Jed Had To Die by Tara Sivec Review
4.5 Smooches
Synopsis
The happiest day of Payton Lambert’s life was the day she graduated high school and watched Bald Knob, Kentucky get smaller and smaller in her rearview mirror. She wanted more for her life than a tiny town where everyone knows your business and you can’t find a decent cup of coffee for at least forty miles. Twelve years later, an unexpected phone call in the middle of the night has her packing up her life in Chicago and racing back home to the one person she ever regretted leaving behind.
Wait, one person?? Make that two. When the hell did Leo Hudson become sheriff of Bald Knob and get so hot? The scrawny Future Farmer of America who followed Payton around like a puppy and could recite cow insemination facts in his sleep is long gone. Leo is still hot on her heels, but now he’s wearing a badge and dead set on solving a murder that may or may not involve Payton…along with half the town.
You steal a few wine coolers in high school and make one little comment about cutting off a man’s balls when you come home, and suddenly, you’re suspected of killing him.
In a town where the biggest crime happened the day Jethro Snell kicked a few of his cows (an honest mistake when you’ve had a few jars of homemade moonshine), people are pointing fingers, rumors are spreading like wildfire, and Payton swears she’s only making out with the sweet-talking, studly sheriff to distract him from the secrets she’s keeping.
When you’ve been tased, peed on by a yippy dog named Bo Jangles, and can’t stop picturing what Sheriff Hudson looks like naked, it will be a tough job making everyone agree that…Jed had to die.
Review
Tara Sivec is a comedic genius; it’s just that simple. She spews one liners and laugh out loud dialogue like the rest of us make small talk. I have read every single one of her comedy books (along with most of her others as well) and I can honestly say that Jed Had To Die ranks with the best of them.
‘Everyone in Bald Knob might like Jed, but if comes anywhere near my friend, Jed is dead.’
I won’t go over the basic plot of it all because if you have read the synopsis or listened to the Dixie Chick song Goodbye Earl than you are caught up on the general plot. But unlike Earl in the song Jed was well loved in the town and very much missed. Therefore the people want his murder solved and the town troublemaker, Payton, has returned after twelve years away and is the prime suspect. The highlight of the entire story for me was town hunk and sheriff, Leo, who has a crush on Payton since he tutored her in high school when he was still a dork., He brings his dirty talking alpha A game and I fell hook line and sinker for him.
“Just to give you a head’s up, I’m gonna touch your ass again. Then I’m gonna kiss you while touching your ass because I really like how it feels in the palm of my hand.”
Jed Had To Die is a laugh out loud comedy that both makes light of and showcases the seriousness of domestic abuse. Tara tackled a tough subject and she somehow did it in a graceful way for a comedy located in a town called Bald Knob. I highly recommend fans of romantic comedies pick this one up.
~miranda
