Between hot flashes and divorce papers, a middle-aged woman reconsiders her outlook on life when she butts heads with a hot detective during a murder investigation. When Cece Cavanaugh’s husband empties their joint bank account, steals her designer luggage, and runs off with a younger woman, Cece must decide whether to ask her manipulative mother-in-law for a handout or get a job. Choosing the … job. Choosing the easier path, Cece lands a job cleaning a crime scene where a high school coach was murdered. When his wife is implicated—a young woman Cece practically raised—Cece finds herself mopping floors, balancing an empty checkbook, and ferreting out a killer.
Amid all this messy business, Cece bumps heads with a handsome detective. She tries to ignore her growing attraction to the detective, but he gives new meaning to the term “hot flash.”
After she stumbles onto a clue that could vindicate her friend, her elation turns to panic when she haphazardly confronts the killer. Through the danger and romance, Cece discovers self-reliance and inner strength.
And that crime—at least, someone else’s—does pay the bills.
more
Cece Cavanaugh is being torn in multiple directions. She is trying to make enough money to save her house after her husband of 20-plus years drained all the bank accounts and ran off to Rio with a much younger woman. And he hadn’t made a house payment in six months. Also, she’s trying to prove her daughter’s BFF’s innocence in the murder of her husband. At the same time, a handsome, eligible detective who makes her feel something inside she hasn’t felt in a long time keeps threatening her with arrest for interfering in his investigation. Interesting story with great characters that you feel like you’ve known for years – love Cece!, and enough twists, turns, and dead-ends in the murder investigation to keep you guessing until the end. This is the first in a new series, and I can’t wait to read more!
One of my all-time favorite reads of 2018. Loved this first book in the series by a new author! Tricia’s writing style is enjoyable, and it’s absolutely unbelievable to me that this was her first book. Tricia hit this book OUT of the ballpark.
What a great week for discovering series and I love! I was not a fan of Cece’s in the beginning but even then I was drawn into the story and into her life, and it didn’t take long for me to become a full fledge fan. A blend of cozy mystery and chick lit, Murder Is a Dirty Business hits all the notes for both genre . I quickly came to admire Cece and rooted for her as she juggled a new and not altogether pleasant career and an amateur murder investigation. A cheating husband, a manipulative mother-in-law, and an empty bank account become the leader of her concerns when her adult and two friends become persons of interest in the murder case. I got the first book from KU but bought the second because I know this is a series that I will want to keep.
Light and entertaining while holding your interest. Not your usual cozy mystery.
Wonderfully Refreshing Cozy Mystery!
CeCe is one of my new favorite heroines! A woman of an older age than most protagonists, I can relate well to her as well as sympathize with all she is going through. Her husband has left her for a younger woman, drained her bank account, left her in financial ruin. With one older daughter and a teenager, CeCe needs to bite the bullet and find a job. Before she even begins her new job, she finds herself involved with a murder investigation to help her daughter’s best friend.
The first book is just the first of many more I hope to read. With laugh out load moments and a couple of good-looking men interested in her, we see CeCe go from having no self confidence to being able to stand on her own two feet, make decisions and show the confidence she never showed before. I loved getting to know CeCe and felt myself cheering her on. High five to this new to me author!!
Murder Is A Dirty Business
Grime Pays, Book #1
Tricia L. Sanders
5 Stars
Synopsis:
When Cece Cavanaugh’s husband empties their joint bank account, steals her designer luggage, and runs off with a younger woman, Cece must decide whether to ask her manipulative mother-in-law for a handout or get a job. Choosing the easier path, Cece lands a job cleaning a crime scene where a high school coach was murdered. When his wife is implicated—a young woman Cece practically raised—Cece finds herself mopping floors, balancing an empty checkbook, and ferreting out a killer.
Amid all this messy business, Cece bumps heads with a handsome detective. She tries to ignore her growing attraction to the detective, but he gives new meaning to the term “hot flash.”
After she stumbles onto a clue that could vindicate her friend, her elation turns to panic when she haphazardly confronts the killer. Through the danger and romance, Cece discovers self-reliance and inner strength.
And that crime – at least, someone else’s – does pay the bills. (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. I really enjoyed getting to know CeCe and her daughters. I really liked that fact that CeCe was an older woman and that she had a family and all of the responsibilities that go along with being a mom. In most of the cozies I read the protagonist is younger and more carefree, I found this to be refreshing. CeCe is a strong smart woman who finds herself in a situation that she never thought she would find herself. But that does force her to lay down and take it, she figures out a plan and starts taking her life back. I also really enjoyed getting to know Angie, her no-nonsense friend who is a cop. The secondary characters added a lot to the story.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all of the action taking place and listening in on conversations. The mystery was well plotted and there were enough suspects to consider (some of them very close to CeCe) and clues to sift through. I had the killer on my radar but I also had two or three other people on it too.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an east fast read. I really liked that at the beginning of each chapter we were privy to someone’s thoughts. It was a different person each time and I thought it added another level to the story.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. This book had everything I look for in a cozy: great characters, humor, romance and a puzzling mystery. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.
Great read. Didn’t want it to stop! Happy to see more books with Cece, the main character! I think I’ll read Tricia L Sanders books faster than she can write them!!!
Fun Start to New Series
I love so many aspects of this book and the new series. Partially, it is a rags to riches to rags story with a cheating soon-to-be-ex and his nasty, class-oriented mother. Mostly, it is a great cozy mystery featuring some strong and sassy women. I love the idea of a formerly socialite mother becoming a crime scene cleaner. The story is full of absolutely believable situations that the entire crew gets involved in. I bought this book and am so glad that I did.
What an intriguing job CeCe has in this hard hitting, yet humorous cozy mystery. A wronged wife, whose husband has disappeared with all the cash in the bank account, plus another woman . Cece is crushed, but determined to get a job and stand on her own….the best she can do is clean crime scenes and other disasters, for a cleaning company. She has two teen daughters to raise and a very mean mother in law. I love Cece’s strength, humor, and her determination. So wonderful to read story populated with smart, emotionally strong women.
This book offered more than just a good, solid mystery. Characters were well portrayed with layers and surprises. Initial impressions often proved wrong. Even better, the protagonist had a realistic relationship with her grown daughter and her teenage daughter–who often gave her grief. I wasn’t a fan of the short, opening chapter blurbs, but that’s just me. The gum chewing receptionist/secretary offered some comic relief and Cece made a good protagonist. More than just fun. It had depth, too.
I don’t typically read cozy mysteries, but this one grabbed my attention from the first chapter, as a feisty forty-something year old woman gives new meaning to the notion of re-inventing herself. With humor sprinkled into the story along with clues, CeCe Cavanaugh proves it takes more than a cheating husband to keep a good woman down.
I really enjoyed this book! This was a new author to me. CeCe Cavanaugh’s husband suddenly leaves her for another woman leaving her with an empty bank account and a mortgage that’s behind. With one grown daughter and a teenager, she is forced to find a job. She takes a job that turns out to be cleaning crime scenes. When her older daughter’s friend’s husband is murdered, CeCe gets involved investigating to clear her daughter’s friend. Truly enjoyable book and I look forward to reading more books in this series. I’d love to see CeCe and Detective Alder in a relationship!
I really enjoyed getting to know Cece, her family and friends in this light, well-paced mystery. The story is told from Cece’s point of view in a smooth conversational tone that makes it easy to identify with her. She is determined to remedy her financial problems with the kind of job most of us could never imagine taking on. She may not have worked for many years, but she is willing to what ever it takes to take care of her family. And when her daughter’s best friend, Kim, becomes the primary suspect in the murder of her husband, she is determined to root out the truth and prove Kim’s innocence. With twists and turns befitting a good mystery, and a sprinkling of humor and flirtation, this book is a very impressive start to what promises to be a great series by a new author.
This was my first ever cozy mystery. I wanted to know what the genre was all about and picked this one because I’d met the author. I found it entertaining and it kept my attention. It seemed to follow the conventions I’d been told in a class were called for by readers of this genre.
There were enough clues and red herrings to keep me guessing until the amateur sleuth revealed what she thought had happened. And it was so well done that I believed it, even though it hadn’t been the right answer.
I can’t wait for book 2 to come out.