POPPY HARMON AND THE SHOOTING STAR

A retired actress is forced to sleuth on behalf of a longtime rival.

When Poppy Harmon was a TV star, one of her least favorite parts of the job was having to work with divas like Serena Saunders. So stuck on herself that she once refused to attend an on-set birthday party when she found out she’d have to share the place of honor with Poppy, Serena went on to have a longer and slightly more illustrious career than her former castmate. Meanwhile, Poppy retired to Palm Springs, where she now runs the Desert Flowers Detective Agency with partners Iris Becker, Violet Hogan, and Matt Flowers. But if you thought running her own business would give Poppy the freedom to turn snooty Serena down flat when she asks for Desert Flowers’ help running a background check on her brand-new fiance, local entrepreneur Ned Boyce, you’d be underestimating the sway Serena’s star power has on Poppy’s partners. After several days investigating the wealthy businessman, Poppy finds herself wondering whether it’s the bride, not the groom, who should be vetted. Discovering who, if anyone, in the Saunders-Boyce union is in peril is only part of the fun. As the investigation unfolds, Poppy is dogged by the growing indifference of her boyfriend, Sam. She also finds herself reviewing her career path and pondering how long to hold onto old grievances. It’s only the very end of the story, when Hollis decides to introduce new drama into a case that seemed solved, that might leave readers wanting a little less.

Sneaky fun but just a twist too far.