A Body To Die For by G.A. McKevett is the 14th book in the “Savannah Reid” mystery series. Publisher: Kensington, January 2009
Voluptuous P.I. Savannah Reid isn’t a huge fan of diets and she’d rather walk through fire then go to the gym. But when the nation’s hottest weight loss guru becomes a suspect in a big, fat murder case, even Savannah can’t resist the chance to find out once and for all if the beloved queen of fitness took the -die- in diet a little too far. . .
Weight loss diva Clarissa Jardin became a household name after she transformed herself from flabby to fit with an exercise program she designed. Known for her in-your-face attitude, Clarissa uses her own incredible -before and after- pictures to lure legions of fans into buying her weight loss books, DVDs, diet meals, and workout clothes. Raking in millions of dollars, Clarissa has the whole world in the palm of her hand-that is, until her husband, Bill, is found mysteriously shot to death.
Detective Dirk Coulter calls P.I. Savannah Reid to the crime scene and it isn’t long before Clarissa’s squeaky clean image starts to unravel. It turns out that Clarissa has a dirty little secret: she’s always been thin. Her chubby twin sister, Rachel? Not so lucky. Clarissa paid Rachel to pose for her weighty -before- photos, while Clarissa appears in the gorgeous -after- shots. But when Clarissa’s career went through the roof, Rachel wanted a bigger piece of the pie and threatened to go public with the scam if she didn’t get it. Rachel has been extorting money from Clarissa for years, with Bill dropping off the hush money. Only this time, Bill’s the one that got hushed-for good.
As the investigation continues, Savannah realizes she’s only scratched the surface of this dysfunctional family’s secrets. Delving into the twins’ twisted relationship, she uncovers evidence of insatiable greed, out-of-control gambling, and even an extra-marital affair. Did Clarissa exact her revenge against a cheating husband? Did Rachel want to live her beautiful sister’s life bad enough to kill for it? Or was an even darker figure lurking in the background, waiting to strike? With the whole world watching this celebrity whodunit, Savannah has to crack the case fast-before another victim gets his-or her-just desserts. .
Savannah is the owner of the Moonlight and Magnolia Detective Agency and often assists Detective Sergeant Dick Coulter on his cases. They are working a missing person’s case when after talking to his wife, the husband’s body is found. The victim’s mother hires Savannah’s agency to investigate the murder. Savannah having a dislike for the not-so grieving wife, really wants it to be her, but gather the clues and apprehend the real killer. I really enjoyed this page-turning story. [4 stars – really liked it]
Pseudonym of Sonja Massie