Friday, July 6, 2012

Book Review: The Bad Always Die Twice

Author: Cheryl Crane
Title: The Bad Always Die Twice
Description: Nikki Harper is a Hollywood real estate agent who is the daughter of Victoria Bourdeaux, a glamorous fifties movie star. Cheryl Crane is a real estate agent who is the daughter of Lana Turner. Make of this what you will. So Nikki is investigating the death of a rascal who supposedly died six months earlier in a plane crash, but ended up stabbed through the eye in her best friend’s bed.
Review source: I think I got this ARC at ALA last year.
Plot: When you take away all the Hollywood glamour, this is a fairly straightforward whodunit. I thought it was interesting; there were plenty of twists, and new information was handed out steadily throughout the book.
Characters: Nikki is level-headed and practical in spite of her Hollywood background. Her mother is likeable as well, though way past eccentric on the kooky scale.
Writing style: Fine. There is a lot of brand name dropping, which means nothing to me and I could do without.
Audience: Mystery readers. Despite its Hollywood setting, it’s not exactly noir, but there are some noir-ish touches.
Wrap-up: Mysteries aren’t my top choice in reading, although I always enjoy a well-crafted whodunit. So the fact that I wouldn’t go out looking for another book by Crane isn’t so much a judgment on her as just a reflection on my own choices in reading. 3.5/5*

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