Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Swift Justice-Laura DiSilverio

Swift Justice
Laura DiSilverio
Minotaur, Oct 12 2010, $24.99
ISBN: 9780312641504

Charlotte "Charlie" Swift always knew she preferred her own company over any entanglements. Eight years as an Air Force military investigator affirmed her feelings that she would rather work alone. After leaving the service, Charlie opens up a private investigative firm in Colorado Springs. She has the perfect partner, Goldman, who puts up money and stays out of her way.

When Goldman flees as a fugitive from the law due to his financial shenanigans, Charlie is stunned. Her firm is near bankrupt with debt and she no longer has a silent partner as Goldman’s wife Gigi takes over his interest and shows up at the office as she plans to work there. Charlie wants the socialite out of the office so she can return to being hardboiled instead of cute kittens on the wall. She assigns Gigi the worst projects imaginable such as doing undercover work as a fast food chain mascot. However, whereas Charlie’s in your face with a fist approach fails on their current case; Gigi’s girly girl make nice gets people to talk. The two women seek a teen mother who abandoned her baby on the doorstep of their client, who years ago gave up her baby for adoption.

The key to this delightful private investigator mystery is the pairing of the opposites as pampered and street wise make for amusing scenarios, but when it comes to the serious search for the mom the story line leaves the banter back at the office. Though this type of teaming has been done before (for instance, Lynda Carter and Loni Anderson in Partners In Crime), readers will enjoy the antics of Charlie and Gigi as the unlikely duet work the streets of Colorado Springs.

Harriet Klausner

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