Book in the Spotlight and Review: Death by Jelly Beans, by Susie Black

I’m thrilled to welcome back author Susie Black. Death by Jelly Beans is Book 5 in the popular Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series. Read on for my review of this page-turning, laugh-a-minute story. I’m also pleased to feature an excerpt and a link to a swimwear fit guide provided by the author.

MY REVIEW:

Susie Black has done it again with Death by Jelly Beans, Book 5 in the Holly Swimsuit mystery series. This book is a perfect example of why she is a multi-award winning author. Her cozy mystery delivers a laugh-a-minute whodunit featuring fashion executive sleuth, Holly Schlivnick, tasked with solving the murder of a department store Easter Bunny. Holly knows that the accused, although unliked by many, is innocent.

Readers will particularly enjoy stepping into Holly’s frequent get-togethers with the Yentas as they dole out advice and a heaping dose of humor. Our amateur sleuth has her work cut out for her while juggling two suitors, a pair of ghosts adding their two cents of romantic advice, and a rollercoaster ride riddled with threats and danger at every twist and turn. I was still guessing at the true culprit right up until the end and look forward to reading more books in this series.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Title: Death by Jelly Beans

Author: Susie Black

Genre: Cozy Mystery

BLURB:

Mermaid Swimwear President Holly Schlivnik discovers the Bainbridge Department Store Easter Bunny slumped over dead and obnoxious swimwear buyer Sue Ellen Magee is arrested for the crime. Despite her differences with the nasty buyer, Holly is convinced the Queen of Mean didn’t do it. The wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth jumps into action to nail the real killer. But the trail has more twists than a pretzel and more turns than a rollercoaster. And nothing turns out the way Holly thinks it will as she tangles with a clever killer hellbent on revenge.

EXCERPT:

I dragged my eyes over to the throne. The Easter Bunny sat slumped over with his chin resting on his chest and his body listing to the right. Good grief. A double-whammy. Not only did he dip into the jellybeans again after being warned not to, he fell asleep on the job in a booze-infused slumber.

Why should I give a flying fig about the jerk who bowled me over without an apology, let alone helping me up? Yet a stab of unexpected pity pierced my heart. I checked the time. Still a few minutes before my command performance. Maybe rouse the poor guy and give him a chance to concoct another story Sue Ellen might buy unless the security cameras sealed his fate.

I laid my messenger bag on the library table next to the throne and gently shook the rabbit’s left shoulder. Nothing doing. I shook him again. This time a bit harder. I put my lips next to his ears and implored him. “Pedro, wake up.” Zilch. Geesh, how much booze did the guy chug? Or maybe booze isn’t the culprit. Perhaps the guy had a late night before or he is just one helluva sound sleeper? Oddly, he wasn’t snoring, but I attributed it to his neck bent down and his head dangling over his body.

I shook him again and got nothing for my trouble. His chest wasn’t rising and falling. Good gravy. Was the guy breathing? I passed my hand over the costume’s mouth opening, but one so small I couldn’t tell. I clasped a paw to check for a pulse, but the heavy gauge costume fabric was too thick to detect one.

I checked my watch. No more time to crap around trying to help this idiot or I’d be late for my meeting. Despite my efforts to rouse him, the guy hadn’t so much as twitched. Annoyance coupled with dread tied my stomach in knots. I panned the department. No one was around except the rabbit and me.

The Goddess short-changed me in the height department but compensated by blessing me with a deep voice and a strong set of pipes. I put my lips next to his ear and shouted loud enough to wake the dead. “PEDRO, WAKE UP!”

I grabbed the rabbit by the shoulder and shook him with all my might. The guy didn’t move an inch. I grasped his arm tightly and yanked it hard trying to right him. Good grief. The bunny was stiff as a board. I might as well try bending a steel beam.

I let go of his shoulder and the rabbit slid off the throne. He crashed headfirst into the library table. Along with my messenger bag, the jellybean jar bounced off the edge of the table and fell onto the cement floor. My messenger bag survived the ordeal, but the jellybean jar broke into a zillion pieces. Jellybeans scattered all over the place. The bunny bounced twice and flopped unceremoniously face-down into a pile of jellybeans.

The concept of shouting loud enough to wake the dead? Trust me, it’s a pile of hot hooey. I didn’t need an MD after my name to make this diagnosis. Pedro Conejo was as dead as the proverbial doornail. When the first responders arrive, they’re gonna close the swimwear department for who knows how long. This ought to put a nice crimp into the Easter promotion. And who gets to break the good news to Sue Ellen? None other than yours truly.

She’s not gonna be a happy camper.

Naturally, I burst out laughing.

FAVORITE REVIEW:

Holly Schlivnik and her coterie of quirky Yentas do it again. This time, they find a sweeter murder, with jelly beans, a giant rabbit, and even more mayhem in ladies’ swimwear. Death by Jelly Beans is Holly’s latest cozy adventure and a welcome addition to the series. Author Susie Black continues the hijinks with laughs, giggles, and a great mystery.

Black’s writing style is immersive, making you feel like you’re right there with Holly and her wise-cracking friends. Despite the numerous characters, each one is so well-constructed that you can’t help but feel a connection to them. I would gladly tackle a murder mystery with any of them.

I’ll say again, this is a fantastic series, and I hope there are more books to come. I’m looking forward to hearing more about Holly Schlivnik.

Mark Edward Jones, award-winning thriller author

AUTHOR BIO:

Named Best US Author of the Year by N. N. Lights Book Heaven, award-winning cozy mystery author Susie Black was born in the Big Apple but now calls sunny Southern California home. Like the protagonist in her Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, Susie is a successful apparel sales executive. Susie began telling stories as soon as she learned to talk. Now she’s telling all the stories from her garment industry experiences in humorous mysteries.

She reads, writes, and speaks Spanish, albeit with an accent that sounds like Mildred from Michigan went on a Mexican vacation and is trying to fit in with the locals. Since life without pizza and ice cream as her core food groups wouldn’t be worth living, she’s a dedicated walker to keep her girlish figure. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susie lives with a highly intelligent man and has one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect.