Chelsea Field - The Killer of Oz

Izzy, her boyfriend, and her holiday-crashing neighbor, Etta, are off to the driest, flattest, and most infertile inhabited continent on earth—where even the cutest of creatures might try to kill you.
But that’s only the beginning of their problems…
A Taste Society courier goes missing.
And twenty-six hours after Izzy lands in Australia, a crocodile is found dead. With a human corpse inside.
Not quite the start to her relaxing holiday she’d been hoping for.
Etta, on the other hand, is ecstatic. Relaxing was never part of her itinerary.
Meanwhile, Izzy’s boyfriend, Connor, is developing a new sympathy for fish out of water. Between trying to win over Izzy’s country-folk parents, preventing Etta from shooting anything, and being enlisted to smuggle a goat into a posh hotel, his day job hunting down criminals has never seemed more appealing.
Then a series of accidents threatens to add Izzy to the body count. Is Australia really that dangerous? Or does someone want Izzy to swim with the fishes crocodiles?

Comment: This is the sixth and final book in this series by Chelsea Field,whose installments I've been reading since late 2022. On one hand, this was a light series,easy to read at any time and for that I feel sad to see it end, on the other even with the assumption this is light, more could have been done to make it stronger.

In this final book, Izzy, Connor and Etta travel to Australia to meet Izzy's parents. What was supposed to be a quiet and simple trip so that Izzy could see her parents after so long and for Connor to meet them at last, of course turns into a mission. One of the Australian tasters is found dead and they find out she was part of an apparent smuggling ring, which means Connor and Izzy decide to investigate, while dealing with the shenanigans around her family reunion. It turns out that the smuggling is connecting to "the grey nomads", older folks who travel by caravan and such all through Australia, and one of them just happens to be someone from Izzy's mother's past. This proves to be a handy excuse to get to know them, but will it be easy to accept what they find?

For me, this story worked out in general, it's pretty much the same vibe and feel of the other books, but if I were to pick apart each detail, I cannot say this will be remembered by me as a favorite. I think that, in part, I feel this because it's the last book and it didn't finish in a premeditated manner,for I think the author had all intention of writing more and, apparently, she decided not due to personal issues. There is a bonus note at the author's website wrapping up some loose threads of the series, which validates this impression.

It is a pity that the series wasn't finished properly, on the page, but things are as they are and I hope the author can return to publishing one day. In regards to this book, is was clearly intended to be continued, considering the end. I mean, things end up well enough for this specific plot, but one or two things are left up in the air, and one more at least would have probably concluded whatever was necessary, but this is what was possible. I cannot say I disliked the end, and I have now read the bonus note, but it's not the same, no.

Anyway, in this book the adventure of searching for clues about the poor taster's death and the recovery of something she was carrying with her, which the grey nomads want to retrieve was the drive behind most of the plot segments, and some scenes were as funny and silly as we've seen in previous installments. I think the Australian references were interesting too and despite the snake and crocodile inclusions I still feel I'd not mind a travel to that country. I think there were enough elements to catch our interest here, but I will confess some elements felt unnecessary.

For instance, I know that Etta's character is meant to be extraordinary and out of the box, but her presence here felt a little too much. I also expected more scenes with Izzy's family and hoped for some cute/bonding scenes between them and Connor. I also assumed we would have more links to the poison tasting, after all having the other taster dying seemed to be the only real reference to it, but all these things were only dealt with superficially. The grey nomads inclusion was interesting, from a cultural and social POV, it also added funny scenes here and there, but it didn't have to be enough.

Izzy remains a very likable heroine, with enough emotional thoughts and feelings to make her somehow vulnerable, but often she sees herself in very odd situations. I do like the quirky aspect of the series for the most part, but I do wish some of the most serious issues the characters face, namely Izzy's, would have had a bit more passion into how they would be used. Sometimes the silly things do go on for a bit too long. 

The case is solved, of course, and the explanation isn't as simple as I imagined, which was an unexpected element, and there were enough things in the whole plot that made the story line captivating. I think the fact the main characters had to be in motion made some things a bit inconvenient and rather pointless, such as "wasting" (let's say) the family reunion, and the presence of Izzy's best friend Lily, whose character was adrift among everything else.

I still had a good time reading this novel, though. It is what it promises and it was light entertainment and many situations made it worth it despite the details I feel weren't as thrilling. I do feel a little sad this is over...

Grade: 7/10

Chelsea Field - Duty and the Beast

Isobel Avery's first six months as an undercover poison taster haven't exactly been easy. But this week will be worse.
Two people with nothing in common are found dead. Apparently poisoned by an artificial intelligence security system. Now Izzy needs to find out whether robots are taking over the world or if there's a geeky murderer on the loose.
Oh, and she also needs to juggle the demands of her personal life--playing along with Etta's latest deception, rehoming a mysteriously acquired stray dog, cheering up her mopey housemate, and helping Harper cut ties with her worst boyfriend yet.
But Izzy's biggest challenge of all will be helping Connor face the demons of his past. And if she fails, she might lose him forever...

Comment: This is the fifth installment in the series featuring poison taster Isobel Avery. The series is a mix of comedy with a murder investigation and this time, somehow, I wasn't as dazzled by this entry, even though it still felt a little above average when compared with other similar types of series.

Isobel is kind of forced to accept a client for the Taste Society and this is only the last straw that compels her boyfriend and mentor Connor to think they should not be together. Izzy is an optimist and will try her best to turn this around but,in the meantime, the client she was reluctant to accept ends up dead and his father is demanding an investigation. While dealing with several other little things, Izzy and Connor - despite the current state of their personal relationship - start interviewing those who are somehow involved in the case leading to the client's murder. Who could it be and why are the questions, but will they learn the truth before more problems reach Izzy?

If I were to think of this series as a set of adventures the main characters had to deal with while navigating their personal lives, then this is quite an engaging one, and probably why I've kept reading. But if I were to wonder why the personal growth of the characters or why the relationships aren't developed with more complexity, this would have always been a frustrating series.

This is why, for the most part, this wasn't as entertaining an installment as others have been, grades aside. I think the idea of the series is a good one, and the characters are likable in their own way, and I have always appreciated the small mix of comedy and seriousness at the right times. Even though there are several silly things per book, I still feel the overall story is a good one, and that includes how I perceive the main characters' relationship.

Sadly to me, the relationship between Izzy and Connor feels stagnated because they are already officially a couple. We also have the limitation of seeing everything through Izzy's eyes and not knowing what Connor is thinking, except in very specific (small) chapters here and there throughout the series. I was hoping this situation would not be an issue and, in fact, could be a way for Izzy to feel confident and more of a believer in her new skills, since someone with more experience is helping her. However, assuming this is why, the author seemed to want to add an element of drama by creating doubts in their relationship, making Connor feel trapped with someone who is more of a risk taker than he imagined.

I will say this is believable, of course, considering the adventures Izzy sees herself in all the time, but he isn't exactly a desk employee either and his reaction seems drastic, even accepting some traumas in his past. In my opinion, this plot choice was only a way to create conflict, so that more development could be included and/or intensified. There is one more book after this one, which makes me wonder if, perhaps, the author could not continue with the series and that makes this installment a little pointless.

In relation to the plot of this book, it had its clever moments of course, and I did not suspect the culprit until a certain point and even then only because it felt rather obvious once a specific element is shared. The methods to reach that conclusion were done well enough, I'd say, and all the shenanigans Izzy and her close group of friends see themselves in was fun as it usually is, which means that, this time and in regards to this book in particular, unlike with most long series I follow, I was actually more interested in the plot than in the characters.

All things considered, this was fine, but not great. I hope the next and final installment will be a great one, to finish off the series.

Grade: 7/10

Chelsea Field - Poison and Prejudice

When Izzy agreed to become an undercover poison taster, she didn’t anticipate that it might involve driving around the streets of Los Angeles with a corpse in the trunk.
Because the police asked her to.
She also didn’t think finding a body together could be considered a bonding experience until she met Connor’s family.
But fate delights in marking its territory all over Izzy’s expectations. And this time she’ll be caught between the powers of Homeland Security, an evil human trafficking ring, and the Taste Society all working toward different ends…

Comment: This is the fourth installment in the series featuring protagonist Isobel Avery, a young woman who has a specific gene which allows her to taste poisons and not die, making her perfect to work for a company that rents the services of their tasters but which also places Isobel in the midst of complicated situations...

In this installment, all seems to go as usual for Isobel, she is now working for Zachary Hill, a famous actor who separated recently and his ex happens to be a famous actress too. However, his ex dies and Isobel feels she should investigate, especially when she and her friends discover Zac and his ex might be involved with human trafficking through a charity foundation they created. As the clues pile up, they find out that there's something even more secretive going on than simple profiting, but will they learn how before Isobel is in danger, yet again?

I had to re-read my comments on the previous book and I'm glad to say that, as I hoped for, this fourth installment went back to be as funnily silly as the first books, and I certainly enjoyed Isobel's shenanigans a lot more here than in book #3. These mysteries aren't complex nor psychologically intense, but make for some cute and entertaining few hours.

These books feature Isobel, a young Australian woman who is living in America after some trouble with her ex, and the dents he left her with to solve. By book four, she is now going on with her life so she can go back home one day, but she is now part of a small group of people, her boyfriend and his sister and mother, her neighbor, her roommate and few other secondary characters. I find these dynamics, always seen from Isobel's POV to be a good mix of silliness and captivating little scenes, and it's easy to want to see what new adventure Isobel finds herself in.

I actually like the way the author plans for these stories. It's true the mysteries investigated aren't anything special nor is this meant to be a complex plot, but the ideas are still fun enough to see exploited. In this book, the investigation is about a possible case of human trafficking, which is a very serious matter, and the way the plans thought by the villains were put into action made all sense. The fact this is a humorous type of mystery means there's a silly/fun side to how the investigation happens - I did laugh at one or two scenes - but it's still nice to think some things should be solved as well as in these books...

Isobel remains a very likable protagonist and her relationship with Connor is still ongoing. I think the romance in this installment clearly took second stage and the scenes between them weren't as vibrant, in fact it felt they were there just because they had to, but a couple of times I did feel they were at the same page. Now I think about the possibility of Isobel going back home ...perhaps she won't or things will be solved more easily than I think, in regards to this.

Considering the type of book this is, some situations are dealt with some lightness. I do wish this wasn't so, because I think there are subjects that should be developed in a more serious way, mostly the ones regarding the cases but knowing this doesn't diminish the ability to plan for a plot to make sense. I do like this part of the author's skills but some things are just too vague, too much left in the air. I'd like to see more obvious plans in place, in a way even regarding Isobel's life. Still, apparently there are two books yet in the series and I'll finish it at some point, perhaps what I envision for Isobel might happen in the meantime.

Grade: 8/10

Chelsea Field - The Poison is the New Black

When Mr. Black becomes the top suspect in a murder investigation, Isobel Avery is roped into helping Etta, her Glock, and her greyhound clear his name.
Except her boyfriend Connor is warning her to stay out of it, the new client she’s protecting from poison threats requires her full attention, and oh yeah, Izzy thinks Mr. Black might be guilty… He did once try to beat her to a pulp after all.
To make matters worse, Etta and Izzy aren’t the only ones digging in to this case, and the other parties are a whole lot more dangerous. And if Mr. Black didn’t do it, then the real killer is still out there and might not appreciate their interference.
As Izzy struggles to make sure the right bad guy goes to prison, find her footing in her new romantic relationship, and integrate herself into her client’s alien world of high-society ladies—the same world the victim is from—she’d better watch out for poisons, vengeance, and firebombs.
*** Includes bonus short story: Taste of Christmas ***

Comment: This is the third installment in the series featuring heroine Izzy Avery. Izzy is a Poison  Taster, someone with the ability to detect poisons which don't affect her as it does to other people and she is now living in America working as a taster and trying to earn enough to pay the debts she left in Australia...

In this third novel, things have improved for Izzy, she is finally making regular money and her debts' payment is steady, she likes what she does, she has friends and her first client Connor is now simply her boyfriend. However, Izzy can't seem to get out of trouble and she is convinced by her neighbor to help mr Black, the enforcer who went after her when her payments weren't enough. Now Izzy feels she has to help the man, since he actually helped her then, but the case proves to be way more tricky. Izzy and her neighbor play being detectives but when things become too difficult to solve, can Connor help them?

In this book, the Taster work Izzy does seems to have a secondary role and the focus of the story is on the investigation Izzy and elderly neighbor Etta do to prove the innocence of Mr Black, the enforcer who we've met in book #1, when he was following Izzy, so she could be "reminded" of the debts she had to pay. Such a meeting would not suggest Izzy would see mr Back as more than the proof her life wasn't on track, but now that it is, she actually feels like helping.

Obviously, this is evidence Izzy is a good person, quite a softie in fact, and she wants to help as soon as she also meets mr Black's wife and daughter, who firmly believe the innocence of their provider. On one hand, I've felt this plot was a bit too limited and I wasn't always as fond of the process, especially because the Taster side of things wasn't as important (it seemed so) and this means Izzy's need to do this or that didn't feel as necessary either. Basically, some situations were a little boring to read through.

I like mr Black, he is described as an enforcer by force, since he had lost his job and his aspect is intimidating, so being an enforcer would work, but he too is a man who doesn't feel the need to hurt others and would like another work. Others misjudged him or are using him as a scapegoat of some kind, but I confess the details related to him and his role in this plot weren't truly fascinating to me...

I did like how the writing style is pretty much the same and I like how there are some interesting and serious tidbits here and there, which makes me more interested in the character development. I like Izzy and how she thinks, how she goes through her emotions... of course, as the story moves along, it can seem a little unfair how we can only guess Connor's intentions by dialogue or interactions and Izzy can be a little distracted sometimes... I hope this details will be better developed as the books progress.

The romance, which is now officially such, was also a bit superficially addressed, after all they are together but things seem to go too slow and not even the two or three sentences Connor says to appease Izzy's doubts convinced me the balance between plot and romance was being well accomplished here. Perhaps I wasn't int he right mood but this book did seem a little less vibrant and fun as the others were before.

All things considered, this was my least favorite book of the series, but I'm confident the next one might be better.

An interesting note, my ebook edition had a bonus, a shoert story with Izzy visiting Connor's mother and sister to spend Christmas. It was cute and had a small Taster scene but I'd say it was more a slice of life than a short story.

Grade: 7/10

Chelsea Field - The Hunger Pains

Isobel Avery is on her second assignment as an undercover poison taster for Los Angeles's rich and famous. And she’s actually enjoying herself. Until her sweet, agoraphobic client mysteriously leaves the safety of his apartment and winds up dead.
When crucial evidence goes missing, investigator Connor Stiles will need Izzy's inside knowledge to help track down the killer. But despite three months of absence to make Connor’s heart grow fonder, he doesn't seem pleased to be working with her again. The LAPD commander is even less pleased to have Izzy on the case since he considers her a suspect and, even worse, a mere civilian. To top it all off, her least favorite relative in the whole wide world drops by for an unexpected visit.
Meanwhile, the killer is destroying anything that might link back to them. Including Izzy if she's not careful.
In this fun-packed romantic sequel to Eat, Pray, Die, join Izzy as she learns where she stands with the enigmatic Connor and tries to put another bad guy behind bars.

Comment: This is the second installment in the Humorous Mystery series by Chelsea Field. I was positively surprised by how enjoyable the first book ended up being, and I decided I would want to read this one too, which proved to be as entertaining.

In this second story, heroine Izzy is once again working with a client as a Poison Taster, and she is very glad with this mission, for Ernest, the client, is a sweet man, prone to conspiracy theories he blogs about, but being agoraphobic, Izzy's job is a pretty calm one. The problem is that, the night he decides to leave the apartment on his own for some reason, he is killed and Izzy follows the clues and eventually finds his body. Of course Izzy calls the authorities and her former boss Connor and they investigate what could have happened to Ernest, a task that isn't as easy as it seems because no one seemed to ill wish Ernest, even those who might dislike his blog... but the investigation has to start somewhere...

Although this might not be considered novella size, it's pretty close to it, because the story isn't very long. In a way, I liked that things were concise and straight to the point... the aim of these novels is clearly one of cozy mystery vibe which means the plots don't stray too far from what is ongoing. Nevertheless, I was glad because we also have what can be considered as some personal development for Izzy and Connor...

I had my doubts in the first book regarding Izzy. She seemed to be too air headed and a little "fluffy", despite the amount of problems she had, with the loan sharks and being away from her family. But I'm happy to say she has grown on me and now I'm quite interested in seeing what she will do next and how her life improves. I like how the author has two main issues to focus on: Izzy and her life, and the mystery plots she sees herself in. It's clear the evolution of the character, including her romantic entanglement with Connor, will be a slow paced one, but in a way that's good, to better savor it.

I'm also invested in picking new details about her life, and although this is on the light/humorous side, perhaps it's only me who sees it that way, but the little things about her life, such as how she misses her parents, how she feels about having been deceived by her ex, about losing her business...all these little things make me think of Izzy as someone with more depth and more sad emotions than the ones she projects on the page... obviously, this makes me like her more.

The romance is not yet a romance, just a possibility but, I mean, the fun is to see how they might start seeing one another though a different lens the more they get to know each other. The fact we only have Izzy's POV should be restricting but unlike in other romance novels, in here I don't mind it much, because Izzy is a charming character to follow. Plus she likes to read!

The secondary characters are all interesting in their own way, some more than others, but I think the cast is diverse enough - personality wise I mean - to make their interactions cute.

As for the plot about Ernest and why he died... I mean, this isn't one of those super complex thriller plots where the links and hints are all a maze, but the small development of why and who felt satisfying enough. I think the author chose to purposely keep things simple, the clues aren't hard to pinpoint and when we have an explanation, it makes sense, especially thinking on how Izzy and Connor went on in their investigation and tried to provoke the killer to a self exposure.

All in all, this was a cute novel, yes, with fun and cute moments, some serious vibe and tone here and there, and apart from some pacing and forced/stilted interactions, I had a great time reading this one. I will certainly carry on with the series.

Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Chelsea Field - Eat, Pray, Die

Being an undercover poison taster for the rich and famous might sound glamorous, but for Isobel Avery it means stomaching bad clients and even worse coffee.
The one side of the job that lives up to expectations is the money. Which is just as well for Izzy, since she needs an awful lot of it. Who knew when she made a lifelong commitment to a man that it would be one year living with him and the rest of her life paying for it?
But even her scoundrel ex-husband doesn’t look so bad compared to her new client. He’s competent, condescending, and annoyingly attractive, and Izzy doesn’t know whether to sleep with him or poison him herself. Throw in a loan-shark, a nosy neighbor, and a murder attempt, and Izzy will have her work cut out for her.

Comment: It's been practically six years since I got interested in this book, in a very aloof manner, after seeing some comments by someone who liked it. I remember the person found this story cute and now, after all this time, reading the TBR challenge's theme for this month as "flirting with danger" I thought a light comedy with action scenes would fit this quite well.

In this cozy mystery/ comedy action we meet heroine Isobel "Izzy" Avery, an Australian who traveled all the way to the US to escape the loan company she owes a lot of money to, all because of her ex husband, who deceived her and left her a huge debt. Izzy knows she will have to pay but for that she need to have the money and when the chance to earn it comes along, she doesn't say no.

Izzy becomes a taste tester for poison thanks to a weird feature in her blood or organism which makes her more tolerant than regular people and this makes her a perfect employee for the company Taste, which works with the wealthier people in California. Her new boss is in charge of the cases going their way and Izzy is his partner for he can't be a taster. Their first case seems to be divided between two famous chefs, while they also investigate what happened to Izzy's mentor while she was learning about being a Taster... but could it be the two cases are connected after all?

At first, I confess the story wasn't grabbing me but perhaps it had something to do with other distractions around me the moment I've started... as soon as I could focus better, the story started to feel more interesting and fun to read. What felt slightly silly became something cozier and I started to like Izzy a lot more as well. This is told in first person by Izzy but I've found her "voice" to be appealing, which is half way to make a story more successful to me when the narrator is in first person.

I'd describe this as being along the lines of a cozy mystery... something not totally set on the usual "iron rules" of most thrillers or mysteries, so anyone reading it can suspend disbelief a bit... but as Izzy went on her learning adventure on what it means to be a Taster, I think the "flirting with danger" theme felt like a good fit... Avery does use her skills, not as a flirt per se, but as likable person and what could be a complicated situation, feels funnier and easier to follow.

The mystery content was intriguing enough, but clearly the author's intention was on keeping things simple and with a lot crazy stuff so that the clues don't become too obvious too quickly. There's Izzy's older funny neighbor, there's her boss who is both very confident and helpful, there's the enforcer-styled guy who is sent by the shark loaner so that Izzy doesn't forget about her debt and there's the way Izzy deals with suspects, namely one of the famous chef, who turns out to be a weird guy and possibly a rapist as well. All these elements are combined in such a way that it feels as if a lot is ongoing, but the actual advance is quite little.

Of course the funny part of to see how Izzy deals with everything and it is true some scenes are very cute and sometimes silly, but in the good sense of the word. I also liked how there are so many little things which allow us to make up our minds about the characters. For instance, Izzy might seem a flirty immature person who got herself involved with a shark loaner, but we learn how that came to be and we also learn she cares about her parents, thus the distance, so make whomever looks for her to realize her parents are innocent.

There is also a bit of romance hinted at here and there. Izzy and her boss Connor seem to have a complicated relationship in the sense he acts as if he's so much more mature and knowledgeable but her skills are unique, so he needs her help. It is obvious they will become more than boss and employee (to be clear: she works for the Taste company which Connor hired, meaning there isn't a direct employee/boss connection if one thinks about the legal and moral aspects), but I assume the intensity of their feelings will increase as the installments go...

I can imagine the future books will go along these lines too, small things advancing the reader's opinion on the characters and the things they have to do while a lot of quirky situations and things seem to be just a distraction until the mysteries are solved. I think I will read the next one too and if that one is as interesting, I'll probably finish the series. This isn't the most complex story, no, but for those who like the genre it is a very entertaining and ingenious story.

All in all, a good story for me. 

Grade: 8/10