The Next Ex by Linda L. Richards, a Mysterious Review.

Review: On a chilly winter afternoon, start a fire in the fireplace, open a bottle of wine, curl up in an easy chair, and be prepared to thoroughly enjoy Linda L. Richards' second Madeline Carter mystery, The Next Ex.

The plot here is generally along the lines of a typical Nancy Drew mystery, right down to the Nancy (read Madeline)-in-peril chapter towards the end. Since the characterizations and dialog are so well written, this doesn't detract from the overall satisfaction of the book, especially for readers who enjoyed Nancy Drew as children (or even now as adults!). But it does make the storyline somewhat predictable. If there's a weak aspect to the book, it is Madeline's relationship with Gus which seems a bit superfluous and distracting to the story; maybe the author was trying to add depth or conflict to Madeline's persona by unnecessarily adding a love interest.

Madeline Carter is a very appealing and interesting character and The Next Ex a delightful mystery. It will be interesting to see where Linda L. Richards takes Madeline on her next adventure.

Calculated Loss
Mira Books (Mass Market Paperback), September 2006
ISBN-13: 9780778323457; ISBN-10: 0778323455

The Next Ex

A Madeline Carter Mystery by Linda L. Richards