In Deep Voodoo

Author: Stephanie Bond
Published: October 2005 (Avon)
Category: Romantic Suspense
Quote of Choice: "Where was the restraining order, Mona, when Deke painted my house the color of a vagina?"

Penny Francisco has just gone through an awful divorce. She and her ex-husband Deke were growing apart for the past couple years, and then she discovers Deke and his mistress going at it in her marriage bed. His mistress is much younger, but is tanned to the point of having orange leather for skin, thanks to owning the town's tanning salon. In the divorce settlement, Penny got the property her health food store occupies and Deke got the charming Victorian house (situated across the street from the health food store) that Penny restored. Of course, his mistress Sheena moved into Penny's old dream house and proceeded to paint the exterior a Pepto Bismol pink.

While trying to put up a brave front in the face of Sheena's obnoxious behavior, Penny agrees to her employee's idea of a "Happy Divorce" party to celebrate her newfound freedom. In her pursuit for a healthy lifestyle, Penny gave up sugar, caffeine, meat, fish, and alcohol. Thanks to an insubstantial tofu dinner and not drinking for a few years, Penny got very, very tipsy. In her drunken state, she stabbed a gag gift voodoo doll of Deke in the heart. Unfortunately for her, Deke was murdered by a garden stake through the heart, and Penny discovered the body. Given the circumstances, she was the prime suspect for the murder.

Thanks to the help from B.J. Beaumont (yes, such titillating initials), a private investigator specializing in missing persons cases, Penny works to clear her name. Of course, she's attracted to this hunky manly man, but their romance plays a very small part in the book. Deke's murder is just a small part of a much bigger illegal activity picture. It's a very clever little mystery and the ending left the door open for a sequel. Of course, the downside of that is that they didn't really catch all the perpetrators of the crime, copping out with the old "I won't reveal the names of my accomplices" thing when they caught Deke's murderer.

Stephanie Bond has a new book coming out next month, Body Movers, and I think I'll put it on my list for the library.