#BookReview: Murder and Other Unnatural Disasters by Lida Sideris

Reviewer: Leah

I was given a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Watch out Southern California! There’s a new entertainment attorney in town and she’s got game. Only problem is, it’s not the one she should be playing. Corrie Locke belongs behind a desk, not behind a Glock. She should be taking VIP calls, not nosing around a questionable suicide. Instead, she’s hot on the trail of a murderer.

Luckily, she’s the daughter of a late, great private eye and she’s inherited his love of sleuthing…and illegal weaponry. It doesn’t help matters that her gene for caution is a recessive one. Corrie finds herself in the center of a murder case, unearthing suspects in shocking places. With a cold-blooded killer on the loose, Corrie will have to up her game, or die trying.

Review:

After Corrie Locke’s father died, she decided to give up the private investigating business and get into a business that is safe and secure; becoming a lawyer. Corrie just landed the job of her dreams, an associate lawyer at a big entertainment production house. Only problem is, this is far from what she dreamed as safe and secure. A crazy supervisor who changes his mind every second, her ex-boyfriend that was a huge mistake, a gossipy Human Resources executive, a Vice President that doesn’t understand the word “no”, and much more. To make things even more complicated, Corrie finds herself donning her gumshoes when someone begs her to investigate a suicide, he believes is a cover for murder. Once word is out that Corrie is back in business, she gets too more cases: finding a famous basketball players lost lucky charm, his Siamese cat; and figuring out who is making a famous rapper believe he has been abducted by aliens. In between lawyering and investigating; Corrie has an old friend she’d always crushed on come back in her life; and a man she can’t stand, but is attracted to. What’s a girl to do?

Fans of Veronica Mars will enjoy reading about this teenage private investigator trying to leave the life, only to discover it is something in her blood. Corrie was a fun and likeable character as you relate to her normalcy in an office full of strange temperamental people. Her partner in investigating, best friend, and secret crush; Michael, is not only adorable in his nerdy everyday personality, but just as lovable in his attempts to be like Colombo or other TV detective.

This novel was very engaging and the three mysteries were fun, interesting and great to challenge any reader. The lost cat and rapper tales are minor, but still engaging, and the overall investigating arc of the suicide as murder; is intriguing as it takes a series of twists and turns in trying to find out is it really a murder? And if so who could be the killer?

The only issues I had with the book was at times it seems to be a little bit disorganized, waiting until halfway in to give us the back-story the author is constantly hinting at.  I would have preferred if we were introduced to it earlier as it helps one understand the characters better. The other problem I had with the novel was the love triangle between Corrie, Michael, and the assistant district attorney. A lot of mysteries have been doing this lately, and I for one am tired of reading it.

But as those are such minute issues, and on a whole the story was almost impossible to put down.

4.5 Stars