"Samantha Shaw Must Find A Killer To Keep Grandpa Out Of Jail"

Samantha's grandfather, Barney, is under suspicion of hiring a hit man to try to kill magician spoiler Shane. Samantha owns and runs Heart Mates dating service, but she also works part-time as a PI under her ex-cop PI boyfriend, Gabe. Samantha is hired by Nikki and her grandmother to find out which magician Shane plans to expose in his upcoming show that will be televised.

Plus Sam and Gabe are deep in renovations. They are putting their two businesses under one roof. Gabe's brother Cal shows up and helps with renovations, but Sam is sure there is another reason Cal is in town, even though the guys won't admit it.

Amidst everything else going on, Lola appears at Heart Mates. Blaine, Samantha's assistant, cannot stand her. Sam has to keep the two of them apart as well as figure out what is going on there while trying to keep her grandfather out of jail and figure out who did kill Shane.

Sam is a great character. She is an ex-soccer mom, but she no longer sits on the sidelines. In this book she is trying to decide whether she wants to continue learning to be a PI. Plus, where does Gabe fit in her life?

Shane's death is difficult for her to solve as all the suspects are friends of hers. Can she uncover the truth without hurting the ones she loves?

I like this series a lot. The interaction between Gabe and Sam is great. Her family is well written and interspersed throughout the mystery.

I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by Dawn Dowdle
Courtesy Mystery Lovers Corner
Posted July 9, 2006

Summary

Magic and murder bedevil Samantha Shaw, the spunky owner of Heart Mates Dating Service, in the fifth installment of Apodaca's delightful light mystery series (Batteries Required, etc.) set in Lake Elsinore, Calif. Performer Shane Masters is revealing the secrets behind magic tricks in his "spoiler shows," which are upsetting many magicians, including Barney Webb, Samantha's grandfather. This is a tense moment in Samantha's life as well, as she and her boyfriend, ex-cop and PI Gabe Pulizzi, are moving their two businesses into the same office. But the conflicts caused by the office construction, Gabe's irritating brother and her own anxiety about getting her PI license take a back seat when Samantha's grandfather is accused of hiring a hit man to kill Shane Masters. The discovery of the Shane's body pulls Samantha into a life-threatening investigation that calls her PI aspirations into question. But her devotion to her grandfather outweighs all risks, and slowly she's able to put the puzzle pieces together. This hard-to-put-down cozy will please committed fans and attract new ones.