A killing in costumes

Bestseller Bissonnette (The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute) makes his fiction debut with a lively series launch. Cindy Cooper and Jay Allan, who were spouses and soap stars when they discovered their true sexuality, are eager to land the coveted costume collection of 90-year-old retired actress Yana Tosh so they can shore up Hooray for Hollywood, their struggling memorabilia business in Palm Springs, Calif. Yana, however, is in no hurry to ink a representation deal, pitting Cindy and Jay against the cutthroat Dylan Redman and Eydie Jackson of the big-time Cypress Collections. When Dylan turns up dead, detective Simon Fletcher seems to regard Cindy and Jay as the prime suspects, though Yana's longtime adviser, Ben Sinclair; her long-suffering son, Warren Limon; and well-connected reporter Lenae Randolph may have their own agendas regarding the collection and their own personal baggage. When Cindy and Jay receive a package containing poison, their determination to uncover the culprit redoubles. Bissonnette's message of new beginnings after devastating losses inspires. Readers will look forward to the next case for the inquisitive and enterprising Palm Springs dealers. Agent: Jon Michael Darga, Aevitas Creative Management. (Aug.)

A pair of unlikely best friends find that the road to acquiring an unmatched collection of materials for their film memorabilia shop is paved with murder. Cindy Cooper and Jay Allan aren't just best buddies, ex-co-stars of the same soap opera, and business partners; they're also ex-spouses who ended their marriage when they came out to each other. Now, as they struggle to keep Hooray for Hollywood Movie Memorabilia afloat, a possible lifeline emerges in the person of Yana Tosh, an ancient femme fatale of stage and screen who's used her late husband's fortune to assemble an ensemble of costumes, knickknacks, and other stuff fans of classic movies would die for. Along with her financial adviser, Ben Sinclair, Yana plans to award a contract for selling items from her formidable collection to either Hooray for Hollywood or Cypress Auctions. Naturally, Cypress is older and richer, with a killer mailing list. So it's no surprise when Dylan Redman, who runs Cypress' entertainment memorabilia program, summons Cindy and Jay to his swanky hotel room in Palm Springs and offers to pay them off if they'll withdraw from the competition. The idea goes against everything the pair stands for, and they indignantly refuse. Next thing they know, Detective Simon Fletcher calls on them to tell them that Dylan's been poisoned by someone who visited him that afternoon--someone like them. The other suspects include Yana's son, Warren Limon; Dylan's assistant, Eydie Jackson; and Ben Sinclair. But readers who've seen the classic movies on which Bissonnette keeps dishing gentle dirt won't be fooled. Fans of movie memorabilia will have a field day. Others will wonder what all the fuss is about. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.