Friday, August 24, 2012

Death of a Supermodel / Christine DeMaio-Rice


Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Mystery/Chick Lit

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: YES  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

A former award winning screenwriter with a Master’s from USC film school who has worked in the fashion industry since 1990, Christine DeMaio-Rice says she likes to structure her novels like movies. She has two other novels, Blue Valley, which is science fiction, and Dead is the New Black, the first volume of her Fashion Avenue Mysteries (this is the second). To find out what is currently going on in DeMaio-Rice’s life, check out her blog.

Description:

 “When stick-thin supermodel Thomasina Wente dies of food poisoning, the irony isn't lost on fledging designer and reluctant sleuth Laura Carnegie. It was widely assumed not eating would do Thomasina in, making her unglamorous exit twice as shocking for New York's fashion aficionados, not to mention disastrous for Laura, her sister, and their very first, make-or-break runway show.”

Appraisal:

In this second installment of DeMaio-Rice’s Fashion Avenue Mysteries, the protagonist is once again fashion designer Laura Carnegie, who either finds herself forced into solving a murder (if we’re to believe her) or insists on poking her nose into things that are none of her business (if we’re to believe the police). The setting is once again among the New York fashion industry (as presumably all the series will be).

Those who liked Dead is the New Black, the first in this series, will find Death of a Supermodel to their liking, too. Laura Carnegie is a likable character who the reader wants to see succeed as she avoids some of the less savory characteristics and fashion industry clichés suffered by many of the minor characters. Laura is shaping up as an excellent addition to the literary world of amateur sleuths.

FYI:

Although it’s not necessary to read the first book, Dead is the New Black, to understand this, the second in the series, the more complete understanding of the book’s characters gained by reading the first book is probably preferable.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: **** Four stars

2 comments:

Christine DeMaio-Rice said...

Thanks so much!

Vicki said...

I have Dead is the New Black on my reading list. Must read faster!