Linda Richards The Next Ex

The Next Ex

Linda Richards

Mira, Dec 2005, $6.99

ISBN: 0778322408

In Los Angeles, former stockbroker turned day-trader Madeline Carter lives in the guesthouse owned by married couple movie director Tyler Beckett and actress Tasya Saranova. Tyler asks Manhattan transplant Madeline to teach day-trading techniques to Keesia, the fifth wife of film producer Maxi Livingston, as a favor, the most prevalent means of exchanging services in town. Thus Madeline teaches Keesia day-trading, while Maxi will produce Tyler's newest film project, and Madeline receives additional kitchen and bathroom privileges

Keesia proves to be a fast learner, and the teacher and student become friends. That is until Madeline finds her pupil's corpse at a party hosted by Maxi. Not long afterward, other spouses of Maxi are murdered, with Madeline considered by the police a prime suspect. Realizing that the cops are looking at her as a possible killer, Madeline investigates the murder of her buddy, figuring she did very well in clearing her name to a degree in her previous Hollywood adventure (see MAD MONEY).

This is a fun amateur sleuth tale in which Madeline once again is a magnet for murder, in which she must prove her innocence as her "record", as well as opportunity makes her a prime suspect. The key to this intelligent who-done-it is that Linda Richards lays out the clues, yet most of the audience will not "read" them as they instead follow the stumbling "Mad" detective fumble her way on the case. Fans will enjoy this fine Hollywood mystery, starring a likable protagonist struggling to find who made Keesia THE NEXT EX of multiply married Maxi.

Harriet Klausner