Every once in a while
you come across a new series by an unknown to you author.
And the fireworks go off as soon as you start reading.
You know you are in for the read of your life. That is
what happened when I started reading Board Stiff.
Elliott Lisbon is the Director of the Ballantyne Foundation.
She is also a Nancy Drew wannabe. She does not have her
PI license … yet, but she handles discreet inquiries
for the wealthy donors of the foundation. She is a problem
fixer and camp counselor all rolled into one. This time
Mr. Ballantyne wants her to find out who killed one of
their board members. He and his wife are on holiday in
India and have tasked Elli with solving this crime. In
addition, the police have a prime suspect – Jane
Hatting – the Ballantyne board chair - make sure
she is not charged with the crime.
Elli loves a challenge – trying to prove Jane innocent
will prove extremely taxing as she is not liked by any
other board members or staff. Making matters worse, the
new head of the police dept. is an old flame. Who was
Ransom with at the foundation fundraiser and why was Ransom
kissing Elli? The more Elli investigates, the guiltier
Jane appears.
Things to ponder: Will Elliott have problems with her
new neighbor? Can Elliott get Zibby Archibald dining at
The Wharf after being banned for life? Where was Bebe
at the time of her husband’s murder? Can you ever
have too much hand sanitizer?
This was one of the best first in a series mystery that
I have read. I loved the characters and how they interacted.
I read this book very fast – too fast because the
second in the series is still being written. I did stop
near the end to catch my breath – the plot was extremely
exciting. This was a humorous, page turning read. So,
if you want a really good read with a quirky heroine,
then Board Stiff is for you. If you need a fix after finishing
Board Stiff, then try Other People’s
Baggage – it includes Switch Back
– the prequel to Board Stiff.
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