Pre-order now: Casting Call for the Corpse by Heather Haven

Super sleuth, Lee Alvarez, finds a dead man wearing a tuxedo in a friend’s bathtub during a soiree for San Francisco’s VIPs. And not just any friend, but an internationally acclaimed actress who recently came to live in San Francisco. And not just any bathtub, but a bathtub residing inside one of Alamo Square’s famed Painted Ladies, recently bought by said actress.

The police believe it’s the actress friend who done the man in. After all, it’s her house and her tub. And another man died under suspicious circumstances around her recently. Both romantic encounters, doncha know. The actress must be guilty.

Or is she?

For ace detective Lee Alvarez, the timing couldn’t be worse. She is supposed to go off in celebration of her 6-month wedding anniversary with her hunky hubby. Paris is calling!

Or is it?

Her long-time friend, plus her mother – She Who Must Be Obeyed – thinks she should stick around and find out who the real killer is. So Lee, family, handsome hubby, and Tugger, the cat, are on the job. But Lee’s nose is itching. Which means not one of the suspects is telling the truth.

Or not all of it. Lee soon uncovers threatening letters, sullen playwrights, dead bodies, and a criminal web of jewel thieves, all treading the boards of her friend’s latest musical. This is showbiz?

File Size: 2231 KB
Print Length: 295 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: The Wives of Bath Press (August 1, 2020)
Publication Date: August 1, 2020
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B08BR6H1GV

Pre-order here!

Book Review: A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case

When Nathan Stanley, a prominent businessman, is murdered on the front steps of his home, detective Catherine O'Brien and her partner Louise are given two days to solve the case. The investigation turns up a long list of suspects with a variety of motives for wanting Stanley dead. Even the chief of police is on the list. Can Catherine and Louise figure out who killed Stanley and why?

In this first book of a planned series, Stacy Verdick Case, creates a Cagney & Lacey type of detective mystery for readers to enjoy. Catherine and Louise couldn't be more different from each other. Catherine is a mess all the time and her mouth shoots things off before she has time to think. Louise never has a hair out of place and carefully plots out her every move. Their witty banter adds a great deal to this light mystery that will have you laughing as you dig deeper into the investigation.

Case does a superb job of creating her characters for A Grand Murder. They definitely make this a fun book to read. I liked the relationship between Catherine and Louise, just as much as the relationship between Catherine and her husband Gavin. They both added a personal element to a story that mostly takes place on the job. The introduction of Digs, who has a crush on Louise, made for several funny moments, as did the character of Mel. The plotting out of the murder investigation could have used a tiny bit of work, though. In one spot, the detectives opt to visit the murder scene because of a lead, but that lead is never followed through. The author does wrap up the loose ends nicely, but it kept bothering me they quickly abandoned a lead they felt was promising without any explanation.

The book could use some editing. There were places like "break" instead of "brake" and "innocents" instead of "innocence" that should have been caught by a good editor. I also found it unnerving that the Author's Notes were used not only to thank her supporters but to stick it to those who tried to discourage her and "one finger salute" the agent who didn't like her work. I feared posting an honest review might lead to my being bad-mouthed here or elsewhere online. It almost prevented me from posting a review at all, which would be a shame because I enjoyed the book overall and would definitely recommend it, in addition to wanting to read the next book in the series.

If you want a light mystery with engaging characters, you'll want to pick up A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case. It's definitely worth reading.

Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: Before The Fall Books (August 9, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0983713707

ISBN-13: 978-0983713708

SRP:  $14.95

Also available for Kindle and Nook.

I received a free e-copy of this book from Partners in Crime Tours in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation of any kind for this review.

This is the nineteenth book I've read for the following challenge:

It is the twelfth book I've read for the following challenge:

It is the fifth book I've read for the following challenge:

It is the fourth book I've read for the following challenge: