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Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Lowcountry Bombshell by Susan M. Boyer

Author: Susan M. Boyer
Publisher:Henery Press
Date of publication: September 2013

Private Investigator Liz Talbot thinks she’s seen another ghost when she meets Calista McQueen. She’s the spitting image of Marilyn Monroe. Born precisely fifty years after the ill-fated star, Calista’s life has eerily mirrored the late starlet’s—and she fears the looming anniversary of Marilyn’s death will also be hers. 

Before Liz can open a case file, Calista’s life coach is executed. Suspicious characters swarm around Calista like mosquitoes on a sultry lowcountry evening: her certifiable mother, a fake aunt, her control-freak psychoanalyst, a private yoga instructor, her peculiar housekeeper, and an obsessed ex-husband. Liz digs in to find a motive for murder, but she’s besieged with distractions. Her ex has marriage and babies on his mind. Her too-sexy partner engages in a campaign of repeat seduction. Mamma needs help with Daddy’s devotion to bad habits. And a gang of wild hogs is running loose on Stella Maris. 


Lowcounry Bombshell is the second in the Liz Talbot Mystery series.  I felt like this was a pretty good stand alone.  I haven't read the first one, but I think I was able to get the gist of the characters and their history.  I liked the characters, Liz and Nate especially.  I loved their relationship both as business partners and lovers.  Nate is someone I would want as a partner in anything!

The book is well written with a good solid mystery.  The quirky cast of suspects kept me laughing and guessing.  I liked Colleen, the spirit guide and the way she helps Liz out.  Very inventive! I thought the story was well laid out and the reveal at the end was a surprise.  I wouldn't necessarily call this a cozy mystery...maybe a cozy mystery with a lot of spice in it. I'll be looking for the first book, Lowcountry Boil, to tide me over until the next Liz Talbot adventure.
About the author:
Susan M. Boyer has been making up stories her whole life. She tags along with her husband on
business trips whenever she can because hotels are great places to write: fresh coffee all day and cookies at 4 p.m. They have a home in Greenville, SC, which they occasionally visit.
Susan’s debut novel, LOWCOUNTRY BOIL (a Liz Talbot Mystery) is an Agatha Award winner for Best First Novel, a 2012 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense recipient, and a 2012 RWA Golden Heart® finalist. LOWCOUNTRY BOMBSHELL, the next book in the Liz Talbot series, will be released September 3, 2013.
Susan’s short fiction has appeared in moonShine ReviewSpinetingler Magazine, and Relief Journal, among others.
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2 comments:

Susan M. Boyer said...

Thank you so much for reading! I'm so happy you connected with Liz and her clan! Many thanks for this lovely review! Your kind words are deeply appreciated. :)

trish said...

A book that can keep you laughing is a rarity!

Thanks for being on the tour!