How to Murder a Millionaire (Blackbird Sisters Mysteries, No. 1)

Nora Blackbird's parents left the US for a sunny, tax evaders resort leaving Nora's sister Emma with the art collection and her other sister Libby with the furniture collection. All Nora gets is the property that has been in her family for generations - and a two million dollar tax bill. For the first time in her life, Nora, a former socialite, is forced to *gasp* work. Rory, an old friend of the family who owns a Philadelphia newspaper takes pity on her and hires her as a society page columnist. This is not quite as much fun as it could have been because Kitty, the reigning queen of the society column, believes that Nora is trying to take over her job and gives her all of the bad assignments - like the opening of the monster truck dealership on land that Nora was forced to sell. I mean, its bad enough that Nora sold land that had been in her family for generations, but she sold it to the son of a rumored New Jersey crime boss who sells trucks! To top off her day, Nora discovers the body of her employer and family friend at a party that evening. Nora quickly realizes that the police are out of their depth when it comes to dealing with high society and tries her best to help them out. However, she keeps getting distracted by her flaky sisters and their problems, a slimy art dealer, and the bone-melting come ons she can barely resist from Abruzzo, the suspected crime boss...First of all, in case the synopsis didn't tip you off, this book is not for the hard-core mystery lover. It is kind of a cross between a romance and a mystery novel and fits quite neatly into the "mystery cozy" genre. This is a fun, fast read for those who enjoy their mysteries filled with comments about clothes, food, romance, socialites, art and weird families. Nancy Martin has a nice, smooth writing style and the plot unfolds nicely. I also loved her characters. I mean, where else do you find a reclusive billionaire who collects erotic art, a brother-in-law who dresses up in full Confederate regalia for formal occasions, two flaky, funny sisters, a baby-faced detective who is a lot sharper than he seems, and hosts of other entertaining characters. Sound like fun? This book definitely is!

Nora Blackbird's world has been turned upside down. Her husband was killed during a drug deal and her socialite parents have fled to a tropical tax haven to escape creditors. Her sisters got the furniture and art collection and Nora got the family farm and the two million dollar tax bill. She manages to get a job as a social reporter for a family friend's newspaper, but the friend ends up murdered at a party. Nora's curiosity gets the better of her, especially when a folio of erotic art is given to her by her sister to return to the estate. Nora wants to know who killed Rory and why. She has the help of Mick Abruzzo whether she wants it or not.This is a promising new series. The three Blackbird sisters are very quirky from Emma's horse obsession to Nora's fainting spells. The plot is entertaining without being too far fetched and I look forward to the next installment of the series.

"How to Murder..." is a terrific fun. The mystery element is legit - you're given some interesting suspects and the ultimate murderer is a surprise...Nora, however, is superbly developed - she's funny, clever, but with her own faults. (She faints a lot - she hates it, she's not a delicate creature, but she just faints a lot. Oh, and she and her sisters can't keep husbands - they die on them.) Her sisters round out what looks to be a truly fun group of detectives - especially Emma, the youngest. And Michael adds an attractive balance to all those women - and gives us all a reason to keep reading (to see what happens between him and Nora). I'm sure we'll see Det. Bloom again, as well. I'll definitely look for book #2.

Martin's MILLIONAIRE is a well-thought-out, excellently crafted, entertaining read! Not only are the society girls, Nora and her sisters, a hoot, but the range of legitimate suspects makes it a toughie to figure out, holding your interest until the very end! Martin's knack for presenting engaging characters in interesting situations puts her up there with Strohmeyer and Evanovich in my book. I can't wait for her next release!Also recommended: BUBBLES IN TROUBLE by Sarah Strohmeyer; FULL HOUSE by Janet Evanovich

Delightfully funny and deliciously sexy, How to Murder a Millionaire is an entertaining romp through Philadelphia high society where old money mixes with new crime and motives abound along with the martinis. Nora Blackbird is smart, stylish and too busy for love, but it still manages to find her as she deals with a new job, two wild sisters and the murder of an old family friend. This mystery is wickedly funny and also romantic as Nora juggles being a full-time society page columnist with part-time sleuthing. In trying to solve the mystery of who murdered her friend, Nora skirts dangerously close to becoming victim number two and skates into the arms of someone far outside her social circle. Nancy Martin's writing is fresh, funny and filled with the sort of details that make this mystery a must for those looking for pure entertainment. A good exampe of the perfect beach book--but don't save it!