Book Tour: Ian Dodge Mysteries by Judy Nichols (Reviews+Giveaway)

Sportsman's Bet

Ian Dodge Mysteries Book 1

by Judy Nichols

Genre: Mystery

Velma Saunders, the town clerk of Tobias, North Carolina never had a kind word to say to anyone. In fact, most people were afraid of her, including her boss, Mayor Mike Ellis.

Still, the whole town is shocked when Velma's body is found in the Municipal Building's old bomb shelter. The only clue to her murderer is a copy of a cryptic message from a Nigerian email scammer.

All the evidence points to Mayor Mike, who's charged with killing Velma. Investigator Ian Dodge, a British transplant who's never quite taken root in the Deep South,sets out to find out who else hated Velma enough to kill her.

In the course of his investigation, Ian discovers the dark secrets Velma has been hiding all these years, and exactly why she was so mean.

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Trouble and Strife

Ian Dodge Mysteries Book 2

Lorrie Mattingly has it all.

Young and beautiful, married to the richest man in town, she spends her time driving fast cars, riding horses and keeping herself pretty. And yet, she's down to earth, and sweet, devoted to her handicapped twin sister Linnie. Everyone loves her.

Maybe not everyone.

When she suffers from a severe allergic reaction during a tanning session, private investigator Ian Dodge is called in by the owners of the salon, since they're getting sued big time. It doesn't take long for Ian to figure out Lorrie's attack wasn't an accident, or negligence but attempted murder. Or to learn that there were plenty of people who wanted this sweet girl dead.

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Pork Pies

Ian Dodge Mysteries Book 3

Crusty British transplant Ian Dodge is back on the beat, this time in the service of Her Majesty, otherwise known as Laura Lane, the Food Queen, star of a popular TV cooking show. A blackmailer has threatened to expose her sordid past as a con artist, so she turns to Ian Dodge to get it sorted.

When her blackmailer is found stabbed to death in his hotel room, Her Majesty is the prime suspect. It's Ian's job to untangle the web of deception and pork pies (lies) to find the culprit, all the while dealing with the antics of his twin sons, Jesse and Mac.

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The Ian Dodge Mysteries series is written by Judy Nichols, a new-to-me author. There are three books in the series thus far, and the proper reading order is: Sportsman’s Bet, Trouble and Strife, and Pork Pies. I had looked on GoodReads to make sure I read them in the appropriate order but they’re not listed as a series, or as related to each other. I really think you should read these books in the appropriate order!


In the first book of the series, Sportsman’s Bet, we meet Ian Dodge a private investigator. Ian is investigating the death of the town clerk and delves into her history. There was a lot happening in this first book and a lot of characters to get to know. As with any new series, the first book can be difficult just because it’s setting up an entire series so it’s full of information which can be a bit overwhelming. This was a good introduction to Ian and his easy-going style. I liked him, for the most part, though I didn’t really understand his attitude about his kids.

But, the most important part of this, in my opinion since it’s a mystery series, is the mystery! I really enjoyed the mystery of solving Velma’s death. Her story was heartbreaking, once Ian began uncovering her history and it really makes you think about those grumpy people you meet. I did know who the killer was once we started learning more about Velma’s background, but I still enjoyed getting the story! This is definitely a series I would recommend for those who enjoy mysteries.

Rating: 4 stars!

The second book of the series, Trouble and Strife, has Ian investigating an incident at a friend’s business. We learn more about Ian’s love of old cars, which has featured in both books, and about Ian’s friendship with his tenant Ruth who becomes his assistant for this investigation. Ian’s pretty laid-back but spending the time with Ruth investigating isn’t going as easy as he’d hope. They both have different styles that in the end work well together.

This mystery was also very well done. I had a suspicion about the culprit of the accident/murder and was partially correct but would never have seen that outcome at all! If you enjoy murder mysteries, I would strongly suggest reading this series. This is only the second book, but I found it more enjoyable, as expected. Once I can settle into a series and know some of the characters, it’s easier to have new ones introduced.

Rating: 4 stars!

The third book of the series, Pork Pies, was my favorite! We finally meet Ruth’s boss and Ian’s sons! Someone is threatening Ruth’s boss, Her Majesty, and Her Majesty decided to hire Ian to fix it for her. Seems like an easy enough case but then it all goes crazy when Her Majesty is arrested for murdering someone. Ian’s sons were hilarious, especially when combined with Ruth! I think this was the first book where I thought of Ian as being an old man. I don’t know how old he is, maybe I missed it, but he seemed old in this one.

When I say this one was my favorite, it doesn’t mean anything was wrong with the first two. I really enjoyed the series and the more we get to know about the main characters, the more I enjoyed the books. The story behind Her Majesty, the self-made chef, was really interesting and twisted. It really kept my attention as I tried to figure out who the culprit was, someone the author did a good job of keeping hidden until the reveal. I had suspected this person but didn’t think it was possible, but then it happened! Well done on the author’s part!

As I’ve said before, this is definitely a series I’d recommend for mystery readers. There is no romance; this is simply a mystery series with Ian solving crimes. I’m really looking forward to the books to come and the antics of those in Ian’s life!

Rating: 4.5 stars 

**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**

Judy Nichols lives in Wilmington, North Carolina, but she is by no means a "Southern writer." Born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in the nearby town of Batavia, she still is a no-nonsense midwesterner. Although she does find true southerners quite charming.

Judy holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Kent State University. She has been a newspaper reporter, a teacher, a temporary office worker, a customer service representative, a stay-at-home mom, a volunteer, and a proud organizer of the now defunct Cape Fear Crime Festival mystery writers' conference.

Judy started her first novel "Caviar Dreams" while her daughter was napping one day. Five years later it was finished. The biggest challenge arrived once her daughter stopped taking naps and eventually lost interest in watching the "Toy Story" video.

Since then she has gone on to write several more books, including the Ian Dodge Mysteries inspired by her UK born husband Nigel. Ian Dodge is a persnickety private investigator, living in coastal North Carolina, who refuses to be assimilated and instead hangs on to every shred of his Britishness.

Now that her daughter is grown up and gone, she spends lots of quality time with her husband and Bailey the Wonder Dog. Also, reading and writing good books.

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