The Surprise Hit of the Season Actress Dayna Anderson’s Deadly New Role: Homicide Detective Dayna Anderson doesn’t set out to solve a murder. All the semifamous, mega-broke actress wants is to help her parents keep their house. So after witnessing a deadly hit-and-run, she pursues the fifteen grand reward. But Dayna soon finds herself doing a full-on investigation, wanting more than just … doing a full-on investigation, wanting more than just money-she wants justice for the victim. She chases down leads at paparazzi hot spots, celeb homes, and movie premieres, loving every second of it-until someone tries to kill her. And there are no second takes in real life.
Praise:
” A] winning first novel and series launch . . . Garrett writes with humor and insight about the Hollywood scene. Readers will look forward to Day’s further adventures.”-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A smart, sassy debut, introducing an appealing protagonist with amusing friends.” –Library Journal (starred review) and Debut of the Month
“Veteran TV writer Garrett uses her Cold Case experience to inform her debut, which sets up more than one charming character and isn’t afraid to go cynical on all things LA.”-Kirkus Reviews
“Funny, lively characters populate this new Detective by Day series . . . this will be an entertaining entry into the amateur sleuth genre.”-RT Book Reviews
“Garrett makes you laugh and then hits you in the gut-like a great novelist should.”-Rachel Howzell Hall, author of the critically acclaimed LAPD Detective Elouise Norton series
“Fun, smart, endearingly flawed, and impressively determined, Dayna Anderson is a heroine readers will fall in love with.”-Kyra Davis, New York Times bestselling author
“Hollywood Homicide is a non-stop, fun read with humor sharp as a stiletto heel.”-Ellen Byron, USA Today bestselling author of The Cajun Country Mysteries
“Toss in a hit-and-run, a steep reward, and more one-liners than a Marx Brothers marathon and you’ve got Hollywood Homicide.”-Catriona McPherson, Agatha Award-winning author of The Reek of Red Herrings
“There’s a spunky new sleuth in town: Dayna Anderson takes readers on a madcap ride through the underbelly of La La Land, laced with high fashion, Twitter feeds, celebrities-and murder “-Lucy Burdette, author of the bestselling Key West Food Critic Mysteries
“I relished every unexpected twist and turn of this highly entertaining mystery “-Kyra Davis, New York Times bestselling author
“Heroine Dayna Anderson … is smart, self-deprecating, and flat-out hilarious.”-Ellen Byron, Agatha-nominated and USA Today bestselling author of the Cajun Country Mysteries
“Hollywood Homicide has a heart as big as Los Angeles, a plot as twisty as the 110 Freeway, and a heroine just as complex as the burger battle between In-N-Out and Fatburger … Can’t wait for the next adventure with Garrett and Dayna Anderson “-Rachel Howzell Hall, author of the critically acclaimed LAPD Detective Elouise Norton series
“Buckle up for a fun, fast-paced joyride through the streets of Los Angeles. Hollywood Homicide is packed with action and suspense, but it’s Garrett’s fresh voice and sharp dialogue that really sets this book apart. A delight from start to finish “-Marla Cooper, author of the Destination Wedding Mystery series
“Funny, twisty, compelling. Hollywood Homicide is the whole package … Who knew the seedy underbelly of show business could be this much fun?”-Max Wirestone
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The mystery was complex, with plenty of twists and turns, but what makes this book really stand out is the narrator. A young black woman living in Los Angeles, has given up on her dream of acting after a few minutes of commercial success, she has friends who are famous, trying to be famous, and avoiding the spotlight. It’s a fun and interesting look at that world.
Hollywood Homicide, the first book in the Detective by Day series, won the Lefty in 2018 (i.e., an award was given at the Left Coast Crime Conference) and the second book in the series is nominated for a Lefty in 2019, so I had to read one for myself.
I quickly learned that Hollywood Homicide also won the 2018 Anthony award and the 2017 Agatha award for the best first novel.
I was impressed. Filled with quick-witted one-liners and humorous situations Hollywood Homicide made me smile a lot. Consider this line, “Hollywood is high school with prettier clothes and better lunch options.”
The story opens with the down-and-out heroine, Dayna Anderson, applying for a job as a half-naked barista. She has three one-dollar bills left to her name, her father is losing the family home, and her once lucrative job as an actress is over. That’s when she sees a fifteen thousand dollar reward posted for information about a deadly hit and run accident, which she almost witnessed.
While I enjoyed the humor, I found the banter repetitive and predictable, I think, to be fair to the writer it’s aimed at a younger audience. I give it 4 stars and I’m posting my review on Amazon, Bookbub, and Goodreads.
Revised to round up from 4 to 5 stars when I saw a second book had been released. This book is so much fun to read–it’s snappy, smart, and spunky, sorta celeb-dishy and the main character, well, I’m pretty sure we could be girlfriends IRL, if she wasn’t fictional and all. Actually, I can’t wait to read the next one. Kellye Garrett…keep ’em coming!
Hollywood Homicide is a great debut novel. The author is witty and has a unique style which will grab the reader and make you laugh out loud while following the antics of Dayna Anderson and her fashionable sidekicks.
Hollywood Homicide if fantastic! The first book in the Detective by Day series introduces new and awesome author, Kellye Garrett. While I knew the series was new; I was surprised to discover that the book is her first published novel, no newbie weaknesses in this work. Great characters and an intriguing plot highlight an outstanding novel.
I love that Dayna’s friends who are more than willing to stand up for her and would even give her the money she needs, but that isn’t how she was raised and it isn’t the person she is as an adult. I also love that throughout the story, even though the need for money was the reason she started her hunt for a hit-and-run driver, she never forgets that there was a victim and that person had a real life before it was stolen.
I do not fall into what one might expect to be the demographics of this books, but let me tell you, Hollywood Homicide does not fit into any slot! I am a 64 year-old, white, retired librarian from south Texas and I totally connected the the young beautiful and black Dayna. The book isn’t about race or age, it is a outstanding mystery with heart and character.
I requested and received a ARC copy of this book via NetGalley. The review is completely voluntary reflects soley my opinion; I always review books that I love.
A fun “beach read” that doesn’t require much more than you just sit back and enjoy the ride. And isn’t that what we all need once in a while? The protagonist, Dayna Anderson, is a broke former actress who unintentionally becomes an amateur detective when she decides to pursue the reward money offered in a hit-and-run death. Day is funny, sassy, smart, and determined. Her wacky group of friends try to support and help her efforts, often with hilariously mixed results. Former screenwriter Kellye Garrett’s New Jersey roots shine through in the infusion of humor throughout this book, which fans of Stephanie Plum are sure to enjoy.
Dayna is an actress looking for work and wanting to help her parents who are about to lose their home. One night when she’s out with friends, she sees a woman get hit by a car and killed. The driver flees. There is a large reward offered to find this person.
Set in Hollywood, the investigation begins. Dayna follows the leads and finds herself dealing with celebrities. She goes to the places they do and finds damning evidence. She calls a tip line leaving information about whom she believes is the killer. However, the story is just beginning. She got the wrong person and must continue her search. It seems fun at first, but then someone goes after her. Now it gets real.
Dayna is intelligent and spunky. Her sassy humor is great and adds layers to her characterization. It is enjoyable seeing things through her eyes. Watching her follow clues will spark one’s curiosity and creativity. Can the reader solve the crime before Dayna or the police?
Dayna makes a great amateur sleuth with strengths and charming flaws. Her friends make for good support or foils. They go about within this glamorous world, with its superficial values in order to achieve a commendable goal. Hollywood Homicide is compelling, and I would highly recommend it.
What great start to a series!
Garrett is an amazing storyteller. HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE is fun, entertaining, and action-packed. I love all the twists and turn, and I’m still giggling about some of her sleuth’s adventures.
Not only did this debut mystery win SO many awards, it truly deserved them all (and more!). This was a fresh and funny mystery with some exciting twists and one of the best main characters I’ve ever read.
An Engrossing Murder Mystery with a Dash of Humor
The author knows how to hold your attention when it comes to good storytelling with diverse characters, engaging dialogue and great locales. Protagonist Dayna Anderson is an unemployed actress who doesn’t realize she witnessed a crime until a billboard, offering a reward strikes a chord, and she, along with the help of her kooky best friends, decides to become an amateur detective. When Dayna is approached by the mysterious Aubrey S. Adam-Parker, the plot thickens, exposing some unforeseen exposures, betrayal, scandal, secrets, and lies, and pretense. I like Dayna because she shoots from the hip without grasping the consequences of her actions, which adds some comic relief throughout the sequence of events. You can relate to one of her predicaments when she attempts to save her parents’ who are facing a serious dilemma. Just when you think you know what’s coming, there will be sudden jolts thrown your way, slowly building up to an ending that will leave you reeling.
Nice, Cozy, and Oh-So-Funny, HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE’S worth the money!
Hollywood Homicide, the multiple awards nominated and winning cozy mystery novel by Kellye Garrett, delivers its charm via the voice of the main character, Dayna Anderson. Day, as her friends call her, was a former star of a Chubby Chicken commercial that people she meets seem to recall to her displeasure. But on several occasions, she has fun with it through her dialogue and internal monologue. The first chapter sets up this funny and engaging voice that sings until the end of the book.
Down-on-her-luck, she struggles to pay bills, her parents experience mortgage challenges she wants to help with, and she hits dead ends seeking employment not necessarily in Los Angeles’ entertainment industry. It’s ugly.
So, when someone runs down a young woman named Haley Joseph as she enjoys (sort of, read the book) a night out with her companions, she discovers that a $15,000 reward accompanies the solving of her murder. Say no more. Amateur sleuth Dayna Anderson to the rescue!
However, she doesn’t take on the sleuthing alone. She enlists the help of those companions including best friend and LA fashion queen (nearly everything she wears is red!) Sienna Hayes. The computer expert, gamer, introvert and shorthand Internet speak geek, Emme Abrams. Her on again, off again crush and she’s not sure where to place the check mark on that count, the up and coming TV actor, Omari Grant. Not outdone, some bonus help comes in the form of the quirky Johnny-on-the-spot ex-cop turned private investigator, Aubrey S. Adams-Parker or A.S.A.P. (Is that a character insight, Ms. Garrett? Hmm.)
Okay, with the team in place, they learn that several celebrities’ homes were robbery targets including female rapper Kandy Wrapper, Oscar Blue, and Emme’s famous twin sister, Toni. From here author Garrett bobs and weaves, zigs and zags, and sends her characters to the edge and some over that edge to join Luca Brasi and the fishes.
The mystery is solid though I thought a few times Dayna needed her head examined for some brazen decisions in her pursuit of Haley’s killer. I was spot-on with some plot points and surprised on some others. The book stands out due to the character personalities led by Dayna. Garrett infuses her voice with insider knowledge of how the Hollywood game is played, the commercial and residential Los Angeles landscape, the fashion of the rich-and-incubating famous, and her nods toward some of my favorite police procedural TV shows like Law & Order and The First 48.
Dayna’s witty, smart, persistent, brave, calculating (hey, need that 15 grand after all), and patient referring to the Chubby Chicken commercials and, ‘The Voice.’ Read the book for the humor of the latter.
I’m not a cozy mystery reader by any stretch, but I will more thoroughly delve into the various offerings especially by African-American authors after reading this solid debut. Garrett honed her skills and insight after eight years in Hollywood that included writing for the CBS Drama, Cold Case (one of my favorite crime dramas at the time), which I happen to be watching or more so listening to actually, as I write this review!
The cover states that Hollywood Homicide is the ‘First In A New Series.’ The sequel, Hollywood Ending, hit the marketplace on August 8th of this year. I’ll get to that one and to the rest of them I’m sure that will publish in the future. Highly recommended with a Four and a half Stars for Kellye and Dayna!
I had a lot of fun reading this book. I loved the behind-the-scenes glimpses of Hollywood, and I loved the characters’ voices. The voices and world were fun and original. I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
I love the tenacity and the wit of the main character Dayna.
Mystery isn’t my usual genre, but this book made a believer out of me! It was so down to earth and funny. I loved that the main character had no idea what she was doing. I also loved all the cynical and droll insider Hollywood details about the less dignified side of what it’s like to be an aspiring actress. This book was too much fun and the sequel came out today!! Now, my friends, is the time for some fantastically escapist binge reading.
Kellye Garrett has a whole new take on the cozy genre with HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE. Ever wonder what happens to that television commercial actor so prominently features in an advertising campaign after that campaign “takes a different approach”? Me too! Dayna (that’s Dana with a “Y”) Anderson is one such underemployed actor who has a bright idea for solving her money problems: solve a murder and get the reward! Together with her besties Sienna and Emma, she trolls through the underbelly of high fashion consignment shops looking for clues. Dayna is loveable, spunky, and clearly burns brighter than most lightbulbs. Sienna keeps us firmly grounded (if that’s the right word) in the Hollywood dream. And computer genius Emma luckily has money of her own. This book is modern and laugh-out-loud funny yet features a satisfying puzzle mystery. A real page-turner.
After one moderately successful commercial campaign, Dayna Anderson, Day to her friends, has given up on becoming an actress. The problem is, she still has bills that need to be paid and parents who are in danger of losing their home. So when she sees a billboard offering a reward for information on a hit and run and she realizes she and her friends were there, she figures she can provide the information. How hard could it be?
This being a novel, it turns out to be plenty hard, but that’s a great thing for us. The book provides some twists, turns, and dead ends, before Day pieces this together correctly. Along the way, we get to know a wide variety of interesting characters I can’t wait to see again. The overall tone is light with plenty of humor including some accurate observations about the area of the country I call home. This truly is a wonderful debut.