Susan McBride Blue Blood

Blue Blood

Susan McBride

Avon, Feb 2004, $5.99, 333 pp.

ISBN 0060563893

Although she grew up with a silver spoon in her, mouth Andrea Kendricks prefers stainless steel. She was a debutantte drop out who never came was presented to society and works for a living instead of relying on her trust fund. Although she went to a preppy private school, her best friend was scholarship student Molly O'Brien who was raised not in a manor like Andrea, but in a series of foster homes.

The two friends went to the same middle class college together before Molly dropped out to follow her artist boyfriend to Europe. Andrea had not heard from Molly for over a decade when she calls up to ask her to take care of her son because she is in jail on a murder charge. When Andrea visits Molly in jail and hears her story, she knows Molly is no killer and sets out to prove it by going undercover at Juggs where the waitress dress in the bare minimum. Since it was Molly's boss who was killed, Andrea figures she has a very good chance of finding out who wanted the owner dead. Her allies in their endeavor turn out to be Molly's cute lawyer and Andrea's sociable mother.

BLUE BLOOD is a refreshing and entertaining amateur sleuth tale starring a blue-blooded heroine who embraces the middle class lifestyle. She is the type of woman people want as a best friend; a person who loves her mother even if she dislikes her mom's lifestyle and who will go the extra mile for a friend she has not seen in years. Susan McBride has written a who-done-it that will appeal to a broad base of mystery fans and will be the winner of many awards because this book is a gem..

Harriet Klausner