Swapping Paint

There's an old saying that working together can break up marriages, but many people do it successfully. Joyce and Jim Lavene fall into that category, producing the Sharyn Howard mysteries; the Peggy Lee Garden mysteries; and their latest, the Glad and Ruby Wycznewski mysteries. The Levenes live close to Charlotte, North Carolina. Their home is close to the legendary Lowe's Motor Speedway. Glad Wycznewski is a retired homicide detective from Chicago. His retired life consists of following NASCAR with his pretty young wife, Ruby. But when one of Ruby's ex-boyfriends is murdered and Ruby's brother Bobby, an aspiring driver, is tagged as the probable murderer, Glad and Ruby swing into action. Or rather, Ruby drags Glad kicking and screaming into the investigation: "'But they have the wrong person,' David protests. 'They'll have to find that out, right?' 'I hope so. Do you realize how many unsolved homicides are on most detectives' desks? It could take a lifetime to go through a cold case file. Some detectives work twenty years on one case and never solve it. It's like a blessing from God when you have a suspect and good evidence. You can go home, put your feet up, and watch the Speed Channel without thinking about all those people out there looking for an answer to who killed their loved ones.'" Glad and Ruby have a December/May marriage, but it suits them perfectly. Ruby charges in to investigate, and Glad hangs back until the action begins. Their relationship is sweet, loving, and filled with comedic moments. The Lavenes do a great job of portraying the NASCAR culture, complete with groupies who live in their RV's and follow the drivers around. There is lots of partying and therefore many suspects that the Glad and Ruby detective team need to sort through to find the culprit. SWAPPING PAINT is an enjoyable mystery filled with entertaining characters and a great plot. Shelley Glodowski Senior Reviewer

I like the writing style, reminded me of Janet Evanovich in some ways. Not exactly true to Nascar procedures, but a fun read if you don't look for the flaws.

Glad and Ruby have a very good and happy marriage although he is a generation older than her. Glad retired as a detective from the Chicago PD and with his pension and sound investments has more than enough money to travel around the country following the NASCAR circuit. They are in Concord, North Carolina to watch the Coke Cola 600 and attend the pre-event galas as her brother Bobby is one of the racers driving for the Massey team. A tragedy occurs when one of Massey's other drivers Ricky Sanders is found dead in his racing car. Bobby is the prime suspect because he is the last known person to have sent he victim alive; his prints are on the murder weapon; and his racing outfit is stained with blood. On top of the already damning evidence is the family feud between the kin of Bobby and Ricky. The police charge Bobby with the homicide that his sister and brother-in-law firmly believe he did not do as he could not hurt a fly so they look to prove that he is innocent. SWAPPING PAINT, told in the third person from the perspective of Glad, is a madcap comedic whodunit that engages the audience due to the antics of the lead duo as he gladly prefers to watch the goings-on while she takes the wheel at speeds that NASCAR drives envy. Thus Glad's love for his take the hill spouse shines through, as he undertakes actions for her and only her. Fans of racing and mysteries will enjoy this speedy turn around the track as Joyce and Jim Lavene provide a superb racing thriller. Harriet Klausner

Starting out this read, we find ourselves in a campground on the infield of a race track speedway with our two main characters Ruby and her husband Glad, a retired Polish police office and several years Ruby's senior. .....Glad and Ruby are no strangers to the world of racing as Ruby's entire family has been involved in it for years. Her younger brother Bobby is planning to try his hand at qualifying to drive in The Coca Cola 600; which would really be a notch in his racing belt. However the day before his qualifying race tragedy happens at the speedway as another driver, Ricky Sanders, who also was planning to race to qualify, turns up dead and all clues seem to point to young Bobby as the soul suspect. It doesn't help matter when Detective Frishburn, who is in charge of the case, finds out there is some bad blood between Ruby, who was once Ricky's boyfriend, their families and that Ricky and Bobby swapped paint the night before in a heated argument. The fact that Bobby is hiding out from being questioned by the detective only intensifies the situation and cast more suspicision his way and Bobby is in real trouble with the law. Perhaps he is the killer! Ruby is determined to prove her brother's innocence and enlists the help of her now retired police officer husband Glad, but with or without his help she warns him that she won't stop until Bobby's innocence is proven. Ah, now the games begin as the two of them get themselves deeper and deeper into a mystery of murder and the truth behind it that hangs as a shroud of more questions than answers surface to baffle them. Add to this the ever present presence of Detective Frishburn who is just as determined to run the investigation without their interference, and is sure Bobby is the killer, and your in for a ride on a barreling freight train heading towards the end of the tracks. The outcome is anyone's guess. I'll never tell. Our authors, Jim and Joyce Lavene have pulled off yet another great murder mystery. Aside from all the normal 'who done it ' you have a great backdrop of racing world characters that spice up this read with just the right amount of ingredients. It was also a fun read, as Glad not only has his hands full with trying to prove Bobby's innocence but also keeping his overzealous young wife from landing them both either in the brig or dead. You'll enjoy this one; a mystery with a new twist but still full of the elements that make it what it should be. Shirley Johnson Senior Reviewer MidWest Book Review