"C" Is for Coochy Coo

Malibu Mystery #3

by Rebecca Cantrell

The third book in the brand new fast-paced, funny series that's perfect for fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books.
Former child star Sofia Salgado is finding her feet as a trainee investigator at Malibu detective agency, Maloney Investigations, when a new case throws her, and everyone else at the agency, for a loop.
Maloney Investigations are drafted in to help thirteen-year-old Daniel find his birth father. There’s only one snag. According to Daniel’s mom, former Los Angeles party girl, Candy, there’s more than one candidate. A lot more!

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Audiobook, Fiction

246 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 24, 2016

About the author

A few years ago Rebecca Cantrell quit her job, sold her house, and moved to Hawaii to write a novel because, at seven, she decided that she would be a writer. Now she writes the award-winning Hannah Vogel mystery series set in Berlin in the 1930s. “A Trace of Smoke,” "A Night of Long Knives," "A Game of Lies," and "A City of Broken Glass." She also co-writes the Order of Sanguines series with James Rollins, starting with the upcoming book 1: "The Blood Gospel." And she writes the iMonster series as Bekka Black, including "iDrakula" and "iFrankenstein."

A faded pink triangle pasted on the wall of Dachau Concentration Camp and time in Berlin, Germany in the 1980s inspired “A Trace of Smoke.” Fluent in German, she received her high school diploma from the John F. Kennedy Schule in Berlin and studied at the Freie Universität in Berlin and the Georg August Universität in Göttingen.

When she visited Berlin in the summer of 2006, she was astounded to discover that many locations in her novel have been rebuilt and reopened in the last few years, including the gay bar El Dorado and the Mosse House publishing house.

Her short story “Coffee” will appear in the “Missing” anthology in February 2009.

Her screenplay “The Humanitarian” was a finalist at Shriekfest 2008: The Los Angeles Horror/Sci-fi Film Festival. Her screenplay “A Taste For Blood” was a finalist at the Shriekfest 2007: The Los Angeles Horror/Sci-fi Film Festival.

As of this writing, she lives in Berlin with her Ironman husband and son.

Reviews

[itchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

brief synopsis:
maloney investigations help a client establish the paternity of a very sick boy.

setting:
california

named personalities:
sofia 's-dawg' salgado - trainee investigator with maloney investigations
aidan 'a-dog', 'mayo man' maloney - a senior investigator and son of the agency's owner
brendan 'brendy' maloney - the agency's owner
violet - sofia's niece
emily - sofia's sister
ray - sofia's brother-in-law
grace - violet's teacher
tim - sofia's stepdad
jack - the original owner of jack's gym
luis cordabre - a former prize fighter turned boxing trainer
fred - a seagull
phil - a moron doctor
oprah - a celebrity who introduced dr phil to the general public
daniel - a kid waiting for a kidney transplant
candice 'candy' collins - daniel's mom; maloney investigations' client
thomas 'mo', 'tom' busch - a plastic surgeon
harvey lemon - a venture capitalist
wes 'the impregnator' adams aka veronica adams - a lakers legend
gray cole - sofia's neighbor and possibly her closest friend and confidant
josé - a good-looking waiter at moonshadows
mcconaughey - an actor who beat gray at the oscars
van - sofia's nephew
brad - a celebrity who adopted children
angelina - brad's wife
tex - sofia's elderly neighbor
samantha - a perky blonde girl at sunlife organics
alejandro - a polygraph operator
mark sitzen - daniel's nephrologist
clark kent - a guy who made hotter by wearing glasses
nathaniel 'nate' kaufmann - a businessman
walt disney - an entrepreneur
marilyn monroe - a celebrity with a childish voice
leonardo da vinci - a miracle worker
paul - a saint
fabio - an italian with flowing hair and rippling chest
donald trump - a business man
gary witter - a british transplant to california who worked as an actuary
george clooney - a fictitious person whol looks after kid(!?)
marcella - harvey's secretary
woody allen - a comedian
josh walters - a nightclub and restaurant owner
madame la rue - a drag queen
todd bresinowitz - a barman
bill clinton - famous for the creepy two-handed shake
roberto - another possible dad for daniel
bruce jenner aka caitlyn - a transgender
janet - sofia's mom
jordan - some kid
scott - a strikingly handsome young college student
cj - another kid
beth - a delicate teenager with pale skin and light brown hair
julia - still another kid
michelle - a thin blonde girl
keyshon - the last of them kids

dang, that's a whole lotta kids!

[Lilmissmolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

C Is For Coochy Coo is a laugh out loud book with tongue in cheek humor that reminds me of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. It's what I call "brain candy" - one can sit back, relax, and enjoy it without having to think too much about the plot or world issues.

The story centers around Sofia Salgado who is a former child TV star who used to solve mysteries on her show. Now as an adult, she desires to do something that is good and worthwhile. So, she turns to learning how to be a professional Private Investigator and is a trainee at Maloney Investigations. In this particular story, Sofia and her PI instructor, Aiden, partner up to track down the biological father of a 13 year old boy desperately in need of a kidney transplant. It turns out there are over a dozen different candidates, including a baseball team! The relationship between Sofia and Aiden is testy with each one throwing zingers left and right just like Castle and Beckett did in the early Castle days.

I listened to the Audible version of this book narrated by Madeline Mrozek who did a wonderful job. She really brought the characters to life, using a variety of voices and giving each character their own distinct voice. Her smooth overtones and subtle character nuances made for a very enjoyable experience. I received a copy of this audiobook from the narrator via Audiobook Blast at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is the third book in the Malibu Mystery series by Sean Black and Rebecca Cantrell. I have not yet listened to or read the other books in the series, but didn't feel lost at all or like I missed major plot points by not listening to the two previous books in the series. After enjoying this one immensely, with multiple laugh out loud moments, I'll definitely give the other Malibu Mysteries a try!

[Imjussayin · Rating 2 out of 5]

"C" is for Coochy Coo : Malibu Mystery 3
Chronological order recommended.

In A Nutshell: Daniel is dying from kidney failure. His mother needs to find his father because he could be a donor match. His father could be one of many successful men including half the football team! Enter Maloney investigations to track down Dad. A fun read that uses a light touch to deal with modern social issues. But you have to read it to find out which one(s). 👍🏽

The Protagonists: Sofia Salgado was the child star of a hit series called The Half Pint Detective. But fame and fortune was not her dream but that of her sister. A frustrated Sofia, age 22, wants something more meaningful. And she may have found it in detecting. Sofia is amusing and given her current life choice, earnest.

The Plot:Maloney investigations have to track down the father of a dying boy from a pool of successful men. It means obtaining a DNA sample from each person.

The book begins with an amusing scenario. Aiden and Sofia are following Brendon Maloney, Aiden's father and Sofia's boss. And from there the book held my attention even though I found it less amusing than previous stories, perhaps because it was cliched.

One thing that is consistent in this series is the colourful cast of characters. Both of Daniel's parents fit that mould which is a lovely contrast to the straight-laced Brendon Maloney. Aiden Maloney, on the other hand, is like an annoying little schoolboy. Except in this story, he shows a more human side. Pity, it did not ring true!

I recommend this book to those who like a light mystery that is cosy but not twee.

Enjoyable.

Connect with me on Twitter and FB
See all my reviews
Check out my blog on imjussayin

Book Rating
Sexual Content: U
Language: U
Violent: U
Would I read the next one or reread ?: Yes

My rating system (* = star)
0* Could not finish this book (waste of time)
1*Finished the book but didn't like it not fulfilled
2* Finished the book it was okay.
3* A good read worth your time.
4* An excellent read often with a novel concept or unusual plot.
5* A magnificent read. A prominent example of the genre.

[Tara Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

**This review is for the audiobook on Audible.**

'C' is for Coochy Coo by Sean Black & Rebecca Cantrell, narrated by Madeline Mrozek is Book 3 in the Malibu Mystery series. (I'll let you read the plot synopsis on your own, so I don't give away any spoilers.) The writing by Black & Cantrell is so well-planned and written. Although this could be considered a stand-alone, I think it is much more enjoyable if you start at the beginning of the series. I say that only because at first, I didn't. I started with Book 5 ('E' is for Exposed) and enjoyed it so much that I went back and bought all of them! This one (Book 3) is definitely my favorite of the first three books. Its funny characters and fast-paced storyline will keep you fully engaged from start to finish. I found myself laughing out loud quite often. Hang on tight....this is one hilarious and entertaining ride!

Narrator Madeline Mrozek, again, puts on a first-class performance, making this an enjoyable and easy listen. She is a master of pulling listeners in right from the start, especially through character dialogue. The voices (and tones-of-voice) she uses for each character are so good, and I always feel like I'm right there solving the case alongside my Malibu Mystery BFFs. Mrozek has definitely chosen the perfect career for herself, as she makes the not-so-easy job of narration look like and sound like a piece-of-cake. Bravo!

'C' is for Coochy Coo: Malibu Mystery, Book 3 by Sean Black & Rebecca Cantrell, narrated by Madeline Mrozek gets a 5 out of 5 rating. Listening to this series on audio has actually made me look forward to those nightly traffic jams after work! I can't get enough! :-) I recommend this audiobook and series to those who appreciate well-developed characters and enjoy humorous mysteries & fast-moving plots. Also, if you are on the hunt for a new favorite narrator, stop looking. This one's for you! Do yourself a favor and give this one a try...I'm confident you, too, will be back for more!

Thank you for reading my review. I hope it was helpful. Happy listening. :-)

[doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cantrell and black/ C is for coochy coo

In this series is more of showing Aiden more human side of his character the Maloney detective agency goes on the hunt to try to find whose the father of a young boy who need him due to being in critical condition . The snag is the mother doesn't know who could be the father as she has had more than one encounter like a half dozen .Do not want to give the story away but time is not on their side . This seri e is more mellow .

[andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was still a decent read...but i marked it down from a typical 3 star enjoyable book just because the mystery here isnt actually a crime but rather a paternity search for an organ donor match. The book still had the humor and banter I enjoy from the previous 2...but i just didnt care for the storyline as it felt a little Hallmark holiday special. I will continue with series however and hope that it returns to typical crime storylines.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another funny PI book in this series. This book starts wth Sofia and Aiden thinking there was something wrong with their boss (and Aidens dad), Brandon. This wasn’t the case...but the case turned out to be a bit more complicated....find the dad of a sick kid..shouldnt be hard right? Well it can be, if there are about 10 potential dads to sort through. Light funny read.

[Beckie Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love this series. This is quite different than the previous two. No crime. As the series goes on, I appreciate the small parts that Tex, Van and Violet play. The comic relief is refreshing. Those kids...oye vey... they're something else. The chemistry btwn Aidan and Sofia is more like brother and sister...or so it seems. Don't wanna judge, but damn Candice!

[Pandora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for putting a giant smile on your face

I haven't gotten to enjoy reading about coworkers squabbling since Stephanie Plum. Sean Black and Rebecca Cantrell have all the right chemistry to make this a wildly successful series. Thank you for a fun ride!

[Jan L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cozy with Conscience

This series is just fun to read! Never a dull moment or normal character! Sofia appears to be the model for the ditzy California girl until suddenly you see her vulnerable & compassionate side. Definitely look forward to the next book!

[E'Who'Reads'a'Thousand'Mysteries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and exciting

Another exciting piece of a high quality series! The three dimensional characters range from adorable to enraging, the dialogue sounds natural, and the storytelling is a fresh take on a very high stakes investigation.

[Linda Dillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Different Storyline

This book was a surprise from start to finish. It was very different from the first two books in the series. It was a nice change of pace.

[Shiv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this and Sofia and Aidan's slightly wierd flirtation. Fascinating characters - can't wait for more

[LoriSpeer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great series with great characters! I’ve loved all the books so far!

[Regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the subject matter is serious and kidney failure and dialysis could have been explained in a more detailed way (I, for one, would have liked to hear why Daniel's kidneys were failing and he had to be on dialysis), this was a light and thoroughly entertaining listen. You can pick up the series here and not feel like you are missing a lot of backstory. This is a standalone book.

The dialogue between Sofia and Aiden was really dynamic and did remind me of Stephanie Plum with a more West Coast rhythm than the harder edge of the Plum series. At one point, they were talking with Daniel's mother, and trying to get the names of all the potential father's to track down in hopes of a getting a match for Daniel for a kidney transplant. Aiden kept texting innuendo's to Sofia. It had me laughing in my car by myself.

The book is about the Malibu Detective Agency taking on a pro bono case in order to help locate a 13 year old boy's biological father in the hopes of obtaining a match for a kidney transplant. Daniel's kidneys are failing...rapidly. The only problem is Daniel's mother was a LA party girl and there are a lot of potential fathers to try to get DNA matches from.

For me, the narration was excellent! Madeline Mrozek voiced each character differently and nailed both Sofia and Candy, while doing an awesome job on all the other characters as well. Her cadence, timing, and inflection were really good as well. I really enjoyed listening to her and will look for other books narrated by her.

In the end, would I listen to the rest of the series based from my experience listening to this one? Yes! They are already in my wish list.

I received this audiobook for free through Audiobook Boom! in exchange for an honest review.

[Su Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading "C" is for Coochy Coo (Malibu Mystery Book 3) by New York Times and International bestselling authors Rebecca Cantrell and Sean Black. There are a few authors I have labeled as "Wizards of Words" and Rebecca Cantrell is one of them. She has the power with a pen to bring to life some of the strongest female characters in print. I do believe I now need to add Sean Black to that esteemed list. They are in a groove writing these characters and bringing them to life. These books are a collaboration of seamlessly intertwined dialogue, but I find myself trying to guess, after reading certain lines, "which of the two wrote that?"
This third outing finds Sofia standing on a little bit firmer ground in terms of experience with her job at the Malibu detective agency, Maloney Investigations. We also see a softer side of Aidan, too. These two are well on their way to becoming a dynamic duo. Our favorite investigators are hired to establish paternity in a medical case. They need to find young Daniel's birth father. There's more than a few obstacles hindering Sofia's and Aidan's search. This case hits close to home for Sofia, whose own father walked out on his family when she was young. Even with the seriousness of the storyline, there is still a lot of humor to keep you laughing. Each book I read makes me that much more anxious to read the next one. Looking forward to "D" is for Drunk!

[Rosemary K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sofia Salgado left her acting career so that she could help people. Now she's a trainee investigator at Maloney Investigations. She's had her ups and downs with her new career, but her current assignment breaks her heart. She needs to help thirteen year old Daniel find his birth father. The teenager needs a kidney transplant. What should be easy gets complicated very quickly. The boy's mother has no idea who the father is. They need to work overtime to save Daniel. Sofia is a wonderful character. She's strong willed and determined. I love how she's never at a loss regardless the situation and always has a sassy retort. When you put her an Aidan together, you know there will be plenty of action. These two are like oil and water. I'm enjoying this series. Once I picked up this book, I was hooked. This story had it all. There's an intriguing plot that has surprising twists, interesting characters and lively dialogue. I can't wait for Sofia's next adventure.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun Read!

No murders in this one, just a former child TV star turned professional P.I. trying to track down the biological father of a 13 yr. old boy desperately in need of a kidney transplant. Since the mom was a big party girl there are lots of candidates to check into!

I love the banter between Sofia & her partner Aiden. He can be a tool at times, but then he says or does something that redeems him. The dialogue was sarcastic at times, but super funny! There were some really nice twists & turns & a few heart wrenching moments. But all in all, a great read in a very interesting series!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knocked it out of the Ballpark!

This Malibu Mystery, by Sean Black and Rebecca Cantrell, challenged me a bit. Discovered that I’m a bit more prudish than I ever would have thought. C IS FOR CHOOCHY COO helped me loosen up and laugh out loud (you should have heard me trying to explain it to a friend sitting next to me! Had her cracking up, too.) If you’re in need of laughter and a quick little get away from the stresses of life, definitely give Malibu Mysteries a try! I’m thoroughly enjoying the antics of Sofia Salgado, Brendan and Aidan Maloney and their cases at Maloney Investigations. Eagerly awaiting the next in the series, D IS FOR DRUNK.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."

This is the third book in the series. I love books that re-visit original characters while introducing new ones as well. The books keep growing and the characters are being developed more with each book. This story line touches on humorous as well as serious subjects. I didn't want to stop listening, but one does have to sleep sometime. I'm looking foreword to the next installment!!!!


The narration was well done. The characters were excellently portrayed.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. The two investigators, Sofia and Aidan, are destined to get together. I just know it but not yet. So far they just snipe at each other and get the job done. this is a very timely story. they are looking for the father of a sick child and they must investigate several males and get DNA samples. There is quite a bit of humor involved and they have a couple of mis-steps but they persevere as only they can. This is a great series. Give yourself a break from the murder, mayhem, and sex and read this book. It is funny and clever. Very refreshing.

[Deborah Wall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and touching

Sofia is an ex-child star, now a grown up detective living in one of those million dollar trailers in Malibu. The mysteries are oddball and amusing, owing much to current headlines done with a twist. Reading about a funny, gutsy heroine is a pleasure and I am looking forward to the next story.

[Cathy]

A different kind of mystery with Sofia's usual charm and wit.
Colorful characters, interesting situations, twists and turns and a little bit of a heartfelt message that kind of slipped in.
Good story, thoroughly enjoyed it..
Sofia gets better with each story.

[Amy Gennaro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, all of Rebecca's books. This is an okay series. Very derivative from Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. I am not saying that I won't read them, I just think that she has done much more imaginative work---like the Joe Tesla series.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and fun read. It gives me a break from some of the heavy books I just finished.

[Lynn W Stubenrauch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nail biter!

Book 3 is back with all the great characters and an entirely new storyline that has a bit of a time crunch involved as well as being a life-and-death situation. Still very humorous and interesting along with the seriousness of the situation. I'm really enjoying this series! I'm on to book 4!

[Louise Pass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light amusing reading

This series has so far been enjoyable, strong characters, and unique situations, handled lightly, even for the more serious issues, in this case gender rolls and sexual history. And who wouldn't want a sea gull as a pet.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is third in the Malibu Mystery series featuring a former child star turned private investigator. This one has her agency looking for the father of a young teen who needs a kidney transplant. Unfortunately his mom is not a match, and is not sure who the father is, so they have to track down 12 possible fathers, plus half a baseball team and ask them to take a DNA test. Apparently her taste back then was not so great, so they have quite a variety of men to find and talk into the test. Although this is obviously a serious subject, there were quite a few humorous scenes here. This series is good to read when you don't want to think much, but do want to enjoy a funny story.