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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Apr 9, 2021  
Cozy mystery fans, sneak a peek at STIFF LIZARD by Lisa Haneberg on my blog. (How amazing is that book cover!?!)

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2021/04/book-blitz-stiff-lizard-spy-shop.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
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.
     
Well I became aware of this book after a mutual follow via Twitter and I thought I'd give it a go when the author described it as romantic suspense.

I'm not sure I'd class as that, though, now I've finished it. It's more contemporary romance with a bad guy in it, but I guess the ending itself was kinda suspenseful slash intrigue-mystery since it left you wondering what's going to happen next.

The beginning (prologue) left me a little confused as I was unable to figure out what it had to do with the rest of the story but since I'm aware the book is in two parts I'm assuming it will all make sense after reading that one.

The characters, for me, were okay. Craig has to be my favourite. Think it was the bum wiggle in the fire-station as he was making a meal that caused that to happen. And then he was just a nice guy all the way through. As for Emma, she did my head in a little concerning the vision. She just seemed a little blind to the good thing she had going on with Craig and I felt like slapping a little sense into her. But it all worked out in the end-ish.

For a first story, it's pretty good but I found it a little stilted in places and the transitions between chapters were a little strange. I felt the previous chapters never had proper endings, they just seemed to stop. And apart from a few minor wording/punctuation errors its good.