Review: Lowcountry Bombshell – Susan M Boyer

Private Investigator Liz Talbot thinks she’s seen another ghost when she meets Calista McQueen. She’s the spitting image of Marilyn Monroe. Born precisely fifty years after the ill-fated star, Calista’s life has eerily mirrored the late starlet’s—and she fears the looming anniversary of Marilyn’s death will also be hers.

Before Liz can open a case file, Calista’s life coach is executed. Suspicious characters swarm around Calista like mosquitoes on a sultry lowcountry evening: her certifiable mother, a fake aunt, her control-freak psychoanalyst, a private yoga instructor, her peculiar housekeeper, and an obsessed ex-husband. Liz digs in to find a motive for murder, but she’s besieged with distractions. Her ex has marriage and babies on his mind. Her too-sexy partner engages in a campaign of repeat seduction. Mamma needs help with Daddy’s devotion to bad habits. And a gang of wild hogs is running loose on Stella Maris.

With the heat index approaching triple digits, Liz races to uncover a diabolical murder plot in time to save not only Calista’s life, but also her own

Series: Liz Talbot Mystery #2
Release Date: September 2, 2013
Publisher: Henery Press
Source: Provided by Publisher
Reviewer: Joelle
Rating:

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Reviewer’s Thoughts

Boy, did I love this book! It was a great mystery novel, but Boyer managed to give the story so much more. I loved the Marilyn Monroe twist to it, loved the well-developed characters, and I loved the setting she described. I want to live on a quaint little South Carolina island too! It is hard for me to believe that this is only Boyer’s 2nd novel. It was well-written and I can’t wait to go back and read Lowcountry Boil!

I found it so easy to fall in love with the characters in this book. Liz is a spunky private investigator and a lifelong resident of Stella Maris, a little island off of South Carolina. As is usual in a small town, everybody knows everybody so when outsider Calista seeks Liz’s services for protection, it is intriguing. Especially when she sees that Calista is dead-ringer for Marilyn Monroe. At first, I didn’t know what to make of Calista–was she lying? Crazy? Both?–she seemed a bit too much of a victim. However, as the story progressed, I liked Calista too. And the men? Please tell me the next story will focus on Blake! ; )

I don’t want to give anything away about the plot because I thought Boyer did a great job weaving this tale. It was suspensful, but also playful. I thought the ending was very clever and unexpected. This is a must read for all mystery lovers!