Otherwise Engaged

Kate Kelly's cousin wants "a favor," which proves deadly as Kate travels to a horse farm for an end-all engagement party. Who's doing what to whom becomes the menu-of-the-day, as guests and family stage an arena for explosive fireworks to touch off the celebration. A well-paced read to take to the beach. Nash Black, author of "Qualifying Laps" and "Taxes, Stumbling Blocks & Pitfalls for Authors 2007."

Kate Kelly's cousin Adam wants her to pose as his friend Brett's fiancée for a weekend at Brett's family Kentucky horse farm. Brett's mom is throwing him an engagement party, but his real bride-to-be has disappeared. She is a travel reporter and the magazine agrees to pay her expenses and those of a photographer so she can write about her experiences. Kate begins to think she made a mistake in agreeing, even as soon as moments after she has agreed. Soon after arriving at Blue Grass Winds, his family's horse farm, a car blows up. There was someone inside, but they can't identify it immediately as it was too burned. The police begin investigating, but the family, including Brett, is not very helpful. Kate soon discovers that someone is trying to scare her into leaving. They are using pranks, sometimes nasty or dangerous, but still just pranks. Brett keeps disappearing and she can't figure out what is going on. His mother is mentally unstable and is against the marriage. Kate decides she'd better figure out who is behind all of this and what is going on before her life is in real danger. This is a fabulous mystery. I laughed out loud many times. Some of the situations seem so unreal, but yet you know they could happe,n and they make you laugh. I hope there will be more Kate Kelly mysteries. I would love to read them. I highly recommend this book.

Her cousin Adam wants to take Travel Adventures reporter Kate Kelly to lunch, an event that fills her with trepidation because she knows from past experiences that he needs a favor from her. Sure enough, he wants her to pose as his friend Brett's fiancée for a weekend at his family Kentucky horse farm because his mother is throwing them an engagement party and his real bride-to-be disappeared. Against her better judgment she agrees to do it and the magazine is paying her expenses and that of a photographer because they want Kate to write a story about her experiences.When they arrive at Blue Grass Winds, they are looking in a barn when they hear an explosion. A car blew up with someone inside but the body is too burned up for an immediate identification. While the police are going about their investigation, someone is trying to scare Kate into leaving through nasty and sometimes dangerous pranks. Her first thought is that it could be her supposed mother in law who is mentally unbalanced and doesn't want anyone marrying her precious son. When someone starts shooting at Kate, she decides to investigate even if it places her life in danger.Laura Young has a wicked sense of humor that she imbues into the storyline. Even thought the plot is deadly serious, readers will find themselves laughing at slapstick and farcical scenes. The protagonist is a strong willed woman who makes her own decisions but isn't afraid to admit when she is wring. OTHERWISE ENGAGED is a cheerful book that stars quirky and humorous characters in a dangerous scenario.Harriet Klausner