GABBY GREENE KNOWS WHODUNIT

A single mother and rookie spy has to go undercover with—and pretend to be married to—her handsome handler at a suspicious wellness retreat.

Gabby Greene is still figuring out what her life looks like. As a divorcee, mother of two, and fledgling spy, it’s hard to find the balance between intense espionage work and remembering to pack school lunches. There’s also the fact that her ex is keen on reconciliation while Gabby is actively navigating her feelings for her handsome handler, Markus. But when the two colleagues are given their next assignment, Gabby realizes she’s about to be more up close and personal with Markus than she’d anticipated. Their mission is to infiltrate a mysterious couples retreat while faking their own engagement as a believable cover. Their attraction is already mutual, but during this assignment they’ll have to sell a pretend relationship, from wedding planning to sharing the same hotel room. Will Gabby and Markus even have time to define their own relationship while they’re faking a deeper one, or will their mission have to take priority over their personal connection? Tschida’s latest rom-com mystery is the second in a series about Gabby’s adventures, following Errands & Espionage (2024), but new readers can jump in thanks to a pairing of clever exposition and just the right amount of setup before the mission gets going. The book also succeeds at both sides of its genre mash-up, blending romance into a mystery that’s engaging without taking itself too seriously. When other characters, including Gabby’s rowdy family, crash the party, the narrative does become slightly overwhelmed with moving pieces, and the investigation isn’t quite as satisfying as Gabby’s romantic ups and downs, but this is a promising installment in a series that could continue for many more books to come.

This page-turner of a rom-com mystery is a mission worth accepting.