This is the third of author/actor Harley Jane Kozak's mystery series about soap actress/greeting card artist sleuth, "Wollie Shelley" that I've read and loved. Somehow I missed the first in the series("Dating Dead Men") so I have that installment to look forward to. Why? Because Kozak's vividly drawn characters and her witty (downright laugh-out-loud)dialogue and narratives put me in mind of another wonderful author in that genre-Sue Grafton.

Kozak's protagonist, Wollie Shelley, is a statuesque former soap and reality TV actor. She supports herself and her paranoid schizophrenic brother with "odd" jobs around L.A. and with her budding greeting card company. Wollie has an on/off relationship with an FBI agent, and she's got a knack for working for the wrong people. So wrong, but so right for the reader.

Add to this delicious mix, a motley crew of fascinating, wildly funny side-kicks, intriguing mysteries, and fast-paced action and you've got a wonderful read.

I look forward to the day Harley Jane Kozak sells a screenplay of one of her novels to Hollywood. She certainly has the talent and writing chops to do so.

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Created Jul 17, 2012 at 11:06am • Submit your own review...