2008 Book 97: Fleeced

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Book #:	97
Book Title:	Fleeced
Author:	Carol Higgins Clark
Publisher:	Scribner
Pub. Date:	2001
Pages:	265
Started:	November 1, 2008
Finished:	November 4, 2008
Time to Read:	4 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"Regan Reilly is back. The smart, saucy sleuth featured in all of Carol Higgins Clark's bestselling novels was last seen in Deck the Halls, the holiday thriller Carol wrote with her mother, Mary Higgins Clark. Now Regan is in New York to attend a crime conference organized by her celebrity-author mother. A friend, Thomas Pilsner - the frenetic president of the Settlers' Club on Grammercy Park - calls Regan, desperately pleading for help. Thomas is distraught over the sudden suspicious deaths of two members of the Settlers' Club. The men had promised to donate a cache of valuable diamonds to save the Club. But now the diamonds are gone, the men are dead, and Thomas is a mess. He fears the police will suspect he is at the heart of both mysteries, and worse yet, he'll lose his job. Enter Regan. Who better than the star of Decked, Snagged, Iced and Twanged to solve the mystery of the missing diamonds and suspicious deaths. Who better to contend with the quirky characters around the Club, such as Lydia Sevatura, the self-styled 'Princess of Love,' who operates a dating service, and her butler, Maldwin Feckles, who has just opened the first school of butlering in New York City? And who better than Carol Higgins Clark, with her sparkling, canny prose, to keep the readers guessing to the end 'who done it'? Published to coincide with the paperback of Deck the Halls, Fleeced is a witty portrait of modern urban life. This fifth Regan Reilly mystery proves once again that Carol Higgins Clark is a uniquely talented writer."
Stars:	***
Review:	The apple didn't fall far from the tree - Carol Higgins Clark's writing is nearly as delightful to enjoy as that of her mother's, Mary Higgins Clark. Let's hit the high points, first: her characters are hilarious. The mystery to be solved is intriguing, but not so complicated that this becomes a hard read. The setting is wonderful as always is the case with New York City. Savvy Regan Reilly is a terrifically likable detective who uses brains and luck to cobble together a picture of what is happening to her friend Thomas' beloved Settlers' Club. Fun, fun, fun. The drawbacks: a bit predictable; a bit too reliant on coincidence. All in all, though, a fun read from a great author. See for yourself!

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany