February 5th, 2013 
(Photo Credit: Kensington Books)
“As usual, I was the only male in the room, the rest of the waiting parents being moms who were either just coming or on the way to spinning class or a tennis match or whatever else the moms of Rose Petal did during the day. I was an anomaly in Rose Petal – a father who stayed at home – and was regularly viewed with a raised eyebrow whenever I ventured somewhere new during a time of the day when most other dads were at a desk.”
The uneventful life of full-time dad Deuce Winter took an interesting turn, in the first book of the Stay At Home Dad Mysteries series, when he decided to become a part-time detective. In this hilarious new installment authored by Jeffrey Allen (alter-ego of national best-selling mystery writer Jeff Shelby), a small Texas town has to deal with the disappearance of the local youth soccer league president and the theft of the league’s funds. With the help of his quirky and unlikely business partner, Deuce will solve the mystery and restore order in the palsy-walsy community of Rose Petal all while successfully juggling his jobs as a full-time parent of a four year old girl, efficient household manager, and loving husband of a high-profile attorney.
Popped Off was a down-right funny read and a very good combination of clever mystery plot and hilarious situation comedy. The book is frothing with laugh-out-loud dialogues, quirky characters (how to forget Deuce’s dad ranting over Facebook, the business partner Victor, or the air-headed but ruthless girls from the college sorority) and some very tender and romantic moments.
The Verdict: I strongly believe that the ability to inject spot-on humor at every turn of a story takes natural talent and a considerable amount of writing skill. For a quick and amusing read, I would recommend the entire series: pick it up from the prequel, Stay At Home Dead, and keep an eye on the upcoming third installment Father Knows Death.
Release Date: September 4, 2012
Publisher: Kensington Books
Author: Jeffrey Allen
