Private investigator, Delanie Fitzgerald, and her computer hacker partner, Duncan Reynolds, are back for more sleuthing in Glitter, Glam and Contraband. In this fast-paced mystery, the Falcon Investigations team is hired to find out who is stealing from the talent at a local drag show. Delanie gets more than she bargains for and a few makeup tips in the process. Meanwhile, a mysterious sound in … mysterious sound in the ceiling of her office vexes Delanie. She uses her sleuthing skills to track down the source and uncover a creepy contraband operation.
Glitter, Glam, and Contraband features a strong female sleuth with a knack for getting herself in and out of humorous situations like helping sleezy strip club owner, Chaz Smith on his quest to become Richmond’s next mayor, tracking down missing reptiles, and uncovering hidden valuables from a 100-year-old crime with a Poe connection.
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Really enjoyed this great read by Heather Weidner!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
In this third Delanie Fitzgerald mystery, Delanie has her hands full with drag queens, a mayoral candidate, a snake or two, and some strange digging at the base of a statue, all as part of her normal everyday life as a private investigator. Her partner, Duncan Reynolds, uses his mad computer skills to assist her in any way he can. Office mascot/rug, Margaret, a bulldog, also shows what a great protector she can be.
Delanie Fitzgerald is a strong woman, not afraid to go undercover to solve her case but this time she comes up against something that even has her backing up quickly. She is the one that handles all the legwork for Falcon Investigations but this time danger lurks right in the office, except she is the only one that realizes something is up, literally.
Full of action and humor, Heather Weidner delivers another enjoyable story. The cases Falcon Investigations takes on are very realistic. Missing items, background information on persons of interests, a little digging into some mysterious digging and questioning the death of a nearby shop owner.
The pace is quick as Delaney goes from one case to another with Duncan available by phone to help her out. She does have some crazy clients but they are all realistically depicted. I loved the time she spent with the drag queens and how welcoming most of them were to her. One even gave her a couple of mini makeovers.
Ms. Weidner has created some truly great characters and fleshed them out nicely enabling the reader to easily “see” them for who they are. She also describes the situations in a way to bring the reader right on the scene. Weidner knows where to add the funny moments in all the right places too.
I was entertained trailing along with Delanie on all her mini-adventures and am looking forward to the next book in this series.
I fell in love with private investigator Delaney Fitzgerald and her super-sleuthing amid the bars, shops, and streets of Richmond, Virginia in Heather Weidner’s Glitter, Glam, and Contraband (Book 3 in The Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries). This is a deliciously fast-paced read with great characters finding themselves caught up in all sorts of shenanigans while the central mystery plays out. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish, I was page-turning and tracking every clue as Delaney provided movement within the story through her visits to destinations across town. I loved that feature. I love a mystery where characters move and sleuth and hold interesting conversations with eccentric characters as the underlining crime is revealed one juicy morsel at a time. In this installment in the addictive Delanie Fitzgerald Mystery series, you’ll find unusual sounds, a dead “Snakes and Scales” pet shop owner, drag queens, a pawnshop, a thief, a mayoral race (Vote Team Chaz!), and more. Even the famous Poe Museum is highlighted as a story feature. I freaking loved it. My question: How fast can this author write? I want more.
Glitter Glam & Contraband by Heather Leigh Weidner is a story about the life of a private investigator and some cases that could be part of a crime wave.
Will Delanie be able to solve these cases?
The Falcon Investigators
Our main sleuth is Delanie Fitzgerald, and she is an entertaining one. She is a private investigator with Duncan, her business partner, and they solve a lot of cases for people that need their help. In this one, Delanie deals with helping Chaz, who is running for Richmond’s mayor, figuring out where some money is going and what it bought, and the last one who is stealing from a bunch of drag queens dressing room. Don’t worry, Delanie is on the case, and she figures them all out in time. Duncan is more into computers than dealing with people. He owns an English bulldog named Margaret, and she is a cutie. These two are considerable opponents.
The Mysteries
As I stated above, Falcon Investigations get called in to help three different people with different things. Is one crime connected to the others? I had a hard time figuring out the various mysteries. That is a good thing as it kept me reading, wanting to know more. I learned a lot about Richmond and Edgar Allen Poe.
Four Stars for Glitter Glam & Contraband by Heather Leigh Weidner
Glitter Glam & Contraband by Heather Leigh Weidner gets my rating of four stars as it was highly entertaining. I loved this type of mystery, and I can’t wait to read more from this author. I am recommending it to anyone that reads mysteries.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Glitter Glam & Contraband by Heather Leigh Weidner.
Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness
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