Book Review: Too Rich and Too Dead by Cynthia Baxter (Murder Packs a Suitcase #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Great Characters and writing

Cons: Weak climax in an otherwise good plot

The Bottom Line:

Pack your bags, not skis

For non-skiing murder trip

That is loads of fun

Mallory Rubs Elbows with the Rich and Powerful Corpses in Aspen

Too Rich and Too Dead is the second mystery novel about travel writer Mallory Marlowe.  A recent widow, Mallory accept this job for a magazine as a way of moving on with her life.  Unfortunately, she seems to find murder goes with the territory, whatever her territory happens to be.  And for people like me with the travel bug, these make for a good substitution if we can't actually travel.

Mallory's new assignment is to research Aspen, Colorado.  But she's not doing it for skiers, an idea that has been done to death.  Instead, she will be seeing if non-skiers can find something worth doing there.  And as part of the assignment, Mallory is going to profile her old high school acquaintance Carly Cassidy Berman.

Carly is the founders of Tavaci Springs, an exclusive health resort outside of Aspen.  She also perfected the health drink Rejuva-Juice.  But despite the years and the fact the two were never close, Carly welcomes Mallory with open arms.  The two have dinner together and all seems well.

The next morning, however, Carly is found submerged in one of the mud tubs at her spa.  When a new friend begs Mallory to help clear her name, Mallory reluctantly begins gather information.  But the evidence seems to lead every which way.  Can Mallory find the right piece that will solve the murder?

I must admit, not being a skier, Aspen has never been at the top of my to see list.  But I really do feel like I learned a lot about the area from reading the book.  The descriptions are wonderfully detailed, so you get a good mental picture.  It really is the next best thing to being there.

But the descriptions and travelogue are only part of the fun.  This is a fairly decent mystery as well.  The mystery is never far from Mallory's mind.  In fact, it's a wonder she actually got any research in.  There are several nice clues and plenty of red herrings that kept me guessing until the end.

The climax was my biggest problem with the book.  It was just too rushed.  As a result, several characters behaved in ways that didn't quite make sense to me.  On the other hand, all the clues and red herrings were explained, which left me feeling satisfied.

The series so far really only has one main character, Mallory.  True, there are some supporting characters, but I don't feel we've seen them enough to truly get to know them.  But I do love Mallory.  She is definitely surer of herself in this book, but there is still that vulnerability that makes her likable.  The romantic sub-plot took an unexpected turn in this book.  I'm willing to keep an open mind, but I think I'll have to see what happens in the next book before I am fully on board.

The supporting cast of characters comes off very well.  These people are just as real as Mallory is.  I never once had a hard time remembering who they were because they stood out from each other so well.

Mallory's next assignment can't come fast enough for me.  Too Rich and Too Dead will entertain mystery and travel fans alike.