Thursday, April 26, 2012

Book Review: No Bells by F. M. Meredith

Long the butt of the police department's jokes, Gordon Butler never seems to catch a break. He gets sent on the oddest calls and manages to end up in some rather strange situations. It looks like his luck might be changing, though.

A routine traffic stop introduces Gordon to Benay Weiss, a local hair stylist. He thinks he's finally found the love he's been seeking. But when Benay's best friend, Geri, is reported missing and then found dead, Benay soon becomes a prime suspect. Gordon puts his job on the line to prove her innocence.

I've read all the books in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. Gordon has been my favorite character since he was introduced. I am so thrilled No Bells spotlights this great character.

The point of this series and what F.M. Meredith has always done well, is to show how the job impacts family life and vice versa. Even though we've gotten some glimpse of Gordon's personal life in previous books--the way his marriage broke apart, his falling in love with a fellow officer, and his living with Detective Doug Milligan--the reader didn't get a chance to see a whole lot of Gordon outside of his job. This book changes all that. In addition, we get to see Gordon from his own point of view. He knows the guys laugh at his expense. He knows they don't think he's the brightest bulb in the box. You don't ever see him stick up for himself or try to change their opinions.

In No Bells, we see Gordon going against the advice of his peers when he decides to try and prove his girlfriend's innocence. The evidence against Benay is mounting, but he just can't believe she's guilty. The reader has to keep turning the pages to see if Gordon is rewarded in the end.

This book has a lighter tone than some of the other books in this series. There's action, but it's not constant. The main focus is on the murder investigation of Benay's best friend instead of there being several different cases to be solved, as in some other books in the series. We still see a lot of the regulars and their lives, but Gordon is definitely the focus.

I'll definitely be waiting in line for the next Rocky Bluff P.D. book when it comes out next spring. While you don't have to start at the beginning, all of them are great reads. No Bells will stay a favorite of mine since Gordon is so much a part of it.



  • Paperback: 204 pages
  • Publisher: Dark Oak Mysteries (March 12, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 1610090861
  • ISBN-13: 978-1610090865
  • SRP:  $12.95

  • I received a FREE electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The author is a former client of Pump Up Your Book. She paid me to create a book trailer for No Bells. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

    This is the twentieth book I've read for the following challenge:



    It is the thirteenth book I've read for the following challenge:


    It is the sixth book I've read for the following challenge:


    It is the fifth book I've read for the following challenge:

    7 comments:

    Maureen Hayes said...

    Cheryl thank you for hosting Marilyn's blog tour today and for your review! I like your blog and am now following you as well!

    Marilyn, I would like to be added to your contest at scrapgirl1467 (at) yahoo (dot) com

    Have a wonderful day ladies!
    Maureen

    Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

    Cheryl, thank you so much for that great review--you certainly got the essence of the story and what I was aiming for.

    And Maureen, so glad you made it.

    Jake said...

    Really enjoying this tour. Marilyn you have not only written a terrific book but introduced me to many new sights of interest. Looking forward to your next novel in this series as your characters have such depth I feel they are old friends.

    Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

    Hi, Jake, thank you for the good words about my characters. To me, they are quite real.

    Cheryl said...

    Glad you liked the review, Marilyn. Loved the book.

    Thanks for stopping by everyone. I appreciate your comments.

    Janet Kerr said...

    The more I read your blog tour, the more I want to read these books.
    I am looking forward to reading them.
    Jan

    janet_kerr(at)msn.com

    Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

    Hi, Janet, glad to see you made it, and thanks for your kind words.