“Defeated by age, wisdom, and subterfuge weaponized by two sneaky ladies with CIA-level skills. They should have been undercover operatives. Knowing these two, maybe they were. They sure proved they could keep a secret.”
Kasey is on her last chance at her business investment firm in DC. She has never been able to hold a job and has no idea what her role is even supposed to be. So when she’s put on the spot to come up with a pitch to save her skin, our babbling & bubbly lead panics: She suggests investing in Mags’ Desserts, her family’s pie business back home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
There’s just one problem, though. Her gram, Magnolia, and her partner, Aunt Celia, would never sell and can spot bullshit coming a mile away. But Kasey keeps her half-promises and even-less-than-half-truths coming and she winds up in a tangled web of her own making. Especially when Kasey’s longtime crush, Jackson, fans old flames and gets far too involved with her business for comfort. Especially, especially, when she catches whispers of Gram and Celia serving poisoned pies to abusive husbands who wind up dead. Whew, girl, what mess has Kasey got herself into?
As someone blessed with a formidable grandmother, as well as a dear friend (RIOTUS’ own Sherin) who is from Winston-Salem and now lives in DC, The Usual Family Mayhem was destined to be a big hit with me. I couldn’t resist this title and, if you’re into the family business of vigilante justice with a dash of cinnamon, you won’t be able to resist either.
Kasey is undeniably chaotic, often frustrating but always hilarious as she collects fibs like Pokémon and leaves them trailing behind to bite her in the ass every time. Jackson is a charming love interest, balancing out Kasey with calm confidence but truly coming alive when they’re together. And his father Harlan is a great antagonist, as smooth-talking as a politician and just as sneaky. Coupled with Kasey’s too-big-for-their-boots investment firm, who comes knocking at the most inconvenient times, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for disaster; the suits will trigger your squeamish side as they try to slimeball their way in.
“My stomach performed the same tumble it had back then. I might be older, but I appeared to be not one inch wiser when it came to Jackson Quaid.”
But it’s the star bakers who steal the show: Gram is the Southern lady with all the sass and knowledge of “proper” etiquette to weaponize it to the greatest effect. Celia is the calming presence at her side, plying others with sweet treats to remind them of who they’re dealing with. Watching them conspire and strengthen one another will make you want to call the matriarchs in your own life; Kasey is lucky to have them.
The twists take unexpected and highly enjoyable routes as nothing is as it seems and the messes grow more and more unhinged. The payoff at the end might not have quite the sugar rush you were hoping for but the recipe is still sweet and delicious. Author HelenKay Dimon’s writing is witty and sharp, keeping you on your toes while also letting you in on the jokes, even if the characters haven’t caught up yet. I giggled the whole way through. There are also some darker emotional moments that serve to make the characters more endearing, placed well within the overall amusing narrative.
The Usual Family Mayhem is a delightful read that mixes family, murder-mystery, and romance and serves it up with a side of pecan pie (or apple, or lemon icebox, or coconut cream—whatever your heart desires). Dig in and enjoy!
