Obsession Deceit and Really Dark Chocolate by Kyra Davis

Best selling author, Sophie Katz is up to her neck in trouble for a third time in this caffeine charged novel. After getting some first hand experience in solving murders in SEX MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE and PASSION BETRAYAL AND KILLER HIGHLIGHTS, Sophie fancies herself a bit of a detective. So when an old friend thinks her husband might be cheating, Sophie is willing to use herself as bait to find out if he’s really a philander or true blue.

She gets more than she bargained for when he dies in her arms, a victim of a drive-by shooting. Could his murder have anything to do with his work for a political campaign? Sophie wants to find out. Especially before her ex-lover, private detective and Russian hottie, Anatoly does. Showing her ex that she’s the better detective and helping out her friend sounds like a win-win. But Sophie is about to find out more about politics then she ever imagined. Sometimes politicians make for strange and “furry” bedfellows.

This is the third book in Kyra Davis’ laugh out loud series. It could be read as a stand alone, but the reader would definitely benefit from following Sophie Katz’s antics from the very beginning.

I hate to say it, but this book made me tired. There was a lot of political jargon and opinions loosely disguised as satire both of which got very old in a short amount of time.

Sophie, while usually a lot of fun, became irksome when she waxed poetic about political party hypocrisy while drawing attention to her unattractive lose morals and hurtful habit of lying to further her personal goals. I’ve always liked Sophie’s ambition but in this novel, she’s in danger of becoming unlikable as she steps on vulnerable people simply to find a clue before Anatoly.

In the times we live in, I would personally enjoy fiction that brings people together instead of dividing them further. Author’s I’ve encountered lately seem to be under the false impression that their readers agree with their political view point and leave the rest of us feeling alienated. Not a good way for a reader to feel.

However, one of the saving graces of this book is the quirky supporting characters who bring more fun and depth to the story. Marcus, the hair guru and voice of reason; Dena, who brings out Sophie’s wild side (just in case we didn’t get enough already), and Mary Anne, whose sweetness and naiveté brought Sophie another perspective. It was also great seeing her sister, Leah bounce back from her debacle in PASSION BETRAYAL AND KILLER HIGHLIGHTS. The Katz women are strong and resilient if they are anything! And one of the biggest supporting characters? The Starbuck’s frappuccino flavor of the week! Where would Sophie be without her caffeine? I don’t think we want to know.

While Sophie’s character left me disappointed this time, and I didn’t enjoy the subject matter, the series keeps getting better and better and I still enjoyed the book overall. I will look forward to Sophie Katz’s next mystery in the hope we have more fun with her reminiscent of SEX MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE, her first, and my personal favorite.

Confessions of a Super Mom by Melanie Lynne Hauser

Divorced mother of two teenagers, Birdie Lee is a grocery store clerk and PTA member by day and Super Mom by night. Using her super cleaning powers to rid the town of disgusting bus station bathrooms, her Super Mom Glare to stop necking teenagers out after curfew, and her Super Time Out to thwart bad guys of their evil plans, Super Mom is a comic delight.

After mixing a toxic combination of cleaning solutions, Birdie Lee is over come by fumes. She awakens to unique abilities, including a useful scrubby-like palm on her right hand, a shooting stream of the most powerful cleaning solution known to man, and an extraordinary ability to sense when children are in trouble.

Discovering her uppity neighbors, self-made millionaires Lex and Patty Osborne and their company New Cosmos Industries is up to more then just mass producing sugary All- American snacks, Super Mom has found her arch nemesis!

What Mom hasn’t fantasized about being Super Mom? Just for the cleaning ability alone! Melanie Lynne Hauser has novelized the dream come true for mom’s everywhere.

A ridiculously cute read, the somewhat elementary writing style is made up for by the entertaining concept of motherhood in a super hero cape. The charming anecdotes of family, challenges and success in raising teenagers brought heart to this novel with a little bit of delightful romance thrown in for good measure.

You won’t find any surprises in Confessions of a Super Mom. It’s not a particularly thought-provoking read, and it follows a standard formula, but the author keeps it fresh enough to keep it entertaining.

With fun appearances by popular super heroes we all know and love, Confessions of a Super Mom delights the reader with the fun of applying for Justice League of America, getting a super hero mentor and balancing the responsibilities of saving the world while helping your kids with their homework.

Stay tuned for the next entertaining episode of Super Mom in Super Mom Saves the World!

Keep It Or Pass It On? It's listed on www.paperbackswap.com for anyone interested. It was okay, but definitely not a keeper!