by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of Double Up. We also have a link to order it from Amazon, and from an indie bookstore where a portion goes to help support KRL.

What should have been one of the best times in Davis Way Cole’s life had become the absolute worst. Instead of celebrating the birth of her twin baby girls Bexley and Quinn, Davis is frantic over the survival of Biloxi’s Bellissimo Resort and Casino. A new competing Blitz resort, constructed virtually next door, has decimated Bellissimo’s business and forced them to cut their staff nearly in half. As Bellissimo’s Super Secret Spy and body double for the wife’s owner, Davis feels entirely responsible for not spotting the threat and taking steps to eliminate them. Brilliant, sneaky, and extraordinarily loyal, Davis has spiraled so deep into a well of depression and guilt that she has developed a paralyzing agoraphobia that has her trapped within her Bellissimo suite. There would be worse places to be holed up than an entire hotel floor, except for the smart home features that are so well versed with the dictionary that any conversation leads to brewing coffee, hysterical refrigerator alerts, and fire alarms.

After eight months of virtual isolation and seeing only her uber-patient husband Bradley, Bellissimo’s president and CEO, it takes the news that her best friends have been fired to finally push her out the door. A shove also unexpectedly comes in the form of Davis’s ex-ex-husband’s mother, the abrasive, tactless, malapropism-prone Bea Crawford. With Bea as a less-than-subtle spy within the Blitz, Davis pulls herself back to fighting strength to discover how the Blitz has managed to bulldoze its way to success while the Bellissimo nearly goes bankrupt.

This is a far different Davis than the woman seen in the previous five novels. Vulnerable, insecure, and overwhelmed with guilt, Davis has barricaded herself into her rooms, cut herself off from her friends, and even turned off the Internet. So it’s a relief when Davis kicks back into high gear, using her hacking skills, extensive knowledge of casinos, and pure ingenuity to save the Bellissimo. Bianca Sanders, the hilariously self-obsessed wife of Bellissimo’s owner, is mostly out of the picture as she and her husband retreat back to Vegas, so it’s up to Bea to bring in the insanity that Davis must continually reign in. Their antics, combined with the hilarious dialogue, will have readers cackling out loud with glee.

From the indecipherable texts sent from Davis’s mother by a confused Siri to Davis’s continually entertaining inner monologue, the laughs are continual even as they are balanced by her very real inner turmoil. Readers will thoroughly enjoy watching Davis gain the strength to rally the forces and take down Blitz, its billionaire owner, and his twenty-two grandsons. The complex emotional battle Davis wages proves to be as riveting as the mystery of the Blitz, delivering a novel that gradually builds up suspense and leads to an unexpected but delightfully satisfying conclusion.

To enter to win a copy of Double Up, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “double,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen April 8, 2017. US residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

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Click on this link to purchase this book & a portion goes to help support KRL & an indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy:

Double Up

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Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.