Alison Gaylin, Trashed

Trashed

Alison Gaylin

NAL, Sep 2007, $21.95

ISBN: 9780451221131

At one time Nia Lawson was going to be the next Marilyn Monroe, but told her stylist about her affair with Congressman Mack Calloway. The stylist sold the story to the tabloids destroying two careers. Ten years later Nia thinks Mr. Big Shot will energize her career. Instead he kills her making it look like a Monroe suicide.

Simone Glass leaves New York for Los Angeles to work as a reporter on the Edge. After being unemployed for a month, she applies for a job at the Asteroid tabloid. Bureau chief Nigel Bloom asks her why she wants to work for his dump; she says she is desperate. Her first assignment is to sift through the garbage of soap opera star Emerald Deegan. They find four dead exotic parakeets and a shoe that Simone thinks belongs to Nia. Nigel blackmails Emerald into an interview or he will reveal that a PETA spokesperson killed four birds.

Simone and Asteroid reporter Kathy get inside Emerald's trailer, but before they learn much security Neil Walker tosses them off the set. She learns that Emerald's boyfriend Keith Furlong also hangs with Destiny a hooker. Destiny hopes the VIP she is seeing, can make her the next Nia. When he hurt her; she flees as the next Nia means death. Meanwhile Emerald commits suicide, but Simone has doubts and wonders about Nia's death too. Although she sees no connection, she seeks the links between Nia, Emerald and Destiny.

The heroine is delightful lead character who readers will appreciate her asides especially her conscience fits as she struggles with not being a reporter but as an infiltrator. The look at the tabloid sleaziness is amusing as nothing is sacred including garbage investigations. The support cast especially the reporters are a delight as their antics is humorous albeit unethical. Although why the killer targets trios of women is not lucid, fans will enjoy this Hollywood serial killer whodunit.

Harriet Klausner