Book 1--The 1st Jolene Jackson Mystery
REVISED EDITION--July 19, 2012

Kickapoo, Texas, is the last place Jolene Jackson wants to be, but with her 72-year-old mother’s boyfriend murdered and Mother Dearest locked up because of it, she’s got little choice but to head south and deal with it.

Bullets are flying, chicken’s frying and there’s a lunatic on the loose in the mesquites with a shotgun who’s Hot Enough to Kill.
An excerpt is included in The University of Texas Press' title, Lone Star Sleuths--An Anthology of Texas Crime Fiction

REVIEWS

"Don't Mess with Texas! You'll laugh your way from Kickapoo to Redwater Falls and back." -- Linda Huntley Wills, Redbook

"This is a wild ride with thrills, chills and laughs galore. Highly Recommended." -- Editor, I Love a Mystery

"...makes for fast, fun summer reading." -- Nancy Cook-Senn, Shawnee Escort
"Anyone who enjoys the works of Janet Evanovich or Joan Hess is going to love Ms. Boyd." -- Toby Bromberg, Romantic Times

"...a terrific mystery, sharply drawn, cleverly plotted, dynamically presented, and pure sleuthing entertainment from first page to last." -- Wisconsin Bookwatch

"The mystery genre has witnessed an abundance of female sleuths, but none quite like Jolene Jackson and her mother, Lucille." -- Argus Observer

5 Stars and 5+ Laughs! Has to be film adapted. Would make a delightful audiobook. " ...a hoot and a half of rollicking good mystery! The best dang novel I've read all year!" -- Leann Arndt, The Midwest Book Review

"Carl Hiaasen meets Texasville! ...a must read for your Sherlock funny bone." -- Judi Clark, Mostly Fiction

"... comedic characters you'll just love. ...a humor you can't resist. I can't remember the last time that I read a book as light and refreshing as this." -- Pamela Stone, My Shelf

"This first entry of an apparent series will leave readers loudly laughing at the antics of Jolene and her mother. Hot Enough to Kill is a tongue-in-cheek look at relationships and amatuer sleuthing. Still, the mystery has a character of its own that adds to a wonderful plot. If this tale is any example, Paula Boyd has a long running series that will provide much pleasure to fans." -- Harriet Klausner

Amazon.com Review

Jolene Jackson pulls into her home town of Kickapoo, Texas, during a sweltering heat wave wishing for all the world to be anywhere else. The mayor of Kickapoo has been murdered, and Jolene's duty is to keep her flamboyant septuagenarian mother, Lucille, out of jail and off the suspect list. Caught between salacious gossip at the Dairy Queen and a power-hungry deputy, Jolene soon realizes that the only way to escape Kickapoo with her life--and her sanity--is to sleuth out the murderer in a town full of likely suspects.

The first in a series of Jolene Jackson mysteries, Hot Enough to Kill is a classic whodunit in the spirit of Agatha Christie or even Nancy Drew. Author Paula Boyd populates Kickapoo with larger-than-life characters (this is Texas, after all) and enough surprises to keep you guessing until the very end. Crank up the A/C, pour yourself a glass of iced tea, and enjoy the ride. --Ginger Dzerk

Review

"Jolene's rich wit as she describes her corner of Texas and its inhabitants is downright hilarious." -- Margaret Baker, Baldwin Ledger

"Paula Boyd has a way with Texas humor, weaving a great mystery that's ingeniously plotted." -- Pam Stone, MyShelf.com

"...will make you laugh out loud and wish for more." -- Linda Huntley Wills, Rockwall Texas Success

"If you love Janet Evanovich or Joan Hess, then you will loooove Texas' own Jolene Jackson." -- Cozies, Capers & Crimes

"Boyd's characters are eccentric and her situations outrageous. The dialog is terrific and the plot exciting. Highly recommended." -- Sally Powers, I Love a Mystery

From the Publisher

The Jolene Jackson Mystery Series includes Hot Enough to Kill, Dead Man Falls, and Turkey Ranch Road Rage, coming Fall 2002.