Reviewed By Liz

ISBN 978-0-7387-1055-6

WHISKEY AND TONIC is the third book in the Whiskey Mattimoe series. Whiskey (real name Whitney) is a young widowed real estate agency owner who inherited her deceased husband’s problematic dog. Abra is an Afghan hound with a penchant for stealing things. So no one is tremendously surprised when Abra steals the crown from the local Miss Blossom pageant. Unfortunately for Whiskey, the Miss Blossom crown is a real one and is loaded with emeralds – and she needs to find Abra and get it back immediately.

In addition to trying to track down her wayward dog, Whiskey is also trying to get to the bottom of the Miss Blossom Curse, which causes all of the former Miss Blossoms to leave town immediately after passing the crown to the next winner or risk an early death. The Miss Blossom crown and pageant are tied in with a local family whose misfortunes may have inspired the curse. But the family, their abandoned estate, and the pageant are all wrapped up in secrecy that goes back 150 years and Whiskey is having a hard time getting the facts from people who fear the curse.

I quite enjoyed WHISKEY AND TONIC. It is a fun, far-fetched romp along the lines of Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books, but with a better mystery. There is lots of activity in the book as Whiskey runs from one Abra sighting to the next and researches the curse and mismanages her personal life in between. We get to meet what seems like the entire population of Whiskey’s small town as she looks for someone who will give her the inside scoop on the Miss Blossom Curse.

Did I guess it? Mostly. Favorite character? Jenx Jenkins, out and outspoken police chief. Will I read another? Absolutely.

Mystery Book Reviews by Liz at http://reviewedbyliz.com ©2007

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