Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Dead on Arrival
A Pauline Sokol Mystery

by Lori Avocato

 

"Dead on Arrival" is a light, fun, entertaining cozy mystery. I enjoyed the quirky characters in this story. After finishing the book, I couldn't help but wonder what case #7 will be for Pauline Sokol. I'm looking forward to finding out and spending more time with my quirky new friends.

Pauline Sokol is a burnt-out ex-RN, turned medical fraud insurance investigator, in Hope Valley, Connecticut. She lives with her two roommates, Goldie and Miles. Due to a bad addiction to shopping and an even worse judgment call in co-signing a loan for an ex-friend, it looks like it will be awhile before Pauline can afford a place of her own.

Pauline gets a call from Jagger, her undercover partner in the insurance fraud business, with a new assignment. This is case #6 for Pauline, and it's a big one.

Tender Loving Care Land and Air Ambulance Company is bilking the insurance companies for millions of dollars. Pauline, with her nursing experience, is assigned to work undercover for TLC Ambulance Company. Jagger, a former EMT, is also assigned undercover at TLC.

TLC is owned by Payne and Pansy Sterling, brother and sister (and twins who look remarkably alike).

As Pauline is snooping in Payne's office, and just as she finds billing evidence that he is indeed bilking the insurance companies out of millions, she turns just in time to see Payne with a knife in his hand aimed directly at her heart. She manages to flee from him, but just a few minutes later, he's found dead. Now her number one suspect is deceased.

ER Dano is a hunky, burnt-out EMT with an attitude that tends to bring out the naughty nurse in Pauline. But this being the 21st Century, Pauline tells herself it's okay to have sensual feelings and finds ER Dano an interesting study. At the same time, Pauline is attracted to her partner, Jagger, who can turn a question into a threat and who walks a very fine line between right and wrong - never getting caught when he steps over the line.

Following Payne's funeral, his sister, Pansy, is found with a knife sticking out of her chest. Now she's in a coma. So much for suspect number two.

Could the killer possibly be ER Dano? Pauline doesn't think so. She believes the only thing he's guilty of is being a grouch - and a hot, sexy one at that. And being a grouch isn't illegal. As she collects evidence for case #6 and seeks to find the murderer, she hopes above hope with each piece of evidence she collects that she can rule out ER Dano as the bad guy.

 

 

 

The Book
Avon/Harper Collins
June 26, 2007
Massmarket Paper
978-0-06-083708-2
Cozy Mystery
More at Amazon.com
Excerpt
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The Reviewer

Connie Harris
Reviewed 2007
NOTE:
© 2007 MyShelf.com