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Sex, Murder and a Double Latte [Hardcover]

Kyra Davis (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)


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Book Description

May 1, 2005
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 -- maybe it's from a lifetime of fielding dumb comments about her half-black, half-Jewish ethnicity. ("My sister married a Polynesian! I just love your culture!") 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 imagination (why, oh, why did she have to pick the axe?), Sophie engages in some real-life gumshoe tactics. The man who swoops in to save her in dark alleys at night is mysterious new love interest Anatoly Darinsky. Of course, if this were fiction, Anatoly would be her prime suspect . . .

With a story as delicious as designer coffee -- and with twice the jolt -- Davis and her muse, Sophie Katz, will blow you away with sex, murder and hilarity!

First-time novelist Kyra Davis has spent her life in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area, where she currently lives with her young son. Now a full-time parent and writer, Davis previously divided her time between a career in the fashion industry and various artistic endeavors such as acting, singing and creative writing. In her free time she indulges in lattes, Frappuccinos and anything else that will feed her caffeine addiction.



Editorial Reviews

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

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Red Dress Ink (May 1, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0373895194
  • ISBN-13: 978-0373895199
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #855,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kyra Davis is the internationally published author of the critically acclaimed Sophie Katz Mystery Series and So Much For My Happy Ending. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and is currently living in Southern California with her son and his charming albeit moody leopard gecko. You can learn more about Kyra Davis and her books by visiting her website: www.kyradavis.com

 

Customer Reviews

57 Reviews
5 star:
 (25)
4 star:
 (22)
3 star:
 (5)
2 star:
 (4)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (57 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Very fun, engaging whodunit chick-lit..., May 20, 2005
This review is from: Sex, Murder and a Double Latte (Hardcover)
Sex, Murder and a Double Latte was so fun to read that I stayed awake until the wee hours of the night to finish it. This book is suspenseful, chic, fun and very funny. The story is also quite engaging. Sophie Katz is a bestseller mystery writer going through the unthinkable -- someone is stalking her, playing out scenes from one of her books. The stalker is so sneaky and clever with his devices that Sophie comes across as paranoid to the police. What's worse is that she has picked up a strange pattern from the news -- two people from the art industry, a film producer and a famous rapper, have been killed in ways that are similar to one of the producer's movies and one of the rapper's music videos. It seems someone is killing artists by playing out scenes from their creative efforts. Who is doing this? Could it be the gorgeous Russian who is flirting with Sophie, or is it the weird guy her best friend is dating? All Sophie wants to do is sit back and enjoy free time after finishing her new book and quench her thirst for caffeine at Starbucks. With the help of her friends, she will do whatever is possible to put the creep behind bars so she could live a normal life again...

As said earlier, this is one entertaining novel! The storyline is clever and the characters are witty, quirky and fun to read. The whole life-imitates-art thing is quite well written. The novel is lighthearted despite some dark scenes in the book. It was fun to read Sophie playing the amateur sleuth not unlike the heroines in her novels. The outcome and identity of the killer are predictable though -- I was able to figure out who the killer was long before his identity was revealed, but the story was so engaging and fun that it did not matter to me that I figured out whodunit ahead of time. But there was something that bothered me about the book. The last scene centered on Sophie and Anatoly was not very believable. I won't go into details, but the scene was not realistic after everything they went through. Other than that, I enjoyed Sex, Murder and a Double Latte. The author's great voice made up for some of the shortcomings. I look forward to reading more of her stuff in the future. I highly recommend this novel.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars an entertaining, light read, May 20, 2005
By 
tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sex, Murder and a Double Latte (Hardcover)
"Sex, Murder and a Double Latte" definitely was a very breezy, fast paced and amusing read, and actually was a rather entertaining debut mystery novel. That said, I'd have to add however, this book is really for mystery lovers who enjoy light mysteries, because most of the focus for "Sex, Murder and a Double Latte" was on the heroine's (Sophie Katz) sizzling and troubled attraction for Anatoly Darinsky, who just might turn out to be a deranged and merciless killer.

When filmmaker Michael Tolsky is found dead with his wrists slashed and a note of regret penned to his estranged wife, his death is quickly ruled as a suicide. For Sophie Katz, up and coming mystery writer, however, there is something about Tolsky's death that niggles. Especially when she realises that Tolsky's death is an exact replica of a murder from one of the films that Tolsky had directed. And when Sophie's life suddenly starts resembling the plot from her book that both she and Tolsky were developing for a movie project, Sophie knows that Tolsky was murdered and that she's next on this mad killer's list of victims. The police won't listen and think that her imagination is in overdrive, but Sophie is sure that she's right, and that it is up to her to put a stop to this madman's spree...

If you enjoy humorous, light mysteries complete with a heroine that's full of spunk and snappy comebacks, and who possesses a group of loyal and courageous friends, you're bound to enjoy "Sex, Murder and a Double Latte." (This novel is especially bound to appeal to readers who enjoy a dollop of romance to their mysteries as well.) The mystery subplot premise was a very good one and was full of promise. Unfortunately, it also frequently took back-seat first to her preoccupation with her potential to romance, and then to her hyperventilations as to whether or not she was dating a serial killer. Understandable of course, after all who wants to admit that they might have cozied up to a murderer? But because I was more caught up in the mystery plot, I wanted more of how these murders connected, and a few more red herring suspects, complete with some interesting plot twists. Much of this was completely jammed into the last few chapters, which was a tad disappointing for me. Also, the red herring suspects never really materialised. On the whole though, this was an entertaining read. And I enjoyed it enough to hope that the author will be penning more Sophie Katz novels in the future.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Sex, Murder and a Whole Lot of Fun!, May 24, 2005
This review is from: Sex, Murder and a Double Latte (Hardcover)
Sex, Murder and a Double Latte is a fun mystery chick lit that will have you staying up through the night! Sophie Katz, a sassy mystery writer, becomes the target of a killer who is using her book as a means to determine how she will die. With the help of her unconventional friends (a sex toy shop owner, the ditzy-but sweet-Mary Ann, and a fashionable gay hairstyist with a quick wit), she must find the killer before the killer finds her.

Of course, her new, sexy Russian boyfriend might be the prime suspect. Kind of puts a damper on Sophie's sex life.

Kyra's debut novel is told in an entertaining, unique and absolutely fun way! Sophie is hip, strong and will have you cheering her on. This book is must read for any fan of the chick lit genre!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
The downside of writing sex scenes is that my mother reads my books. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Mary Ann, Double Latte, Kyra Davis, New York, San Francisco, Miss Katz, Mark Baccon, Alicia Bright, Bloody Mary, Sophie Katz, Anatoly Darinsky, Botanical Gardens, Officer Gorman, Russian Hill, Shannon Tolsky, Alex Tolsky, Baja Cantina, Coit Tower, Puerto Rican, Susan Lee, Sussman Gallery, Beanie Baby, Cary Grant, Donato Balardi, Jason Beck
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