Book Review: DYING FOR A DUDE (Laurel McKay Mysteries Book 4) by Cindy Sample

About the Book 

A 2015 LEFTY AWARD Finalist Best Humorous Mystery and 2015 NEXT GENERATION AWARD Finalist for Best Mystery 

When Laurel McKay agrees to perform with the Sassy Saloon Gals during Placerville's annual Wagon Train parade, her greatest fear is a wardrobe malfunction. Before she can lace up her corset, a 150-year-old skeleton turns up on her grandmother's property. Did Laurel's great-great-grandfather murder his mining partner? 

Gran insists not and wants Laurel to prove it. 

Then the body of a prominent citizen is discovered shortly after Laurel's ex-husband decked him. When her detective boyfriend throws her ex in jail for murder, Laurel, with the help of her zany friends and family, must find the real killer. 

Juggling two kids, a new boss, a wilting romance, and two murder investigations would be enough to turn any woman into a chocolate addict. Extra pounds are the least of Laurel's worries as she and her Mustang-driving octogenarian grandmother try to unearth some long-buried secrets before the killer adds their names to the town's bloody history. 

Review 

This is an entertaining story with quirky characters who are relatable and, in most cases, likable.  The story showcases a lot of local places and lore, plus fun characters. Laurel's mixed allegiances to her current detective boyfriend and her ex-husband who he arrests, adds a layer of tension to determining the killer not only of the her grandfather's partner but also a figure in the community.

This is the 4th of 9 in the series. It's always best to start at the beginning only I didn't and it was very readable as a stand-alone mystery. It's well-written and fast-paced. A humorous cozy mystery just right for when you need something light and engaging.

AMAZON 

About the Author 

Cindy Sample is a former corporate CEO who decided plotting murder was more entertaining than plodding through paperwork. She retired to follow her lifelong dream of becoming a mystery author. Her experiences with online dating sites fueled the concept for Dying for a Date, the first in her national bestselling Laurel McKay Humorous Mystery series. The nine-book series is primarily set in the California Gold Country, unless Cindy feels like traveling. Then the characters tag along with her on trips to Hawaii, the Caribbean and Las Vegas. 

Cindy is a five-time finalist for the LEFTY Award for Best Humorous Mystery, a two-time finalist for the SILVER FALCHION Award for best traditional mystery, and a two-time finalist for the Chanticleer MURDER & MAYHEM AWARD. 

Cindy is a past president of the Sacramento chapter of Sisters in Crime and has served on the boards of the Sacramento Opera and the YWCA. She has two wonderful adult children, a lovely daughter-in-law, and a grandson who live too far away. 

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Book Review: DYING FOR A DANCE (Laurel McKay Mysteries Book 2) by Cindy Sample

Synopsis

Discovering she has two left feet isn't the biggest problem for Laurel McKay when she agrees to learn a foxtrot routine for her best friend's Lake Tahoe wedding. Stumbling over the lifeless body of a sexy Russian dance star with her broken shoe heel stuffed in his mouth... is far worse. Almost as bad as running into the hunky detective she dated briefly before he disappeared from her life.
When another death occurs on the ballroom floor, Laurel finds herself waltzing her way into the dark secrets of the Golden Hills Dance Studio. Navigating kids, career, wedding planning and murder requires some fancy footwork. Can Laurel tango with a killer and stay alive?

Review

Laurel McKay is doing her best to learn the dance routine for her best friend's wedding. Liz has arranged lessons at the local dance studio and Laurel meets others learning to dance - or dancing competitively. When one of the dance instructors ends up dead with the heel of her shoe in his mouth, Laurel has to deal with that complication and Tom - the detective she dated briefly who never called back. As she deals with the dance issue and the murder, she also has to come to terms with her mother's romance and the competitive dancers vying for title and prize money.

The murder at the dance studio has many suspects and Laurel is easily distracted from her dance lessons. She is well aware of her lack of coordination and also her desire to appease Liz who has become bridezilla. The characters are well developed, the pace is quick, and there is humor and romance as well as the mystery.  This is the second in the series, but I haven't read the first one - this can easily be read as a stand alone.  There are four others in the series so I see my TBR list growing...

AMAZON