Chutes and Ladder by Marc Jedel

Super Special Agent Marty Golden is back to solve another mystery in the Silicon Valley. Bring a tub of popcorn and a triple venti, half-sweet, non-fat, extra-hot, Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks because Super Special Agent Marty Golden is going to do some Mission Impossible like stunts. Uh Huh!

It’s been just over a month since Super Agent/ Engineer Marty Golden solved the mystery behind his sister Laney”s accident. Laney’s hurt her ankle and Uncle Marty takes Skye to the camp. Being the only man among the chattering ladies and young girls, Marty has a tough time adjusting. With some plumbing mishap, the loos in the camp are non-functional and all are requested to use B.I.F.F.Y. – outdoor toilet – do it anywhere you please, behind the bushes or under the tree! So, Uncle Marty ventures into the forest and is almost about to do his business when he sees a dead body.

He identifies the victim as his friend and poker buddy, Larry. Marty pukes at the sight of the body, thankfully, beside and not on the body. He calls the camp in charge and goes again to take a closer look at the body and pukes again. On the body this time. Ugh!

Samantha, Marty’s crazy cousin is in town for a skydiving competition. He meets Sam’s friend Izzy. Now, Izzy works in the same company as Larry did – Sirius Innovation. Marty gets back to his investigation, after all he was awarded for his bravery and whatnot the last time. Well, engineers are known to exaggerate so don’t blame him! He digs deeper into the case and manages to do some James Bond like action sequence with Sam but well, not everything in life is a movie! Also, it’s Halloween and everybody is in a costume. And, a Ninja haunts Uncle Marty!

Chutes and Ladder is the second book in Marc Jedel’s Silicon Valley Mystery series.

Oh my my! The second book is even funnier, quirkier and crazier than the first one! And with Sam in the picture, one gets a clear picture of the crazy Golden family. And not to forget Buddy – the dog Marty ‘gifted’ to the girls in the first book. The dog has some super special skills you know. It manages to crawl/jump/fly out of its crate and turn on the gas when nobody’s home – every single time!

Unlike the first book, Skye and Megan played a smaller role in this story and so did their mother, Laney. But I am not complaining. As long as there’s another crazy Golden in the picture – Sam – and some action movie scenes, I am totally fine with it!

Raj, the Indian guy who works with Marty at Rover is off to India. What’s so special about this, you ask? Marty keeps telling Raj that Indians go home for vacation and come back with a wife. And now, Raj’s going home. Do the math, buddy! I am really looking forward to see what happens to Raj in the next book. Betcha, he’s going to come back with a wife! I see this trend is pretty common around here. Most of my cousins got married that way – the guy comes over to India for three weeks and then the wedding dates are fixed and everything happens so soon and within a month, the husband-wife duo are on their way back to USA or UK or wherever.

Brody, the Starbucks broda plays a significant role in the story. Marty and he are kayaking buddies now. And then there is Sergeant Mace Jackson, who plays an invisible role until halfway through the story. Invisible how? Well, you need to read the book to understand what I mean. Engineers don’t reveal their secrets, you know!

Speaking of engineers, Marty drifts to his own planet every now and then, replaying an action-movie sequence or some algorithm that depicts possible situations and circumstances and whatnot. And here I was, thinking that I am the only crazy person in this world. *rolls eyes* (yeah, caught the eye roll bug from Skye!)

I love Marc Jedel’s storytelling. Come on, he worked in the Silicon Valley so do I even have to say anything more about it? We engineers are perfect in whatever it is that we do. It seems engineers are known to suffer from Obsessive Compulsion Disorder. Well, Marty says – “we just like to do things the right way”  and I can’t agree less.

I totally love Silicon Valley Mystery series. Marc, when are you going to release the third book? You have some deadlines to meet, buddy – your fans are waiting for the next book!!

If you are looking for a quirky cozy mystery with oodles of laughter and a super funny sleuth, look no further, for Chutes and Ladder is here! I recommend you to read the first book and then the second. Though both books can be read as a standalone, I don’t want you to miss out on all the fun in the first book.

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There’s a giveaway for this tour. Giveaway details here. (US only)

Thank you, Lori Caswell, from Escape with Dollycas for giving me an opportunity to be a part of this blog tour.