by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to win a copy of Murder & Other Unnatural Disasters, along with a link to purchase the book. Lida also has a pet related guest post in this issue.

No matter what everyone else seems to believe, Corrina “Corrie” Locke is not a private investigator. Her father may have been the famous P.I. Monty Locke, he did teach her from an early age how to be skilled in the use of lockpicks, guns, and shuriken throwing stars, but Corrie is pursuing a career as an attorney. She is closer to her goal when she finds herself in Orange County as the new entertainment lawyer for Ameripictures, a movie studio in Orange County.

As both the reader and Corrie soon discover, nearly everyone at Ameripictures is either deranged or psychotic. That includes her boss, Marshall Cooperman, whose passive-aggressive emails seem intended to either drive her insane or get her fired. Affairs and gossip run rampant through the offices, but only a security guard believes that the recent death of the assistant head of security was not a suicide. The police having closed the case, Billy pleads with Corrie to take it on, and despite her declarations that she is not an investigator, all of her instincts seem to be making the decision for her.

Once readers accept this world full of eccentric narcissists and jealous mistresses, they will thoroughly enjoy this very fun mystery. Corrie stands as a beacon of rationality and competency, which makes her investigative forays into locating a lucky cat for a basketball star and solving an alien abduction all the more hilarious. Romantic elements are teased by the reappearance of her best friend from high school and an infuriating hot assistant district attorney, but Corrie is too smart to be drawn into the lurid shenanigans going on in her workplace.

The author skillfully threads in background from Corrie’s past throughout the novel, adding layers to her character and her complicated relationship with her father. A surprising conclusion and hints at further complications in Corrie’s future ensure that readers will look forward to the nest installment of the adventures of these entertaining new characters.

To enter to win a copy of Murder and Other Unnatural Disasters, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Disasters,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 14, 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).