MAYHEM TAKES A DARE by Jada Ryker
Book Blurb:
Fantasy and reality clash when the members of an online group meet in person. Behind the glitter of the profiles, true identities are entwined with deadly secrets.
“You can’t tell him.” Sarah’s pretty face hardens, the dimples fading like a whimsical daydream. Her fingers claw Marisa’s arm.
Marisa is furious. “I won’t let you get away with it. You’re trying to trick my friend into a relationship.” Marisa’s gaze rakes the bulky sweatshirt and boxy jeans camouflaging the lush figure. “You’re a stripper with a volatile boyfriend. You’re not a high school teacher looking for love.”
Later, Sarah is stabbed to death during her exotic routine.
Marisa and her devastated friend are among the suspects.
To solve the murder, Marisa joins forces with unlikely allies. Parvis is an attractive online investigative reporter. He’ll do anything for a story to shock his followers. Alex is a handsome accountant. More accustomed to saving money and cutting expenses, he’s focused on saving lives and cutting off a desperate murderer. Clara is a retired lunch lady. Fearless to the point of foolhardiness, she uses her own version of “slay-dar” to hunt the murderer.
In the past, Marisa lived a reckless double life. She was a conservative administrator by day. After hours, she partied the nights away in a notorious club. Now, she finds herself back in shadowy, forbidden places as she and her friends track down a killer. The twisted trail to the murderer leads to explosive, decades-old secrets, including a vigilante-style killing.
Marisa and her friends follow the clues to a twisted killer. Can she solve the mystery before her online account is deleted… permanently?
My Review:
I haven’t read the first book in this series but it’s not essential to understanding this story. The first book would fill in some background, but this story does stand on its own.
The story starts with the murder of one of the members from the Came-A-Lot online dating group. The winding murder investigation leads Marisa and her fellow armature detectives to a pornography ring and the final selfless act from a person Marisa lest expected. There are multiple plots with twists and turns. And the story leaves enough at the end to lead into the next book. What will happen with Parvis and Moira? If you like these types of books, you will love this one.
This story is full of zany, fun characters like Bryce the Royal Bloodhound, and the psychopathic villainess Moira Peters. Was Jada trying to emulate Moriatry in a female form? Even Marisa’s cat has his own quirky personality. Jada did a very good job bringing them to life. The beginning of the story was a little overwhelming with the introduction of so many characters, but they did sort themselves out. And I didn’t figure out who the main villain was until she wanted me to. Good job.
But, there is too much description of every character’s hair: hair bobbing, flipping, curling, bouncing, and gleaming in the bar lights or sunlight. Makes me wonder if the author has a hair fetish. And then there’s the inane, over usage of metaphors. I think she’s trying to be quirky and funny, but every time I came across another metaphor my eyes would roll like a bowling ball down the alley. And her humor reminded me of a stand-up comedian going through his routine and nobody is laughing. Get the picture?
Don’t get me wrong, I love funny, quirky and dry humor. I think she’s trying to emulate Janet Evanovich in the Stephanie Plum books, and she’s missing the mark. There is humor in her storyline, but not with the metaphors.
The storyline takes place in many settings and they all fit but one, the assisted living facility. An ACLF is only for people who need 24 hour supervision. Clara, Althea, Clay and definitely Moira did not belong there. You also have to have a doctor’s order to reside there.
Jada mentions that professional editing and proofreading services were provided by Brian Miller. I hope his services were free as I found too many missing words. Also a good editor would have eliminated all the exclamation points and helped with the redundant words. With a good editorial and proofreading service to help tighten and polish the manuscript, this story would be a gem.
And to point out an issue that has been mentioned on several blogs, readers don’t want to read reviews or about other books the author has written until AFTER the story. Jada mentioned the other books in this series at the beginning and then the end of the story. Come on.
Anyway, for a fun murder mystery, I would recommend this book. I give my 4 goose feathers.
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