Publishers Weekly likes WHISKEY AND TONIC

Whiskey and Tonic: A Whiskey Mattimoe Mystery by Nina Wright.

$13.95 paper (328p) ISBN 978-0-7387-1055-6

A tiara-stealing dog and a long line of cursed Miss Blossom beauty queens enliven Wright's whimsical third whodunit to feature Whiskey Mattimoe, realtor and sometime sleuth (after 2006's Whiskey Straight Up). Whiskey, a 34-year-old widow, is still adjusting to life in Magnet Springs, Mich., where her greatest challenge after selling houses is controlling her beloved late husband's pet afghan hound, Abra, who has a "penchant for stealing purses and other forbidden treats." When Abra absconds with the Miss Blossom tiara (not once, but twice!) after a well-liked intern from Whiskey's real estate firm wins the title, things really get crazy. It's a risky prize that has often brought death for past winners, including the previous year's queen. Wright's playful narrative touch and snapshot of smalltown life lightens the "curse" theme in this fizzy cozy, but the mischievous Abra really steals the show. (June)

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