This is a delightful second entry in the Lomax and Biggs series. The plots are credible and not quite cozy. The writing is snappy and funny. Very enjoyable. ( )

I listened to this, the second in the Lomax & Biggs series. It's a tragic story, but is not a normal mystery since we find out early on who is carrying out the killing and why. The book is better than the first, The Rabbit Factory, in that it is no longer than it needs to be; it is funnier and has more believable characters. The narrator, Tom Stechschulte, is terrific, making it much more fun to listen to than to read.
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Detectives Briggs & Lomax out of the Hollywood precinct are involved in another high profile murder investigation. A producer is murdered, an actor is abducted. They need to find the perpetrator(s) quickly or the brass will have their hides.

The tension builds in this well-structured murder mystery to an eventful conclusion. ( )

Barry Gergen, one of the most hated and powerful men in Hollywood is dead. Lomas and Biggs are assigned to find the murderer. Lomas is a grieving widower with an over-bearing father who is trying to fix him up and keeps trying to interfere with his cases. ( )

This could very well be my most favorite book about vampires ever for one main reason – it’s not about vampires! Well, it sort of is about vampires. It’s about the female infatuation with them and how pop culture has made them so desirable. Really this story is about an awkward sixteen year old boy who is the new kid in the school after moving from the Midwest to New York City. This boy, Finbar Frame, decides to reinvent himself to become cooler like his twin brother Luke. However, Finn lacks everything that makes a guy traditionally popular. He’s not good at sports, he reads a lot, is ghostly pale, is allergic to the sun, and just generally awkward. Making due with what he has, he transforms himself into a vampire to impress the new kids (mostly the girls) at his new school.

This book is a dream. It is very well written, and is super easy to connect to if you’re a person who has ever felt like you were on the outside looking in. The whole family dynamic of the Frames is nice, and easy to believe. The interactions between the character is natural and doesn’t have the typical tropes that you find in most ya books. The dad is a grown up dork, the mom is a bit obsessive, and Luke is a stereotypical jock with heart. For the most part, these characters are fleshed out enough to know who they are, but not so much to where you feel like you’re getting an entire family back story on them. All of the secondary characters in this novel are great. You can relate to the main girls with one being a book reading, con-loving nerd, and the other is bookish, smart, and hiding a past. Both of them are really down to earth and, as a female, I could see myself in both of them.

If you like making fun of vampires and that whole obsession that has overtaken our culture, this is a great book for you. Finn doesn’t understand it either, but that doesn’t stop him from reading everything about them. He manages to take his love of reading, ability to remember facts, and general appearance to become one of the elite vamps that all the girls are after. Now if you’re wondering if he got a girl, he manages to get two girls, and become semi-popular. Granted, he does learn some pretty tough lessons along the way. He has to face the girl who lied to him, the one who he lead on, bullies, and the sun.

Final Thoughts:
I loved this book. It is one of those books that I will recommend everyone to read because it just is so good in the relatability, humor, and witty departments. This book took me back to high school with all the awkwardness of fitting in, but with none of the pain of not being able to. It normalizes those of us who read just a little too much to be considered normal and gives up to the dorks who want to be popular. Really guys, this is one you should go out and pick up to read. It is delightful in all the ways you would want a book that makes fun of vampires to be. ( )