Follow the Dotted Line by Nancy Hersage is a fun read the kept me entertained throughout the book! Never a dull moment in this zany story. Not really a laugh out loud all the time but lots of snickers, grins, and giggles for sure! A mystery shouldn't be so funny but I am glad it was. I will be looking for more of her books. ( )

The premise behind Follow the Dotted Line was so unique, I couldn't wait to see how the story played out. Andy's ex-husband's current (younger) wife sends his ashes to her oldest son, saying only that he's dead and to never contact her. This sets up the search for answers, which Andy undertakes with the help of her nephew, Harley and her friend, Lorna.

First of all, I really enjoyed the mystery aspect. It becomes very apparent early on that something is a little fishy about the whole situation and it's exciting to see Andy, along with her friends and family, uncover the secrets. To me, it was pretty easy to figure out what had happened, sparing a few minor details, yet it was still a fun journey. I only wish there had been a bit more suspense; there weren't any truly nail-biting moments until the last third of the book

I could understand Andy's eagerness to jump right into investigating the mystery surrounding her ex-husband's supposed death. She needed to feel like she had a purpose in life, since her writing career had all but dried up. Andy was brave to jump headfirst into an investigation, when she had no experience in doing so. She was also determined, stubborn, and a bit too self-involved at times. Her biggest distraction and source of irritation was Harley. I felt bad for him, because he was just trying to figure himself out. He's very determined to fit in somewhere, much of it tied to religion which Andy did not seem to want anything to do with. She got irritated so often with him, even when he was saying something helpful, that for a while it really irked me. When I thought back on it, however, I could see that a lot of her annoyance came because she wanted to prove that she could figure out things for herself. That she wasn't too old and was smart enough to follow the clues without any help. When she wasn't grumbling about how she hated Harley tagging along, they made a really good team that was entertaining to read about.

The pacing seemed a little slow at times, but that's probably because I was just so interested in the characters solving the mystery that some scenes seemed to drag. I realize it was all important though; the author had a tall order to fill with this novel, since there are a lot of characters and development/growth had to happen with each. There also wasn't as much humor as I had been hoping, or maybe (more accurately) it wasn't the kind of obvious humor I was expecting.

Follow the Dotted Line was the first installment in the Andrea Bravos Mysteries series. I'm really not sure where the characters will go from here; is another mystery going to fall into Andy's lap, or will she become something like a P.I.? We'll just have to speculate for now. This novel was a good start and I look forward to reading more from author Nancy Hersage in the future.

*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review* ( )

Nancy Hersage writes a hilarious mystery series with Andrea Bravos (Andy) as the 57-year-old mother and grandmother as an unlikely detective. The story begins with Andy's son, Mitch Kornachy, receiving a package via snail mail from his father's current wife, Tilda. Why does Mitch have a different surname than his mother? Another story lurks within this laughable novel. Along the path, we meet Andy's other 3 children and her crazy nephew, Harley Davidson, from Nebraska. Two odd friends join the supporting cast, Ted, her golfing partner, and Lorna, her CPA friend. The quirky characters present an interesting story and softly hint of everyday concerns for all ages. The story moves quickly and deliciously to the conclusion. This is a series I would like to continue to read. ( )