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bea kendall
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Just a Simple Little Holiday (Everything Changes Book 1) Kindle Edition

by bea kendall (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 71 ratings
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♥ Fern wants a second chance at a normal life ♥

Following a hit-and-run, she has mastered the art of being invisible from the comfort of her wheelchair.

But it’s time to live again.

Months into a new job, and with a reputation as The Ice Queen, making friends hasn’t been easy.

In fact, she can count the number of them on one finger.

When that friend – Nessa – invites her on a girly holiday in a luxury Portuguese villa, Fern’s first panicked thought is to refuse.

But Nessa is very persuasive, so much so that Fern pulls on her big girl pants and eventually agrees.

Is this her chance to prove the old Fern still exists?

After all, it's Just a Simple Little Holiday.

What could possibly go wrong?

Women's Fiction with a mystery thread and a hint of psychopath

(originally published as the Fifth Wheel by L.S. Fellows. Same story, same author, but with just a simple little makeover)

Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 3
    Everything Changes
  2. Print length
    60 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    July 23, 2016
  6. File size
    245 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Reviewed by Susan Sewell for Readers' Favorite
Just a Simple Little Holiday (formerly known as The Fifth Wheel by LS Fellows) is a thrilling short story about the mysterious disappearance of a paraplegic woman. Five women go on holiday to Algarve, Portugal. One of them is in a wheelchair. Mysteriously, she vanishes without a trace. One morning, the four other women wake up after a night of partying and notice that she isn't around. They look into her room and find it empty and in order. Her bed is made, her favorite shoes are on the floor, but there is absolutely no sign of her presence. They continue searching for her and discover her wheelchair is at the bottom of the pool. How could it have gotten there? She isn't in the villa or anywhere else around it. How can a woman who can't walk disappear? She can't just evaporate into thin air, can she?

This is a suspenseful thriller in short story form; an intriguing tale that captured my attention from the very first page until the last word. The story is interesting and I enjoyed it immensely. I also loved the book cover. I was enchanted by the imagery of the setting on the first page. The backdrop of the story is incredibly beautiful. It is a place of blue sea and white sand. The sunshine and light are the perfect contrast for a dark and devious deed. The characters have varied personalities that are colorful and interesting. I am looking forward to meeting them again in the next installment. I recommend this story to those who love a tense and thrilling suspense story.

From the Author

Just a Simple Little Holiday started out as a short story (The Fifth Wheel) for an anthology, but it became so much more. I wanted to expand the story and develop the characters further. Little did I expect these to become as much a part of my life as they have done. I can visualise each and every one of them, The follow-up main story Just a Simple Little Court Case takes the characters back to the scene of the crime, where they hope justice will be served.But it doesn't end there. I'm already several chapters into a third book - Just a Simple Little Painting - with these same characters and have plans for more. It's quite amazing how fictional folk tell you their story in such detail. I have to admit, I love writing on their behalf too. 

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01J0EOEQC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Inkfellows Publications; 4th edition (July 23, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 23, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 245 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 60 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 71 ratings

About the author

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bea kendall

bea kendall

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Writing women's fiction with a strong cozy mystery vibe, bea kendall offers readers fun, quirky characters, foreign locations, entertaining plots all mixed up with a dash of British humour and a hefty dose of European flair.

That's what happens when you take the writer out of Britain and drop her on the Spanish coast, with Europe on her doorstep.

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
3.8 out of 5
71 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Felicia Denise
5.0 out of 5 stars Great setup!
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2018
Verified Purchase
The victim of a hit-and-run accident, Fern Mortimer now lives her life in a wheelchair. The former social butterfly has shunned friendships and close ties since a careless driver changed her life five years ago.

Fern has no qualms about re-entering the workforce. It’s dealing with people on a personal level she’s leery of.

Dubbing her ‘The Ice Queen’, friendships are slow to form with her new coworkers, all except perky Nessa Sullivan, who’s bound and determined to be Fern’s friend.

Reader Alert! – That is a CLUE! Pay attention!

When a buddy backs out of a planned girls’ holiday, Nessa badgers Fern to take her place so the others don’t lose their deposits and for Fern to get out and have some fun.

It’s anything but fun when the five young women are together for the first time. Nessa hasn’t shared any info about Fern with her friends about Fern’s wheelchair… or frosty attitude.

The group slips into a not-too-antagonistic friendship and the holiday proceeds.

I thought I knew where this story was headed but I was waaaay off course!

The attention of a handsome restaurant manager brightens Fern’s mood during the vacation. But everyone is not who they claim to be, and the group is frantic to find Fern when she disappears and her wheelchair is found at the bottom of the pool.

The mystery of Fern’s disappearance takes a malevolent turn when identities and motives are revealed.

As Fern attempts to restart her life, someone with a grudge is out to end it.

The Fifth Wheel is the prequel to the recently released Casualty of Court and that’s where I’m headed next! Grab this quick read to get the captivating backstory and meet me there!

Enjoy!
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars The Fifth Wheel
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2016
Verified Purchase
This was an enjoyable, quick cozy mystery. The beginning sets up the intrigue. What has happened to the wheel-bound girl, and why was her wheelchair at the bottom of a pool? The story then backtracks to let readers pick up clues about what might have transpired. It doesn't go into a lot of detail with the setting, characters, or plot: some may like this; others may not. What detail the story has is sufficient to make it complete, though.
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Lorra
3.0 out of 5 stars Simple
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2021
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Very simple writing almost childish! Maybe less simple characters and less squealing! Get an a for effort maybe to be honest?
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Tantra Bensko
5.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly enjoyable read
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2016
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It's impossible for me to start this off with any word but WOW! So many surprises, twists, misdirections. I didn't see anything that happened coming, though of course, I can see the foreshadowing upon finishing this quick read. My interest never flagged. I was entranced from the beginning by the fresh language and lively characters. The young women, who enjoy drinking and having adventures in an exotic location, are fun, and before long, I found myself disliking one strongly and rooting for another one.

Reading about a woman in a wheelchair is a refreshing switch from the inevitably able-bodied protagonists in other books. Anyone who has anything that makes her feel a little left out and different can identify with her - and who doesn't feel that way about something? She was easy to empathize with and I cared what happened to her. I was shocked by what it was.

The prose immerses us in the senses and the environment around the young women. Once in awhile I felt the language a character spoke was maybe slightly more formal than realistic, but I went with the author's vision and it didn't distract me. The plot is solid and shows the author knows what's required for the formula to entertain. The location is a good one for a mystery, and this would no doubt make for fun holiday or travel reading. It says a lot about human psychology and group dynamics, how we don't really know those who are close to us, and can be swept away by our own good intentions and wishes.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars and easy to read through
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2017
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I gave this book four stars. A very well written novel that is also short, and easy to read through. Though it is short, don't let it make you think that it falls short of any full-length novel. It's labeled a prequel and makes me want to read other works by this author, a pleasant mystery novela, that I certainly wasn't expecting!
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georgiagrl
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Whodunit
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2016
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The Fifth Wheel is a short read that quickly involves you in the story. Fern is wheelchair bound and missing out on life. She semi-reluctantly goes on vacation with Nessa, a coworker who has befriended her, and Nessa's friends, She feels like the chair isolates her and this is a way to have a little freedom. Suddenly, Fern disappears and the roomies find her wheelchair at the bottom of their rented villa's pool. What happened to her?
L S Fellows captured the essence of a girl's vacation and made me feel like I knew the group well. I didn't see the plot twist coming and had to go back to see how the pieces were laid out so I could say, "ohhhh", which, to me, is the mark of a good mystery writer. Recommended!
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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 fantastic stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 15, 2017
Verified Purchase
The beautiful setting of the Algarve, a luxury pool in the grounds of the villa, but why is there a wheelchair at the bottom of it? And where is its owner?
Fern Mortimer keeps herself to herself since a hit a run left her in a wheelchair, she is known at the Ice Queen at work, but her new colleague, Nessa wants to be her friend. Nessa doesn’t think Fern is as bad as everyone makes her out to be.
As Nessa tries hard to be her friend she pleads with Fern to become the 5th member of her holiday group after another friend fell ill.
Fern decides she needs this holiday and eventually agrees. That’s when her life is turned upside down. Fern is seduced by the irresistible Portuguese waiter.
Twists, turns, mystery and mayhem, this story has it all, great humour and characters with depth, it’s a winner for me.
I would highly recommend this wonderful Novelette. The perfect size to read in one sitting.
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Venkat Rajan
3.0 out of 5 stars Beachside mystery
Reviewed in India on November 7, 2016
Verified Purchase
Ms.Fellows writes with lot of passion. She draws us into this fascinating holiday mystery. The story of a bunch of girls on a vacation soon gets shrouded in mystery when a main character goes missing. The gay abandon of the youngsters is described well enough to make us recall our youth. Very soon we realize that something is gravely wrong and things aren't what they seem. I was engaged and read this in one day. I would encourage the author to go for longer pieces and we can enjoy those. Thank you.
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Todd Simpson
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Brilliant
Reviewed in Australia on September 28, 2016
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This is a wonderful short story, and L.S. Fellows has done a fabulous job with it. I enjoyed the way the story starts, and by the end of it, I had one thought – ‘Wow’. Fern normally kept pretty much to herself, and so much so that her work colleagues at Hann & Merrie called her the Ice Queen. So she is a bit surprised when Nessa befriends her, and insists that she come away with her and her friends on a holiday to Portugal. Fern thinks why not, there are worst things to do than spend 10 days in a luxury villa overlooking the Mediterranean. Harriet, Audrey and Raven aren’t quite sure about Fern, and not because she is in a wheelchair, but they think she’s a bit quiet, and they are here to party and have a good time. Fern ended up in a wheelchair after being the victim of a hit and run. However, she was determined not to let this affect her. They all venture out for a meal on the first night, and are all quite taken with their gorgeous waiter Jorge. A dark haired, god like male who seems quite taken with Fern. So it’s no surprise when he pulls her aside a few nights later and has a quiet word with her. After going out night clubbing the girls get home late, and wake up a bit shocked to find Fern’s wheelchair in the swimming pool. With no Fern in the house, they of course start to look around and wonder if she caught up with Jorge. When I read what happened to Fern in this story, it’s one of those rare moments in reading a book where I was left gobsmacked. Simply Brilliant, and a very clever piece of writing. I will certainly be looking out for more from this Author, as this was well worth a read.
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Carol
4.0 out of 5 stars A great read on a rainy afternoon. 4/5 stars!
Reviewed in Canada on April 12, 2017
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How often do Individuals pay attention to the disability rather than the person? What damage does that do? Those are two of the questions asked by Fellows in this Short story.

Fern's life changed drastically after an accident left her unable to walk. She is a strong Female lead, who I enjoyed reading about. Her character harbours a certain amount of resentment, not necessarily because of her disability, but more towards the way others treat her now.

It's no surprise when a scrumptious hunk of a waiter shows interest, it makes her a bit giddy. Drunk on attention, she trusts too easily.

When she goes missing, its up to a group of girls who just met Fern to figure out what happened.

A great mystery, although at times perhaps a bit dry.
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Fifty Sheds of Books
5.0 out of 5 stars The Fifth Wheel
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2016
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The Fifth Wheel is a nicely crafted short story centred on an intriguing mystery. Although this is a short story the main characters have sufficient depth to hold the reader's attention.

The dialogue is crisp and the story contains a neat twist. Overall, the piece is well-written.

If you are a short story fan, or looking for a change from novels, there is plenty to enjoy in The Fifth Wheel, an engrossing tale that will delight many readers.
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