The Body Next Door

A long distance drive home is not when Samantha expected to get a phone call from her temporary roommate, Gertie, about her neighbor (the often-drunk-and-getting-kicked-out-of-the-condo-by-her-husband-while-naked) Brandy. Having not slept in nearly a day is not the best way to meet with cops who find Brandy's husband dead next door, and with Gertie being hauled downtown, things are only going to get worse. Things would be better for Samantha if her kinda-sorta-maybe boyfriend—and owner of the condo she's living in—had not just dropped off the planet. His connections, strength and knowhow would be great about now.

Readers who are not fans of first person stories will be swayed to the dark side, and absolutely love this one! Not one iota of personality, motive or plotline is lost by not having anyone else's viewpoint. Carter, the disappearing boyfriend, is a closed book, and would still be a closed book even if one got a glimpse inside his head. Within the first few paragraphs, readers will know they are reading Book Two, though those words are nowhere to be found. The needed information is sprinkled, not dumped, but on occasion will make reader's heads spin a bit, jumping from past to present. The whodunit part of the story has more twists than a country road, and the cast of characters will keep readers on their toes. While there is not an HEA, this story is by no means over and done, and given the joyride throughout, readers will want to continue to the next adventure!

Julie York