Murder with a twist

Kiely (Murder Most Austen, 2012, etc.) updates her jam with the tale of a couple of LA sophisticates hoping for a quiet holiday in the Big Apple.Nic and Nigel Martini planned to spend their Christmas vacation as any wealthy out-of-towners would: knocking back Grey Goose and watching the Rockettes. But Nigel's cousin Daphne Beasley knows that before the scion of the Martini clan dragged her off to the West Coast, Nic had been Detective Landis of the NYPD. So with the help of her mom, Nigel's formidable Aunt Olive, Daphne guilts Nic into searching for Leo, the missing husband of Audrey, Nigel's other cousin. Leo's a louse everybody knows Audrey would be better off without. Everyone, that is, except Audrey, who swears she won't come to the 25th birthday bash Olive is throwing her without him. Equipped only with their rapier-keen wits and a bull mastiff named Skippy who's big enough to swallow Asta in one gulp, Nic and Nigel set off to interview Frank Little, an enforcer who works for loan shark "Fat Saul" Washington. Leo, one of Fat Saul's favorite customers, is in a little too deep this time, and even his wife's trust fund can't bail him out. And when Leo's girlfriend, Lizzy Marks, is found dead in her apartment, Nic and Nigel realize that even the sharpest of wits may not be weapon enough to keep Audrey safe. Even teetotalers will enjoy these Martinis. Here's hoping Kiely will treat readers to another round. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Open publication Excerpted from Murder with a Twist by Tracy Kiely All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.