Why Is Kyle Missing Trends?
Somehow, I got ahead of my reading schedule this month. I’m actually still trying to figure out exactly how I did it, but I’m not complaining. It allowed me to slip Slay Ride by Diane Vallere into my Christmas reading schedule.
This book is billed as a holiday novella. I read the ebook version, but I would guess it is about two thirds of a typical book in the series, so either a very long novella or a short novel. Either way, fans of the series will jump in enthusiastically.
You haven’t met Samantha Kidd yet? She’s a former fashion buyer who moved back to her hometown of Ribbon, Pennsylvania. Not only has she found her job history a bit rocky since then, but she’s also found more than her fair share of murder and mayhem.
This story finds Samantha taking on a temporary job in the weeks leading up to Christmas. She’s landed a job as a social media influencer for a local company thanks to her friend Kyle Trent. Kyle is one of the stars of the company, and he is more than willing to show Samantha the ropes for her two-week assignment.
The two are supposed to meet up one morning for some photos to be scheduled later in the day, but Kyle never shows up. That’s not like Kyle, so Samantha begins to investigate. The problem is, she keeps getting contradictory information about whether she should be worried or not. Can she figure out what is going on?
This may be a shorter entry in the series, but it doesn’t skimp on anything. The plot kicks off quickly and it never lets up. Okay, so the ending might have been rushed, but that is my only complaint with the story. There are twists and red herrings to keep you guessing plus a few plots only Samantha could execute.
And the characters are all strong. The usual regulars are here again, and it is great to see them all. We get some growth in Samantha as well. I love watching her mature before our eyes. The new characters are entertaining and help pull us into the story.
All of this is served with a dose of fun. Yes, the Christmas element could have been stronger, but it still added a nice backdrop to the action. But Samantha’s trademark humor is on full display here, and I loved every second of it. Plus there are some fun things that she tries over the course of the book to figure out what is really going on.
As I said at the beginning, fans who haven’t read this book yet will be anxious to dive in and find out what Samantha gets up to here. If you haven’t found these fun mysteries yet, Slay Ride is a good place to jump in and meet her.
Need more Samantha? Here are the rest of the Samantha Kidd Mysteries in order.
This sounds like fun. I've been enjoying shorter books lately, especially during the holidays. Nice review, Mark
ReplyDeleteThis looks so fun! I really need to pick up the first book in the series.
ReplyDeletei'm always looking for fun Christmas mysteries. It sounds like this is enjoyable without having read the rest of the series, which I like.
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