Synopsis

 “Brings a whole new meaning to the rabbit died.”

Mermaid Swimwear President Holly Schlivnik discovers the Bainbridge Department Store Easter Bunny slumped over dead, and obnoxious swimwear buyer Sue Ellen Magee is arrested for the crime. Despite her differences with the nasty buyer, Holly is convinced the Queen of Mean didn’t do it. The wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth jumps into action to nail the real killer. But the trail has more twists than a pretzel and more turns than a rollercoaster. And nothing turns out the way Holly thinks it will as she tangles with a clever killer hellbent on revenge.

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Review

Who knew the swimsuit industry could be so cutthroat?!

Holly runs Mermaid Swimsuit Company and stumbles across multiple deaths. She has been coined the death body magnet, and it is apropos. You would think that five books into the series, the cops would take her thoughts seriously. They tend to waive her off as if she doesn’t know what she is doing, but she manages to solve the crime, but not without putting herself in harm’s way in the process.

This cozy kept me chuckling with the zippy one-liners. I suspected the killer almost from the start but couldn’t find anything to firm up my suspicion until several clues were revealed near the end of the book.

Since I have read the first book and this one, I do feel like I am missing a few things from books in the middle that might shore up Holly’s personal relationships with several men. That did not deter my enjoyment of this book. So if you pick up this series, start with the first book and read in order.

I really enjoy the banter of the Yentas. They serve as a sounding board for Holly but also as good friends. And we can’t forget Siggie. I love dogs, so any time a dog is in a book, I enjoy it that much more.

This is a fun series, so if you enjoy a good cozy mystery, check this series out.

We give it 5 paws up.

About the Author

Named Best US Author of the Year by N. N. Lights Book Heaven, award-winning cozy mystery author Susie Black was born in the Big Apple but now calls sunny Southern California home. Like the protagonist in her Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, Susie is a successful apparel sales executive. Susie began telling stories as soon as she learned to talk. Now, she’s telling all the stories from her garment industry experiences in humorous mysteries.

She reads, writes, and speaks Spanish, albeit with an accent that sounds like Mildred from Michigan went on a Mexican vacation and is trying to fit in with the locals. Since life without pizza and ice cream as her core food groups wouldn’t be worth living, she’s a dedicated walker to keep her girlish figure. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susie lives with a highly intelligent man and has one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect.

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