Vows, Vendettas and a Little Black Dress

April 5, 2010
In Davis's fluffy fifth Sophie Katz mystery (after 2009's Lust, Loathing and a Little Dark Chocolate
), the part Jewish/part black mystery author and sleuth sets out to avenge the murder of her best friend, Dena Lopiano, the proprietor of an upscale San Francisco sex shop. When a bullet hits Dena in the back at the apartment of Dena's ditzy cosmetician cousin, Mary Ann, Sophie wonders whether Mary Ann, who's intent on a Disney-themed wedding with successful toymaker Monty Sanchez, was the real target, or even Sophie herself. Suspects include Mary Ann's ex-boyfriend, Rick Wilkes; Rick's weird taxidermist girlfriend, Fawn; and Chrissy Powell, the founder of MAAP (Moral Americans Against Pornography), whose husband once dated Dena. Wacky quotes from Fatally Yours
, one of Sophie's books, and an exciting cliffhanger ending compensate in part for a surfeit of breathless dialogue and a too obvious killer.

May 1, 2010
This is the fifth in Davis series of comedic romance-mysteries starring San Francisco amateur sleuth Sophie Katz and her wacky friends and family. The story begins with the engagement of Sophies friends Mary Ann and Monty, but within the hour and a dozen pages, Sophies best friend, Dena, has been shot. It is not clear if Dena will ever walk again, but it is clear that Sophie, with the help of her Russian boyfriend, Anatoly, a private investigator, who is logical where Sophie is emotional, will find out who did it and make them pay. The problem is that nymphomaniac Dena has more than her share of enemies, thanks to her lifestyle and her popular sex shop. Suspects include members of Denas bizarre circle of friends, ex-boyfriends, and those who object to her dating practices. Theres not a normal (read boring) character in the bunch, which is what makes this series so much fun.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)