Secondhand Smoke

July 17, 2006
Authentic urban atmosphere, generous wit and winning characters lift Olson's second outing for Annie Seymour (after 2005's Sacred Cows
), which takes the intrepid New Haven, Conn., reporter to a possible arson scene. When a cherished local Italian restaurant, Prego, burns down, a corpse in the rubble is believed to be that of the owner, Sal Amato. The police later determine that the deceased is Prego's hostess, whose history of domestic violence with her boyfriend, Prego's chef, leads to the chef's arrest. But when Annie stumbles on Amato, just after he's shot dead, it looks as if the mob may be responsible. Enter Annie's father, who's in town from Las Vegas. Annie worries her dad is somehow involved, and when his fingerprints show up in suspicious places, the cops and the Feds agree. To clear his name, Annie joins forces up with sexy Vinny DeLucia, marine biologist–turned–gumshoe, who conveniently turns up in all the wrong places at the right times to save Annie's derriere. Readers are sure to look forward to Annie's further adventures.

August 15, 2006
In the follow-up to the award-winning "Scared Cows", New Haven crime reporter Annie Seymour investigates a mysterious fire that destroys the town's best Italian restaurant and leaves a corpse in the rubble. Janet Evanovich fans will enjoy as Annie has serious man troubles like her Stephanie Plum counterpart. But Olson's characters are her own, and her fast-paced plot and great ending make it a perfect read for patrons who like a bit of humor in their mysteries. [See Prepub Mystery, "LJ" 5/1/06.]

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2006
When an Italian restaurant in New Haven, Connecticut, burns to the ground with a woman's body inside, and the restaurant's owner goes missing, local reporter Annie Seymour investigates in her old neighborhood. When Annie finds a second body in the rubble of the restaurant, she is removed from the story because she is too personally involved, but she continues to investigate on her own. After rumors of illegal gambling and Mafia connections surface, Annie begins to fear her father may be involved, as he was a longtime friend of the restaurant's owner. Annie, who split with her policeman boyfriend after the events of the series debut, " Sacred Cows" (2005), remains attracted to her old friend PI Vinny DeLucia, who is engaged to someone else but allows his relationship with Annie to heat up as he helps her investigate. Humor enlivens this first--person account, although Olson occasionally substitutes cliches for character development (we know Annie is tough because she swears a lot). Still, this remains a series with considerable potential.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)