Full Service Blonde
Megan Edwards Imbrifex Books (NOVEMBER) Softcover $15 (306pp) 978-1-945501-00-5
Full Service Blonde is a fantastic read—light on mystery, and heavy on romance and drama.
Full Service Blonde is a breezy, entertaining mystery dealing with prostitutes, thieving cats, and the bustling Vegas strip.
Christmastime in Las Vegas finds twentyfour-year-old journalist Copper Black caught up in a murder mystery. Though she normally deals
with lighter stories, Copper jumps at the chance to tag along to interview Victoria Mckimber, a prostitute turned activist. Victoria doesn’t believe anyone else can do her life story justice and talks Copper into penning the tale.
Copper has to set the story aside, though, to deal with family drama and a long-distance boyfriend coming to town. In the meantime, Victoria dies in a seemingly accidental hit and run. Copper struggles to solve the mystery while dealing with her splintering family, her tangled love life, and a cadre of sexist coworkers.
A prequel to Getting Off on Frank Sinatra, Full Service Blonde does well at introducing recurring characters and building up Copper Black as a potential PI. Copper’s work as an aspiring journalist and connections to the community come in handy, offering plenty of opportunities for the future development of the series. Vegas functions as a character in and of itself; it is wonderfully fleshed out, with the text showing a deep love for the desert oasis.
Despite its heavy events, the book reads as light and airy. The mystery itself is resolved fairly easily, if without much work from Copper herself. While much of the book builds up the mystery of Victoria’s death and the possible killer or killers, the resolution focuses more on Copper’s relationship and future. The ambiguous nature of the murderer’s identity almost makes the otherwise sizzling novel fizzle out.
Full Service Blonde is a good read—light on mystery, heavy on romance and drama, it would make for a perfect poolside escape, or a work to devour on a flight to Vegas.