Xs

Louise Gaylord

Right after Allie arrives she and her sister find Angela's roommate murdered in her own bed. Carolina was from Spain and also a model. Recently she had gotten into drugs and other things Angela could only guess. Now Carolina is dead, with a small "X" carved in her body. She was a victim of an apparent serial killer. The NYPD have some leads. Angela may have an "in" with the group under investigation. But Angela refuses to participate. Allie looks enough like Angela that she volunteers to pretend to be her sister. She follows her sister's connection and soon is involved in rich men's sex and drugs parties in New Jersey. To make it worse, the man she loves who left her is also there, part of the group. Is he really working for the Drug Enforcement Agency, or is he part of the "old boys" group?

Another woman is murdered. Then Allie believes she witnesses the murder of the leader of the group. But he is returned to New York, presumably to die in the hospital there of a massive heart attack. And who is the man who took over? How does the shadowy madam who supplies women for the parties fit in the picture? Allie keeps snooping. She discovers there are special plans for her - and those plans may be worse than death...

Louise Gaylord's Allie Armingham fits right in with Margaret Maron's Judge Deborah Knott or Carolyn Hart's Annie Laurence or Jill Churchill's Jane Jeffreys or any other of the numerous mysteries featuring nosy women who get involved where they shouldn't. Allie can't let go until the mystery is unraveled and the bad guy is caught. She's a strong woman with a weak spot for justice and for one man who can still twist her emotions. She's successful in her chosen field but is interested in learning more.

I enjoyed Xs. It's fast paced. I think Allie's reaction to the New Jersey parties was out of the character that Gaylord is building. Allie went along and reluctantly accepted the activities - degradation of women being the largest stumbling block for me. I would have thought she would be more outraged when she wasn't at them as an undercover participant. Otherwise this is a pleasurable read with an interesting twist at the denouement.

Notice: Non-graphic violence, Suggestive dialogue or situations

Anacacho
Xs