This book was a surprise. I have read 2 books previously of Putnam and this is a different book altogether. It is about a 70+ lady convicted for life but out on parole after 12 years working in a retail outlet. The first 40 pages of the book make a rather dull reading but if you get beyond that you would thank yourself for having found an excellent read. The book describes in detail the mindset of an old lady hardened by her experience in a ladies' prison who only wants to keep out of trouble and have a decent living. She is threatened by the local mafia for weekly payoffs to keep the establishment and finds a decade-old corpse hidden in a crate in her friend's garage. The pace quickens with a lot of twists and turns and it is all about her survival amidst all the uncertainties. An interesting book to read, worth your time.

A chain smoking 75 years old insomniac Imogene has been dogged by bad luck all her life. She sits looking out of the window every night waiting ready to do battle. She is a surviver, Life's blows have made her tough on the outside but she is really a kind and generous soul. I loved Imogene’s feistiness. It’s one of those quirky books where you have to suspend some aspects of reality and just go with the flow of the story. I loved it and am glad to hear that it is the first books of a trilogy. I cannot wait to see what happens next in Imogene’s colourful life.

This is certainly a departure from Mr. Putnam’s police novels, it leans towards seventies noir. Imogene has had more of her share of misfortune and nearing her seventies it’s not over yet. I felt sympathy towards Imogene, but not pity. She’s a tough bird who keeps her wits about her. Imogene took me back to an era generations ago when people smoked Marlboro’s at their desk and owned a divan covered with plastic. I was drawn into the community neighborhood in Southern California. The residents and small businesses knew one another and shared a fear of the criminals shaking them down. Imogene served time for murder, she suffered heartache, experienced love and loss. She just keeps plodding forward, she made me chuckle and I wanted her to come out on top. It was a story I enjoyed and happily recommend.
An Advanced Reader Copy of “The Blind Devotion of Imogene” by David Putnam, Level Best Books, publication expected 07/09/2024, was provided by NetGalley. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

The premise seems absolutely preposterous, ex-con who accidently kills the love of her life, and pines for the guy next door, and is being extorted by big baddies, and is being monitored by the secret service, and has written a novel that may or may not get her into trouble if it's published, and finds a very old and very unknown body in her friends garage . . . yet I willingly bought it. It was much too fun to just go along with it and enjoy the wild ride.

This joins a growing sub-genre that I'm thoroughly enjoying and is long past due. The Thursday Murder Club, How to Age Disgracefully, The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp, The Second Ending, and now The Blind Devotion of Imogene feature "mature" central characters with plenty of quirks. Let's face it, old people can be much more interesting than the beautiful, athletic leads that are so popular. They can still be attractive. They can still be funny, and smart, and poignant. -And those great back stories that really make a character believable, sympathetic, engaging? Mature people all have those even if they don't broadcast them. -So I'm delighted to add Imogene to my ornery oldies club. I hope it continues to grow.

Oh my gosh this book is a wild ride. So much zany fun. I love the characters and their relationships. I’m in it for all the Imogen books—can’t wait for more.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Imogene, a 75-year-old ex-con on parole for killing her husband, tries to stay out of prison while working at a store that sells dented canned goods. Things keep going wrong for her though, as she has to deal with crime bosses, strict parole officers, and mysteriously hidden dead bodies.
While I really enjoyed some chapters, like the one about how Imogene met her husband Wayne, the book had too much happening overall. The plot felt choppy, with so many events and quirky characters that it was difficult to follow at times - this made it far from a page-turner and I found the characters rather unlikable.
For those who enjoy a whirlwind of eccentric events and over-the-top characters, this might be a really fun read. However, it felt a bit too unfocused to me.

Well, it does seem that the writer had fun with this rather eccentric tale of a new heroine....or anti-heroine.

Imogene Taylor, a 75-year-old ex-con on parole for murder, knows she could end up back in jail at any time if she is deemed not to be keeping to the straight and narrow. She works in an insalubrious shop selling dodgy food seconds in a pretty dubious part of town.

Trouble constantly seems to find a way to find Imogene. Gangsters after protection money, bodies turning up on her neighbour's turf, a boss who is itching to fire her, which would satisfy her parole officer's itch in turn to have her banged up again.

She developed a talent for writing whilst doing time, and this does potentially open up some better luck for her. She gets taken out for dinner by FBI agents every time the President is in town, as her book makes threats against whoever is in power. This apparently is true according to the writer: potentially dangerous crazies really are handled this way to kedp them tame. More to the point, a publisher is really interested in her book.

But the trajectory for a someone as damaged and disadvantaged as Imogene tends to be downwards.
She proves to be an unreliable narrator too, as it is not clear whether or not one major character even exists. So could it even be possible for such an aged, chain-smoker with a terrible diet to move beyond the squalor and hopelessness all around her?

That squalor can sometimes make Imogene an unattractive character to read about, but she does evince a great deal of spirit, so that the reader still ends up routing for her. Black humour frequently comes into play with this Calamity Jane's lurching from one misadventure to another, which will no doubt be amusing for some.

However, there is the sense that the writer hasn't completely got into his stride with this new character. The pacing, while full of intriguing and quirky characters, is pretty laborious and drawn out, with the constant flashbacks to Imogene's past and present. Things don't really heat up until the abrupt and cliff-hanging end. A little more editing might have fine-tuned things a little more.

The Misadventures of Imogen Taylor

After reading a few of Mr. Putnam books I came to look for his works without even reading the synopsis I just get it...well I will have to be more selective from now on. I honestly can say this standalone was not for me and by far. The storyline is convoluted, very slow and by the end not much a story at all. It was one of those books I took my time reading it: a few chapters at the time and so easily put aside for another day.... if you like eccentric characters and a story that extremely creative you probably will love this book. The main character Imogene is complicated and not too likeable but she provide some funny moments.

But who is Imogene Taylor?

In 1973, Imogene is seventy-five years old; on parole for murder and works at Dentco, a store that sells dented canned food. Twelve years ago she went to prison for the murder of her husband Wayne. There she wrote a novel about the assassination of a US president....and the story goes on...and on....and is all over the place.

To end:

Not for everyone, definitely not my cup of tea.

It’s 1973, and seventy-five-year-old Imogene Taylor has just been released from the Chino Institute for Women after serving time for second-degree murder. As she returns to her home in California’s Inland Empire, readers are immediately drawn into a world marked by dark humor, quirky characters, and her constant reminiscing about her life with her late husband.

She needs to work to stay out of jail, so she gets a job at Dentco, a store that sells damaged dry goods. However, this ex-con can’t seem to catch a break.

Her parole officer is constantly on her tail just to lure her into violating her parole in hopes of sending her back to prison. There’s too much going on to keep Imogene on the straight and narrow, though. The story quickly picks up pace as Imogene becomes entangled in a series of bizarre and dangerous events.

For instance, a gangster tries to shake her down for protection money, and she helps a neighbor bury a body of a long-deceased woman. Let’s not forget that she is also in possession of a handgun. As all these events occur, she constantly hears the advice of her former cellmate in her head.

One of the novel’s strengths lies in its character development and the way it plays with appearances. Imogene's resilient spirit shines through, making her a compelling and relatable protagonist. Also, as the story unfolds, it becomes evident that people and events are not what they seem. The author masterfully weaves these twists into the narrative, yielding surprises throughout the story.

The only problem I had with The Blind Devotion of Imogene was a minor yet noticeable flaw. This occurs with the mention of serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy, who were not known to the public in 1973. While this does not detract significantly from the overall story, it momentarily disrupts the historical authenticity of the narrative.

Despite this minor historical inaccuracy, the novel’s strength lies in its ability to surprise and engage, making it a fun and engaging read.

(This review will be posted on UnderratedReads on July 9, 2024)

It's 1973 and seventy-five year old Imogene Taylor is on parole for the murder of her husband. In compliance with her parole, she has a job at Dentco, a store that sells damaged groceries and dry goods. Ever since she got out of prison, Imogene likes her routines, work, home, sit on the divan, smoke the rest of her daily allotment of cigarettes, and fantasize about her neighbor. Her across the street neighbor, Suz, is her best friend, even though Imogene is old enough to be her grandmother. One day, a man she nicknames The Cigar, shows up at Dentco demanding protection money which sets off a strange series of events that might get Imogene's parole revoked. While trying hard to both not go back to prison and stay alive, Imogene's relationship with the sitting president is revealed. While inside, Imogene sent many threatening letters. She didn't really think the Secret Service would take her seriously, but now, every time the president comes to the area, an agent named Eugene, takes her to lunch. As events continue to unfold, Imogene has to juggle a dead woman's body found in a box in Suz' garage, continuing threats from The Cigar, and a publisher determined to publish the book Imogene wrote after her release. A sweet and funny novel of friendship, love, and murder.

A madcap adventure featuring a 75 year old female ex-con. Imogene just needs to stay out of trouble for her remaining years working at a local Dentco. That is a store that sells expired or damaged food. But fate through the likes of a local gangster, nasty PO officer, an unrequited love, and the finding of a body threaten to undo Imogene's less than happy parole, if not peaceful life.

Though oftentimes there was an over the top silliness to it all, many of the ideas came from the author's own youth spent in areas featured in the book. As I also lived near most of the places during the early 1970's, it was a fun story to hear about these towns and citrus groves from back in the day.
Filled with colorful characters and a couple of story arcs, Blind Devotion will appeal to fans of author Tim Dorsey.

Thank you to Swell Media for the offer of an electronic copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Just finished this book, this evening and I could have read it in one sitting if time had allowed. It's a great story, fast paced with multiple storylines. I really enjoyed it and can't wait for the next one in the trilogy to come out.
We follow Imogene who has been paroled from prison after shooting her husband dead, 12 years ago. She works in Dentco, a discount food shop and this story follows her and what she gets involved in. She is such an interesting character and I love that we hear her inner monologue constantly.
Would recommend this to lots of different people - thriller lovers, humour lovers and general fiction.

As a self-proclaimed fan of elderly women solving crimes, I was very eager to read "The Blind Devotion of Imogene." In the book, seventy-five year old Imogene Taylor is fresh out of a stint in prison and just trying to keep her parole officer off of her back. However, when a local member from an organized crime group starts threatening the strip where Imogene works, it leads Imogene and a cast of characters down a rabbit hole involving unsolved murders and threats of murder itself. Meanwhile, Imogene has both her parole officer and the Secret Service on her tail. Additionally, she is still trying to grapple with the murder of her husband twelve years earlier.

I thought that this was an extremely creative premise for a book and certainly deviated from other books with similarly-aged main characters. Imogene is... complicated... to say the least and while she had some funny moments, it could be difficult to root for her at times. I also felt that while the storyline was interesting, there were too many competing storylines. Along with the organized crime threat, Imogene has a history of making threats to the President of the United States, she finds a dead body in her neighbor's garage, and she relives the history of the incident that landed her in prison in the first place. Each of these were interesting plot points, but combining them all reduced the weight of any single plot.

I would also highly recommend that the Goodreads description leave out a few details, several of the twists in the book are revealed in the description.

Overall, this was a fun, quick read and I would potentially consider reading the sequel. However, I would like to see a more focused mystery that really allows for the characters to shine through.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, I was able to honestly review this book. Unfortunately, it was definitely not to my liking. Very slow moving without much of a storyline. It appears I'm definitely not with the majority of few people who took the time to review it. I wouldn't really classify the book genre as a mystery. I can honestly say that if this were a series I would not be reading them. I guess if are into bizarre plots and occurrences along with over the top and unbelievable characters you may have a different view of the book.

Oh boy. I did not enjoy this book at all. There were just too many bizarre occurrences and over the top characters. I found the story stilted and disjointed, and the characters unlikable. The Blind Devotion of Imogene was definitely not my cup of tea.

Imogene is a 75 year old ex-con on parole for killing her husband. Now working at a dollar store, her sole purpose is to stay out of prison. Unfortunately for Imogene, events keep conspiring to derail that wish. The Blind Devotion Of Imogene is an off-beat, stream -of-consciousness type story, filled with enough quirky characters to fill several books. There’s so many different things happening here, and Imogene (and the reader) has her hands full trying to juggle all the balls, while keeping her eye on the prize (remaining free), and that holds your interest as the plot courses through different situations. This is an enjoyable, (if unlikely read), perfectly suitable for a beach day, cocktail in hand! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mr. Putnam blends humor with murder in this story. I can actually visualize the characters and their surroundings in this story. It does have some 'old time' things going on in it. I was surprised by Imogene's neighbor that she had a massive crush on in the end. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

Imogene is in her 70's, just paroled from spending twelve years in prison for killing her husband, and working a job in a low scale store. As the story unfolds, we learn a lot about Imogene, how her husband died, and all of her quirky neighbors. When a crime boss tries to extort money from Imogene in order to offer protection to the store, Imogene refuses. This puts her on his radar. While Imogene was in prison, she sent threatening letters to the president, this put her on their radar. Because she on parole, she is being followed by her parole officer who is trying to get her back in jail. And when her best friend and neighbor Suzie finds a dead body in her garage, Imogene helps her buying it in her backyard. A lot of crazy, humorous events, with a few gun fights thrown in, makes this a fun and fast-paced read.

The blind devotion of Imogene by David Putnam.
Publication date July 9,2024
Wow what a funny, twisty and comical novel!! Thank you for the opportunity to read this one early! If you love a book drama filled with some mixed up comedy this one is for you. It was a quick read for me. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one. I truly enjoyed it.

From the author of the fantastic Bruno Johnson series, comes this standalone ‘The Blind Devotion of Imogene’.

It’s the year 1973 when we meet 75 year old Imogene Taylor. Twelve years ago she was imprisoned for the murder of her husband Wayne. She loved Wayne deeply and said his death was an accident.

She’s now out on parole and working at Dentco, a store that sells dented goods to those less fortunate. She hates the fact that her parole agent constantly turns up at work out of the blue, but part of her parole conditions is that if she has a job, she has to keep it, and also that she stays out of trouble, so she definitely needs to keep her nose clean in order to comply and retain her freedom. This however, is going to be very difficult to achieve considering what awaits her in the coming few weeks!

All manner of mayhem and madness are about to take place, tempered with lots of humour, and it makes for a great read.