Death, Taxes, And Green Tea Ice Cream (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
(I received this book from a Goodreads Giveaway)I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. It wasn't even that I didn't enjoy the read, just that it was merely okay, resulting in me being unlikely to pick up this series again. The protagonist is fun (though I definitely don't think she's as awesome as Stephanie Plum, as some reviews suggested), and her romance is cute, but the big problem for me was the lack of an actual mystery in what had been billed in so many reviews as a mystery series. There were a lot of disjointed IRS cases, but no real mystery, and a lot of the book felt like filler not really leading anywhere, just killing time until the denouncement. It was a fine read, enjoyable in many parts, but nothing really wowed me, or made me want to revisit the series again. An action-packed cozy mystery that will keep you guessing! Taken from my review at RomanceJunkies.com:Tara Holloway has risked her life more than once while performing her duties as an IRS Special Agent, but when she shoots Don Geils, a lowlife criminal, four times in the leg during a bust, her actions are declared unjustified and she loses her job. Then the criminal, in the midst of plea bargaining, sues her for nearly twenty-five hundred dollars in doctor bills plus ten million in punitive damages. As if things couldn’t get any worse, the state decides to bring charges against her, claiming she used excessive force, which could earn her a prison sentence. All of this happens just after she is given a plum assignment in which she would have traveled to Japan and India during her investigation. However, this is handed over to her former partner and current lover, Nick, and she is not even allowed to accompany him due to the prosecuting attorney’s threats to get an injunction against her if she tries to leave the state.Although Tara’s former boss Lu is doing everything she can to help Tara, whose firing she feels was unjustified, Tara is at her wit’s end as she struggles with finding work, the paparazzi, the holidays and the possibility of an impending prison sentence. If she had killed Geils, she would not be facing these charges and she would still have her job. An excellent shot, Tara, known as the Annie Oakley of the IRS, could have killed him, but it would have cost her a piece of her soul, something she doesn’t think she could bear. With Nick out of the country, Tara is feeling lonelier than ever.Lu manages to get Tara back in the IRS as an auditor, but what Tara really wants is her old job back. However, they have already found a replacement for her. As she handles a case involving an alleged friend, attempts to keep an eye on Nick’s back in addition to her own predicament, Tara tries to soothe her worries with green tea ice cream. With the help of her family, friends and former partners, will Tara be able to clear herself, or is she about to spend some time behind bars?The sixth book in award winning author Diane Kelly’s TARA HOLLOWAY series, DEATH, TAXES AND GREEN TEA ICE CREAM is a fast-paced, adventure-filled, cozy mystery that will quickly make you a fan. Tara is a tough, but fun, character and her romance with Nick adds even more depth and sex appeal to this story. These two are wonderful together and their angst at not being together during Tara’s troubled time, as she finds herself on the other side of the courtroom and suffering from self-doubt, is realistically displayed in this book. No matter what interesting case Tara is working on, trouble always seems to find her, often to hilarious results.With the combination of humor, danger, suspense, mystery, romance, interesting tax-related investigations, loads of fun and a bit of sass, this series is always entertaining and this book is no exception. I am a huge fan of Ms. Kelly’s work and eager to read the next installment, DEATH, TAXES AND SILVER SPURS, due to release July 29, 2014. For a book sure to keep you entertained, look no further than DEATH, TAXES AND GREEN TEA or any of the TARA HOLLOWAY stories! I recommend them!Dottie, RomanceJunkies.com
What do You think about Death, Taxes, And Green Tea Ice Cream (2013)?
It could only end one way, duh, but how you get there is really funny.
—Ginger4213
These are simply just fun, quick mysteries.
—pierrab
