First and Fabulous: Detective Debuts to Die for

Description

The set’s like a cocktail mixer in a box—perfect for those who want to meet and mingle with a few different sleuths at once! If you hit it off, you can move into more serious relationships with all of them.

First, we introduce Rebecca Schwartz, a quick-witted lawyer turned detective who solves mysteries in bustling San Francisco. In her debut, she starts out happily playing piano in a brothel—then ends up having to unpuzzle the murder of a dead hooker. This lively mystery manages to strike a balance between gritty and funny—with a few romantic entanglements, for good measure. It will appeal to both cozy readers as well as those looking for laughs and adventure.

Next up is Skip Langdon: she’s a firecracker rookie cop whose hellbent on cleaning up the lush yet seedy city of New Orleans. Her series begins with the mid-Mardi Gras murder of a prominent uptown socialite.

As a former debutante, Skip uses her white glove contacts to scour the New Orleans elite for the killer. Skip is so arresting that this gritty mystery won the 1991 Edgar Allan Poe Award for best novel. More hard-boiled than Death Turns a Trick, but definitely a match for those who love wit with their grit.

Last, we’ve included New Orleans native Talba Wallis’s debut as a PI. Grumpy, old-school Eddie Valentino needs to team up with a sharp young IT addition to his out-of-date detective agency. Talba Wallis—a twenty-something computer wiz who also happens to be a poet and all-around free spirit—snatches up the opportunity, almost over Eddie’s dead body. This mismatched dynamic duo quickly gets on the case of a twisted, sociopath with a ton of recording industry clout.

He should be no match for tech-savvy Talba and street-wise Eddie—if they can only leave their baggage at the door. A very fun read for those who like banter and sarcasm, yet with all the good will in the world.