Engaged in Murder

Series:  Perfect Proposals #1

By:  Nancy Parra

ISBN:  0425270351 (ISBN13: 9780425270356)

Author’s Website:  http://www.nancyjparra.com

Review brought to you by OBS staff member Andra

 

Synopsis:

Event planner Pepper Pomeroy is making the most of her current unemployment by arranging a surprise for her sister, Felicity. Warren, Felicity’s boyfriend, plans to lure his lovely lady into a private jet, propose, and whisk her away on a romantic vacation. He just needs Pepper to handle all the fine details in order to make it the perfect proposal—and it is. Everything goes so well when Warren pops the question that he suggests Pepper do this sort of thing professionally.

But before she can get her new business off the ground, there are some disturbing questions. Like who’s the dead guy Pepper finds in the ladies’ room of the jet hangar? Is it possible Felicity’s high-flying fiancé has been hiding more than the engagement ring? Pepper’s not married to the idea of having a criminal in the family, so in order to protect her sister, she takes off in pursuit of a killer…

 

Review:

We meet Pepper Pomeroy as she begins a new phase of her life…..unemployed but using her chosen profession (event planner) to good use……helping her sister’s boyfriend Warren, plan a wedding proposal for her sister Felicity.  Surprisingly, while completing the finishing touches for the proposal (in an airplane hangar, on Warren’s private plane), Pepper goes to the washroom, where she finds a body.  Yikes…what to do….Well, first off, do not interrupt the planned event (spoken line a true professional – the show must go on), so Pepper says nothing until after the proposal has occurred and the newly engaged couple are flying off to celebrate.

So here we have an event planner trying to figure out who the dead man is, in the hangar, where her soon to be brother in law keeps his private plane.  Whew…a mouthful.  But Pepper is not daunted by this task; she must prove Warren’s innocence, for the sake of her sister.  At the same time, Pepper’s life is in flux.  She is coming to the realization that she has just skated through life (love life that is) by continuing to date her high school sweetheart.  However, he is a dud.  And Pepper FINALLY realizes she deserves more (took her long enough!!).  Lest we forget, Pepper is a bit stressed about being unemployed and all that particular scenario entails. A lot to handle all at once, but this amateur sleuth seemed to manage.

I enjoyed that even in the face of adversity (unemployed and dumping her long term boyfriend) Pepper embarked on a new career involving her passion.  That is always great to read!  I also liked the fact that this amateur sleuth was not associated with baking and/or cooking in any way.  Seems like an event planner (proposals mainly) is a new twist on the standard formula of a cozy mystery and one I enjoyed as it brought a fresh twist, especially given Pepper’s talents.

I shall read book two in due course as I could see the depth of Pepper beginning to shine through.  I also want to see where a possible new relationship could go with Pepper and Gage