Title: Stiletto to the Petal
Author: Karen C. Whalen
Genre: Cozy murder mystery
Book Blurb:
Discovering a killer. Dodging a tax collector. Speeding toward disaster.
When the IRS claims Delaney Morran, the high-heeled tow truck driver and amateur sleuth, owes back taxes, she hires an accountant to fight Uncle Sam. Before Delaney can resolve the issue, a tax collector shows up in Spruce Ridge, Colorado demanding an amount Delaney can’t afford. It gets worse when Delaney’s accountant becomes the town’s next murder victim and Delaney’s tax records are locked inside the crime scene. The quickest way to get the Internal Revenue off her case is to catch the killer and get her files back, so she speeds around town questioning suspects while keeping one step ahead of the tax man. Will Delaney be able to solve yet another murder and secure her records before the IRS shuts her down?
My Review:
Delaney is hip-deep in trouble with the IRS and when her accountant winds up dead and her tax info is part of the crime scene, Delaney decides the best way to get the IRS collector off her back is to solve the murder herself. Can she figure out who offed her accountant before she’s headed off to tax prison? With equal portions of humor, mystery, and towing, Stiletto to the Pedal is a delightful cozy mystery. The characters are unforgettable with a heavy dash of humor. The dialogue is snarky and hilarious. So, don your sleuthing cap and join in the fun.
Let’s start with the characters. This book is fabulous entertainment thanks to one thing: Delaney. Her inner thoughts over anything and everything had me hooked. She’s the new generation of Stephanie Plum. I couldn’t get enough of her. Delaney has special skills that help unravel the mystery and the culprit. The rest of the cast is well-written and relatable.
The mystery subplot is brilliantly written with a couple of fun twists I didn’t expect. Karen C. Whalen writes with a comedic flair but if you take the comedy out, you’re left with an amateur mystery worth reading. I can’t overemphasize how remarkable the writing is.
If you’re a cozy mystery reader like me and like lots of humor in your cozies, Stiletto to the Pedal will make you laugh out loud. I loved every minute of it and can’t wait to read more Delaney adventures.
My Rating: 5+ stars
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Author Biography:
Karen C. Whalen is the author of two mystery series for The Wild Rose Press: the Dinner Club Mysteries featuring Jane Marsh, an empty nester who hosts a gourmet dinner club, and the Tow Truck Mysteries starring Delaney Morran, a super feminine shoe-a-holic who drives a tow truck. Both are cozy mysteries about strong friendships and family ties set in Colorado. The first book in the Dinner Club series tied for First Place in the Suspense Novel category of the 2017 IDA Contest sponsored by Oklahoma Romance Writers of America. In the Tow Truck series, Eyes on the Road was a Second Place winner of the 2023 Firebird Book Awards in the Cozy Mystery category. Whalen worked for many years as a paralegal at a law firm in Denver, Colorado and was a columnist and regular contributor to The National Paralegal Reporter magazine. Whalen loves to host dinner parties, entertain friends, ride bicycles, hike in the mountains, walk on the beach, and read cozy murder mysteries. Murder at Sea Oats Beach is her first book published as an indie author.
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Reviewed by: Nancy