Welcome to my Sunday Book Review. Today I’m sharing a fun cozy read by Susie Black from her Holly Swimsuit Series – Death by Coconut. A fun bunch of women friends in the shmata (garment) business are at a tradeshow in Miami. When things get wonky, Holly Schlivnik is in full detective mode.
Blurb:
Obnoxious Mystique Swimwear sales rep Simon Posnick was universally despised by competitors and customers alike. So the question wasn’t who wanted the lying, cheating scoundrel dead. The question was who didn’t. Mariel Levine, Laurie’s Fashions’ swimsuit buyer and Holly Schlivnik’s career mentor, is wrongly arrested for murdering Posnick by impaling him with the jagged edge of a coconut shell at the base of his skull. The wisecracking, irreverent President of Mermaid Swimwear jumps into action to uncover the real killer. But the treacherous trail holds more dangerous human predators than the alligators and black pythons in the Everglades. Everything turns out differently than amateur sleuth Holly thinks it will as she tangles with a vengeful killer.
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My 5 Star Review:
A fun romp with the yentas (gossipers) in shmata (rag) land.
A group of female friends who all happen to be in the garment business, gather for the annual buyer’s trade show in Miami to sell their wholesale wares to retailers. Holly and her mom work for Mermaid Swimwear. There is a lot of cutthroat going on with who can buy who’s line and who can’t. At the center of it is slimeball, Simon Posnick, who nobody really likes. And in the midst of the show, Simon is murdered – by a rough edge of a coconut. And one of the ladies, Mariel, is blamed. Holly Schlivnik susses out the real killer, but can she prove it to Detective Mo Lehrman? After all, it was Holly who discovers Simon’s body. Mo is a local cop and past heart throb for Holly, and things get heated again between them as Holly tries to solve the murder, and tries to convince Mo who it is.
Every good cozy mystery must have a villain and in this story, Simon is it, along with his handsy shenanigans, having no women wanting him. Enter Avril, a determined young saleswoman who will stop at nothing until Holly’s mother will buy from her line. Some people have to learn you can’t make deals for or with everyone. Lots of people don’t like Simon – or Avril, for that matter. And don’t disregard some of the other possible shady characters. It’s really a mystery who killed Simon despite the lame blame laid on Mariel. Even Holly had to backtrack on her first suspicion, considering her culprit also gets killed!
Lots of action, confusion, and lots of clues to help figure out who killed Simon, while Holly keeps herself in the thick of things snooping around, and almost getting herself killed in the process. A fun fast-paced read that I really didn’t want to put down.
DGKayewriter.com 