Summer is heating up for reluctant psychic Riley Thorn and her handsome private investigator boyfriend, Nick Santiago. First, her disapproving grandmother arrives determined to make Riley take her powers seriously or face the wrath of “the Guild.” Then there’s the homicide detective who needs her help figuring out who murdered the well-dressed corpse in the walk-in closet.
Nick’s got his own hands full with a tricky missing person case and his parents who want to know why he didn’t tell them about his live-in girlfriend. Then there’s the fact that he’s still the tiniest bit stressed about Riley almost getting murdered earlier that summer. The last thing he wants is her getting involved in another investigation.
Things go from bad to worse when the body count starts stacking up, the meet-the-parents dinner goes horribly wrong, and their elderly roommate is up to no good…dressed like a mime.
To top it off, Riley is forced to return to Channel 50 on official police business to question her spray-tanned news anchor ex-husband and his new weather girl fiancée.
The trouble comes to a head when Riley receives a warning from the killer: Back off or she’s next. Someone has to solve these murders before she becomes the next corpse.
Review:
Lucy Score’s Riley Thorn books are the books that Stephanie Plum *wishes* she were starring in–quirky characters, outrageously OTT *and* LOL situations, steamy sexytimes, and just the right amount of danger for our MCs to sleuth their way out of–but without the utterly incompetent heroine (who somehow never gets even moderately more capable?) who can’t seem to commit to just one cute guy.
Because Riley? That girl is committed. And this time she didn’t resort to throwing the gun at the bad guy. Progress!
Oh, and she’s also a reluctant psychic, which is another fun little wrinkle.
Riley Thorn and the Corpse in the Closet, much like its predecessor, had me LOLing just slightly more than it had me fanning myself (but only because they keep getting interrupted ;)) and thoroughly enjoying myself the entire time. Sign me up for book 3, because Lucy Score is a diabolical genius! (as per her author note, but also my honest opinion)
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.