Donna Huston Murray

Sometimes when life gets a bit too frazzled, we just want to go home to relive a moment or two when life was just far less complicated. So that's just what Hollywood sensation Jan Fairchild does to enjoy a happy reunion with her Philadelphia main line high school friends. Everything was going well. That is until a dead body puts a damper on the festivities. True to form, Jan's friend, Ginger Barnes, starts a bit of sleuthing to suss out the perp.

There are so many possibilities which author Donna Huston Murray deftly leads us through, methodically ticking each one off the list of suspects. Her writing is solid and the characters are well developed. The setting is well described. The dialogue is tender, sometimes a bit snarky and often humorous. Overall this was a satisfying read and the perfect palate cleanser between heavier books.

I am grateful to author Donna Huston Murray for having provided a complimentary e-copy of this book in its second edition. Her generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publisher:‎ Ravenhill Press
Publication Date: 2nd edition - June 25, 2024
No. of pages:‎ 255
ASIN:‎ B0D1VWNQLK… (más)

Review of Advance Reader Copy eBook

Not at all prepared for her beloved Miata to give up the ghost during her long drive from Maryland to her father’s home in New Mexico, Lauren Beck finds herself bargaining with the owner of a used car dealership for his Jeep. When she finally sets out again, it takes her forty minutes to reach her father’s home.

Only no one is home and none of the neighbors admit to having seen either her father, Bernie, or her stepmother, Ana. And, hoping to surprise her dad, Lauren hadn’t told them she was coming.

When Lauren is mugged on her father’s front steps, it’s her dad’s bright spotlight and alarm that scares the thug away. But her father’s news . . . that Ana is missing . . . plunges Lauren into an ever-deepening mystery.

Why was she mugged on her father’s doorstep? And what happened to Ana?

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Third in the author’s Lauren Beck Crime series, “Stranger Danger” gives readers sufficient backstory for the book to work as a standalone. Anchored by a strong sense of place and a cast of delightful characters, the unfolding narrative promises to keep readers on the edge of their seats, turning pages as fast as possible.

Haunted by a young girl she could not save when she was a police officer, Lauren brings a relentless determination to the case of her missing stepmother, proving her instincts are spot-on. An undercurrent of tension throughout the telling of the tale keeps readers guessing as new aspects of the case become known. Suspenseful and intriguing, readers are quickly pulled into the telling of this unputdownable tale.

With its trademark humor, its doggedly-determined, quirky heroine, and a plot filled with unexpected twists and turns, readers will find much to appreciate here.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Readers program… (más)