I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Killer Listing
by
Vicki Doudera
cozy mystery in a paperback edition that was published by Midnight Ink on April 8, 2011 and has 327 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include A House to Die For, Final Settlement, Deadly Offer
Second in the Darby Farr real estate mystery series revolving around Darby Farr, a realtor based in San Diego. This story takes place in Serenidad Key, Florida.
It was also chosen as a “Best Book of 2010” by Suspense Magazine.
My Take
Okay, I’m sensing a theme here with Darby ending up in Florida visiting her aunt’s real estate partner, Helen Near, and a realtor is killed. I’m curious in what part of the country Darby investigates next time. And how many realty licenses she collects.
An enjoyable read with some interesting characters—nice job on creating unique individuals, Doudera. I’m definitely hungry for a grouper sandwich followed up by a Mojito…gotta remember that trick about the mint stems.
For all that, it was a bit too surface. A strange mix of following the bullet points for writing a successful novel yet not quite pulling it together. Doudera has some pretty iffy reasons for pulling Darby into the police investigation here. Quite contrary to what one would expect from most detectives and I am curious as to how some of those minor subplots are intended to affect future installments as they sure didn’t make much sense in this story other than to pad it out and create some tension.
Some of the rather useless characters who help with the padding include Hensley, McGee, Sutton, and the whole nursing home thing
Foster is tossed in to make things interesting only Doudera doesn’t go anywhere with him or with the “big worry” about the fraud that may include Kyle. Sassa and Mindi are only there to give some color to the characters. I don’t see much point in Alexandra or Chellie except for some misplaced tension that should have been exploited or placed elsewhere. Doudera really had some great characters she put a lot of time into but with whom she didn’t really do anything. Either go somewhere with this or tighten it up!
A few loose ends flopping in this story: I would like to know who the father was…Doudera sure made a big deal of it; all the leadup about Alexandra, the let down was a lead balloon; and, I’d’ve liked some sort of resolution about Kyle. Was she a bitch or was she the sweet person? Yeah, I realize people usually are both depending upon the situation, but, still, a summing up would have been nice. I felt like I was left hanging.
The Story
A visit with Helen Near in Florida to wrap up her recently-deceased aunt’s partnership in their real estate business, Near and Farr Realty, finds Darby caught up in the murder of a potential investor who just happens to have a close relationship with one of Helen’s childhood friends.
There is no shortage of red herrings as the suspects range from a lover, an about-to-be-ex-husband, business associates, a serial killer, family, the arson fire of one of Jack’s restaurants, or ???
An attraction also rises up between the detective assigned to Kyle’s case and Darby.
The Characters
Darby Farr is a young realtor based in San Diego who lost the aunt who raised her one month ago. Now she’s in Florida to tie up her aunt’s interests in the Near and Farr Realty there with Helen Near. Besides her detecting skills (??), Darby has “exceptional palate memory”. [I could go for that!] Enrique Tomaso “ET” Gomez works with Darby in California and is the only reason she can take off on these jaunts. Miles Porter, the investigative/financial journalist Darby met in A House to Die For.
Kyle Cameron is the estranged wife of Jack Cameron and a killer real estate agent. Everything she touches turns to gold…for her. She’s just broken up with her latest lover, Foster McFarlin, and is about to turn over a new leaf into a new life, family, and business. Sassa Jorgenson is her masseuse.
Jack Cameron is a depressed addict who turned his wife off with his lifestyle and hookers. It takes a nasty turn underwater to turn his life around. Marco is his very reliable bartender at his Luna restaurant. Mitzi Cameron is his mother and Helen’s childhood friend and sure seems to be the only one in the family who loves Jack. Alexandra Cameron is Mitzi and John’s only natural child and has taken years to find her niche.
Foster McFarlin is a sex addict and seems to have some real estate issues big-time, and he’s married to Chellie Howe, the lieutenant governor of Florida. A very scheming couple. Mindy Jackson is Howe’s angry and abused press secretary. Candace Sutton is a high-priced escort with Jack and John Cameron on her books as well as Foster.
Marty Glickman is the asshole in charge of the branch office of Barnaby’s, Kyle’s place of employment. Peter Janssen is a fellow realtor at Barnaby’s. Clyde Hensley was a cellmate of Kyle’s dad with his own assorted agendas in Serenidad Key.
Detective Jonas Briggs is the policeman in charge of the murder; he also ends up on a task force [the reason we need to know this escapes me]. He hasn’t any problem tagging Darby for help in investigating the murders. Kelly McGee is a fellow cop in love with Briggs and partnered up with Dave DiNunzio, a detective who can’t keep his mouth shut.
Tag Gunnerson, the famous golfer, owns the island being listed by Kyle. Hideki Kobayashi is the buyer with an unexpected link to Darby’s past through her mother.
The Cover and Title
The cover is definitely Florida with its extensive front lawn, the fountain, and the quintessential architecture of the huge mansion surrounded by palms.
I do love the real estate sign with the title and author’s name. It is a Killer Listing in more than one sense of the phrase!
