Sex, Murder and a Double Latte

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When a mystery writer cries bloody murder, everyone blames her overactive imagination . . . Thriller scribe Sophie Katz is as hard-boiled as a woman who drinks Grande Caramel Brownie Frappuccinos can be. So Sophie knows it's not paranoia or post-divorce, living-alone-again jitters, when she becomes convinced that a crazed reader is sneaking into her apartment to reenact scenes from her books. The police, however, can't tell a good plot from an unmarked grave. When a filmmaker friend is brutally murdered in the manner of a death scene in one of his movies, Sophie becomes convinced that a copycat killer is on the loose -- and that she's the next target. If she doesn't solve the mystery, her own bestseller will spell out her doom. Cursing her grisly imagination (why, oh, why did she have to pick the ax?), Sophie engages in some real-life gumshoe tactics. The man who swoops in to save her in dark alleys is mysterious new love interest Anatoly Darinsky. Of course, if this were fiction, Anatoly would be her prime suspect . . . From Publishers Weekly Death imitates art in Davis's playful debut about crime novelist and wisecracking interracial Bay Area hipster Sophie Katz, who possesses either an overactive imagination or a keen awareness of criminal behavior patterns. When rapper JJ Money and the movie producer interested in optioning Sophie's novel both die in scenes lifted from their respective works, Sophie is the only one who sees the connection. Soon, it seems someone is reenacting the ominous details (vandalized car, crank calls, mysteriously broken wine glass) of her bestseller, and she fears that she's the next target. Sophie turns a suspicious eye on sexy bad-boy Russian-Israeli Anatoly Darinsky: he's either a homicidal stalker or prime boyfriend material. When the San Francisco police scoff at Sophie's suspicions, the plucky writer turned amateur sleuth enlists her less-than-intrepid circle of friends; drawn in broad strokes, they include gay hairstylist Marcus, clueless wallflower Mary Ann and savvy sex-toy aficionado Dena. Davis keeps the tone light throughout, as Sophie maintains her irreverent sense of humor even as the peril mounts. Though the story serves as a book-length ad for Starbucks, as the title unfortunately hints, and Sophie's over-the-top scheming can strain credibility more than it amuses, readers sympathetic to the relentlessly sassy heroine will find this a thoroughly readable romp. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist San Francisco settings enliven this high-spirited first mystery. Sophie Katz, a biracial, half-Jewish mystery writer, has just finished a book and is ready for some relaxation--until she discovers a few things amiss in her apartment, suggesting an intruder who is leaving signs that he or she was there. Then, when someone Sophie knows is murdered, she realizes that the violence is escalating, and the villain appears to be acting out scenes from one of her books. Davis' strength definitely lies in character development: were they 30 years older and living in Miami, sarcastic Sophie and her two best girlfriends, ditzy Mary Ann and nymphomaniac Dena, could be the Golden Girls. Sophie's gay friend Marcus adds some fun (and a lot of hairspray) to the mix, and her current flame, enigmatic Russian Anatoly Darinsky, is strong, sexy--and possibly the murderer. Sophie's next outing will be even more enjoyable if Davis doesn't try quite so hard to be clever. As with a good latte, a little froth is fine--but substance is what satisfies. Jenny McLarin Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved