Crowning the Slug Queen - Review

Review

CROWNING THE SLUG QUEEN by L.M. Fortin

The First Callie Stone Mystery

After a disastrous mishap at the end of an otherwise perfect conference event coordinator Callie Stone gets fired only to come home to her boyfriend leaving her. Looking for a respite, Callie leaves NYC on an open ended vacation to spend some time with her mother and grandma in Skinner, Oregon.

Vacation turns into work however as Callie not only does chores on her mother's farm but also becomes the newest coordinator for the Skinner Days Slug Queen Contest. After the first rehearsal Callie finds the body of the most talented contestant. Was it an accident? Murder? Callie's event planning, problem solving mind goes to work, trying to find answers while an old high school friend officially investigates.

CROWNING THE SLUG QUEEN is not only about coming home, but discovering who you really are and what you want out of life.
 

I loved the opening of CROWNING THE SLUG QUEEN and commiserated with Callie even as I laughed. Soon, however, I found the writing to be a bit stilted. The book also needs some additional editing and/or proofing as I found typos among other issues. Towards the end of the book, the author seemed to bounce back to a more natural writing style. The book shows a lot of promise. Skinner, Oregon is a quirky town that embraces its oddness, making it a great setting. I enjoyed the characters, especially Callie's Grandma, and hope they will be developed further in future books.