Every Crooked Nanny (Callahan Garrity) Paperback – March 26, 2013

Too many foul words, blasting a religion without knowing much about it, and getting things mixed up with a cult. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone.

I read this book many years ago but when the author mentioned on her Facebook page that it was only $1.99 for a limited time, I decided to read it again. I grew up in Rome, Georgia and went to college in Athens. When she mentions Five Points or Dunwoody or Druid Hills, I know exactly what she's talking about. Stores like Downtown Rich's were part of my childhood. The characters are so authentic they could be family. If you grew up in the South during the '70s and '80s this will take you down memory lane. If you want to know what "real" housewives of Atlanta are really like, this is it. Cooking and cleaning and drinking sweet tea.

Too much cursing in the book.

I enjoyed the earlier books by this author but she is now using some foul language, mostly taking the Lord's name in vain. I love the stories but will no longer be reading her books.

This is a highly entertaining mystery, with a plausible and appealing protagonist, fun secondary characters, and an interesting plot. I'm not sure how I'd missed this series when it had started, but I'm delighted to have just discovered it, and plan to read many more books in this series. Although written and set in the 1990's, I'd not found that to be a particular distraction while reading it, except for becoming aware of the time period as I'd read along, and consciously noting it. If anything should make this book seem "dated" it might be the highly professional caliber of the writing, since there had been such a sad decline of authors commanding such writing skills in the subsequent two decades. This would not be a good book for anyone unduly overset by the use of profanity, but I'd highly recommend it to most other mystery readers and friends. I'd enjoyed very much.

A mediocre mystery which should have been updated easily from the initial writing in 1992. The lack of updating influences adversely the believability of the story.

Mary Kay Andrews, aka Kathy Hogan Trocheck, makes me laugh. Her whimsy gets to me every time. This story begins a private detective series starring the owner, Callahan Garrity, of a housecleaning service call House Mouse. Callahan used to be a cop in Atlanta and situations pull her into trying to find out who murdered the nanny of a sorority sister acquaintance who's married a nouveau riche guy who is almost too smarmy to tolerate. Callahan's mother, Edna is also a character in the tradition of other Southern women whose looks seem to hide how smart they are, until they open their mouths.Callahan's former relationships with different members of the police force add interest to her efforts to solve the mystery, but what is most refreshing is how she uses her crew of house cleaners to dredge up clues that finally enable her to come through in the end, but not before she has to endure a biopsy for a breast lump and Edna is abducted by the murderer. All's well that ends well, however, including the little bonus that it looks like, in future stories, Callahan's love life appears to be looking up. I'll have to read the second book in the series to find out.

Loved the characters and the story line. I am from the south so I know this is how people can choose to talk and some of the racial references are not new to me. But I definitely did not like it . This surprised me because I have read other books by this author and really enjoyed them. I thought this author had more class in her writing . The story could have gone on better without all the “f “ bombs and swearing! I feel you can get your point across in other ways. Makes me hesitant to read more in this series.

Same old same old