Death, Taxes, and a Skinny No-Whip Latte

March 1, 2012

The U.S. Treasury folks down in Texas take their white-collar crime investigations seriously, and this is no ordinary tax evasion case. Tara Holloway and her partner Eddie Bardin know that Mexican criminals are preying on local small business folks by blackmailing them into illegal money laundering schemes. The alternative is torturous death; Tara and Eddie know of one victim already. Additionally, one agent might have already been bribed into silence, but Tara begins to wonder if he is not innocent after all. Eddie pulls back from the investigation when his family is threatened, but Tara is not above going rogue. Hold your breath: Annie Oakley is on the loose. VERDICT It is hard not to notice a sexy CPA with a proclivity for weapons. Kelly's sophomore series title (after Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure) isn't cozy, but it has huge romance crossover appeal. With surprisingly dense financial trails and details, the story is not quite as light as the title suggests.

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