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    Dying to Read (The Cate Kinkaid Files Book #1): A Novel
    Dying to Read (The Cate Kinkaid Files Book #1): A Novel
    Dying to Read (The Cate Kinkaid Files Book #1): A Novel
    Ebook337 pages5 hours

    Dying to Read (The Cate Kinkaid Files Book #1): A Novel

    By Lorena McCourtney

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    About this ebook

    Cate Kinkaid is just dipping her toe into the world of private investigating until one of the many résumés she has floating around lands her a real job. All she has to do is determine that a particular woman lives at a particular address. Simple, right? When the big and brooding house happens to contain a dead body, this routine PI job turns out to be anything but simple. Is Cate in over her head?

    Readers will be hooked from the very first chapter of this fast-paced and witty romantic mystery from bestselling and award-winning author Lorena McCourtney.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBaker Publishing Group
    Release dateAug 1, 2012
    ISBN9781441238221
    Dying to Read (The Cate Kinkaid Files Book #1): A Novel
    Author

    Lorena McCourtney

    Lorena McCourtney is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of dozens of novels, including Invisible (which won the Daphne du Maurier Award from Romance Writers of America), Dying to Read, and Dolled Up to Die. She resides in Oregon.

    Read more from Lorena Mc Courtney

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    Reviews for Dying to Read (The Cate Kinkaid Files Book #1)

    4/5

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    • 3/5
      An okay mystery. I liked the main character, but she did seem like a rip-off of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum character to me, and I didn't think the story held up to vintage Evanovich standards (though it was better than the later books in the Plum series).
    • 4/5
      Dying to Read is an action packed book. Cate Kincaid is now living with her Aunt Rachael an Uncle Joe, after trying a number of job, she is now trying a hand at being a PI. Uncle Joe trusts her, and gives her a case to find a missing niece of a man from TX.She ends up at the last place Willow lived and ends up at a murder scene. This is just the beginning of the adventure we are about to embark on. Once started you have to read to the end to find out the ins and outs of what is going on. Throw in a bit of romance...may two, new friends and foes. There is a lot of action going on...and your going for a great ride.Enjoy this great mystery, and you will have trouble figuring it all out ahead of time. I recommend this book to cozy up with.I received this book from the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.
    • 5/5
      Cate Kinkaid is just starting out in the private investigating business working for her Uncle Joe. Just until something better comes along. All she has to do is find out if a certain women lives at a particular address. Seems simple. But what happens when the big old brooding house contains a dead body and the someone is missing. The routine job becomes anything but simple. Is Cate in over her head?
    • 3/5
      Good read, keeps you guessing.
    • 3/5
      I found it dragging in some places and ending up skimming part of the way. The characters are okay, but nothing spectacular. Not sure I will continue with the series.
    • 5/5
      Cate Kincaid is a substitute P.I. for her uncle. It doesn't take long before she finds her first dead body at the bottom of a stairway. The dead woman is Amelia, the head of the mystery book club in Oregon. It is amazing how one death can lead to so many different suspects and eccentric people. However, Cate has the stamina to react and regroup very quickly. Perhaps, this good character trait is because she believes in prayer. At one time she prays with Willow. Willow never forgets that prayerful moment. When she is in dire straits again, she asks for Cate's prayers again.My favorite character is Willow. She is really a complex character. Far more psychologically thrilling than Cate who is an ordinary, loving and helpful citizen. I love trees. Perhaps, this is why I liked Willow so much. Who she is and what she needs or wants begins to open up while she is far up in a tree sitting on a limb. She is up there to try and save the tree. Cate calls her a tree sitter. I would have never guess a tree sitter, lover of the environment could tell as many wild stories as Willow tells during the course of Dying to Read by Lorena McCourtney. I thought a lot about what makes it easier to spin a lie than to tell the truth. By the end of the novel, I decided that lying isn't worth the effort. God will end up laying out the perfect truth like a woman would lie out her grandmother's antique Queen Anne Lace tablecloth. So if what we are spinning is going to unravel anyway, well, it's not sensible to waste your time and the time of other people by making up hair brained stories about your life. Can't wait to read the next Christian mystery by Lorena McCourtney. I hope spoiled Octavia, a cat, will continue to appear in the novels too.lorenamccourtney
    • 5/5
      This is the first book by Lorena McCourtney that I've had the pleasure of reading. I have to say that she is extremely talented and definitely knows what to give her readers when it comes to captivating, page-turning mystery! From start to finish, Ms. McCourtney held my attention and didn't let it go for anything! Cozy mysteries are always the best and this book is definitely a wonderful cozy mystery, along with being a great start to a sure-to-be exciting series!Mx. McCourtney introduces us to assistant PI Cate Kinkaid. What Cate thought was a simple task given to her by her uncle turned out to be so much more! Sent to the home of an elderly lady to check on her, Cate finds herself a dead body....and among a group of mystery loving suspects. She's not entirely convinced that the body found wasn't murdered. That's where the fun loving, often laughable moments come in as she seeks the clues to the puzzle, getting help from (and feeling some beyond professional feelings for!) the oh-so-cute Mitch, and dealing with a cat that can't hear a thing she says.Cate Kinkaid is sort of a Stephanie Plum of the Christian variety. Not officially licensed as a PI but definitely having the guts and attitude to jump in and tackle the situation.....err, ummm....situations that run amuck, and make the reader say 'seriously?!'???.... head on. I can definitely see this series gaining quick popularity and becoming a competition for the Plum series! And, I have to say, with the charming Mitch (and is he ever charming-definitely better than any Ranger or Morelli!) and the kitty of an unusual kind(um, yea. Don't ask!), you definitely get the laughs in this page-turning cozy! Oh and we can't forget Willow!!! Willow is a character that will make the reader feel like they are experiencing deja vu!I definitely recommend this laugh-out-loud, edge-of-seat, witty, charming mystery read to all those out there that are looking for a fast-paced story. It is 5 Book worthy, attention grabbing and filled with messages of faith, understanding and self discovery! I'll definitely be excited to read the next Cate Kinkaid File installment! Well done, Ms. McCourtney!*This review is based on a complimentary copy which was provided for an honest review*
    • 4/5
      When I read and reviewed Death Takes A Ride last month, I knew I had to go back to the scene of the crime, er, first book in the series. Dying to Read, book 1 in Lorena McCourtney’s Cate Kincaid Files is a great place to start for those who love cozy mysteries. Cate, who is new to the PI business, gets her man, along with getting into life threatening situations. But this is a cozy series, so you know that the good guys always prevail and that there will be a good dose of humor as well.Cate has her first assignment from her uncle’s PI agency — find the current address of a young woman for her family. But right from the start, Cate knows she is in over her head. A dead woman, a book club full of suspects as well as a tree-hugging missing housekeeper keep Cate looking into the mystery long after she discovers the address. Along the way Cate is continually mistaken for one of the suspects and finds herself in trouble and a budding romance. A lovable deaf cat also plays a big role in the action.Cate is a great character. She has had some disappointments in life and love and is unsure where to go next. Her PI gig is only temporary, or so she thinks. But her inner instincts keep Cate going. Maybe she really should be a PI! The other characters add color and enough quirk to be funny, but not so much that they strain credibility. Moral issues, such as one character’s problem with telling the truth, are death with in a tongue in cheek naturalness that is never preachy. Cate’s faith is also natural — just the way she lives her life.So if you are looking for a fun cozy mystery, start with Dying to Read. You won’t be sorry, especially since there are two more books in the series!Audience: Older teens to adults.
    • 5/5
      Cate Kinkaid is ...ummm....going through a career crisis. She always intended to be a teacher, but after graduating from college with a degree in education, she discovered that she just isn't a good teacher. She has had some interesting jobs since then, but nothing permanent. While waiting for something to turn up, she has accepted an offer from her uncle to work in his PI firm. Nothing too exciting; just an address confirmation. But when the address confirmation turns up a dead body and a long list of suspects, Cate finds her temp position to be more exciting than she ever imagined.Yay! This "cozy little mystery" turned out to be good! Certain phrases often worry me, and that's one of them. And to perfectly honest, I often worry about Christian fiction. Anyone who has read my reviews in the past already knows that, but I just have to say it; in the past, authors have had a hard time combining Christian values with either romance, murder, or dishonesty. They usually went heavy handed with the values and soft-soaped the "bad stuff". NEWS FLASH: It's a real world and bad stuff happens. So, when an author comes along like Ms. McCourtney and manages to realistically portray Christians in a real world, I'm happy. I know it's still fiction, and it's still a "cozy" mystery, but it's not too cozy. And that's the way I like my mysteries. 5 stars“Available August 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
    • 4/5
      Clair’s career has not been who one would call successful. She’s been a gardener (a few days), an elf at the Mall (a few weeks) worked as a teacher (hated giving lessons!) and she’s nearly thirty! So, when her Uncle Joe takes pity on her and hires her as an assistant PI she’s a little nervous. That nervousness turns into full terror when she tries to find the young lady involved in her first (and only!) case.Clair knows Willow Bishop is living with an elderly lady as cook and companion. She has the address and off she goes, hopes high. They fall a bit when she finds the entire Whodunit Book Club clustering at the front door of Amelia Peabody’s home. Amelia isn’t answering the door and, when they do get in it’s obvious why – she’s dead at the bottom of the back stairs. The cook, Willow is nowhere to be found and suspicions rest on her. Although a total “witch” at times, Amelia is rich – and Willow’s reputation is a bit tarnished, shall we say?Clair dives into who killed Amelia. Each and every lady in the Book Club has motive, Willow doesn’t seem to, there’s a “sorta” fiancé who’s not a nice guy…who to follow? On top of this, Clair goes looking for Willow at her old places of employment and meets Beverly, a wheelchair bound matron who seems to be missing her wedding ring. Beverly’s handyman Mitch is luscious and ‘way too interested in Clair to pay much attention to crimes. This book was so enjoyable! Funny, a bit romantic, good guys, bad guys, badder guys and Octavia – the totally white, deaf cat of Amelia’s who knows nothing but contributes everything to Clair’s peace of mind. There are great characters- good plots, no cursing and no real bloodshed – if you don’t count the body at the end of the stairs. A good read for summer or any other time.

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    Dying to Read (The Cate Kinkaid Files Book #1) - Lorena McCourtney

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