Whenever I settle in with one of Laura Levine's Jaine Austen mysteries, I know I'm in for the Godiva of treats. Just like Jaine before downing a pint of Chunky Monkey or her cat Prozac poised to inhale her Minced Mackerel Guts. So when I opened Death by Smoothie, I was set for a feast.
Jaine's latest gig is as a script doctor for computer geek lovers-turned-lottery winners. They're over the moon to be producing a play of their favorite sitcom, the all-but-forgotten I Married a Zombie. Yet the duo's dreams are dashed when their talentless leading lady makes an enemy of everyone on set -- and threatens their romance. So it's no surprise when someone poisons her green smoothie, recasting the undead diva as dead.
Jaine thought she had her hands full resuscitating the script. But things get really dicey when her neighbor Lance enlists her to find out whodunit. His actor boyfriend is a suspect, and if there's anything that love-a-holic Lance can't abide, then it's losing his soul mate du jour. So Jaine dusts off her detective hat and does some digging. That is, between emails from her wacky parents, hijinks-jammed job interviews, and entertainingly awful dates, all while fueling herself with another Big Mac and/or buttered bagel. Jaine's sleuthing -- and life -- make for the most deliciously cringeworthy in the cozy genre. There's no PI I adore more.
Luckily, I can enjoy Jaine's antics for capers to come. Because despite her dangerous pass time -- and diet -- she has more lives than Prozac.
4 comments:
A pint of Chunky Monkey sounds really good to me! How ironic to poison the green smoothie which is supposed to be so healthy. The story line sounds a little crazy to me. I'll stick to more realistic historical fiction thank you. Glad you enjoyed it.
Oh, I loved reading your review. I hope the author knows about them, too. It made me smile this morning! This author knows her cozy, but more. And I always love reading about the junk food I can't eat anymore. OK, so I might slip in a wee bit a chocolate, ever so often. I am so glad you do these reviews!
I like that this author has such a well rounded cast even if the main character has such a script to work with. It does look like a fun read which is what one needs during these cold days of winter. BTW I really loved the last line in this review! 💛💛💛💛💛
Okay, this review is hilarious!! The words you chose to describe things - "resuscitating the script" - is dead on (pun intended!) for the book theme. "I Married a Zombie" sounds like it would make for a fantastic sitcom, and a cat named Prozac is all the perfect ingredients for a zany, cozy read! 😋📖
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