A First Date with Death by Diana Orgain is the first book in the new “Love or Money” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, March 2015

Reality TV meets murder in the first in a new mystery series from the author of the Maternal Instincts Mysteries and co-author the New York Times bestselling Scrapbooking Mysteries.

When brokenhearted Georgia Thornton goes looking for romance on reality TV, she has nothing to lose—apart from a good man, a cash prize, and maybe her life. . .

What was Georgia thinking? Sure, some cad ditched her at the altar, but can she really find love on TV? Her best friend—and producer of the reality show Love or Money—thinks so. Ten men. Ten adventure-filled dates. What can go wrong? For starters, a faulty bungee cord that hurls Georgia’s first date into a tragic spiral off the Golden Gate Bridge.

He’s replaced by Paul Sanders, Georgia’s former fiancé. But the cop isn’t looking for a TV gig. Suspecting that the lover’s leap was no accident, Paul’s going undercover. When another bachelor gets a fatal kiss-off, the reality is that someone has killer new plans for the show—and for Georgia herself. Now, under the threat of permanent cancellation, Georgia fears that the only man on the set she can trust is the one man she just can’t count on. . .

I like the premise of this whodunit with two mysteries to solve: who killed the two bachelors and who will Georgia pick as this reality show comes to an end. I love the set-up and how it the scenes intertwined with the “reality” and the “real-life” action in this enjoyable story. The author did a great job in this fast-paced drama where the suspects were few, but cunning in keeping me in suspense as to how this will all play out. This was a good read and I look forward to more adventures with Georgia and her friends in the next book in this likable series.

previously posted on the Cozy Chicks blog