Bubbles A Broad

Author: Sarah Strohmeyer
Published: March 1, 2005 (Onyx)
Series: Bubbles #3
Category: Mystery
Quote of Choice: He is more disturbed by the cruel irony of a slip-and-fall lawyer slipping and falling on his own driveway. No one to sue but himself.

Our favorite ditzy and curvaceous blonde is back, and she's got a real shot at becoming a full-time reporter at the News-Times and leaving her past as a hair dresser behind. Bubbles is given a one week "tryout" by the paper, but before she even has her first day, she's visited by an escaped convict, a murderess (wife supposedly killed husband by scratching him with cyanide laced fingernails). Carol Weaver claims that Lehigh's steel corporation had her husband killed and framed her for the murder, and wants Bubbles to find out why he was killed.

After reading three Bubbles books, the elements in each are becoming apparent. She still dresses inappropriately (think animal print spandex and bosom-baring tops) while being upset that people don't take her seriously. I guess it's taking the "it's what's inside that counts" philosophy to heart the way she refuses to cover up just a little. So the editor at the newspaper doesn't take her seriously and seems to take joy in Bubbles' failures. And her ex-husband and his new wife are trying to subvert her daughter while treating Bubbles like dirt as always. It gets tiring after a while.

However, Bubbles gets some respect when the mystery is neatly solved. I'll give the next Bubbles book a try since she's supposedly a real reporter in it. My hopes aren't too high, as the excerpt for the next book, Bubbles Betrothed, has her getting into a fight at the courthouse on her first assignment.

On a side note, as this is mostly a mystery novel, Bubbles finally gets together with Steve Stiletto. Aside from the boinking, it appears that they're actually in love. It's nice, but as I don't really love Bubbles' character, I'm glad the romance wasn't a huge part of the story.