Swift Edge

October 10, 2011
In DiSilverio’s amusing second mystery featuring Colorado Springs PI Charlotte “Charlie” Swift (after 2010’s Swift Justice), Dara Peterson, half of the championship ice skating team of Peterson and Dmitri Fane, wants to hire Charlie to find Dmitri, who’s gone missing just days before the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Dmitri turns out to have lots of baggage, including a gambling problem, an imperious Russian skating coach, and bitter rivals. Charlie’s untrained partner in Swift Investigations, Georgia “Gigi” Goldman, and Gigi’s 15-year-old daughter, Kendall, the agency’s part-time receptionist, prove as much hindrance as help. Meanwhile, Episcopal priest Dan Allgood asks Charlie to locate a runaway Asian kid called Kungfu, who’s disappeared from the homeless shelter Allgood runs. Allgood and CSPD Det. Connor Montgomery provide romantic frissons for Charlie as she juggles the two complex and dangerous cases with aplomb. Readers will look forward to seeing more of Charlie and her two clueless assistants.

October 15, 2011
The case of a missing figure skater ushers a private eye into a world whose skaters' personalities are more fearsome than the investigation itself. Charlie Swift, of Swift Investigations, once thought that having formerly silent partner Gigi Goldman assume an active role in the business was the most day-to-day drama she could take. Turns out that's only because Charlie had never met Gigi's daughter, Kendall. When Gigi forces Kendall on Charlie's agency as a part-time staffer, it's hard to know who's most unhappy with the arrangement—except of course for Gigi, who thinks her dear daughter can do no wrong. While Kendall's nosy and intrusive style is all Gigi, she's also a surly teenager obsessed with Charlie's latest investigation. Dara Peterson has retained Swift Investigations to find her skating partner, the famed Dimitri Fane. The last time Dmitri disappeared, he was taking an unannounced vacation with a boy toy, so Charlie thinks the case is going to be an easy ride around the rink. Unfortunately, the sleuth ends up with so many bumps and bruises that she needs a little rescuing of her own, and Detective Connor Montgomery is once again ready to catch her when she falls. As much as she wants to resist his charms, Charlie fears that she may be fighting a losing battle. Now if only the same isn't true of her search for Dmitri. Charlie's second doesn't live up to the quirky charm of her series debut (Swift Justice, 2010) but still deserves better-than-average scores.

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November 1, 2011

Olympic hopeful skating star Dmitri Fane has disappeared just days before Nationals are set to begin in Colorado Springs. Hired to find him by Dmitri's hysterical young partner, PI Charlotte "Charlie" Swift (Swift Justice) soon figures out that Dmitri was making money on the side to pay for costumes and training--and his unorthodox means are catching up with him. Quicker than you can say triple Salchow, Charlie finds the skating duo's gravely injured coach and Dmitri's dead cohorts. Will Dmitri's next death spiral be fatal, too? VERDICT DiSilverio has a bit of Sue Grafton's tone about her, with a dash of Janet Evanovich thrown in, thanks to Charlie's always unpredictable partner, Gigi. Expect to laugh and roll your eyes with this enjoyable read. [Library marketing.]

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2011
Swift Investigations (Swift Justice, 2010) has a new case. Famous figure-skater Dara hires Charlotte Charlie Swift to find her missing skating partner, Dmitri; there's no time to waste, as the national championships are fast approaching. Tension accelerates when Dara and Dmitri's coach is nearly killed. As Charlie investigates, she encounters scary skating moms, viciously competitive skaters, and even connections to international crime. Meanwhile, Charlie's partner, Gigi, is still trying to find her way in the business, fumbling around with hilarious gadgets, proving no match for her office computer, and finding herself attracted to the guardian of a local halfway house for young men. Not to be outdone, Gigi's teen daughter, Kendall, serving as the company's receptionist, throws her hat in the investigatory ring, too, and soon winds up in danger. Charlie and Gigi are both wonderful characters, flawed but appealing. This well-crafted, zany mystery will appeal, especially, to fans of Janet Evanovich, Laura Levine, and Lisa Lutz, whose work displays the same kind of humor.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)