one of the free book sites, this review is voluntary and entirely my own opinion.

The story moved at a good pace and was very interesting. I was really into the suspense and was trying to figure out "who dune It" when all of a sudden Ollie goes to the abandon factory and everything comes to fruition in a few pages.
This was my only disappointment. It would have been great if you would have drawn the end out a bit longer. It appeared as though you were trying to get the story over with and concluded quickly.
I just got the next installment of Ollie Stratford Murder Mystery, sure hope it doesn't have a hurry up ending!
Oh by the way, what about the evil, greedy, realtor who is a crook and a deserves to be locked up for a long time!

I love a book that has colorful characters in it. Breaks the hum-drum mode of mystery books. Ollie really has her hands full in this story, but she has a great cast of characters to "help" her out. Yes there is a murder or two in it, but it's nothing that Ollie can't figure out. I enjoyed this book very much. I reviewed a copy of this book voluntarily.

Enjoyable short cozy read about a woman named Ollie Stratford moving from New York to Medlin, Texas to start a new life after her husband dies. People are trying to get her to leave because they want her property and a few people in town are murdered. Ollie investigates the murders and almost ends up being another victim. The book needs some editing which can distract from the story, but the characters are still entertaining. I voluntarily reviewed this book.

A good read and typical cozy mystery, as has already been said it was a shame about all the plot lines not coming together, i.e. the realator, personally I like to know about all the reasons behind main characters behavior, not just 'who dun it'. Having said that, I really enjoyed the book.

Ollie buys a piece of abandoned property in the Hill Country of Texas . At first things go well but a relentless realtor seems to want her property and town officials seen to want her to sell as well . Her friend is murdered and everything dealing with her new home seems to be going down hill fast . Why, what and who are behind everything ?

Not really anything more to say from what's been said before - easy reading, enjoyable characters & story, kept me guessing and I always enjoy a story when an animal is brought into it. I do agree with another reviewer who was disappointed that there was no mention at the end about the real estate woman. Maybe she'll be in the next book - haven't read it yet. Will read more and definitely recommend unless you're only into heavy, gruesome crime and filthy language. This one was clean. I applaud you N C Lewis!!

N C Lewis has created an interesting new main character living in a town filled with eccentrics. The story line is sure to keep your attention right to the end. If you are like me, you’ll want to immediately read the next book in the series which just happens to be free on Kindle Unlimited at the time of this review.

just finished the first book of new series. Got so involved that I stayed up to finish. Lots of excellent clues and diversions. Action moves quickly and keeps interest high. Had no idea who was the culprit but lots of potential criminals on my mental list. Will definitely read other books in this series !

Goodness, how much bad luck can one handle? This cast of characters will keep you guessing. I don’t want to give anything away, but you may keep changing your mind on suspects. Will Ollie be able to handle all that is thrown at her? Really, all she wanted was a change. This is book 1 and I can’t wait to see what happens in book 2.

An entertaining story. It has twist and turns that will keep you guessing. Quirky characters and an fun plot make this story worth reading. This is the first I'v read from this author and I look forward to reading more. I received this book as a gift and voluntarily give this review.

Ollie Stratford comes to town and buys a house in Medlin, Texas and runs straight into trouble, sneaky real estate agents, liars, incompetence on lots of levels and 2 murders, one being her old friend.
Fast paced, good read

Dana Pratt

All aspects of a typical cozy covered. Small dog to save the day? Check. Cast of quirky characters? Small, but check. Heroine nearly done to death in a dark and deserted fill-in-the-location? Check. Still. It was good enough I'll likely try the next book in the series.

Ollie retires and buys a run down home in Texas where her friend lives. From the moment she arrives, someone is wanting to offer her money for this property. Then murders happen and lead Ollie to try and solve the killings. Enjoyed reading and would like to try another of N. C. Lewis books.

A bit over simplified....it seems everything just fall into place almost too easily in life for our heroine. I do, however, like the twists and turns in the murder mystery parts, so I will read more of this series.

I actually read the 2nd book first, and liked it. Yet this is the first one, and I don’t think it’s as good as the second. Still, I’m going to keep following the series, based on the promise of the 2nd one,

Yes, there are editing errors but I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The star of the story is rather bumbling, the rest of the character are also very quirky. I mean really, sock puppets? Kept me interested until the very end!

This was my first book by this author and I was very pleased with what I read. I really liked Ollie and look forward to following her adventures. An easy, entertaining read and I am looking forward to the next one.

I enjoyed this book very much. Loved the characters and felt like I was involved with them in every step of the way. Will read others as they come out from this author..first read from N.C. Lewis but not my last.

I enjoy reading mysteries set in my home state of Texas, and this one is no exception. It is a fun, light read. However, there are grammatical mistakes and editing errors that made the book less enjoyable. I also would have liked to see more development of the details. The predictable ending won’t stop me from reading the next book in the series. Hope you’ll enjoy it, too.

I enjoyed this book very much. Despite two murders and a bit of romance, it is clean without blood and guts horror or nastiness. Except for Marsha Pennington, of course. She's such a piece of work, I was expecting blood and guts! What a great villain!

This is about Olie moving to Texas only to hear that her only friend in Texas was murdered. Great story. Moves along and easy to read. The house she acquired comes with a dog who attaches his self to Olie and gets to live with her. I enjoyed the book and you will too.

I wasn't too sure about the storyline at the beginning of the novel. I am glad I continued reading it as it turned out to be amazing! I read it overnight as I felt I couldn't sleep without knowing if I was right about the murderer (I was correct thankfully).

I enjoyed this book, but as another reviewer commented, it is in desperate need of a very comprehensive edit. Likeable characters, good plot, but surely the one character could be mentioned without being told after the first few (or few dozen) times that he had odd eyes and a twitching carrot-shaped chin!

Enjoyed a clean twisting mystery. I thought I’d figured out the murder but was wrong. Did caught a few clues but not the necessary ones. I like clean books sex isn’t always that necessary. Thank you mr Lewis

This was an intriguing mystery that kept me guessing! I kind of had an idea of who did it but not really why so I kept thinking maybe it was someone else.

Ollie Stratford accidentally won a Texas homestead so she decided to make the best of it. Widowed and between college professor jobs, she found the place to be really run-down but had a great idea for it, an event center. At first everyone in the town seemed friendly and eager to help but after the murder of a good friend she was planning to meet back up with, someone seemed to be telling her to leave the investigation alone.

I really liked the regular characters of this town, especially Ollie's friend Tanner's uncle even though he wasn't in it a whole lot. They mostly seemed like people I'd want to be friends with. I loved that the homestead came with a dog and at the end, he helped save the day along with a resident homeless guy, Simpkins. Things ended well for Ollie and I'm assuming those at fault were getting their due punishment.

There was definitely a diverse mixture of personalities and I'm anxious to return to the next book and see how Ollie is progressing with her plans for the homestead.

The bidding was tight. Two sat down angrily. The man on the phone confidant, until his connection was disrupted. “Up fifty!” She smiled. The gavel sounded, and the property in Texas, outbuildings and all, were hers. More than she could afford, more than she realized, more than it’s worth, but it was hers. What a way to start! A dream coming true for Ollie Stratford, middle-aged professor. I am a newbie to N.C. Lewis Ollie Stratford Murder Mystery which follows new farm owner turned amateur detective. Her first case? Ollie discovers an old friend has been murdered.

It is true that the editing process seems to have been less than successful with several spelling, grammar, and punctuation/capitalization errors. As a retired teacher, that is disappointing, so take away a star for that! The story is very much in the ‘cozy mystery’ genre with an entertaining murder mystery focusing mostly on peripheral events: buyers remorse issues, small town vs big city culture, and even personal jeopardy from poking one’s nose into other’s business. All of that was entertaining, but the investigative style is more ‘a lucky break’ than deductive reasoning. The characters, too, fit the ‘cozy’ genre and in many ways realistic: pushy real estate agents, needs-some-grooming dog, an odd “sock puppet wielding” reporter, and a coiffed-challenged lawyer. All of them were entertaining, even though a few stereotypes or generalities pop up. “Texas Troubles” has some troubles, but overall it was enjoyable, and I’d love to give this author another chance with her next book.

"Disclosure: A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own.”

A terrific read. Auctions can have you doing silly things like bidding too high. That's how she finds herself the proud owner of a run down farm. Deaths, a realtor who try to bully her into selling the farm, limited funds, papers not filed, a lawyer with a package for her, arson and more lies than she has ever incountered before all woven into a plot that will keep you guessing until the end. Great characters that are all too believable and that you definitely want to meet again in more books.
I got this in a giveaway.

From New York, buy a Texas property at auction sight unseen, travel to Texas to find your best friend has been murdered, what else could go wrong? A readable book with multiple twists, cranky characters, shady real estate agents, and alcoholic professors. Not to mention undisclosed problems with the property she bought. Add the dog and the whole story is at times laugh out loud funny and at times scary when she finds herself tied up in a dark room. Not your normal real estate transaction! Entertaining story.

This was funny and yet believable in a strange way. A middle aged professor living in Manhattan went a bit mad at a property auction. Ollie then finds that she has bought herself a large piece of land and house in Texas! An old friend lives nearby, but, before she can meet up with him, he goes and gets himself murdered. Ollie decides to find the killer since the sheriff goes on holiday, leaving a deputy who doesn't seem in a hurry to solve the crime.
She finds herself surrounded by characters who are diverse and interesting, including a nasty estate agent and a reporter who uses sock puppets to converse. I loved the book and want to know more about the characters, especially that estate agent.

Great new mystery. Ollie Stratford got carried away at an auction and suddenly found herself the owner of a large run down farm in Texas but her friend Tanner lives in the same town and was prepared to help her get settled in. However, there are plenty of other people who are prepared to make sure that she does not, people who are prepared to set her house on fire, offer her a nice sum, bully her into selling, make sure she loses her newly appointed position as teaching professor at the local college. And all the time, Ollie still does not know why.

Good plot, strong storyline and believable characters. Excellent enjoyable read

I enjoyed this book very much. Despite two murders and a bit of romance, it is clean without blood and guts horror or nastiness. Except for Marsha Pennington, of course. She's such a piece of work, I was expecting blood and guts! What a great villain!