STIFF LIZARD

By LISA HANEBERG

Series: A Spy Shop Mystery

Publisher: Written Pursuits Press

Pages: 364 pages

Pub Date: March 13th, 2021

Categories: Women Sleuths / Cozy Mystery / Private Investigator / Humor

Rodent Roger, a popular Galveston Island exterminator, goes missing the day after he tells private investigator and spy shop owner Xena Cali about a concerning uptick in green iguana sightings on the island. They’re crapping in people’s boats and falling from trees. Are the lizards swimming over from Florida to escape the pythons, or is it something more nefarious? Can Xena help untangle the mess before the raucous reptiles take over Galveston?

Ultima Penelope Roger is a best-selling writer of romance novels. The Lizard Liquidators have set up shop on Galveston Island. Herpetologist Quintana Flores, PhD, works on a bizarre cruise ship that sails out of the Port of Galveston. Sasha Barlow is a driven junior reporter who’ll do anything to get the story. Ned “The Pelican Man” Quinn writes a column about bird necropsies. Captain Ethan Slaughter is the head of the Major Crimes team at the Galveston Police Department. Xena and her team will have to partner with and/or battle this cast of characters and others to solve what becomes a disturbing murder investigation.

Stiff Lizard is the third full-length book in the Spy Shop Mystery series. If you like fast-paced crime novels, clever satire, and gritty beach towns, then you’ll love Lisa Haneberg’s humorous and contemporary cozy caper.

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Praise

“Lisa Haneberg has a wicked sense of humor. She can also write a fast-moving, totally original mystery.” — Alan Rinzler

Lisa Haneberg’s newest entry in the Spy Shop Mystery Series lives up to its predecessors. A good number of laughs, lots of intrigue, a bit of titillation, lots of interesting information, and lots of mystery make for a good read.” – Verified purchaser from Amazon

If you are looking for a wacky cast of characters and outlandish scenarios in a cozy series, then look no further than the Spy Shop series. While this is book three (and yes I broke my rule about not reading out of order) it can easily be read on its own but would probably be best to read in order since there are references to past adventures by Xena and the gang.

Xena is one tough PI and not someone I would want to wrangle with in a dark alley. She is smart, strong, and not afraid to be shot with a taser by senior citizens all in the name of experience for the seniors and for Xena to recover quickly should she ever find herself in that situation (tasered that is). This quote from the book sums up Xena to a T:

“You have the brains to keep trouble far away but the spirit that drives you into the middle of these perilous quagmires.”

I loved all of the character names – Rodent, Rascal, Q, Ant, Sparky….and so many more. Those names should give you an idea of the humor to expect along with a well thought out crime. I found myself smiling and laughing throughout the book wondering what could possibly happen next.

I also learned a lot about iguanas, parkour, and gigolos. I had to giggle at the cruise ship, Twisted Ambition, and the activities and amenities that it offered. It had to be quite an adventure for Dora, one of Xena’s cohorts, as she investigated a situation aboard. I will never look at a cruise ship the same again.

This is the book to pull out when you want to solve a mystery yet laugh at the same time at the outrageous situations on Galveston Island.

We give the book 5 paws up.

Lisa Haneberg loves to explore Galveston Island’s gritty back streets, stellar seafood joints, magnificent natural areas, and all points in between. In addition to the Spy Shop Mysteries, she’s a blogger and has authored over a dozen nonfiction books. She earned an MFA degree from Goddard College and a BS in Behavioral Sciences from the University of Maryland.

Before writing crime fiction, she was a seasoned human resources professional with a strange attraction to gnarly internal investigations. She lives with her husband and dog in Lexington, Kentucky. Lisa once owned a home on Galveston Island and is a frequent visitor.

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