Publishers Weekly of Liar, Liar
Cat DeLuca, owner of Pants on Fire Detective Agency and member of the large and largely dysfunctional DeLuca family of mostly honest Chicago cops, makes a strong first impression in Larsen's comic, sexy debut. Inspired by her own marital experience with cheater Johnnie Rizzo, Cat nails cheating spouses or follows suspected cheaters like Chance Savino until she nails them. Explosions like the one that puts Cat in the hospital and supposedly kills Chance get everyone excited and lead to more fireworks. Mama DeLuca thinks Cat is crazy, brother Rocco thinks she needs protection, and Chance makes unexpected appearances that only Cat sees. Larsen surrounds her heroine with lots of Italian food, handsome men, and resourceful family members. Things turn deadly serious when a client turns up dead, and someone wants Cat off the case permanently. Larsen (the pen name for sisters Julianne, Kristen, and Kari Larsen) should appeal to fans of Janet Evanovich and Lisa Lutz. (Sept.)
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Publishers Weekly of Sticks & Stones
In Larsen’s engaging second mystery featuring Chicago PI Caterina “Cat” DeLuca (after 2010’s Liar, Liar), Cat goes after Walter Jones, Cleo Jones’s no-good ex, who’s stolen Cleo’s money as well as her Tibetan terrier, Beau. Cat, trailed by a furious Cleo, finds Walter’s bloody body, still warm, in his suburban house, plus a bag of money and Beau. With perfect timing, the police show up and arrest Cleo—who’s threatened Walter loudly and publicly—for murder. Determined to prove Cleo innocent, Cat turns for help to a number of friends, notably Chance Savino, her FBI agent lover, while evading the police to track suspects and hiding Cleo, after she’s released on bail, and Beau in her home. It’s a plus that Cleo is a great cook. Janet Evanovich fans will relate to the humor and crazy characters, but under the fun is a well-crafted plot with all the elements of a classic whodunit. (Feb.)
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