Story for the Week
We started watching America’s Got Talent in season 9. I was flipping through the online TV guide looking for something to watch since it was summer and everything was in reruns. AGT grabbed my attention. It quickly became a family favorite, especially when magician Mat Franco won that season.
Fast forward a couple of years when Corinne was in middle school and became completely enthralled by performing in theater. The drama director at her middle school used to hype up the kids. He would announce to the audience how talented the students were and praised their “professional-level” performances.
After that, Corinne used to ask if we thought she should try out for AGT. No one has ever accused me of believing my child was the biggest talent in the show. She wasn’t (and she isn’t), and I promptly told her no to AGT. She was just as promptly offended because she believed the director when he talked about their level of talent.
I am all about offering praise and encouragement, and I continued to tell her that the middle school performances were just that…middle school performances. Did I enjoy seeing her perform? Absolutely! Did I agree they were professional level? 🤣 Absolutely not.
When she was in seventh grade, our local high school opened its performing arts center, and their premier fall musical was Chicago. By then, Corinne had decided that she wanted to continue participating in theater once she went to high school, so we bought tickets for the show. When the show was over, I asked if she understood why I said that her middle school director was exaggerating their abilities. Once she saw something that could possibly be described that way, she got it. She was appropriately humbled and thanked me for not letting her try out for AGT. 😉 Even now when we talk about her belief she was talented enough for AGT, she rolls her eyes at herself.
Corinne’s performances have continued to improve over the past five years. She attended a theater program in New York two summers ago (This One Time at Summer Camp….). She has earned progressively larger roles and will study musical theater when she goes to college next year. I have watched her grow more confident, more willing to put herself out there. Voice lessons help her improve her vocal range and tonal abilities, and I couldn’t be more proud of her.
Corinne wants a career in musical theater. She has a passion for performing. I can see it when she walks on stage. It’s a tough, competitive business, so I suggested she choose a minor that gives her a little more flexibility while she pursues that career path.
Should she audition for AGT? Still no. 😏 Does she have a shot at a career in musical theater? If she puts in the work and keeps practicing, it’s a possibility. But the most important thing, I think, is for her to know her strengths and to know what she still needs to work on. Practice makes perfect, after all.
Liz Talley’s newest book, reviewed below, offers another hilarious tale of the trials faced by Cricket Crosby, part-time private investigator…who could probably use a little more practice before she tries investigating an attempted murder. 😉
Book Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 Stars for Hanging by a Thread by Liz Talley
330 pages
Publisher: ARTalley Books LLC
Publication Date: August 24, 2023
Purchased on Amazon.
Publisher’s Description
Being a part-time private investigator isn’t as glamorous as antiques store owner Cricket Crosby thought it would be. That is, until she finds herself eyeballs deep investigating the attempted murder of a wealthy matriarch. A call from an old friend lands Cricket undercover at an upscale retirement community researching the cantankerous Annabelle Dilworth, who is convinced that someone wants her dead. Cricket suspects the unfriendly senior citizen is simply imagining shadows. Still, enough people dislike the old bat that Cricket dives into eliminating suspects.
Cricket ropes best pal Ruby into joining her investigation at the retirement community, even as Ruby has enough on her hands dealing with her own grandmother’s health crisis and the launch of her fashion line. But when Annabelle turns up dead, Cricket and Ruby join forces to solve the mystery.
Filled with quirky characters and southern charm, Hanging by a Thread will leave you laughing, cheering, and guessing whodunit.
************
Main Characters:
- Cricket Crosby – full name Catherine Ann Crosby, early 40s, divorced, mother to 14-year-old Julia Kate, owner of antique store Printemps and part-time private investigator
- Ruby Balthazar – almost 30, previously worked as Cricket’s assistant at Printemps, but now she runs her fashion business Deconstructed out of Printemps and taking business classes at the local college
- Griffin Moon – Ruby’s cousin, owns Blue Moon Towing Company, Cricket’s love interest since divorcing her husband Scott after he cheated on her
- Eunice Balthazar – Ruby’s grandmother
- Annabelle Dilworth – one of the wealthiest women in northern Louisiana, not known to be liked by anyone, lives in the upscale Colony House Retirement Community; her great-nephew and his wife hire Cricket to investigate some suspicious activities that suggest someone is trying to kill her
It thrills me that Liz Talley continues writing Cricket Crosby capers. The characters are so much fun. Their interactions make me laugh every time. No matter what type of book I’m coming off of, I enjoy these great stand-alone novels.
In this third book in the series, Cricket has been working as a part-time private investigator for a little while. One day, she meets with Annabelle Dilworth’s great-nephew and his wife, who tell her that Annabelle is concerned that someone is trying to kill her. Cricket describes Annabelle as resembling “a badger with her pointed nose, big bottom, and feral smile” with “a glare that allowed you to envision what the devil looked like.” So not so shocking that someone might want her dead.
When Cricket accepts the job, she grabs the opportunity to go undercover at the retirement community as a temporary activities director. Per usual with Cricket, chaos ensues when she envisions herself as a much more talented investigator than she actually is.
In a side story line, Ruby impresses a Grammy-nominated singer with her designs and is invited to style her and accompany her to the Grammy awards. But when her Gran suffers a stroke and has to go into rehab, Ruby opts to stay home. There are challenges getting the dress delivered to the awards in time. Ruby begins to wonder if she is sabotaging her future with her choices to stay in Louisiana both now and in the past, but this feels like a great setup for future books…which I plan to read as soon as they release. 😊
Sticking with Talley’s original pattern for these capers, the chapters alternate between Cricket and Ruby. Cricket gets herself into ridiculous situations, and it’s so much fun to watch her try to get out of them. She and Ruby solve the crime of course, but true to form, they don’t get there in the way you would expect them to. You’ll definitely enjoy the ride.
And any Cricket Crosby review would not be complete without examples of the amazing descriptions Talley uses:
- “I was almost certain that Griffin Moon, aka Mr. Tall, Dark, and Emotionally Constipated, was scared of his feelings for my perky best friend.”
- “Don’t let anyone tell you that a fourteen-year-old girl is easy. They either haven’t had children or they had a full-time nanny. And if either of those is the case, their opinion doesn’t count. Well, it does. But not really.”
- “That was the power of my friend. She set people at ease. Could converse with a brick wall and make people pull out their wallets.”
Liz Talley has quickly become a must-read for me. And her Cricket Crosby capers? Must-read as soon as humanly possible.
If you enjoyed this post, please comment below. Subscribe for regular updates, and share it with your friends. If you’re interested in starting a conversation, send an email to booksundertheblanket@gmail.com.
As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using the links on my site.
