Book Review: Connie Cobbler: Toy Detective
Title: Connie Cobbler: Toy Detective
Connie Cobbler is a toy who had it all. She was the star of her own television series Connie Cobbler and the Pastry Pals. Her face appeared on t-shirts and she even starred in The Pastry Pals Movie. She was one of the brightest stars of Toy Town. Then tragedy struck. Her friend TIFFANY TART accidentally disappeared into the Custard River while filming an episode of Connie Cobbler and the Pastry Pals. Unable to save her friend and spurred on by grief, Connie Cobbler turned away from show business and became a hard boiled, root beer swigging private detective, dedicating her life to protecting the toys of Toy Town.
Connie Cobbler’s day begins with a tough case. BRENDA BOMBSHELL, one of the top stars in Toy Town, needs Connie to find her kidnapped dog. When Connie starts working on the case, she soon figures out that not everything adds up. Clues lead her to the missing pooch, but some clues also suggest that Tiffany Tart’s disappearance might not have been an accident after all. The closer she comes to the truth, it becomes clear that someone wants her out of the picture. Permanently. Calling upon her best friend ACTION JIM, a former action figure who gave up a life of adventure for love, and the rest of her Pastry Pals, Connie sets out to discover what kind of toy would want her gone and solve the case of what really happened to her friend.
Have you ever picked up a book, read the first page and found it so enjoyable that you just breezed through? Connie Cobbler: Toy Detective was that book for me. I picked it up, met Connie and fell in love with the toy based world that James Desalvo built for his readers. An hour later I was done with the book, amazed at the ending, and totally in love!
In case you are wondering, yes, the whole cast of characters in this book are indeed toys! After all, Connie is a toy detective. The reader gets to meet dolls, stuffed animals and action figures of all shapes and sizes. The best part? All the subtle and snide humor that is packed into this story. From the names of the characters, to the way they interact, there is a giggle on every page. Reading this book actually kind of transported me back to the days when I had some of these toys. I laughed over the pull string doll who had to pull her string in order to get a word in edgewise. Ah toy humor!
At the core of this lighthearted read though is a genuinely intriguing mystery. Someone wants Connie dead, and parts of her past are coming back to haunt her. DeSalvo throws in some really fantastic twists and turns that keep you guessing. I thought I had the mystery solved about half way through, and then I was hit with the realization that I was completely off track. When the character you think did it bites the dust….you’re clearly not solving the mystery very well. Oops.
I’ll sum it up here. This is a highly enjoyable and quick read! If you appreciate some good snide humor and love a light mystery, then this is a book for you. I give James DeSalvo tons of credit for creating such a fun read. I cannot wait to see what is coming up next for me to read!
FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
