Imitation of Death

July 2, 2012
In Crane’s seductive second contemporary mystery featuring Hollywood realtor Nikki Harper (after 2011’s The Bad Always Die Twice), Nikki, child of iconic silver screen star Victoria Bordeaux, finds herself unwittingly drawn back into the world of amateur sleuthing when spoiled man-child Eddie Bernard turns up dead in the alley behind her mother’s Beverly Hills mansion. Plunged in Eddie’s chest are pruning shears belonging to the Harper family’s gardener and trusted friend, Jorge Delgado. Convinced of Jorge’s innocence, despite having witnessed a recent argument between the hot-headed Jorge and a gun-wielding Eddie in her mother’s driveway, Nikki sets out to find the real killer. She soon learns that Eddie had lots of enemies, a surprising number of whom attended a party at his home the night he was murdered. Crane, herself a realtor and daughter of actress Lana Turner, clearly has fun playing with established mystery tropes and upsetting expectations. Fans of entertaining light fiction are in for a treat. Agent: Evan Marshall, the Evan Marshall Agency.

September 1, 2012

No one is particularly shocked when rich slacker Eddie Bernard ends up stabbed to death with pruning shears. But his neighbor Nikki Harper, a high-end realtor and the daughter of movie star Victoria Bordeaux, refuses to believe that the gardener did it. To prove Jorge's innocence, Nikki and Victoria call on numerous friends and acquaintances. A blabby personal assistant for the Bernard family leaks the fact that plenty of people within the household had motives. Add a drug problem and a suspicious New Age church, and you have one wicked read. VERDICT Nothing like the zip code 90210 to increase the sensationalist appeal of Crane's latest (after The Bad Always Die Twice). But don't sell Crane short just because she's Lana Turner's daughter--and the one who killed Johnny Stompanato, her mom's abusive boyfriend. Short chapters, abundantly peppered with real celebrity names and pop culture references, make for an addictive read. Plus, Crane does a great job of incorporating a multicultural/GLBT cast. Perfect for movie star fans.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.