Synopsis (from
the publisher):
Nora Bannister writes murder mysteries with a twist – a very
lucrative twist. She buys a run-down house in LA, and while her
business partners turn it into a showpiece, Nora makes it the scene of
a grisly murder and the star of the next book in her bestselling House
To Die For series.
As soon as the book goes on sale, there’s a bidding frenzy for
the house. It seems a lot of people are willing to pay a lot of money
to live in a real house where a fictional character has died a violent
death.
Just before Nora’s latest book hits the market, one of her
house-flipping partners is murdered. LAPD Detectives Mike Lomax and
Terry Biggs are assigned the case, but this one is a hot potato. The
dead woman is also the wife of one of their fellow cops.
In fact, all of Nora’s partners are married to cops, so when the
killer strikes again, Mike and Terry realize that somebody is out to
murder the house flippers. And the next logical target is Marilyn Biggs
– Terry’s wife.
— ◊ —
— ◊ —
Flipping Out
A Lomax
and Biggs Mystery
Marshall
Karp
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-312-37821-1 (0312378211)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-37821-9 (9780312378219)
Publication Date: March 2009
List Price: $24.95
— ◊ —
Review: LAPD
homicide detectives Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs investigate a series of
murders that hit a little too close to home -- the victims are the
wives of cops and Terry's wife may be next, in Flipping Out, the third mystery in
this series by Marshall Karp.
Bestselling author Nora Bannister has hit on an innovative idea to
boost the sales of her books: buy a house in need of an upgrade, throw
a few dollars into sprucing it up, then set her next murder mystery at
the house, giving it instant notoriety not to mention a premium price
tag. The series is a hit. She allows some of her closest friends, wives
of LA's finest including Marilyn Biggs, to become partners and profit
from the successful venture. But when one of the women is killed, and
then another, it's clear someone is targeting them. But is it because
of their success in flipping real estate, or because they're married to
a cop?
Narrated by Mike, who delights the reader with his wry perspective on
both his fellow officers and the investigation, Flipping Out is both a
suspense-driven murder mystery as well as a darkly humorous novel.
Though they are partners, Terry assumes more of the limelight here,
after all it is his wife who may have a target on her back, but Mike
steps in when Terry starts to overplay his role. It's a nicely balanced
relationship, and the banter between them genuinely entertaining. The
plot is cleverly devised, rarely pauses, and the transition from the
setup and introduction of characters (read suspects) to the
investigation smoothly and skillfully handled. Though red herrings
abound, they are all consistent within the context of the story and
offer real alternatives to the reader trying to identify whodunit.
Fast paced with plenty of twists and turns, at times wickedly funny, Flipping Out works on many levels
as a crime novel. It is highly recommended.
Special thanks to William Morris Agency for providing an ARC of Flipping Out for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Flipping Out? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
The
Rabbit Factory
MacAdam/Cage (Hardcover), April 2006
ISBN-10: 1-59692-174-9 (1596921749)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59692-174-0 (9781596921740)
Bloodthirsty
MacAdam/Cage (Hardcover), May 2007
ISBN-10: 1-59692-209-5 (1596922095)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59692-209-9 (9781596922099)
Flipping Out
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), March 2009
ISBN-10: 0-312-37821-1 (0312378211)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-37821-9 (9780312378219)
Omnimystery keywords for Flipping Out ...
Location(s) referenced: Los Angeles, California.
