BYE, BYE LOVE

A PI reports a murder to the police only to find the victim is missing once they get there.

Cat DeLuca has a hard time staying on the right side of the law, considering that her work for her Pants on Fire Detective Agency has gotten her into some scrapes in the past. But with trusty partner and loyal beagle Inga by her side, Cat continues her main job of catching liars and cheaters in the act. While Cat and Inga are off the clock on a neighborhood run, they come upon a bigger mystery than their usual fare: the body of someone whose face has been shot beyond recognition. Cat identifies the victim from his wallet as Bernie Love, the numbers guy for the Provenzas, and she’s not surprised that a connection to that family would get a guy killed. Right after she makes the call to the Chicago PD, Cat is attacked and knocked unconscious. When she comes to, all she can remember is a man with a Rolex who she's sure is Bernie’s killer. The bigger problem is that, while Cat was unconscious, the body has somehow disappeared. Police Capt. Bob is not amused that Cat has once again entangled herself with trouble, although without a body, he’s not even sure he believes her story. She knows she has to investigate, even if the cops won’t, and she’s got her quirky assistant, Cleo, and the whole DeLuca family to help her get to the bottom of the case.

With less emphasis on the characters around Cat to provide romantic intrigue or comic relief (which is Cleo’s whole raison d'être), Larsen’s latest (Some Like It Hot, 2013, etc.) falls a little flat.