Whack Job by Kendel Lynn is the second book in the “Elliott Lisbon” mystery series. Publisher: Henery Press, May 2014

Elliott Lisbon blends her directorship of the Ballantyne Foundation with her PI-in-Training status by planning parties and performing discreet inquiries for charitable patrons. But when the annual Wonderland Tea Party makes everyone go mad as a hatter, Elli gets pulled into a shooting, a swindle, and the hunt for a Fabergé egg.

From seedy pawn parlors to creepy antique shops, Sea Pine Island’s other half prove to be as wacky as the wealthy. Elli falls farther down the rabbit hole and finds a scheming salesman, a possessive paramour, a dead donor—everything but a bottle labeled “Drink Me.” As events evolve from curious to crazy, Elli gets lost in the maze and finds herself trapped in a house of cards with a killer.

I love it. Step inside the pages of this wonderfully executed story as a very gutsy and determined Elliott earns some hours towards her PI license by first outsmarting the handsome detective on the case. I could not put down this fast-paced and action-filled drama filled with comedic exploits that placed Elliott in un-sanitized situations. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the murder and the disappearance of the egg and how it all played out with the revelation of the killer, which I did not see coming. Nick Ransom and the people in Elli’s circle are back in their own unique way to contribute to the freshness of this delightfully entertaining whodunit and I can’t wait to see where this cast of characters end up next in this humorous series.