Death by Smoothie by Laura Levine

 

Reviewed by Kristin

Jaine Austen (no, not that Jane Austen), can’t seem to get away from Cryptessa Muldoon. Cryptessa was the main character in an extremely short lived and mercifully cancelled sitcom entitled I Married a Zombie. The actress who played the television role used to live down the street from Jaine, until she was, umm, murdered. Jaine, freelance writer and amateur sleuth, solved that murder back in Death of a Neighborhood Witch. Realtors and buyers beware; Jaine does always seem to have trouble with neighbors.

Zombie superfans Becca and David have decided to resurrect the story on the stage, renting out an old theatre and hiring fresh actors to reprise the old TV show. They have a script, but they need a writer to make some edits….enter Jaine. Sure, she’ll be glad to take a stab at it, especially with the offered payment of $5000.

Jaine jumps in with her usual aplomb, happy to be associated with something other than her Golden Plunger award winning slogan: In a Rush to Flush? Call Toiletmasters! This is the theatre, what could possibly go wrong?

Murder. Of course.

Misty is the actress playing the stage version of Cryptessa. Pretty much everyone hates her, except director David who is besotted. Or is he? When someone spikes Misty’s daily smoothie with rat poison, suspects abound.

I had read the first dozen or so titles in this series years ago, and then sort of dropped them because my to-be-read list was just too long. I am very glad that I picked this one up because I had forgotten how laugh-out-loud funny they are. Sure, it’s slightly slapstick, but it’s clever slapstick. The cover artwork is eye catching and cute.

Also included in this outing are many emails from Jaine’s parents, each telling their side of the story as her father practices for their retirement community talent show with Iggy the iguana; a charity auction date Jaine did not mean to bid on (not to mention, win); and bestie Lance checking out the hot guys in the play and repeatedly stealing Jaine’s cinnamon raisin bagels. Can’t a woman eat breakfast in peace?

And let’s not forget Jaine’s cat: Prozac. The first sentence is in this volume is “Prozac Elizabeth Austen!” as Jaine chases her cat out the front door. Prozac is a bit of a wild child at home, but is a perfect angel around others. (Except when a neighbor’s roast chicken is involved.)

The series includes:

This Pen for Hire

Last Writes

Killer Blonde

Shoes to Die for

The PMS Murder

Death by Panty Hose

Killing Bridezilla

Killer Cruise

Death of a Trophy Wife

Pampered to Death

Death of A Neighborhood Witch

Killing Cupid

Death by Tiara

Murder Has Nine Lives

Death of a Bachelorette

Death of a Neighborhood Scrooge

Death of a Gigolo

Murder Gets a Makeover

Death by Smoothie