by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to win a copy of Double Mint, along with a link to purchase the book.

Blame the Hello Kitty cake. As Davis Way sees it, the bridal confection (paired with the groom’s Minecraft cake) was the final straw that pushed an infuriated mother-of-the-groom into laying a beat-down on the Bellissimo’s special events coordinator Holder Darby. With Holder emphatically resigning, Davis was forced into stepping in to manage the numerous conventions, weddings, reunions, and conferences that support the Bellissimo Resort and Casino during the very hot Mississippi summer season.

Davis would be enjoying her recent marriage to Bradley Cole had he not been hired as casino manager one day after their ceremony. So not only is Bradley essentially her boss, but the Bellissimo owner’s absence forces the couple to live in the casino manager’s residence. Now they’re unable to escape their ninety-hour workweeks while residing in a Mardi Gras-themed excessive tribute to New Orleans of an apartment. This would be bad enough even without Davis’s obsessive belief that the former manager’s wife continues to break into the apartment for nefarious purposes.

When not working as a stand-in for the owner’s delusional and narcissistic wife, Davis operates undercover, investigating and preventing scams throughout the casino. All her alarms are raised by the Independent Bankers of Alabama conference, the discovery of four million dollars’ worth of forged coins in the Bellissimo vault, and a tub filled with very good funny money. Her assistants Fantasy Erb and Baylor do more hindering than lending actual assistance, as they have their own personal issues distracting them from performing their usually stellar–if frequently illegal—skills.

In this fourth of the series, it feels as though Davis is continually one step behind even while holding all of the answers. To add to her miseries, Holder’s cat so frequently ends up attached to Davis’s head that she might as well wear it as a hat. Needless to say, the humor is at full throttle as Davis determinedly pursues answers to prove she isn’t crazy. This won’t be easy, considering the amount of time Davis spends in the back of squad cars or in jail.

Even with the chaotic pace of the mystery, the author takes a breather to explore Fantasy’s recent actions that may impact her family life and have Davis concerned. While there is a delightful amount of sheer fun and humor involved in their adventures, just as impressive are the well-researched details concerning casino security, counterfeiting, and cons. The author never fails to entertain with the laughs, action, and intrigue she loads into this immensely fun series.

To enter to win a copy of Double Mint, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Mint,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen July 25, 2015. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

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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).