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COOL CACHE
A Tucker Sinclair Mystery
Patricia Smiley
Obsidian
ISBN 9780451224019 (Hardcover)
June 2008
Mystery
Tucker Sinclair is a business doctor of
sorts. The service she provides often results in greater
sales and success for her clients. The task at hand for
Tucker finds her working with Helen Taggart and her
Beverly Hills chocolate boutique called Nectar. One
night, Tucker notices that the door to Helen's shop is
ajar and she naturally investigates. What Tucker finds
in chocolate strewn about the floor and the cleaning
woman dead in the bathroom. An exotic green feather is
found nearby. Though she has warned him against it,
Tucker's quirky assistant, Eugene begins his own
investigation and promptly goes missing. Could a visit
from the young man's domineering mother be the real
reason for Eugene's disappearance? From the history of
chocolate, East Los Angeles gang folklore, stolen
artifacts, illegal drugs and messy divorces, Tucker and
company gather clues in an effort to stay ahead of both
a killer and the police.
COOL CACHE is the fourth installment in Ms. Smiley's
series featuring a delightfully unflappable heroine. The
captivating narrative is infused with humor and details
which convey many of the nuances of life in Southern
California. However, it is the dynamic characters which
drive COOL CACHE. Tucker is confident and caring, her
relationships run the gambit among friends, colleagues
and loved ones. Tucker and Deegan make an intriguing
pair (as ex-lovers) and the author has left readers with
a stunning cliffhanger. Having not yet had the pleasure
of reading the previous titles, I approached this book
as a stand-alone mystery and was thoroughly satisfied
with the experience. However, it goes without saying how
much I am looking forward to more and hope we won't have
long to wait! Recommended!
Reviewed by Melissa Fowler
Rating 4 1/2
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