Divorce Can be Murder (Jimi Plain Mysteries)

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: I really enjoyed every minute of this book. The subplots were real and entertaining - not just filler like so many others. The main plot moved along very briskly with lots of murder along the way. The charactors felt like people I knew and having the story based in Denver was a refreshing change.

Rating:
Summary: Great Start To A New Series
Review: Jimi Plain is a thirty-nine year old mother of two daughters. She's a freelance technical writer and eight years divorced

Jimi volunteers for the Hunter Divorce Adjustment Seminars, which helps those in the middle of a divorce or after a divorce, cope with the situation.

The meetings are led by Audrey Martin a licensed psychologist and nun, which are held at a different participants house each time, and tonight, it's Bruce Mann's turn to host.

Unfortunately, the meeting has to be cancelled, when they find Bruce, dead on his kitchen floor.

Investigating the crime, is Jimi's cousin Danny Delvecchio. He let's Jimi know that not only was Bruce electrocuted, but that it was a skilled job. And that everyone in her group is suspect.

At first Jimi couldn't believe it, until she takes a closer look at her group.

There's her best friend and neighbor Linda Kraner, who is going through a nasty divorce with her husband Steve, who left her for a younger woman. Bruce had been helping him hide his money from Linda.

Ron Arnot, who's the ex-husband of Nan Arnot, the younger woman Steve Kraner left Linda for. He's found out that Nan is having an affair with Bruce as well.

And it turns out other members of the group had dealings with Bruce which they don't want uncovered, including one, where pictures were taken.

Jimi trys to figure out who the killer is, as her cousin seems to be zeroing in on her best friend. It doesn't help that Linda has started stalking her soon to be ex-husband.

And it looks especially bad when Nan Arnot, the other woman is found dead in her bathtub, electrocuted.

Highlights:

Jimi has sold her home and bought her grandmother house. She is moving in there with her two daughters Chloe & Shannon. Danny lives in a basement apartment in the house. He owns the house next door, but is renting it out. There are really nice touches of a close family and how they interact with each others.

Jimi's ex-husband, whom she calls Uncle Dad is the worse kind of ex. He lives in Las Vegas, constantly promises his daughters things and never follows through. Tells them he wants them to come and spend Christmas with him, if Jimi will pay their fare. (He's too broke). Of course, when she agrees, he backs out, saying he has to go to California with his girlfriend.

The mystery is top notch. I never guessed the killer, the reason for the killings, Jimi seems very believable, including doing stupid things, such as doing a stakeout all day and then realized she didn't make any plans for sitting in a car all day, such as food, drink, something to read and especially a bathroom.

Many first books are slow starters and you have to decide, do you want to spend money on the second book. I had no problems with this one, I went right into Amazon and order the second book. I couldn't find a third, and it looks as though Victoria Pade is mainly a romance novel writer. I hope she continues with this series as it is very well written and entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: Divorce Can Be Murder
Review: This book was so slow that I had trouble staying awake.