While untangling an academic plagiarism case involving a well-known author and his troubled protege, private investigator Olivia Lively learns that when it comes to life, love, and authorship, the lines can get pretty fuzzy.
Olivia Lively’s private investigation business might be flourishing, but her private life is a mess. Her latest romantic mistake is stalking her, her socialite mother is trying to hook her up with a commitment-minded cardiologist, and her best friend is struggling to start a family and is totally fed up with Liv’s drama.
Price range: $18.99 through $28.99
So when graduate writing student Cooper Tedeschi begs Liv to prove that his professor—one of the most famous novelists in the country—stole his manuscript, Liv is grateful for the distraction and is soon entangled in the competitive world of academia. Meanwhile, the hot heart doc her mother has chosen for her surprises Liv in more ways than one, and Liv’s conniving ex isn’t quite done playing with her yet.Â
As the plagiarism case grows more complicated, and her private life more confusing, Liv learns that the line between truth and fiction–and right and wrong–is not always clearly defined.
~ Â ~ Â ~ Â ~ Â ~ Â ~ Â ~ Â ~
“…a delicious debut—a fine romantic mystery… Olivia Lively [is] smart, fearless, funny… I so love this character that I long for a book series, a Netflix series, and her fully-stocked closet. Highly recommended for romantic mystery and women’s fiction fans who adore feisty female protagonists.”
—Char Jones
“Shelley Burbank’s Portland, Maine P.I., Liv Lively, is a memorable character, flawed but self-aware, determined to go her own way and, in Final Draft, a champion of the underdog. I’m looking forward to reading more of Liv’s forays into crime-solving.”
—Kaitlyn Dunnett, author of the Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries
“Sassy, stylish Olivia Lively is a private investigator with almost as many skeletons in her closet as her clients. And her debut in this fast-paced page-turner will delight mystery readers the world over.”
—Cynthia Dagnal-Myron, author and award-winning Chicago Sun-Times journalist
~ Â ~ Â ~ Â ~ Â ~ Â ~ Â ~ Â ~
To support your local bookstore online, shop at Bookshop
Rating
These stories may not keep you up at night, but I can guarantee you won’t fall asleep reading them. Edgy, noir, often macabre tales, you can never predict how the tale is going to end, but it usually doesn’t end well. Kilgore deploys an incredible range of hard-luck characters: a hitman planning to retire (The Auckland Assignment); a British file clerk (The Madding Tale) who volunteers for a passage to India (don’t read during bug season); a cat-walking Parisienne woman (The Woman in Paris who Walked Her Cat); a down on his luck actor whose time has run out (Twenty-Ten). On second thought, they might keep you up at night.
Many of the stories have been told before but the author has written them so well it doesn’t matter
