Genre: Mystery
Trade Paperback; Audio CD; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781635113167; 9781541453975
Henery Press Publishing
274 Pages
$15.51; $19.64; $6.99 Amazon
December 14,2017
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Problem #1: Bootsy Howard. Davis Way Cole lives a (relatively) quiet, (somewhat) simple, and (completely) witch-free life with her husband and twin daughters on the 29th floor of the Bellissimo Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. Until Bootsy Howard shows up demandig a million dollars.
Problem #2: Princess Smucker. What was marketing thinking when they booked the Southern Canine Association's annual dog show at the Bellissimo? And what was Davis thinking when she agreed to let a dog stay with her? For a week? In her home? The home where she lives a (fairly) quiet, (reasonably) simple, and (totally) manicotti-free life?
Problem #3: Leverette Urleen, MD. The last thing Davis needs is an unsolicited house call from Pine Apple, Alabama's latest excuse for a doctor. But since he's there, considering she has a dead body on ice, she might as well have him determine the cause of death. Which he doesn't. Nor is he any help finding the body when Davis loses it. On top of all that, he won't leave, further disrupting Davis's (more or less) quiet, (to a certain degree) simple, and (utterly) seersucker-free life. A life that's about to go to the dogs. Unless Davis can learn a few tricks. Fast.
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Davis Way Cole is waiting for her sister Meredith's visit. Meredith and her best friend Vreeland Howard are coming for a dog show that's been booked at the Bellissimo, where Davis works as a super secret spy/security expert. But when she answers her door, it's not Meredith but Vree, and she explains that Meredith and Bubbles - Vree's dog, who is going to be entered in the show - are arriving a little later.
But Meredith doesn't arrive. Neither does the dog. Instead, Vree's sort-of mother-in-law Bootsy shows up. Bootsy is mean enough to be a witch, and people have accused her of such. Bootsy is also there because Meredith isn't coming unless Davis gives her one million dollars. Davis, of course, doesn't have a million dollars, but if she doesn't get it, then Pastor Gully (who apparently has kidnapped both Meredith and Bubbles) threatens to leave them on a street corner in Guadalajara, Mexico.
But the troubles don't end there - Davis's boss 'No Hair' shows up at her door with what appears to be some kind of snarling dog and tells her to take care of it. The owners - lottery winners who are also hicks - have checked in and are spending money and creating havoc. When the dog decides to 'leak' on Davis's floor, she calls housekeeping, and they send up two burly men to clean up who look more like they should be in security detail.
So Davis calls her best friend Fantasy to come help get Bootsy out of her home, and into Fantasy's bonus room above her garage. Which isn't easy - and then still has to decide how to rescue her sister and find out who the dog belongs to; not to mention the 'schmucks' who are running amok in the casino causing problems.
At least Bradley is out of town on business, so she has one less thing to worry about; but just when things can't get any worse, they do. Suddenly there's a dead body, a doctor who doesn't know what he's doing, and now she has two dogs to contend with. Will Davis be able to save her sister and her marriage before Bradley returns? Can Davis and Fantasy keep No Hair from finding out what they're doing? And how will she find a million dollars without robbing the Bellisimo in time to save her sister?
Yes, it's just another day in the world of Davis Way Cole, Super Spy and security expert for the Bellissimo. And I can't say too much about this book without giving too much away. But I will say that the characters are indeed fun to be around. Sometimes I feel sorry for Fantasy, but then again, she walks right into it, so it's really hard to do so.
But Davis has her hands full with twin daughters and a near-hysterical woman from small-town Pine Apple where she grew up, who faints at anything and everything; and a physician (?) who's lascivious to the max and doesn't know a wart from a mole (or cares). But we have a case of a missing body, missing people, missing cars, a missing sister and missing dogs - I don't think I'm missing anything here (but I could be).
At any rate, this book is both suspense and hilarious, if it can be such, at the same time. Davis is one smart cookie, and she needs to be to deal with these looney tunes - which includes her boss Bianca, who expects Davis to impersonate her wearing the most ridiculous outfits yet. But then again, we've all known Bianca isn't all there anyway...
In the end, this book is definitely on my list of one of the best this year. Ms. Archer's writing is impressive, the characters are well-defined and full of life, and the plot highly believable. When we come to the end and it is all sorted out, I was sorry it ended so soon. A book I will reread more than once. Highly recommended.
https://www.amazon.com/Double-Dare-Davis-Crime-Caper/dp/1635113164/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2314200284
More on Gretchen Archer's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/a/gretchen-archer/
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