Lois Greiman Unplugged

Unplugged

Lois Greiman

Dell, March 2006, $6.99, 339 pp.

ISBN 0440242630

Chrissy McMullen went from being an Illinois cocktail waitress to a Los Angeles psychologist; between her two professions she considers herself an expert on the human condition. Her best friend Laney Butterfield works as her receptionist, and there isn't anything she wouldn't do for her, including finding her boyfriend Jeen Solberg who disappeared at a convention in Las Vegas for techno-geeks. This is a true test of friendship, because she can't stand Solberg, who she calls many derogatory names to everyone but Laney.

Solberg's boss has not heard from him, but isn't worried, because in Vegas Jeen told him he needed a few days vacation time. Nobody else has heard from him either, including his co-workers and next door neighbor. Solberg calls Chrissy to ask her to meet him at a designated location. When she goes to get her car, two thugs abduct and manhandle her, but she escapes. She learns that Solberg's boss thinks he embezzled $500,000 dollars from the company, but Chrissy is sure that is not true and he is in trouble. She asks questions and ends up turning herself over to the real perpetrator in return for letting the person he kidnapped go. Now Chrissy is alone with some very dangerous men, and she has no idea how to extricate herself from the situation.

Lois Greiman's protagonist is a cross between Stephanie Plum and Harry Minor of the Mrs. Murphy series. Chrissy gets herself into zany, dangerous and unusual predicaments like Stephanie, but she also has the savvy of Harry, which allows her to extricate herself from potentially lethal situations without the help of a man. Lieutenant Jack Rivera is sticking to Chrissy in the hopes she will confide in him, and like in UNZIPPED, the sexual tension is so thick, one can cut it with a knife. The mystery is well written and readers will thoroughly enjoy UNPLUGGED.