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Lexi Graves Mysteries #1
Armed and Fabulous
All Lexi wants to do is get through the day at her boring temp job with Green Hand Insurance. That’s until she discovers the vice president, Martin Dean, in a pool of blood and herself at the center of an investigation into insurance fraud.
Millions of dollars are missing, the chief suspect is dead and her mysterious, sexy, new boss is not what he seems.
Recruited by the joint task force working on the case, all Lexi has to do is work out who killed Dean and where the missing millions are. That’s easier said than done when her sister insists upon the baby shower to end all baby showers, her wise-ass cop family just wants to keep her safe, someone keeps leaving her creepy gifts, and all the clues point to a seedy sex club on the wrong side of town.
As the bodies start to pile up, Lexi is on a race against time to find the killer and the money, before she’s the next one in the murderer’s sights.
Also in the series:
Armed and Fabulous
Who Glares Wins
Command Indecision
Shock and Awesome
Weapons of Mass Distraction
Laugh or Death
Kissing in Action
Trigger Snappy
A Few Good Women - - coming soon!
Millions of dollars are missing, the chief suspect is dead and her mysterious, sexy, new boss is not what he seems.
Recruited by the joint task force working on the case, all Lexi has to do is work out who killed Dean and where the missing millions are. That’s easier said than done when her sister insists upon the baby shower to end all baby showers, her wise-ass cop family just wants to keep her safe, someone keeps leaving her creepy gifts, and all the clues point to a seedy sex club on the wrong side of town.
As the bodies start to pile up, Lexi is on a race against time to find the killer and the money, before she’s the next one in the murderer’s sights.
Also in the series:
Armed and Fabulous
Who Glares Wins
Command Indecision
Shock and Awesome
Weapons of Mass Distraction
Laugh or Death
Kissing in Action
Trigger Snappy
A Few Good Women - - coming soon!
334 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
Camilla Chafer
45 books739 followersCamilla Chafer is a USA Today bestselling author. Her novels include the Lexi Graves Mysteries, the spinoff trilogy Deadlines Mysteries, the cozy Calendar Murder Mysteries, and supernatural/urban fantasy Stella Mayweather series.
She has also written and edited several non-fiction books, and written for newspapers, magazines, and websites globally.
Follow Camilla on Bookbub for new releases and special offers https://www.bookbub.com/authors/camil...
She has also written and edited several non-fiction books, and written for newspapers, magazines, and websites globally.
Follow Camilla on Bookbub for new releases and special offers https://www.bookbub.com/authors/camil...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 541 reviews
Shelved as 'd-n-f'
February 27, 2014This is just a mess. A ridiculous mess.
Lexi is a moron. She's supposed to be incredibly smart, but she keeps trying to get herself killed. She's supposed to not draw attention to herself, but proceeds to do just that. Over and over.
While she's trying to get herself killed, she's also supposed to be planning her older sister's baby shower. But her sister kinda hates her and Lexi feels the same. So why she was asked to plan the shower in the first place, I don't know. But the side plot of this baby shower is just silly. It doesn't further the story, it's just a distraction.
Then we get a love triangle, which makes no sense. Neither of the guys are fleshed out, all we know is that they're gorgeous. So Lexi is torn between two men whose only qualities are "being hot", which doesn't make her seem very smart. Especially when she literally knows nothing about one of them aside from his name. I wouldn't even be surprised if one of these guys turns out to be a villain because she hasn't done her due diligence in finding out just exactly who she's making out with. Not smart, Lexi. Not smart at all.
I will say that there are a few seriously funny moments. I would have DNF'd this earlier but then I'd catch a laugh and keep on. Unfortunately, I had enough of Lexi's blind stupidity and her repeatedly dragging her friend Lily into danger.
She's not very fabulous and she's not even armed, so screw this book.
Lexi is a moron. She's supposed to be incredibly smart, but she keeps trying to get herself killed. She's supposed to not draw attention to herself, but proceeds to do just that. Over and over.
While she's trying to get herself killed, she's also supposed to be planning her older sister's baby shower. But her sister kinda hates her and Lexi feels the same. So why she was asked to plan the shower in the first place, I don't know. But the side plot of this baby shower is just silly. It doesn't further the story, it's just a distraction.
Then we get a love triangle, which makes no sense. Neither of the guys are fleshed out, all we know is that they're gorgeous. So Lexi is torn between two men whose only qualities are "being hot", which doesn't make her seem very smart. Especially when she literally knows nothing about one of them aside from his name. I wouldn't even be surprised if one of these guys turns out to be a villain because she hasn't done her due diligence in finding out just exactly who she's making out with. Not smart, Lexi. Not smart at all.
I will say that there are a few seriously funny moments. I would have DNF'd this earlier but then I'd catch a laugh and keep on. Unfortunately, I had enough of Lexi's blind stupidity and her repeatedly dragging her friend Lily into danger.
She's not very fabulous and she's not even armed, so screw this book.
January 19, 2020
Right off I have to comment on the fact that this book reminded me of the characters from Janet Evanovich's series, Stephanie Plum.
Stephanie: big family, works for bail bonding company but does detective work, ends up dating Joe the cop, while also being attracted to the quiet, mysterious, unknown guy, Ranger (Spanish). No one knows who he really is, where he comes from...in the end (of whatever book it was) he asks Stephanie to come work for him at his detective agency. Who also drives fancy black cars.
Lexi: also has a big family, works at an insurance firm but is all about detective/cop shows, ends up dating Maddox the cop (at the end), while also being attracted to the mysterious, unknown guy, Solomon (who she describes as light skin black man or dark skin white man = Spanish man). Again at the end, Solomon asks Lexi to come work for him at his detective agency. Who also drives fancy black cars.
I feel like I repeated myself. Was it just me?
Anyways onto my questions/comment:
1. So we learn right off how smart Lexi is. She's always commenting about her blonde hair and making sure she's wearing the best outfits, she's a temp and seems to have been one for a while. She purposely wants people to think she's a ditz so she can get away with stuff. Honestly, I just don't get her at all.
At one point she makes the comment: "any good temp knows that you never admit to how fast you can complete a task; otherwise, you could end up unemployed...." That doesn't really make sense to me. How would doing more work get you fired? She said that she's made a career of being a temp yet wants to have a more permanent job at the agency. So why would she still be acting stupid?
2. So the boss, Dean, is killed. Why in the world would anyone think that Lexi had anything to do with it? Maddox is the undercover cop, yet he doesn't seem to be very good at his job. Instead of just running out of the building after the killers leave, why not call for back up and go after them?
3. While meeting the head guy in charge of the fraud case, Miller, he asks Lexi if he can call her 'Lexi'. Yet he already had done that, which while I was reading seemed strange since they had just met. She is then given a bunch of files of all the people she works with and is told to read and familiarize herself with them. Why exactly?
4. "How would I know if anyone is watching me?" Um, considering again how much Lexi would like to be a detective and watches the shows, you'd think she would already have some ideas.
5. Okay, so Lexi is at her parent's house with all the family around. She's sitting on the couch in between her father and brother, Jord. "Lily gazes at Jord in unbridled adoration. I kicked her skin." We know that there is a coffee table in front of the couch (where Jord had his legs stretch out under the coffee table) and I can't imagine Lily was sitting on the coffee table, so where was she sitting to where Lexi could kick her?
6. After finding Dean's corpse in his house, Lexi is worried that Maddox might think she was the one that brought the body is...Why?
7. Lexi fists all the writing utensils on Dean's desk and empties the container holding them upside down. She then is, "screaming in frustration at picking each one up", because she's wearing her mittens. When and why would she have put them down?
8. So the Flames club. If it was only open once a month, what took place inside? Lilly says that they didn't actually do anything sexual because that would have been illegal and she had no reason to be lying since she'd worked there before. So then I assume it's just a basic club, minus there are others present that are interested in the same sexual activities as yourself? We're told that Dean was a watcher, not a doer, so what was allowed? Gotta be more than just dancing and spanking.
9. Lexi says Dominic is a metro-sexual. Typically a guy who is more involved with what he wears and uses on himself, like hair/body products. Like a girl but one who is still interested in girls. Yet, the fact Dominic blows a kiss to Lexi as she's leaving... Very questionable.
10. After finding the thorn stems on the car, they get inside. But then wonder if maybe the killer is in the backseat of the car with them. Again, seriously? haha It's a mini coop. How much space could be in the back for someone to hide without neither front person noticing them? That was stupid.
11. Lexi's joke about a gun coming in a compact size too, like a tampon, was stupid. I didn't really get it. "Yeah, that'll make the bad guys run. They wouldn't need to run. They could roller-skate or windsurf with the SIG Tampon." Huh?
12. Lexi's sister, Serena. So we know she's pregnant. We also know that she's dumb. I mean she ends up calling for help thinking her water broke when it was a glass/bottle she dropped? How would you even mistake the two?
13. During the speed chase, Maddox tells Lexi that she's going to have to anticipate their every move. haha That's funny. How is she supposed to do that? "As soon as you see them start to turn..." Why would the bad guy be turning if they're following Lexi and basically on a straight road? Then when Solomon shows up on his motorcycle, drives up to the bad guy and shoots into the window? Huh? If you want to know who the bad guy is, shoot the tire out or something. Both guys seem to be all about protecting pretty Lexi, when they should be looking for the killer. They both end up letting important bad guy opportunities slip through their fingers all for Lexi's safety.
14. Considering this was never commented about, I'm not sure if it was the author's/editor's error or what. Spoken by Vincent: "Maddox will look a lot less appealing when he's unemployed." Notice the mistake there? How would Vincent know that Adam's last name is Maddox, not Shepard?
15. Again considering Lexi has watched cop shows, she's surprised by the safe house. No sense there.
16. I find it very cheesy that all of Vincent's 'caring signals' towards Lexi all ended up turning into crap. The roses had the heads cut off, the note on her computer, the chocolates.
17. So the arresting, case trial, and whatnot took place within 2 weeks? Seriously?
Minus several grammar/punctuation errors, the story was only okay in my opinion. I was never really pulled in and had a hard time finishing it up.
Stephanie: big family, works for bail bonding company but does detective work, ends up dating Joe the cop, while also being attracted to the quiet, mysterious, unknown guy, Ranger (Spanish). No one knows who he really is, where he comes from...in the end (of whatever book it was) he asks Stephanie to come work for him at his detective agency. Who also drives fancy black cars.
Lexi: also has a big family, works at an insurance firm but is all about detective/cop shows, ends up dating Maddox the cop (at the end), while also being attracted to the mysterious, unknown guy, Solomon (who she describes as light skin black man or dark skin white man = Spanish man). Again at the end, Solomon asks Lexi to come work for him at his detective agency. Who also drives fancy black cars.
I feel like I repeated myself. Was it just me?
Anyways onto my questions/comment:
1. So we learn right off how smart Lexi is. She's always commenting about her blonde hair and making sure she's wearing the best outfits, she's a temp and seems to have been one for a while. She purposely wants people to think she's a ditz so she can get away with stuff. Honestly, I just don't get her at all.
At one point she makes the comment: "any good temp knows that you never admit to how fast you can complete a task; otherwise, you could end up unemployed...." That doesn't really make sense to me. How would doing more work get you fired? She said that she's made a career of being a temp yet wants to have a more permanent job at the agency. So why would she still be acting stupid?
2. So the boss, Dean, is killed. Why in the world would anyone think that Lexi had anything to do with it? Maddox is the undercover cop, yet he doesn't seem to be very good at his job. Instead of just running out of the building after the killers leave, why not call for back up and go after them?
3. While meeting the head guy in charge of the fraud case, Miller, he asks Lexi if he can call her 'Lexi'. Yet he already had done that, which while I was reading seemed strange since they had just met. She is then given a bunch of files of all the people she works with and is told to read and familiarize herself with them. Why exactly?
4. "How would I know if anyone is watching me?" Um, considering again how much Lexi would like to be a detective and watches the shows, you'd think she would already have some ideas.
5. Okay, so Lexi is at her parent's house with all the family around. She's sitting on the couch in between her father and brother, Jord. "Lily gazes at Jord in unbridled adoration. I kicked her skin." We know that there is a coffee table in front of the couch (where Jord had his legs stretch out under the coffee table) and I can't imagine Lily was sitting on the coffee table, so where was she sitting to where Lexi could kick her?
6. After finding Dean's corpse in his house, Lexi is worried that Maddox might think she was the one that brought the body is...Why?
7. Lexi fists all the writing utensils on Dean's desk and empties the container holding them upside down. She then is, "screaming in frustration at picking each one up", because she's wearing her mittens. When and why would she have put them down?
8. So the Flames club. If it was only open once a month, what took place inside? Lilly says that they didn't actually do anything sexual because that would have been illegal and she had no reason to be lying since she'd worked there before. So then I assume it's just a basic club, minus there are others present that are interested in the same sexual activities as yourself? We're told that Dean was a watcher, not a doer, so what was allowed? Gotta be more than just dancing and spanking.
9. Lexi says Dominic is a metro-sexual. Typically a guy who is more involved with what he wears and uses on himself, like hair/body products. Like a girl but one who is still interested in girls. Yet, the fact Dominic blows a kiss to Lexi as she's leaving... Very questionable.
10. After finding the thorn stems on the car, they get inside. But then wonder if maybe the killer is in the backseat of the car with them. Again, seriously? haha It's a mini coop. How much space could be in the back for someone to hide without neither front person noticing them? That was stupid.
11. Lexi's joke about a gun coming in a compact size too, like a tampon, was stupid. I didn't really get it. "Yeah, that'll make the bad guys run. They wouldn't need to run. They could roller-skate or windsurf with the SIG Tampon." Huh?
12. Lexi's sister, Serena. So we know she's pregnant. We also know that she's dumb. I mean she ends up calling for help thinking her water broke when it was a glass/bottle she dropped? How would you even mistake the two?
13. During the speed chase, Maddox tells Lexi that she's going to have to anticipate their every move. haha That's funny. How is she supposed to do that? "As soon as you see them start to turn..." Why would the bad guy be turning if they're following Lexi and basically on a straight road? Then when Solomon shows up on his motorcycle, drives up to the bad guy and shoots into the window? Huh? If you want to know who the bad guy is, shoot the tire out or something. Both guys seem to be all about protecting pretty Lexi, when they should be looking for the killer. They both end up letting important bad guy opportunities slip through their fingers all for Lexi's safety.
14. Considering this was never commented about, I'm not sure if it was the author's/editor's error or what. Spoken by Vincent: "Maddox will look a lot less appealing when he's unemployed." Notice the mistake there? How would Vincent know that Adam's last name is Maddox, not Shepard?
15. Again considering Lexi has watched cop shows, she's surprised by the safe house. No sense there.
16. I find it very cheesy that all of Vincent's 'caring signals' towards Lexi all ended up turning into crap. The roses had the heads cut off, the note on her computer, the chocolates.
17. So the arresting, case trial, and whatnot took place within 2 weeks? Seriously?
Minus several grammar/punctuation errors, the story was only okay in my opinion. I was never really pulled in and had a hard time finishing it up.
April 8, 2013
Simply the easiest FIVE stars I have given in a while. Everyone should read this. The standard of writing/editing surpasses many of my recent reads and I was fully thrown in to Lexi's character, the plot and the two hunky men she can barely choose between.
Lexi is sassy, smart and unique. She chooses a boring temping job over a career she could easily have with her brains, wits, looks and ambitions. Still, her life is plunged in to darkness and danger and crime when she discovers her boss's dead body and ends up helping the FBI and local PD uncover a deep fraud and murder case.
This book reminded me of Legally Blonde in many ways, only much, much better with deeper plotlines. She is, on the surface, the stereotypical blonde (not my personal view, of course), she acts dumb when it suits her and definitely has a lot of FUN! Only, things begin to get very real when her life is on the line and two men, Adam Maddox and the dark, mysterious Solomon, are working to keep her alive. Lexi is by no means incapable of taking care of herself, however. Its nice to read this kind of book.
I love both Maddox and Solomon equally and would hate to be the one to choose between them. They are both sexy, both strong. Maddox is by far the 'gentleman' and more caring while Solomon is like a deep chocolaty secret you have to unravel! Man, this book still has my head in a whirl!
This is a fantastic book. one I will read many many times. I read this book in less than 6 hours and I think the rest in the series will be exactly the same! Can't wait.
Lexi is sassy, smart and unique. She chooses a boring temping job over a career she could easily have with her brains, wits, looks and ambitions. Still, her life is plunged in to darkness and danger and crime when she discovers her boss's dead body and ends up helping the FBI and local PD uncover a deep fraud and murder case.
This book reminded me of Legally Blonde in many ways, only much, much better with deeper plotlines. She is, on the surface, the stereotypical blonde (not my personal view, of course), she acts dumb when it suits her and definitely has a lot of FUN! Only, things begin to get very real when her life is on the line and two men, Adam Maddox and the dark, mysterious Solomon, are working to keep her alive. Lexi is by no means incapable of taking care of herself, however. Its nice to read this kind of book.
I love both Maddox and Solomon equally and would hate to be the one to choose between them. They are both sexy, both strong. Maddox is by far the 'gentleman' and more caring while Solomon is like a deep chocolaty secret you have to unravel! Man, this book still has my head in a whirl!
This is a fantastic book. one I will read many many times. I read this book in less than 6 hours and I think the rest in the series will be exactly the same! Can't wait.
September 3, 2017
Witty, dangerous and add a little romance and the title matches the storyline. The story reads almost like a Jessica Fletcher story whereas the police can't figure out the simplest things but the heroine, Lexi Graves, can. She comes from a family of cops but doesn't wish to be one. She's working as a temp in an insurance company when a murder lands in her lap.
Easy read....no frills and minimum excitement.
Easy read....no frills and minimum excitement.
February 14, 2022
The title and cover picture are a little misleading, because this mystery adventure offers descriptions of appearance and fashion only to the extent that it has sharp focus on visual detail in general. It was certainly hard for me to put down, and I regretted not having enough free time to read it at one go.
Told in first person, the story kept my interest going even in sections that shifted into narrator Lexi's notable family dynamic. She admits fairly readily that she's an "accident," that is, a later-in-life surprise to her parents. Her father is now retired from the city police force, and her three much older brothers have all followed in her father's footsteps. Her pregnant older sister Serena, who bosses her around and now has her putting on a sumptuous baby shower, is married to a guy who doesn't fit in too well with the family, and her mother is quite keen on Lexi's prospects for giving her even more grandchildren.
Lexi loves her family and puts energy into maintaining good relations with them, but she's definitely her own person. She comes across through her narrative as very bright and aware of it, though reasonably self-critical. After doing very well in college, she has been hesitating to commit to a career and has just been working off and on in boring temp jobs. She lives by herself in an apartment building where her downstairs neighbor Lily has become her best friend, and I thought they had a delightful dynamic together.
Lily is quite ready to go on escapades with Lexi, and it turns out that she has a part-time job that is suspiciously convenient to the story line. Yes, Lily works the door at that "seedy sex club on the wrong side of town" in the publisher's blurb, repeated at the head of this Goodreads page. The blurb gives a good set-up for the plot; I'll add that the joint task force working on the insurance fraud case is a surprisingly efficient collaboration between the city police department and the FBI, and the two men Lexi works with closely (one from the city, one an FBI consultant) create, you guessed it, a Romantic Triangle in the making.
Lexi is quite honest and open with the reader about her attraction to both men, and her relations with them feel much closer to the way such things work in real life than you usually find in romance novels, so I wasn't as bothered about the triangle "trope" as I would normally be. The plot, which gets quite complex before it's over, fits the requirements of a classical mystery--although Lexi is often surprised, the reader has a chance to see clues she misses. Despite all the police characters in the mix (her brothers step in when she's in danger), I wouldn't call this a police procedural--we're definitely limited to Lexi's point of view, and she's too independent to follow instructions all the time.
From this review you'd expect my rating to be four stars, but I have to reduce it in light of three little pieces of the story near the end that need to be corrected to eliminate false impressions--a few extra sentences would do the job. The editor in me simply supplied them and enjoyed the ride. Hopefully you will too.
Told in first person, the story kept my interest going even in sections that shifted into narrator Lexi's notable family dynamic. She admits fairly readily that she's an "accident," that is, a later-in-life surprise to her parents. Her father is now retired from the city police force, and her three much older brothers have all followed in her father's footsteps. Her pregnant older sister Serena, who bosses her around and now has her putting on a sumptuous baby shower, is married to a guy who doesn't fit in too well with the family, and her mother is quite keen on Lexi's prospects for giving her even more grandchildren.
Lexi loves her family and puts energy into maintaining good relations with them, but she's definitely her own person. She comes across through her narrative as very bright and aware of it, though reasonably self-critical. After doing very well in college, she has been hesitating to commit to a career and has just been working off and on in boring temp jobs. She lives by herself in an apartment building where her downstairs neighbor Lily has become her best friend, and I thought they had a delightful dynamic together.
Lily is quite ready to go on escapades with Lexi, and it turns out that she has a part-time job that is suspiciously convenient to the story line. Yes, Lily works the door at that "seedy sex club on the wrong side of town" in the publisher's blurb, repeated at the head of this Goodreads page. The blurb gives a good set-up for the plot; I'll add that the joint task force working on the insurance fraud case is a surprisingly efficient collaboration between the city police department and the FBI, and the two men Lexi works with closely (one from the city, one an FBI consultant) create, you guessed it, a Romantic Triangle in the making.
Lexi is quite honest and open with the reader about her attraction to both men, and her relations with them feel much closer to the way such things work in real life than you usually find in romance novels, so I wasn't as bothered about the triangle "trope" as I would normally be. The plot, which gets quite complex before it's over, fits the requirements of a classical mystery--although Lexi is often surprised, the reader has a chance to see clues she misses. Despite all the police characters in the mix (her brothers step in when she's in danger), I wouldn't call this a police procedural--we're definitely limited to Lexi's point of view, and she's too independent to follow instructions all the time.
From this review you'd expect my rating to be four stars, but I have to reduce it in light of three little pieces of the story near the end that need to be corrected to eliminate false impressions--a few extra sentences would do the job. The editor in me simply supplied them and enjoyed the ride. Hopefully you will too.
December 28, 2019
This was a fun read. A little bit of a knock of the Stephanie Plum love triangle with an imitation Ranger and Morelli. Lexie didn't remind me of Stephani, though, which was good. She actually seemed a little more dumb.
One think I did like is that Lexie had a healthy sexual drive and didn't have a problem grabbing what she wanted. It was refreshing not to have to listen to the mental ramblings of self shaming.
I'm going to read the next book and see where it goes.
One think I did like is that Lexie had a healthy sexual drive and didn't have a problem grabbing what she wanted. It was refreshing not to have to listen to the mental ramblings of self shaming.
I'm going to read the next book and see where it goes.
September 7, 2014
This was so unrealistic and irritating to read. The main character felt the need to mention her blonde hair, her body, and her intelligence on almost every page. The "romance" had no substance.
April 21, 2014
This book was a Disappointment
Having read the High Heels series I was interested in checking some more chick-flick spy books and I came across this. The cover is good enough and the description caught my attention. As I have been reading quite a few paranormal and fantasy novels, I thought of reading something light and regarding chick-flick. So I thought of reading this. And it was a waste of time.
I had already suspected who the killer was by the 5th chapter and before half of the book got completed I already knew who the main culprit in the office was and kind of pieced together everything.
But I still kept on reading hoping that it would prove me wrong and take me by surprise. Unfortunately that didn't happen. By the time (what's her name?) uhm, oh right Lexi, so by the time Lexi and the detectives put all the things together I was so bored, because well I already had most of it figured out.
By the end of it I was like:
Lexi was really not a kick-ass heroine.For someone who analysis so much about Then there are Maddox and Soloman who had no appeal to them. Both just seem to want kiss Lexi and grope her. Which they both do. She kisses Maddox then kisses Soloman. Then gives them wrong signals and flirts with both the boys. And she has no problem that Maddox fully undressed her and changed her into new clothes after he drugged her. And she didn't even know him properly yet.
And when he tells her he undressed her and may have sneaked a peek of her, what does she do? Nothing. As if it's such a normal thing to get undressed by a guy you barely know. Instead she is mad he drugged her. I am like Lexi ARE YOU DUMB?!? That guy UNDRESSED you and you are mad about being drugged and don't even bother about the undress thing.
Then there is Soloman who I didn't really like either. Lily I liked better than Lexi.
Having read better series like High heels series, this one was okay. In all it had some few good moments because of which I even bothered to complete the book. But I won't bother reading any other book in this series.
Having read the High Heels series I was interested in checking some more chick-flick spy books and I came across this. The cover is good enough and the description caught my attention. As I have been reading quite a few paranormal and fantasy novels, I thought of reading something light and regarding chick-flick. So I thought of reading this. And it was a waste of time.
I had already suspected who the killer was by the 5th chapter and before half of the book got completed I already knew who the main culprit in the office was and kind of pieced together everything.
But I still kept on reading hoping that it would prove me wrong and take me by surprise. Unfortunately that didn't happen. By the time (what's her name?) uhm, oh right Lexi, so by the time Lexi and the detectives put all the things together I was so bored, because well I already had most of it figured out.
By the end of it I was like:
Lexi was really not a kick-ass heroine.For someone who analysis so much about Then there are Maddox and Soloman who had no appeal to them. Both just seem to want kiss Lexi and grope her. Which they both do. She kisses Maddox then kisses Soloman. Then gives them wrong signals and flirts with both the boys. And she has no problem that Maddox fully undressed her and changed her into new clothes after he drugged her. And she didn't even know him properly yet.
And when he tells her he undressed her and may have sneaked a peek of her, what does she do? Nothing. As if it's such a normal thing to get undressed by a guy you barely know. Instead she is mad he drugged her. I am like Lexi ARE YOU DUMB?!? That guy UNDRESSED you and you are mad about being drugged and don't even bother about the undress thing.
Then there is Soloman who I didn't really like either. Lily I liked better than Lexi.
Having read better series like High heels series, this one was okay. In all it had some few good moments because of which I even bothered to complete the book. But I won't bother reading any other book in this series.
February 7, 2013
This was a fun read.
I loved Lexi and Lily. And Lexi's (protective) brothers. And Maddox. I couldn't find anything to love about Solomon because you don't know anything about him (yet).
The only thing that annoyed me was the telling-not-showing at the end which was kind of epilogue-ish and bothered me because this is a series.
The thing that bothered me is kind of connected with the love triangle. I think the love triangle was kind of fun while Lexi only flirted with the boys. But I don't know if I'll enjoy it when the L-word comes into the game. We'll see about that.
To be honest, I didn't care that much for the mystery. I liked the action and suspense that the mystery threw in but that was it. After a while it was easy to figure the whodunit out and instead of giving the story a kick I have to admit the whole mystery aspect of the book made it drag a bit towards the end.
All in all I really enjoyed Armed and Fabulous. It was entertaining and the main character Lexi made the book so much fun to read. I'll definitely read the sequels and hope that the love triangle will be resolved quickly because I don't think I'll be able to tolerate it for too long. Also, please more showing and less telling in the sequels, Mrs. Chafer!
I loved Lexi and Lily. And Lexi's (protective) brothers. And Maddox. I couldn't find anything to love about Solomon because you don't know anything about him (yet).
The only thing that annoyed me was the telling-not-showing at the end which was kind of epilogue-ish and bothered me because this is a series.
The thing that bothered me is kind of connected with the love triangle. I think the love triangle was kind of fun while Lexi only flirted with the boys. But I don't know if I'll enjoy it when the L-word comes into the game. We'll see about that.
To be honest, I didn't care that much for the mystery. I liked the action and suspense that the mystery threw in but that was it. After a while it was easy to figure the whodunit out and instead of giving the story a kick I have to admit the whole mystery aspect of the book made it drag a bit towards the end.
All in all I really enjoyed Armed and Fabulous. It was entertaining and the main character Lexi made the book so much fun to read. I'll definitely read the sequels and hope that the love triangle will be resolved quickly because I don't think I'll be able to tolerate it for too long. Also, please more showing and less telling in the sequels, Mrs. Chafer!
September 25, 2014
4 Easy Stars...Cute, light, and funny...but not boring. I'll probably read the series, because I'm already team Solomon and like my chances;) Excellent side characters and good continuing story line potential have me looking forward to book 2.
March 17, 2018
There was too much absurdity in the storyline for me to really enjoy this. So much didn’t make any sense and had me rolling my eyes at the ridiculousness of it all.
December 21, 2019
Lexi Graves is billed as being a smart woman who happens to be doing a temp job because she isn’t sure what she wants to do. She comes from a cop family but has no interest in playing that role. In this first installment she finds herself with more on her hands at the Green Hand insurance company.
I wished it like this more but it had elements that I can’t abide. Love triangles, improbable plot are a big no-no. And this has most of the romance tropes in spades. The premise of a young blonde woman with brains sounded great, but the reality is there is more exposition than showing proof to back that statement. It is predictable so far and you can easily solve the mystery. That being said I’m intrigued to know more about Solomon.
Though this was not my type of book, if you like romantic suspense then this might be for you.
I wished it like this more but it had elements that I can’t abide. Love triangles, improbable plot are a big no-no. And this has most of the romance tropes in spades. The premise of a young blonde woman with brains sounded great, but the reality is there is more exposition than showing proof to back that statement. It is predictable so far and you can easily solve the mystery. That being said I’m intrigued to know more about Solomon.
Though this was not my type of book, if you like romantic suspense then this might be for you.
February 24, 2020
I loved this book. With all that testosterone, who wouldn't love it? I kept wavering back & forth throughout the whole book on which guy I liked more. Maddox is sweet and oh so hot but Solomon is that super hot bad boy type. This kinda reminded me of the Stephanie Plum series except this girl isn't ditsy at all. She is actually smart and doesn't just stumble over the answers. Don't get me wrong.. I love that series also. I will definitely be reading more of this series.
May 29, 2023
2.5-3 stars
A. I hate love triangles, they’re pointless
B. Lexi is dumb
C. Lexi had the key to everything and she hid it from the people who could help
D. Lexi is an idiot
E. Ughhh
A. I hate love triangles, they’re pointless
B. Lexi is dumb
C. Lexi had the key to everything and she hid it from the people who could help
D. Lexi is an idiot
E. Ughhh
September 19, 2012
First things first - I've heard tons of negative comments about this series. Why? Simply because some people feel that it is TOO much like the Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich. Since I am one that has read the ENTIRE series so far, I can say with certainty that Chafer has written very original characters with their own fascinating stories & plot lines. While I can see why there may be some comparison - it pretty much ends with her being conflicted a guy. Seriously though; name one time where you haven't been conflicted when it comes to a male. Yea.. I'll wait . (:
Lexi - I freaking love her. She reminds me of me sometimes.. Well; really just her smart-ass attitude, but still! She is smart, sassy, head strong and is completely aware of her flaws - yet she uses them to her advantage instead of letting them get the better of her. Yea. Smart Cookie. She works as a tempt at an Insurance Company. Why? Who knows - she comes from a family FULL of cops.. maybe she wanted to be different! Anyways - she's working late one night in the basement library and on her way to drop some papers off on one of her bosses desk - she finds him dead on the floor . Thinking that the killer may still be in the building, she hides in the closer. To her surprise, she isn't alone.
Enter Adam - Lexis direct boss. (Who, might I add - has a SERIOUS Swoon Factor going on!) He's not exactly the person he's been letting everyone believe he is. You know, typical, boring Insurance Company Boss Man. Nope. Not this guy . Try bad ass undercover cop trying to catch a fraud ring - and now - his lead suspect is dead. He's having an AMAZING day. As if that wasn't complicated enough, Lexi is now a key witness and it seems that someone wants her dead. The kicker? He's got his hands full with Lexi since she has this uncanny ability to find dead bodies.
Then you have Solomon (working the Serious Swoon Factor himself!) - who is working the case with Adam, and now - Lexi. You also have Lily, Lexi's best friend - who by all accounts is NOT being left out of the fun! With the four of them going at this, the book is filled with page turning hilarity . Watching as they tried to uncover this ring and who was after Lexi proved amusing - especially since Lexi and Lily decided 1 too many times to play detectives without the big boys.
Then you have Lexi's family. Especially her brothers! They really know what it means to protect their sisters honor!
"Isn't it safer if I go with you?"
"No. I don't want you seen. Plus your family is ready to lynch me."
"Seriously?"
"I told Garett you were in my custody until this was all over, and he promised to do scary things to my nuts."
SEE! They are an epic kind of awesome!
The chemistry in this book is amazing. The story line flowed effortlessly. I LOVE me a good love triangle & it seems that this serious is shaping up to be just that! Seriously; it makes for some awesome story lines! In my opinion, Camilla Chafer has a hit on her hands. I can't wait to read book 2 - Who Glares Wins - which I purchased earlier today! So be looking for that review!
Lexi - I freaking love her. She reminds me of me sometimes.. Well; really just her smart-ass attitude, but still! She is smart, sassy, head strong and is completely aware of her flaws - yet she uses them to her advantage instead of letting them get the better of her. Yea. Smart Cookie. She works as a tempt at an Insurance Company. Why? Who knows - she comes from a family FULL of cops.. maybe she wanted to be different! Anyways - she's working late one night in the basement library and on her way to drop some papers off on one of her bosses desk - she finds him dead on the floor . Thinking that the killer may still be in the building, she hides in the closer. To her surprise, she isn't alone.
Enter Adam - Lexis direct boss. (Who, might I add - has a SERIOUS Swoon Factor going on!) He's not exactly the person he's been letting everyone believe he is. You know, typical, boring Insurance Company Boss Man. Nope. Not this guy . Try bad ass undercover cop trying to catch a fraud ring - and now - his lead suspect is dead. He's having an AMAZING day. As if that wasn't complicated enough, Lexi is now a key witness and it seems that someone wants her dead. The kicker? He's got his hands full with Lexi since she has this uncanny ability to find dead bodies.
Then you have Solomon (working the Serious Swoon Factor himself!) - who is working the case with Adam, and now - Lexi. You also have Lily, Lexi's best friend - who by all accounts is NOT being left out of the fun! With the four of them going at this, the book is filled with page turning hilarity . Watching as they tried to uncover this ring and who was after Lexi proved amusing - especially since Lexi and Lily decided 1 too many times to play detectives without the big boys.
Then you have Lexi's family. Especially her brothers! They really know what it means to protect their sisters honor!
"Isn't it safer if I go with you?"
"No. I don't want you seen. Plus your family is ready to lynch me."
"Seriously?"
"I told Garett you were in my custody until this was all over, and he promised to do scary things to my nuts."
SEE! They are an epic kind of awesome!
The chemistry in this book is amazing. The story line flowed effortlessly. I LOVE me a good love triangle & it seems that this serious is shaping up to be just that! Seriously; it makes for some awesome story lines! In my opinion, Camilla Chafer has a hit on her hands. I can't wait to read book 2 - Who Glares Wins - which I purchased earlier today! So be looking for that review!
February 25, 2015
2.5 Stars
August 14, 2023
This story kept my interest…
August 3, 2017
Camilla Chafer followed the checklist for copying Stephanie Plum novels:
-- Quirky, pretty heroine with dead-end job and no relationship - CHECK
-- Funny sidekick with cool car willing to do crazy adventures - CHECK
-- Goofy family for heroine that is WAY too much in her life - CHECK
-- Sexy cop love-interest that she thinks she really might love - CHECK
-- Mysterious, brooding, PI-sexual interest to hire her - CHECK
-- Silly storyline, with a mystery that some should have solved in 15 minutes CHECK
Luckily, I love the Stephanie Plum novels, so I enjoyed reading this. In addition, I like Lily way better than Lula. On the other hand, I expect Stephanie to do stupid things, and for everything to blow up. Evanovich's stories are so off-the-way, I am willing to suspend disbelief. In my opinion, this one starts trying to be more serious, almost like it was a real mystery novel (more like Grafton or Patterson). My recommendation is to go in from the start expecting it to be unrealistic in parts.
Overall, I thought it was fun, and I will likely read more. But it isn't quite up to the level of SP mysteries.
-- Quirky, pretty heroine with dead-end job and no relationship - CHECK
-- Funny sidekick with cool car willing to do crazy adventures - CHECK
-- Goofy family for heroine that is WAY too much in her life - CHECK
-- Sexy cop love-interest that she thinks she really might love - CHECK
-- Mysterious, brooding, PI-sexual interest to hire her - CHECK
-- Silly storyline, with a mystery that some should have solved in 15 minutes CHECK
Luckily, I love the Stephanie Plum novels, so I enjoyed reading this. In addition, I like Lily way better than Lula. On the other hand, I expect Stephanie to do stupid things, and for everything to blow up. Evanovich's stories are so off-the-way, I am willing to suspend disbelief. In my opinion, this one starts trying to be more serious, almost like it was a real mystery novel (more like Grafton or Patterson). My recommendation is to go in from the start expecting it to be unrealistic in parts.
Overall, I thought it was fun, and I will likely read more. But it isn't quite up to the level of SP mysteries.
March 31, 2022
Maybe a a little silly at times Lexi sure does get herself into trouble a lot, but I think it’s a well written mystery with great characters. The friendship between Lily and lexi is well written and believable. I can’t wait to read the next one and find out more about Solomon and Maddox (Lexi’s love interests).
September 21, 2020
Not you normal detective story
Lexi is an office temp. But she find herself tripping over the boss's dead body. Then she hides in a closet with her supervisor.
Lexi comes from a family of cops, but with a crazy killer on the lose and two hot investigators and her best friend to help her, Lexi figures it out.
Funny, zany and realistic. I cant wait to start the next one.
Lexi is an office temp. But she find herself tripping over the boss's dead body. Then she hides in a closet with her supervisor.
Lexi comes from a family of cops, but with a crazy killer on the lose and two hot investigators and her best friend to help her, Lexi figures it out.
Funny, zany and realistic. I cant wait to start the next one.
April 13, 2017
Good beach book
It was a good read with witty banter throughout. The ending was a bit predictable though. I would read the second book in the series.
It was a good read with witty banter throughout. The ending was a bit predictable though. I would read the second book in the series.
June 26, 2023
Fun and entertaining. This is a Janet Evanowich knock off. Great entertainment.
March 28, 2024
I really enjoyed following temp worker Lexi as she transversed the spy world of corporate espionage. She was quite a different heroine and I enjoyed her unusual way to approach her job and then finding the killer. She was a really good amateur detective and I look forward to seeing how the author expands this world.
September 13, 2015
Coming from a family of cops, you would have thought that possibly Lexi Graves would have gone into the law field as her brothers are policemen, her dad now a retired cop and her sister is a lawyer and ready to make partner. Whereas Lexi is happily working away as a temp in an office where she can play "dumb" and not have to think too much. Her latest job is working as a temp at Green Hand Insurance agency, typing up reports for the VP Martin Dean and trying to avoid the eyes of her boss Adam who BTW is a hunk. One night , she heads in to drop the report when she discovers Martin is dead and next thing she knows she is being pulled into the closet with a hand over her mouth. Turns out that some dodgy dealings have been happening at Green Hand Insurance and that Adam is in fact an Undercover agent and Lexi has now stumbled into a murder mystery. Think Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum and her sidekick Lulu and you have Camilla Chafer's Lexi Graves and her roomie Lily as they try and solve the murder themselves. Instead of Ranger and Joe Morelli , you have Adam and Solomon - Adam is like the Joe Morelli and Solomon is like Ranger and of course , they both want a bit of Lexi and there is chemistry between Lexi and both guys. Can Lexi help the police force to find the killer before she is next as some strange and odd gifts have been piling up on her doorstep and car windscreen.
If you love romantic comedies and humourous spy stories like Stephanie Plum and Charley Davidson , then you will love Camilla Chafer's character Lexi Graves.
To finish off, one of my favourite book quotes:
Cagney and Lacey serious ?
Deadly serious
Castle and Beckett serious ?
Castle and Beckett serious
Why do I have to be Castle. I want Beckett
Hey. Castle is Sexy and I'm Beckett.
Rizzoli and Isles ?
They are two kick ass women who solve crime and don't need a man.
If you love romantic comedies and humourous spy stories like Stephanie Plum and Charley Davidson , then you will love Camilla Chafer's character Lexi Graves.
To finish off, one of my favourite book quotes:
Cagney and Lacey serious ?
Deadly serious
Castle and Beckett serious ?
Castle and Beckett serious
Why do I have to be Castle. I want Beckett
Hey. Castle is Sexy and I'm Beckett.
Rizzoli and Isles ?
They are two kick ass women who solve crime and don't need a man.
May 2, 2018
I didn't know anything about this author but the blurb sounded like it could be pretty interesting and fun and so I was really pleasantly surprised with this one as I really liked it.
Lexi is a temp and finds her job really boring, that is until she finds the vice president of the business dead and that her new sexy boss isn't really with the insurance company but an undercover policeman. She gets recruited by the joint task force because she can sort of ask questions around her job and not make people so nervous, but bodies start piling up and Lexi finds it's a bit more scary than she thought it would be.
I really like Lexi and she is a pretty touch lady and I would suspect she would have to be with a family of cops. Adam sounds very sexy and I think that him and Lexi make a good couple. Though Solomon sounded equally as sexy and for a while I thought a love triangle was going to happen and it would be hard to choose...lol.
Though I had the bad guy pegged it took most of the book before I figured it out so I thought it was a pretty good mystery. I must say that it was a bit more sexy than normal cozies and I didn't mind that but I know some who might. I thought this was real close to being a romantic suspense without the hard core sexy time...lol. ;) I can't wait to check out the next one and see what trouble Lexi might get in her new role as she isn't a temp any more.
Lexi is a temp and finds her job really boring, that is until she finds the vice president of the business dead and that her new sexy boss isn't really with the insurance company but an undercover policeman. She gets recruited by the joint task force because she can sort of ask questions around her job and not make people so nervous, but bodies start piling up and Lexi finds it's a bit more scary than she thought it would be.
I really like Lexi and she is a pretty touch lady and I would suspect she would have to be with a family of cops. Adam sounds very sexy and I think that him and Lexi make a good couple. Though Solomon sounded equally as sexy and for a while I thought a love triangle was going to happen and it would be hard to choose...lol.
Though I had the bad guy pegged it took most of the book before I figured it out so I thought it was a pretty good mystery. I must say that it was a bit more sexy than normal cozies and I didn't mind that but I know some who might. I thought this was real close to being a romantic suspense without the hard core sexy time...lol. ;) I can't wait to check out the next one and see what trouble Lexi might get in her new role as she isn't a temp any more.
July 27, 2014
I got this ebook as a recommendation based on other ebooks I've enjoyed, and at first I was somewhat annoyed; in the beginning of the book, Lexi seems to be a vacuous and stereotypically dumb blonde, and I came close to dropping it. Lexi spends more time being a dumb blonde than an investigator, and the dialogue is quite painful at times. As I read on, however, I found the plot development interesting, enough to hang on until the end. While the antagonist became the prime suspect in my mind quite early, there are several clever twists and turns that cast doubts and made the read enjoyable. Character development in the first novel of a series can sometimes make book one seem tedious; I suspect the other books in this series, now that the Maddox/Solomon thing is more or less resolved (or is it?), will have less character development and more plot. I am certainly encouraged by the ending of "Armed and Fabulous," enough that I plan to read the second book in the series. I might have rated it three stars, just for the blonde annoyance factor, but the denouement pushed it towards a four in the end. (Reposted from Amazon)
April 11, 2017
Working as a temp at an insurance company, the only things Lexi expects from her job are boredom and miserable paychecks. She certainly doesn't expect to stumble across the company's vice president's freshly murdered body and right into an insurance fraud investigation. Turns out her sexy and majorly irritating boss is really an undercover cop who's been investigating the company for some time, and now that she's aware of both the murder and the investigation, he brings Lexi in to help, sending her to snoop among her colleagues for clues. Unsurprisingly enough, she soon ends up in a killer's crosshairs herself.
Cozy mysteries tend to be very much hit or miss for me. This one was a miss. The supposedly oh-so-smart and capable protagonist spends most of the book telling us about how very clever and pretty she is, swooning over the two cops she's supposed to be assisting whose main quality seems to be hotness, and traipsing blindly into danger, pulling her equally non-smart best friend Lily along for the ride. The killer was obvious long before any of these supersmart characters had the slightest clue.
Cozy mysteries tend to be very much hit or miss for me. This one was a miss. The supposedly oh-so-smart and capable protagonist spends most of the book telling us about how very clever and pretty she is, swooning over the two cops she's supposed to be assisting whose main quality seems to be hotness, and traipsing blindly into danger, pulling her equally non-smart best friend Lily along for the ride. The killer was obvious long before any of these supersmart characters had the slightest clue.
April 8, 2013
This story got off to a shaky start for me. I caught a storyline inconsistency early on and because I am OCD it really bothered me.
I had to put the book down for several days before picking it back up. Once I got past that issue I ran into some problems with the silliness of the main characters actions .She would repeatedly go off on her own and “ investigate” which I didn’t care for. However…Once I started to get a feel for the character .I started to find her actions endearing. Go figure..
I loved the secondary characters , they were very well written and fleshed out. The final third of the book really flowed well for me . All in all this is a good little book if you give it a chance. I will definitely be reading the next in this series.
I had to put the book down for several days before picking it back up. Once I got past that issue I ran into some problems with the silliness of the main characters actions .She would repeatedly go off on her own and “ investigate” which I didn’t care for. However…Once I started to get a feel for the character .I started to find her actions endearing. Go figure..
I loved the secondary characters , they were very well written and fleshed out. The final third of the book really flowed well for me . All in all this is a good little book if you give it a chance. I will definitely be reading the next in this series.
March 16, 2015
Wow! A free ebook that was well worth the time to read and left me feeling guilty that I needed to send the author something. I did ... ordered the next book in the series! Lexi Graves appears to like being an oxymoron -- a smart blonde. Working as a temp she does just enough work to get by and get paid, but she pays attention and knows more than she lets on. I enjoyed this introduction into a mystery series and was surprised at how well-written and easy to read it was. Wish all my kindle freebies felt this way. There is a little bit of romance, there is madcap fun with her friend, there is a mystery -- although my one gripe was that was a bit too easy to figure out. But definitely worth giving this author and this series a shot. Recommend.
April 7, 2016
This was an easy, lighthearted read and I liked it. I thought the main character took some silly risks but they kept the plot moving along even though it was frustrating for the reader. For instance, would a single female really keep leaving the front door open when she knew someone wanted to kill her? I think she picked the wrong love interest and there wasn't enough about him to make it a clear cut choice for me. It's a series so perhaps I'll find her changing allegiance, who knows. It shows I'd invested in the story to have an opinion over it so that's probably a good thing. As a first in series it went a long way to setting up the characters and putting Lexi in the right place to continue with a whole raft of mysteries.
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