A Giant Murder

Written by Marji Laine

Narrated by Christa DelSorbo

Would you like a shot of… death with that, sir?

Josephine Jacobs was just doing her job, serving at an exclusive party, so why is she now being accused of shooting TG Taggert?

At a party full of suspects in the murder of Taggert, Josie served the food giant everything but an eternally “parting shot.” Who really killed TG Taggert? His wife? His son, Jack? What about Harper Davis? Rumor has it, she was having an affair with him—motive for her or Taggert’s wife! The list of those who seemed to hate him keeps growing, including a chemist and a chef!

With her long-time friend, Office Porter O’Brien, Josie sets out to clear her name and find out who really killed “the giant".

Find out in this next book in the Ever After Mysteries, combining beloved fairy tales and mysteries. A Giant Murder offers a retelling of “Jack and the Beanstalk” with enough clues and suspects to keep you looking over your shoulder. We’d recommend Kevlar… but it hasn’t been invented yet!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Celebrate Lit Publishing
• Release date: Jan 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781951839468

Reviews for A Giant Murder

[grammy57 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My Review: I requested to read (listen to) this book through Celebrate Lit. I was honored to be chosen to do so and this is my honest review.My husband and I listened to this while on a road trip. It was very entertaining and kept us alert on the drive. The story is interesting and kept my interest throughout. I enjoyed the main characters, Josie and Porter. They seemed so real. I kept guessing who was guilty and I did not guess correctly. That is kind of rare for me. I also enjoyed that this is a clean, Christian story without being preachy. It shows how people lean on God during trying times. I also enjoyed listening to the narrator. She did a very good job of giving each character his own sound/voice.I would recommend this book.

[eccl-3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Giant Murder, by Marji Laine, is book two in the Ever After Mystery series. This is a series of stand alone stories that is written by different authors that are retellings of fairy tales. This one focuses on retelling "Jack and the Beanstock". This is an enjoyable Christian story of mystery, suspense and having faith. I enjoyed Josie's character. She is a caring helpful person who is wrongly accused of a murder. The story is fast-paced and full of twists and turns.I received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.

[virginia51-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an enjoyable mystery. I like that it was set during the time of the prohibition. I loved Josie and Porter. It is always interesting to see how police solved murders before all the technology that we have today. This book talks about some of the new techniques that were starting to be used during this time. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

[becky_l-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Like a father who is loving and teaching his toddler to walk, that’s how God sees you when you ask to become His.” My fave line of the book, one I want to remember! I love this word picture! Our Father is indeed loving, but I don’t know if I’ve ever heard it explained in such a heart-warming way.It’s 1926 in Dallas, Texas. A power couple hosts a gala party at their fancy hotel. By the end of the night, the millionaire host has been murdered, and poor waitress Josephine “Josie” Jacobs has been fingered for the crime.Imaginative fairy-tale retellings with mysteries woven in. This is the premise of the Ever After series. Marji Laine turns Jack & the Beanstalk into quite the high society-gone-amuck-tale in #2, A Giant Murder. I enjoyed the trope of friendship to lovers between Porter and Josie. I could actually see a young, naive woman acting as Josie did. I found Porter very endearing and would hope a similar young officer would be in my neighborhood if needed. I was pulled into the story more than I expected since I am not typically a fan of 1920ish books. Surprisingly enough, this mystery is one I pegged- but only very partially! Good twist there!A positive is that there is a strong, clear salvation message early in the book. This also could be a negative, as it seemed a little clunky and like the author wanted to insert the whole message early on. I would have liked for the message to be given out in small, more natural conversation.There was enough mayhem to keep me reading quickly to find out whodunnit. The ending fell flat for me when one character suddenly changes his stripes. This is only my opinion, and I would urge you to read A Giant Murder for yourself.Notable Quotables:“Where goes suspicion seldom goes grace,”“The only people who didn’t hate TG were those who didn’t know him.”“Arriving as a police car pulled into her lot, she was beginning to get used to seeing them there. A habit to which she didn’t want to become accustomed.”“I keep thinking the next thing will set everything perfect, but it doesn’t. And accomplishments, finished products start to crumble. People. Only out for themselves.”“We do the best we can with what we have, our very best, and then we let God be God to make it work the way He wants it.”

[harley0326 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This has been a fun book to read and I really did not want it to end. The setting is exciting and I love stories that take us back to the 1920s. You can tell that the author has done extensive research to make the story authentic. I wonder what it would be like to live in a boarding house? There couldn’t be too much privacy except when you were in your own room. I was very intrigued by how the place was run and all the people who lived there.Josie is a sweet character who works very hard to help her mother pay bills. What starts out as an extra job one night turns her world upside down. Who knew that taking a drink to someone would cause you to become a suspect in their murder? Has Josie been set up by someone or was the death an accident? The author gives readers twists and unexpected suspects in the story that I had to take out my journal to keep notes. Oh yes I always use a journal when reading a book for review. I don’t want to forget any details. There is one very humbling moment in the story that I hope is not overlooked. In the midst of chaos , Josie shares God with someone. It is a very special moment and made me think how important it is to share God with others. We don’t want to miss our opportunity and Josie confidently witnessed to this person with compassion. The mystery in the book is quite unique since it has to do with a formula for a recipe. I applaud the author for being so creative and implementing a plot that is fresh and appetizing. Someone wants that recipe desperately and are willing to kill for it. There is a little romance in the story but it is done tastefully and does not over shadow the main theme in the book. I have to say I was shocked by who turned out to be the guilty person. How sad that people are greedy and jealous that they resort to violence. I loved the story and thought that there was just enough action to keep me interested in the case of the missing formula.I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.