CHARLOTTE MISSION

Full Name:	Charlotte Mission
Nationality:	American
Organization:	CIA
Occupation	Agent

Creator:	Rosie A. Point
Time Span:	2020 - 2023

ABOUT THE SERIES

Charlotte Mission is an agent with the NSIB.

That stands for the National Security Investigative Bureau.

And she is "not technically a spy anymore", as she tells herself at the beginning of the first recorded adventure; said with a considerable amount of annoyance as she walked down a deserted Main Street in Gossip, Texas. She had just arrived there by bus with just a tiny carry-on case.

Mission is heading to the Gossip Inn, an impressive former museum owned and run by her grandmother, Gamma Georgina Mission, "the woman I'd based my entire life off of. She was a retired spy, and why she'd decided to settle and start an inn here was a question that needed answering". As Mission remembers, "the last time I'd seen her, she'd been on a mission to take down a terrorist cell in a city int he Middle East. Now, she baked cookies and waited on people." Such a life was looming for Charlotte Mission, too.

Mission (the younger, not the elder) is in forced hiding since Kyle Turner, a fellow NSIB agent and her ex-husband, went rogue and she was the one who discovered it and now he is out for revenge and since he has a mole inside the HQ of NSIB, she needs to lay low until the matter can be rectified.

So now she is Charlotte 'Charlie' Jean Smith, an aspiring actress who is taking a sabbatical to work for her 'aunt' at the inn, all the while staying out of trouble and being inconspicuous.

Well, that will prove to be a challenge as Mission will find she is a magnet for trouble which usually includes dead bodies (not of her making) whose murders need to be solved. And somehow without meaning to, she will become Gossip's first and only 'fixer.' With her particular set of skills and a secret armory at her disposal, Charlie's the person folks around town come to when they're in deep, seemingly irreversible trouble.

And there will be the whole ex-husband and co. out to kill her and the occasional NSIB matter and Mission will have a very, very busy 'sedate' life. As she tells us, "the physical stuff was easy. It was everything else that I struggled with. Emotions. People. Not getting into trouble." Especially the last one.

BOOKS

Number of Books:	14
First Appearance:	2020
Last Appearance:	2023


1			Vanilla Vendetta Written by Rosie A. Point Copyright: 2020 Book #1 in the Mission Inn-Possible Cozy Mystery series. Hiding out in Gossip, Texas as a maid and waiter in her grandmother's inn, Charlotte Mission finds her first day at work is a mess, especially when one of the guests drops dead in the dining room; made even worse when Mission is the prime suspect.

2			Strawberry Sin Written by Rosie A. Point Copyright: 2020 Book #2 in the Mission Inn-Possible Cozy Mystery series. Charlotte Mission is "not interested in getting involved in another murder investigation. That is until the local librarian is slain and her ex-spy grandmother is fingered as the one whodunit. Charlie’s got to solve the mystery before grandma’s secret stash of weapons—don’t ask, don’t tell—is discovered, and they’re both carted off to federal prison. Or worse. But that’s not going to be easy, what with another agent snooping around, a literal fire to put out, and a new kitty shelter to run. She must solve the case before grandma goes to jail. Or breaks out of it."

3			Cocoa Conviction Written by Rosie A. Point Copyright: 2020 Book #3 in the Mission Inn-Possible Cozy Mystery series. "Charlie Mission, spy-in-hiding, has just gotten used to the ‘normal’ life in Gossip, Texas. She’s helping her butt-kicking grandma look after the inn, baking cocoa cupcakes for the Easter festival, managing the kitten menagerie at the Kitten Foster Care Center, and avoiding her ‘babysitter,’ Agent Smulder, like he’s come to steal her chocolate eggs. Or to sweep her away into the dark underground before her murderous rogue spy ex-husband finds her. Not that she’d ever let that happen. Gossip is peaceful for once… until the Easter celebration goes horribly wrong. A man dressed up as the Easter bunny is shot in broad daylight. Suspects abound and most of them happen to be guests at the Gossip Inn."

4			Raspberry Revenge Written by Rosie A. Point Copyright: 2020 Book #4 in the Mission Inn-Possible Cozy Mystery series. "Life at the Gossip Inn is anything but simple, what with her grandmother’s Kitten Foster Care Center, the ever-annoying Jessie Belle-Blue always trying to throw a spanner in the works, and now… a ghost haunting the inn? Not that Charlie believes in that type of thing. She’s positive the nightly hauntings have a sinister cause—namely her ex-husband and rogue spy, come to find her and punish her for outing him. Before Charlie can properly investigate the mystery haunting, however, a local entrepreneur drops dead right after claiming to have seen the ghost. "

5			Mint Murder Written by Rosie A. Point Copyright: 2021 Book #5 in the Mission Inn-Possible Cozy Mystery series. "With kittens to herd, a vicious rogue spy ex-husband to hide from, a new boyfriend, and a case of missing mushrooms to worry about, the last thing Charlie needs is another murder investigation. Or more of the limelight—she’s trying to keep a low profile. When an old Hollywood superstar, a close friend of her grandmother’s, comes to celebrate her birthday at the Gossip Inn, Charlies hoping to fade into the background and play the part of the help. Until she stumbles upon a dead body. With suspicions mounting, radio silence from the one contact she has in her agency, and a missing friend, Charlie’s got her work cut out for her. Luckily, she has her Gamma for support."

6			Chocolate Chills Written by Rosie A. Point Copyright: 2021 Book #6 in the Mission Inn-Possible Cozy Mystery series. "Charlotte Mission is no longer a spy-in-hiding. After a recent brush with the ‘underground,’ Charlie’s happy to be back at the Gossip Inn, serving as the assistant to her retired spy grandmother. This time, however, she’s got her sights set on capturing her ex-husband. Kyle Turner has arrived in Gossip seeking revenge, and if Charlotte doesn’t stop him, there’s no telling how many people will suffer."

7			The Case of the Waffling Warrants Written by Rosie A. Point Copyright: 2021 Book #1 in the Gossip Cozy Mystery series. "After the owner of the local bakery is slapped in cuffs on trumped-up charges, [Charlotte Mission is] on the job. Everything's going to plan until Charlie's client is found murdered in her cell. And with a new detective in town who's not afraid to make arrests on a whim, she's got her work cut out for her."

8			The Case of the Key Lime Crimes Written by Rosie A. Point Copyright: 2021 Book #2 in the Gossip Cozy Mystery series. "When she's asked to find a missing recipe book right before the Tri-State Baking Competition, she's sure it will be an open and shut case. Hunt down the thief, retrieve the book, and cash in on the bounty. But life is never simple in this cozy, small town. When Charlie heads out to interview the first suspected thief on her list, she finds a dead body instead. It's murder by poisoned key lime pie, and to make matters worse, the recipe book is nowhere to be found."

9			The Case of the Custard Conspiracy Written by Rosie A. Point Copyright: 2021 Book #3 in the Gossip Cozy Mystery series. "When ex-spy Charlie Mission receives a mysterious letter during one of her midnight snack raids in the Gossip Inn's kitchen, she's intrigued. As the small town's only 'fixer' she's used to her fair share of strange requests. But this one is unique. The bride-to-be of a local wedding, catered by none other than Charlie's grandmother, has written to tell Charlie that she's terrified for her wellbeing. There are two murderers after her, and she can't reveal who they are unless Charlie comes to see her in person. But when Charlie attends the wedding hoping to meet her new client, disaster strikes. The bride drops dead at the altar and chaos breaks loose."

10			The Case of the Butterscotch Burglars Written by Rosie A. Point Copyright: 2021 Book #4 in the Gossip Cozy Mystery series. "Life at the Gossip Inn is interesting, but not "solving a murder case" interesting—there are cats to care for, guests to feed, and cupcakes to bake. And with her grandmother celebrating a birthday, she's never been busier. Until the local owner of the Butterscotch Boutique, the most exclusive clothing store in town, presents her with an "unsolvable" mystery. How did thieves break into the store without leaving a trace, or showing their faces on the surveillance system? Charlie's on the case, and when the boutique owner's husband drops dead, she knows there's more to this mystery than a few missing cashmere sweaters..."

11			The Case of the Shortcake Serenade Written by Rosie A. Point Copyright: 2021 Book #5 in the Gossip Cozy Mystery series. "Charlotte Mission has discovered that there's never a dull moment in Gossip, Texas. As the resident "fixer" in town, she's used to strange requests. Especially since she's developed a reputation as the woman who can solve any mystery, much to the local detective's chagrin. When Charlie's approached by a young woman in tears, she's expecting a case of a missing cat, lipstick, or jewelry box. Instead, she's asked to investigate the death of Gossip's answer to Don Quixote—the town's most handsome mechanic, who died serenading his girlfriend the night before her birthday. With little by way of clues, apart from a box of shortcake, Charlie has got her work cut out for her. She must find the one who killed the spurned lover before the murderer decides to make her the next target. "

12			The Case of the Diabolical Decadence Written by Rosie A. Point Copyright: 2022 Book #6 in the Gossip Cozy Mystery series. "Charlotte Mission and her ex-spy grandmother have decided it's past time they take a vacation. It's Christmas, and they're in need of a break from the craziness that is the Gossip Inn and its guests. So they pack up and head out for a vacation in the snowy Crow Lodge and Ski Resort. Everything's going great—the skiing is fun, the mountains are beautiful, and the food at the resort is divine—until disaster strikes. The owner of the little lodge is found dead in her room, with a plate of chocolate fudge beside her. The windows are locked, the only entrance through a door that had been monitored all night. Worse, the guests are snowed in, and it's going to be a while before they get help from local law enforcement."

13			Black Forest Warrants Written by Rosie A. Point Copyright: 2023 Book #1 in the Charlie Mission Cozy Mystery series. "Charlotte Mission, ex-spy turned private investigator, is her small town’s one and only fixer. She’s the person people come to when there’s trouble afoot. So, when her retired spy grandmother, Gamma, comes to her with a problem, she’s more than happy to help. Anything to protect the Gossip Inn and its eclectic guests. The corpse of an unknown man has been found in the forest surrounding the inn. It’s murder, and the handsome local detective is convinced that a guest at the inn is the culprit. But Charlie’s not so sure. Her grandmother has plenty of enemies, and there’s a chance that one of them has finally found her."

14			Carrot Cake Jailbreak Written by Rosie A. Point Copyright: 2023 Book #2 in the Charlie Mission Cozy Mystery series. "Charlotte Mission, ex-spy and fixed in small town Gossip, Texas, has a big problem on her hands. The power has been out for two days, she has more cases than she can handle, and she hasn’t seen her grandmother in days. Just when she’s sure things can’t get any worse, a jailbreak on the outskirts of Gossip sends the town into a tailspin. And things only get more chaotic when three corpses turn up on Main Street. It’s murder, and it’s up to Charlie and Gamma to put their thinking caps on and figure out what’s going on in their town, all while maintaining their covers."

MY COMMENTS

Yeah, I know, not really a spy series. The Charlotte Mission tales are cozy murder mysteries. Darn fun ones. But not spy adventures. Still, she is/was/will be again a spy for this NSIB and so is her legendary grandmother, Gamma, who is a hoot and a half but don't tell her I said that.

This series had been out for a couple of years before I learned of it. Then I found that the 'second' book in a two-book series had just come out and it was about a spy hiding out. I tracked down the first book and saw it talk about Charlie Mission and Gamma being 'back' so I knew there was something that came before. What would surprise me was that the before was a 6-book series of adventures and murder mysteries. And then being very suspicious by now, I looked further and found - dang! - yet another 6-book series of tales.

Might there be yet more adventures out there that I haven't discovered? Who knows? These Mission ladies are sneaky.

GRADE

My Grade: B

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