Three seemingly unrelated deaths -- the apparent murder-
suicide of Vince Madrigal, a PI with several celebrity
clients, and his young lover, Trendi Talbot, and the
drowning of wealthy widow Catherine "Tink" Engleford --
have a disturbing connection for Detective Nan Vining.
Vince had recently been seeing Vining's mother, Patsy, who
was also an old friend of Tink's. Trendi and Tink also seem
to be linked by their devotion to the books and methods of
the popular self-help maven Georgia Berryhill (who seems to
draw as many critics as she does followers). Vining and her
partner and lover, Jim Kissick, find themselves moving in
the elite circles of wealth and celebrity as they search
for the killer. In a world where so much is pretense, the
truth will be hard to find.
Nan Vining, a tough, driven cop, is also raising a teenage
girl and dealing with her own flighty, irresponsible
mother, not to mention trying to keep her romantic
relationship with Kissick low key. The personal drama does
not detract from the suspense, however, but adds a layer of
emotional depth to the story. The plot moves briskly along
a twisted path with a few surprises along the way, suspects
abound, and there's enough humor to keep things from
becoming too grim. I recommend this book to readers who
like character-driven mysteries (and there are some real
characters in this book!).
Homicide police detective, single mother of a teenage
daughter, and lover to her partner Jim Kissick, Nan Vining
wishes that life was a little more serene, more like it is
at Georgia Berryhill’s Malibu Canyon compound—or like it’s
supposed to be there, anyway. But three bizarre deaths
have brought Vining and Kissick through the exclusive
gates of this healing ground for the well-heeled. First
there’s the double homicide of a celebrity private eye and
his nude, drugged-out lover. Then there’s the inexplicable
drowning of a Pasadena socialite. Georgia Berryhill—
charismatic self-help guru to the stars—is one link to
both investigations. A second link is Vining’s own mother,
who was a friend to one of the victims and was being wooed
by another. Now A-listers, wannabes, lost souls, and
keepers of long-hidden secrets all converge at the
Berryhill compound. Some search for love and happiness,
while others come for murder.
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