A decadent way to die

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Title:

A decadent way to die

Author:

McKevett, G. A, author.

Series:

Savannah Reid ;

Series Number:

16.

Summary:

Savannah Reid is hired to investigate when eighty-year-old matriarch Helene Strauss has several brushes with death, and while she finds plenty of friends and family members who want to inherit Helene's money, things get really complicated when two key players turn up dead.

Audience:

Adult Follett Library Resources

General Note:

Includes information about domestic abuse, including a hotline phone number and brief bibliography--Author's note (p. [291]-294).

Physical Description:

294 p. ; 22 cm.

Genre:

Detective and mystery fiction.

Subject Term:

Reid, Savannah (Fictitious character) -- Fiction.

Women private investigators -- Fiction.

Overweight women -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

California, Southern -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Kensington Books,

Publication Date:

2011

ISBN:

9780758238108

Publication Information:

New York : Kensington Books, c2011.

Call Number:

MCKEVET

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607002419805	Adult Fiction	MCKEVET	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

Plus-sized P.I. Savannah Reid prides herself on cracking even the toughest cases. But her latest investigation is leaving her hungry for answers as she tries to unmask the identity of a cunning, would-be killer. His prey? A famous octogenarian with a fortune in the bank and a target on her back. . . As the creator of the world-famous Helene doll, legendary designer Helene Strauss is equally well-known for her exquisite taste and her brassy, take-no-prisoners style. While Helene's business acumen made her a huge success, it also made her a quite a few enemies. So when the feisty 80-year-old has several suspicious brushes with death, Savannah Reid is hired to find out why. Once on the case, Savannah quickly learns that tensions within the Strauss family have been raging for years. To Helene's chagrin, her niece and arch nemesis, Ava, has managed to claw her way to the helm of the family doll company, steering the business in a seedy new direction. Their latest creation--a sexy fashion doll replete with oversized lips and an over-the-top boob job--has Helene particularly rankled. . .leaving Savannah to wonder if the family ties that bind the Strauss' are tight enough to kill. With the help of her friend, Detective Dirk Coulter, Savannah discovers that Ava isn't the only one with a motive to do Helene harm. In fact, the Strauss matriarch seems to be surrounded by friends and family bent on inheriting her fortune by any means necessary. Before long, Savannah is sure she has a handle on the case. But when two key players turn up dead in Helene's sizzling hot Jacuzzi, Savannah will have to start from scratch--and question everything she thought she knew about the Strauss's twisted family tree. . .

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

A killer targets 80-year-old Helene Strauss, the wealthy creator of the popular Helene doll, in McKevett's superb 16th cozy featuring San Carmelita, Calif., PI Savannah Reid (after 2010's Wicked Craving). Those who might want Helene dead include her nasty niece, druggie great-nephew, and death metal-loving great-niece as well as Helene's gardener and her housekeeper. Savannah delves into each suspect's secrets, assisted by her one employee, Tammy Hart, and her former police partner, Det. Sgt. Dirk Coulter, while her professional bodyguard buddies, John Gibson and Ryan Stone, glue themselves to Helene. These precautions, however, aren't enough to prevent a double homicide. Meanwhile, Savannah suffers repercussions from her interference with Tammy's abusive boyfriend. In addition to a delightfully surprising happy ending, McKevett supplies an author's note about domestic abuse with a list of helpful resources and contact information for those who may be victims of such abuse. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Review

When plus-sized PI Savannah Reid (Wicked Craving) is hired to figure out who is trying to harm 80-year-old Helene Strauss, owner of a doll manufacturing company, the case proves more difficult than she expected. With the help of Dirk Coulter of the San Carmelita Police and Tammy, office manager and fledgling sleuth, Savannah is checking out possible suspects in the Strauss family when a double murder takes place on Helene's estate. VERDICT This long-running cozy series by McKevett, a pseudonym for Sonja Massie, has kept fans enthralled by following Savannah's investigations and her relationships with her grandmother and her faithful friends. Ususpecting readers will need tissues on hand as they finish this heart-wrenching tale about abuse and the meaning of love. And fans of Diane Mott Davidson will appreciate this one. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.