Book Review: Blind Dates Can be Murder by Mindy Starns Clark (Smart Chick Mysteries #2)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Plot continually builds suspense until the great climax.

Cons: Short scenes make it hard to get into

The Bottom Line:

Romantic suspense

That keeps the pages turning

Leaves you wanting more

Dangerous Blind Date

It's been six months since household hints expert Jo Tulip was left at the altar on her wedding day. Finally ready to move on, she and some friends sign up for Dates & Mates, a local dating service. On her first date, she is surprised to find her best match isn't tall, dark, and handsome but short, fat, and bald. Not only is he completely unattractive but he's also very creepy. He has a horrid asthma problem and drops dead just after the main course is served.

Jo's best friend Danny Watkins has been waiting for the perfect time to tell Jo about his true feelings. He's only recently figured out that he loves Jo as more then just a friend. But Jo being involved in yet another murder investigation just complicates things.

What neither of them realize is they are truly in danger. Jo's dead date had some pretty unscrupulous business partners who think he gave something to Jo before they died. They are going to be pulled into a case far more dangerous then they ever dreamed they would face.

This book, the second in a series, is a great example of romantic suspense. There are few clues to follow and Jo and Danny spend little time attempting to do so, usually turning over anything they figure out to the police. However, the book shifts viewpoints quite regularly, allowing us to know what the bad guys are doing and how it affects our heroes.

Equally important in this book is the romantic storyline. While I'm not a fan of romance books as a rule, I found myself pulled into this plot just as much as the murder. While this plot is certainly more predictable, it's handled well with a nice twist or two to throw things off a little.

Mindy Starns Clark is a master of building suspense, and this book is no exception. While things start with a bang, the suspense just keeps growing until the book becomes impossible to put down. And she leaves us with a cliffhanger on the last page that is sure to make the reader buy the next book as soon as it comes out.

Of course, part of this is because the characters are so good. Jo and Danny are well developed and truly likable; it's easy to root for them. The best character in the book is Lettie, the villain's henchwoman. She is really developed well and I felt myself very conflicted over what I wanted to have happen to her before the story was over.

Being a Christian mystery, there is a more pronounced spiritual element to the book. It's treated as part of the characters' lives and never becomes preachy.

As mentioned earlier, the story is told from multiple viewpoints, shifting quite regularly. Most of the time, the scenes are a couple of pages or less, which makes the book a little hard to get into. After a few chapters, that's no longer an issue and the story pulls the reader along until the end. The writing style could be a little more polished, but it works and is easily forgiven since the story is so good.

This series proved to be so much fun, and Blind Dates Can Be Murder is a perfect example why.  If you haven't already read Mindy Starns Clark, do so today.