Too Pretty to Die: A Debutante Dropout Mystery

by: Susan McBride

Published by: Avon/ Harper Collins

Reviewed by Kathy Perschmann

Fifth in the Debutante Dropout mystery series, Too Pretty to Die finds Andrea (Andy) Kendricks, non-conformist heiress, and her best friend Janet Graham, society newspaper columnist, at a “Pretty Party” in Dallas. There socialites of all ages are oohing and ahhing over various odd beauty treatments offered by Dr. Sonja and her assistant Lance. Injections of botox seem safe next to some of her concoctions.

As Janet and Andy are leaving early, the door crashes open and a very drunk and disfigured Miranda DuBois staggers in with a gun, and shoots at Dr. Sonja, yelling that she ruined her face and her life. She has a tic in one eye, and a decidedly drooping mouth. The stunning news anchor has been off the air for three weeks, and now everyone knows why. No one is hit, Miranda drops the gun and collapses.

Janet runs off to file a story, and Andy offers to drive Miranda home. She drops Miranda on her couch, turns off her laptop, writes a note telling Miranda to call her if she needs to talk, and leaves, locking the door behind her. When she returns the next morning she finds the police all over the place, apparently Miranda has shot herself with her own gun–and Andy is sure that she did not have it when she took her home–and not even left a note. And, her computer is missing! There is another piece of evidence: a letter telling Miranda she has been kicked out of the Caviar Club, whatever that is.

Miranda’s mother is out of the country, and her best friend is Cissy, Andy’s mother. Cissy steps in, hires PI Milton Fletcher, and claims in a press conference that Miranda’s death is not suicide! Janet begs Andy for help, and gets her dolled up and sent off to a special meeting of the Caviar Club, where she runs into some well-known, wealthy, beautiful hedonistic swingers–including the PI her mother hired and Dr. Sonia’s assistant, Lance.

Was someone here responsible for Miranda’s death? Will Andy get out with her life and virtue (she really adores boyfriend Brian Malone) intact?

Armchair Interviews says: Crazy characters and goings on in this fun cozy mystery.

Author’s Web site: http://www.SusanMcBride.com