Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Publisher: Avon Mystery
Release Date: January 27, 2004
ISBN: 0-06-056389-5
Format Reviewed: Trade Paperback
Amazon
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Detective
Reviewed: 2004
Reviewer: Kristin Johnson

Reviewer Notes:

 Kristin Johnson, the founder of PoemsForYou.com, released her second book, CHRISTMAS COOKIES ARE FOR GIVING, co-written with Mimi Cummins, in October 2003. Her third book, ORDINARY MIRACLES: My Incredible Spiritual, Artistic and Scientific Journey, co-written with Sir Rupert A.L. Perrin, M.D., is now available from PublishAmerica

Blue Blood (Review 2)
A Debutante Dropout Mystery
By Susan McBride


      Kids today. You raise them to be Vera Wang-wearing debs in Dallas society, handpick them to star in charity fashion shows, and arrange blind dates with Ph.D.s who play the pipe organ for the Pope. And what do they do? They don lavender hot pants and whoop it up at a den of iniquity called Jugs, where guys go who, in the words of Mothers Against Pornography ringleader Peggy Martin, “get their ideas about relationships from dirty magazines, from strip joints,” and apparently, from Janet Jackson too.

      Although the maternal litany just quoted sounds tailor-made for the Bush Twins, President George W. and Laura's parental woes can't match the headaches of Cissy Blevins Kendricks. The charity-loving smooth-talking secretly softhearted matron is the spiritual sister to Kitty Montgomery of “Dharma and Greg,” right down to the Ferragamo shoes.

      Cissy's hot pants-wearing daughter, artist and Web designer Andrea, has more sense than Dharma but as great a knack for trouble. The plot centers on Andrea's undercover activities at the hooters-type joint Jugs, where Andrea's “scholarship girl” friend, single mom Molly O'Brien, supposedly killed Larry Flynt wannabe Bud Hartman. Andrea knows Molly’s innocent and is determined to find Bud’s real killer, even though, to paraphrase Andrea, Bud had more enemies than Osama bin Laden and was even less charming.

     However, the real heart of the story is Andrea’s complex relationship with Cissy. Blue blood really is thicker than sparkling water. It would be easy to peg Cissy as just another snobby society matron, and although there’s plenty of social satire here, Susan McBride never sacrifices character or the bittersweet warmth of the mother-daughter relationship. Cissy’s surrogate grandmothering of Molly’s son David also adds depth.

     Another mother, however, has even greater woes than Cissy or President and Mrs. Bush), and and Andrea finds herself the target of that uncommon determination common to moms everywhere.

      Thank goodness Andrea gets her share of romance with mild-mannered lawyer and closet rebel Brian Malone, who, like the reader, knows what he’s getting into and dives into it headfirst thanks to “gorgeous brunette” Andrea’s charm. Two pink high-tops up!

Reviews of other titles in this series

Blue Blood #1 [review 1] [review 2]
The Good Girl's Guide to Murder #2
The Lone Star Lonely Hearts Club #3
Night of the Living Deb #4
Too Pretty to Die #5
Say Yes to the Death #6