Customer Reviews

Dancing with Mr. D

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I read a lot of mysteries, and every once in a while, one will "break through the clutter" and REALLY grip me. Both of Lisa Kleinholz's novels, "Exiles on Main Street" and now "Dancing with Mr. D," have held my attention from the first page to the last. Not only is this a thrilling mystery, but the emotional core of the novel -- reporter/sleuth Zoe's relationship with her husband, a musician and former drug addict who isn't quite able to leave his troubled past behind -- brought a tear to my eye. Lisa Kleinholz deserves to be recognized as one of the most promising new mystery authors in the business.

Zoe Szabo and Billy Harp once shared the perfect marriage with her working as a reporter for Rolling Stone and he being a major rock and roller. That changed when Billy got heavily into drugs, which nearly led to his death. Billy entered rehab and upon release persuaded Zoe to take him back. The couple moved to Greymont a small New England town where she became an investigative reporter and he became a songwriter.

Billy has an opportunity to make a comeback, which Zoe supports, but prays he stays off the drugs. While he records an album in Vermont, Zoe investigates the murder of a rabid environmentalist. While Zoe visits Billy, one of his musicians, who had been in Greymont on the night of the murder, accidentally "drowns." Zoe sees a link between the two deaths. Her inquiries lead her to a money laundering scheme, land fraud, and extortion. However, no solid evidence exists that would hold up in court.

DANCING WITH MR. D has a double theme: a marriage in crisis and a murder investigation both within the backdrop of a small New England town. The punk-looking Zoe is a disinterested outsider with no stake in the outcome of events since she constantly shows that Greymont is not home. The mystery is a winner because there is a host of viable suspects with different motives. Though Zoe concentrates on one path, readers never know until the end whether that direction is a giant red herring. This series has the potential for a long run because the audience becomes involved with the lives of the cast. ...

Lisa Kleinholz has done it again! Zoe, the Punk-mom sleuth who burst on the scene in her debut mystery, Exiles on Main Street, is back. This time she must unravel the complex trail of events leading to the murder of an environmental fanatic while her own marriage also unravels.

The puzzle Zoe must solve to find the murderer is again cleverly constructed. But this time the characters are even more real. The love story between Zoe and her husband comes to dominate the book's mood. The emotional undertow grows stronger as the story unfolds, and I found my own emotions deeply affected by Zoe's predicament. Once again, my first thought as I finished the books was "Where is the NEXT one!"

Having read the previous excellent reviews, I really can't add much; but this is a great follow-up to Lisa's much acclaimed debut novel EXILES ON MAIN STREET. It has a little something for everyone - murder, intrigue, drugs, murder, music, money laundering, murder, environment, romance; oh, did I mention murder? And of course Zoe, the punk rock journalist/sleuth is right in the midst of it all. Highly recommended. Put it on your Xmas list!

Zoe Szabo has short skirts, punk hair and a job writing for her local newspaper. She and her husband Billy are still adjusting to life in a small town after leaving L.A. and her job as a rock reporter and his as a rock musician. Zoe finds the body of Cassandra Dunne, a local environmental activist, who has fallen, or been pushed, from the tree in which she took up residence to protest a new development that threatens the blue spotted newt.

While Zoe tries to find a murderer, she wrestles with jealousy and worse fears as her husband, Billy, is drawn back into the rock and roll life that led to his earlier drug addiction and financial ruin.

Everyone has secrets that are slowly peeled away. The plot threads are skillfully tied together as the murderer is revealed at the end, but there are no simple answers for Zoe and Billy's precarious marriage.

DANCING WITH MR. D is a worthy sequel to EXILES ON MAIN STREET and is highly recommended.

Wendy Harrison

Lisa Kleinholz uses her phrases to paint vivid pictures across the canvas of my imagination. The people and places come alive in her words. I care for her characters. I can't wait for her next book!

Lisa Kleinholz paints unforgettable characters who become intertwined in engaging heart-pounding scenarios. I cannot wait for her next book to come out!

I loved this book so much, I hated that it had to end. What an unforgettable sleuth! She's the kind of warm, hip woman I'd want for my best friend. The writing in this book was as rich as chocolate. Can't wait to read the next Lisa Kleinholz book!