Murder for Hire: The Peruvian Pigeon

Book was good reading but the condition was not as advertised as very good. In fact it was very poor with the back 20 pages all stained and the book itself warped. I do not mind getting a book in this condition if that’s what’s advertised and I know that’s what I’m getting, but in this case no.

Well written, amazingly crafted, and basically just fun! Dana Fredsti's Murder For Hire team is made up of a group of people you'd want to find yourself hanging out with. A tongue in cheek nod at 40's film noir, along with a little murder and a little romance, what more could you ask of a mystery? Ms. Fredsti's attention to detail brings her audience right into the action. (I also blame her for my current cookie craving!) A great whodunit to the very end. Warning, this book is hard to put down...Clear your schedule, warm up some cocoa and put in a fresh batch of chocolate chips before you start!

MURDER FOR HIRE is like getting two books in one: the behind-the-scenes shenanigans of an acting troupe specializing in tough-guy detective stories and snappy patter, and on top of that, some actual murders to be solved, however inadvertantly. Hell, you can even get a drinking game out of it -- knock one back every time Daphne makes cocoa and you'll be feeling alright in no time (though be responsible, no reading and driving...) This is a fun novel and you don't have to be a mystery maven to enjoy it. There's something here for everyone. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I sure hope this will be the first of a series, because I loved this book! It exceeded my expectations, riffing on Agatha Christie, Dashiell Hammett and Nancy Drew with an effortless charm, and updating it with the modern twists and quirky characters. Dana Fredsti has a great eye for detail, which makes the book as rich as the hot cocoa the characters are always drinking (with vanilla bean or orange zest). I'll keep reading if she keeps writing!

Maybe murder shouldn't be fun, but this book honestly is. Fredsti's frustrated actresses (and unwilling detectives) are surrounded by a surly but gorgeous stuntman, a wacky neighbor lady, obliviously blood-thirsty mystery fans, and a dragonlady socialite you'd love to see murdered. The suspense is all there, and the mystery unravels like a ball of yarn in the clutches of a leopard, but you'll get to the end laughing.

"Murder For Hire" features a murder mystery troupe - one of those groups that puts on murder mystery shows for dinners and special events - that gets tangled up in a real murder. I'm surprised that no one has thought of using this concept as a mystery vehicle before. But Dana Fredsti has, and the first in what I'm sure will be a series is a lot of fun, with much spoofing of the behaviors of actors as well as hard-boiled detective novels.