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Scent To Her Grave
Bath and Body Mysteries, No. 1

by India Ink



      Picturesque Gull Harbor, Washington is home to Venus Envy, a bath and body shop where you can get a facial or your own special scent blended. Persia Vanderbilt, niece to the wealthy proprietor Florence with whom she lives in haunted mansion Moss Rose Cottage, works there. One of the customers is Lydia Wang, recent winner of a beauty contest that will make her the new face for Radience Cosmetics -but she is also a bitch of the first water. When she gets herself murdered, Persia decides to find out whodunit so she can clear the name of fellow employee (and Lydia’s ex-boyfriend) Trevor. She will need some help, so friend Barbara and chief of police Kyle Laughlin (wannabe boyfriend) will be glad to oblige.

This engaging cozy has plenty of local color and an entertaining story, shot through with some desirable recipes for aroma therapy oils that this reviewer is looking forward to mixing up. Two things mar the tale; firstly, the heroine and narrator Persia has a high opinion of herself and just about everything else going for her. She is beautiful, empowered, super-fit, endowed with wealthy relations and men all want to date her. Half of that would make a sympathetic heroine, but all of it doesn’t. Also, the "Mirror of Aphrodite," which gets stolen from the store at the time of the murder, is supposed to be magic and reflect the inner beauty of the person looking into it. But there aren’t any other supernatural elements in this story, so this item is out of place. Gripe over, apart from that it is enjoyable enough, but iron out those faults and this will shape up into a fine series.

The Book

Berkley Prime Crime Mystery (Penguin Group)
October 2005
Paperback
0425205339
Crime / Contemporary, Washington
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Excerpt
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The Reviewer

Rachel A Hyde
Reviewed 2005
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© 2005 MyShelf.com