Skating on the Edge by Joelle Charbonneau Review

About Skating on the Edge
Rebecca Robbins, owner of the Toe Stop roller-skating rink, is back, this time joined by a tough and sassy roller derby team, and she has a new puzzling murder to solve.

It’s Native American Summer Days in Indian Falls, and Rebecca is roped into taking a turn in the Senior Center dunk tank. That is, until her rhinestone-studded grandfather, Pop, needs help setting up his Elvis act. Minutes from climbing into the tank, Rebecca has to find a replacement, and roller derby girl Sherlene-n-Mean is delighted to fit the bill---until she’s dunked, electrocuted, and killed. It’s obvious that this was no accident. Someone rigged the tank, but who was the intended target? Sherlene-n-Mean or Rebecca?

With a list of suspects in hand and Pop cheering her on, Rebecca starts asking questions. Who disliked Sherlene-n-Mean enough to kill her? Could a father really be capable of murdering his own daughter for money? Why has the bowling alley owner suddenly decided to call a truce and offer Rebecca his assistance? Who was Sherlene-n-Mean? Did her mysterious past catch up with her and get her killed or was she a victim of circumstance? Aided by a trio of self-appointed bodyguard derby girls and caught between Deputy Sean and her sometimes-boyfriend Lionel, Rebecca digs for answers, dodges bullets, and races to find a killer before the killer strikes again.

About this author

I am a storyteller at heart. I have performed in a variety of operas, musical theatre and children's theatre productions across the Chicagoland area.

While I'm happy to perform for an audience, I am equally delighted to teach private voice lessons and use my experience from the stage to create compelling characters on the page. I am the author of the Rebecca Robbins mystery series (Minotaur Books), The Paige Marshall Glee Club mysteries (Berkley) and the Graduation Day YA triology (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

My Thoughts
Skating on the Edge is a fun story about Rebecca Robbins, who owns an ice skating rink that she inherited from her mother. She has plans to sell the Toe Stop and return to the big city. Small town life is not her thing. During the Native American Summer Days Rebecca was picked to take her turn in the dunk tank but Sherlene-n-Mean takes her place and is electrocuted. Rebecca is determined to find out who did it and why and she puts herself in danger repeatedly. With the help of her grandfather "Pop" and the other members of the roller derby team that Sherlene was a member of, they go on a  madcap mission to find the killer. I would have to say that my favorite character, besides Rebecca, is her grandfather. Rebecca's father is in the picture also but they are pretty much estranged and she does not trust him. Pop is a funny old gentlemen who has an Elvis act and the authors description of the clothes he wears is pretty humorous. Along with the gals on the roller derby team makes this book a fun read. The love interest with Lionel gives the book an element of romance. This is the third in the series but can be read out of order. A murder mystery with lots of humor and a surprise ending. I loved it!!
I received a copy of this book for review and was not compensated for my review.