Very powerful idea behind this book, and I loved the way the author went about expressing it by having a strong lead character, Camarin. From the moment she was introduced to the story, I loved her. Her background was fascinating, and when she came into conflict, she was not afraid to speak her mind, and did what she wanted to do, even when other people tried to tell her differently. This story is studded with mystery and suspense with a powerful hook right at the beginning to draw readers in. The murders in the story take an interesting angle compared to other stories that I’ve read in a similar genre. Definitely worth the read! ( )

A great main character, very real and likeable with a very relatable agenda, a tight plot and a fun, light-hearted mystery, this is a book that will keep you laughing until the end... and then, make you think.

A great story. ( )

Camarin Torres is weeks away from graduating NYU and it seems like she is the only one in her graduating class that does not have a job lined up upon graduation. While taking the train, she meets a handsome stranger, Lyle Fletcher. Lyle is the new publisher of Trend, a fluff magazine that publishes pieces that go against everything Camarin stands for, but Lyle offers her a job as an investigative reporter. Lyle wants to turn Trend from a fluff magazine to something more serious.

Camarin is a crusader against discrimination especially since her overweight sister committed suicide and now, Camarin wants to make a difference against bullying and discrimination. She decides to take Lyle up on his offer hoping she could make a difference. Her first order of business is investigating the recent murder of Leticia Reagan, owner of Blubber Be Gone. When Camarin starts recognizing a pattern of weight loss advocate deaths, will her life soon be on the line as well?

Slashing Mona Lisa starts off with a bang. The opening scene where Letitia Reagan is murdered is reminiscent of the early 80’s slasher movies (My fave!). So, right off the bat I am hooked. What also really grabbed my attention is the premise around Slashing Mona Lisa is all about fat shaming and discrimination. Yes, it is a difficult subject matter, but D.M Barr shows the compassionate side of it as well as the fat shamers who like to bring people down. Although, I think for the most part a lot is changing in society especially around body acceptance and the body positivity movement. Fat shaming is still all too real though and it is a shame in this day and age people still put others down without a thought about the person’s feelings.

The murder mystery surrounding weight loss advocates is another aspect of the story that is done really well. Instead of it being done in a serious, gory way (which it kinda is) its mostly done in a satirical kind of way. Want to lose twenty pounds, well let me chop of your head! All the murders are centered around Terry Mangel’s body revivals. Every time one of his revivals comes to town someone winds up dead and up till now, no one has made any connection until Camarin starts investigating.

There are a lot of secrets in this story and one secret surrounding Lyle which plays our ratherly nicely and kept me in the dark pretty much until the end. The suspense over all was not an easy one for me to figure out and I like when I can’t figure out what is going on right up until the end.

Camarin is a really good character and I found myself really drawn to her and liking her because she stood up for what she believed in. She does have a past with her sister and she feels guilty over her suicide and in a way it has shaped her into the person she is today. The romance between Camarin and Lyle is a slow build and I liked that it was a younger/older scenario which I find very rare. My favorite though has to be Rachel, Trend’s secretary. She was funny and snarky and quick with the comebacks.

Slashing Mona Lisa was a fun mystery that was part serious, part mystery, with a lot of funny moment thrown in between to lighten the subject matter. It was a quick read that I really enjoyed.
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