abused woman turned defender of same gets involved with mafia in missing boy case

There's not too much to like about the town where Stella resides. There are lots of men hanging out in bars and the women who wait for them to come home. And, there is abuse by the husband, or lover who likes to leave marks on his women.

Stella had her share of abuse. After years of passivity, she couldn't take anymore. She took a wrench and smashed it over her husband's head. She got off when people defended her, and many thought he had it coming to her.

Now, Stella runs a shop where women can get their sewing machines fixed, and buy notions and material. However, she has a side job, and that position helps women who ar weary of abuse. She doesn't kill them; she simply gives a loud and clear warning.

When young Chrissy stops are her house, the stakes are highter. Chrissy's little boy is gone. He is stolen by one of her former husbands.

It is up to Stella and Chrissy to find the boy before the mafia keeps him.

This is a great escape book, filled with humor. There is profanity and some vivid descriptions of those who met their fate. ( )

Stella took her own abusive husband out of the picture with a wrench just before her 50th birthday. Now, she helps other women escape abusive situations with her own brand of justice. Stella skates on pretty thin legal ice so she tries to steer clear of the local sheriff but he's just so darn attractive! In this first book of the series, Stella helps Chrissy Shaw track down her baby, most likely stolen by an abusive ex who may have gotten himself mixed up with the mob. Sophie Littlefield's story lines may not always be believable but Stella is an admirable, tough character who has endured a lot in life and isn't about to take any more crap. Light, fun reading but not a cozy - contains a fair amount of violence and profanity. The audiobook narrator does a far better job with female than male characters. ( )

If you’ve followed my reviews for a while you will know that the books I am drawn to do not normally have people carrying guns on the cover. I have been trying to read more mysteries lately though, and I liked that this one had a bit of suspense and a dash of humor. Most important of all though – it entertained me without scaring me.

I saw the author speak at the Tucson Festival of Books and she talked about how things change in the way people treat you when you reach a certain age. After a very bad day, she couldn’t take it anymore and decided to write about someone acting out on those frustrations as a way of coping. She wanted to write about someone who was like an average real person: middle-aged, out of shape and single after surviving a very bad marriage.

Then again, Stella Hardesty, being a fictional character, can get away without things that would get a real person into a lot of trouble. She’s hard as nails and has no problem with vigilante justice, which isn’t that surprising considering how she snapped one day and clubbed her husband over the head, killing him after years of mistreatment. Now she takes justice into her own hands and teaches lessons to other bad husbands and boyfriends. She doesn’t want to kill or maim, but she’s not above putting the fear of God into these miserable men, and her techniques are not always legal.

The author said that she had a hard time selling the story at first because she was told that people don’t want to read about characters like hers; that skinny, leggy, busty, tall blonde bombshells the ideal characters. She persisted though, and her book, A Bad Day for Sorry, ended up being an Edgar Finalist for Best First Novel.

What did I think of it? Well, it was definitely a fun and entertaining story. I read most of it on my flight back from Tucson. It’s an unusual mix of humor and mystery coupled with the more serious side of the vigilante justice. It’s definitely not a book for kids. Some of the language and topics are graphic, although nothing is really over the top. I think I’m more sensitive than most to violent details or psychological suspense (I can’t stand CSI-type shows or horror flicks), and so I was pleased that this book had enough going on to keep me worried about the characters, but not so much that I was terrified.

This was a good light read and a fun way to pass the time while on an airplane. I plan to read the next book in the series in order to get a better feel for the author’s writing. This type of mystery is not something I’d want to read all of the time, but would be fun as an occasional indulgence. ( )

Gritty and ebullient, A BAD DAY FOR SORRY creates a menopausal super hero that I couldn't help but root for. Stella Hardesty definitely carries flavors of Stephanie Plum (complete with cute cop), but Stella faces a much darker, realistic set of consequences. I particularly enjoyed the peak under Stella's cape, where she learns not only about her own business, but also about what others are capable of.

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