Merit Badge Murder
3/5
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About this ebook
From USA Today bestselling author, Leslie Langtry comes a mystery series of laugh-out-loud proportions...
When CIA agent Merry Wrath is "accidentally" outted, she's forced her into early retirement, changes her appearance, and moves where no one will ever find her—Iowa. Instead of black bag drops in Bangkok, she now spends her time leading a young Girl Scout troop. But Merry's new simple life turns not-so-simple when an enemy agent shows up dead at scout camp. Suddenly Merry is forced to deal with her former life in order to preserve her future one.
It doesn't help matters that the CIA sends in her former, sexy handler to investigate...or that the hot new neighbor across the street turns out to be the local detective in charge of her case. And when Merry is forced to take on a roommate in the voluptuous form of a turned KGB agent/bimbo, things become trickier than wet work in Waukegan or cookie sales in the spring. Nothing in the CIA or Girl Scouts' training manuals has prepared her for what comes next...
Merry Wrath Mysteries:
Merit Badge Murder – book #1
Mint Cookie Murder – book #2
Scout Camp Mystery – short story in the "Killer Beach Reads" collection
Marshmallow S'More Murder – book #3
Movie Night Murder – book #4
Mud Run Murder – book #5
Fishing Badge Murder – short story in the "Pushing Up Daisies" collection
Motto for Murder – book #6
Map Skills Murder – book #7
Mean Girl Murder – book #8
Marriage Vow Murder – book #9
Mystery Night Murder – book #10
Meerkats and Murder – book #11
Make Believe Murder – book #12
Maltese Vulture Murder – book #13
What critics are saying about Leslie Langtry's books:
"Darkly funny and wildly over the top, this mystery answers the burning question, 'Do assassin skills and Girl Scout merit badges mix..."
-RT BOOKreviews
"Mixing a deadly sense of humor and plenty of sexy sizzle, Leslie Langtry creates a brilliantly original, laughter-rich mix of contemporary romance and suspense."
-Chicago Tribune
"Langtry gets the fun started from page one with a myriad of clever details."
-Publisher's Weekly
Leslie Langtry
Leslie Langtry is the USA Today bestselling author of the Greatest Hits Mysteries, The Adulterer's Unofficial Guide to Family Vacations, and several books she hasn't finished yet, because she's very lazy. Leslie loves puppies and cake (but she will not share her cake with puppies) and lives with her family and assorted animals in the Midwest.
Read more from Leslie Langtry
Merry Wrath Mysteries Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Hitmen Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Related to Merit Badge Murder
Titles in the series (40)
Motto for Murder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maltese Vulture Murder Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mardi Gras Murder Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mad Money Murder Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMind-Bending Murder Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMeerkats and Murder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mud Run Murder Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Marshmallow S'More Murder Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Marriage Vow Murder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Merit Badge Murder Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Make Believe Murder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Merry Wrath Mysteries Boxed Set Vol. III (Books 7-9) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mosquito Bite Murder Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMovie Night Murder Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Merry Wrath Mysteries Boxed Set Vol. I (Books 1-3) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mint Cookie Murder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Musket Ball Murder Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMascots Are Murder Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mayor for Murder Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMerry Wrath Mysteries Boxed Set Vol. II (Books 4-6) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMean Girl Murder Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mystery Night Murder Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMap Skills Murder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Merry Wrath Mysteries Boxed Set Vol. VI (Books 16-18) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMarked for Murder Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Memories Are Murder Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsManga and Murder Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMacho Man Murder Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Method Actor Murder Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Merry Wrath Mysteries Boxed Set Vol. VIII (Books 22-24) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
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Reviews for Merit Badge Murder
23 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Merry Wrath was a CIA agent, and a good one. Then she was "accidentally" outed in a bit of Washington political hardball, and forced into early retirement. "Merry Wrath" is her new name, derived from a middle name and her mother's maiden name. Her hair is now blonde, and her eyes, thanks to contact lenses, blue.
And of course her Deep Cover Dead Secret new home is the small town in Iowa where she grew up. Did I mention that her father is a US Senator from Iowa?
So the completely unaddressed mystery here is why no one except her best friend from childhood, Kelly, recognizes her.
Despite that annoying weakness, this is a funny and fast-paced story, with Merry the unexpected target of a plot that has dead bodies of international terrorists turning up near her: an Al Qaeda agent at the camp where her Girl Scout troop meets, a South American drug dealer thrown in front of her car as she drives home, and a Japanese Yakuza boss found dead in her kitchen. Her sexy former handler, Riley, turns up, and he has a house guest for her--Svetlana, a blonde bimbo former KGB agent, who needs a place to lie low. (Obviously, a great plan, there.) And right at the time that Merry is dealing with bodies turning up everywhere, a very sexy police detective, Rex, moves in across the street from her. We are apparently supposed to accept this as a genuine coincidence.
It's fun, it moves, and while Merry makes some mistakes from rustiness and not really wanting to be in that mindframe anymore, none of the humor is of the "look how the girl agent screws up" variety. Both Merry and Svetlana are genuinely deadly when they want to be. There is one huge "this is never explained" incident that makes no sense, but talking about it would be a spoiler. The "two sexy alpha males" is clearly a set-up for the kind of ongoing "which one should she choose" thing that has, for me, worn out its welcome in other mystery series.
Still, this is light, and fun, and fast-paced. Recommended for a light read if you're willing to let the inconsistencies slide.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from Audible in exchange for an honest review. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This was a fast-paced, humorous story of a former CIA agent, outed by the Vice-President, and trying to live a normal life under an assumed identity in the town where she grew up. This in itself seems unlikely, but the author made it work for me. I laughed out loud in some places and cringed in others.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/53.5 stars. I'm not a fan of spy novels but this was funny enough and had such a terrific MC that it got me over spy stuff. I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series.