Ninja Soccer Moms
by Jennifer Apodaca
Samantha Shaw, owner of the Heart Males dating service, hates soccer. But she doesn't have a problem with settling scores--especially when deceitful ex-husbands are involved. So when Janie Tuggle, the former wife of town hero and championship-winning soccer coach Chad, asks her to investigate her embezzling ex, Sam dives right in. Turns out, the weasel is not only pocketing $16,000, but has been cheating on Janie at every opportunity. Exposing him will be a pleasure. But before Sam can make a call. Chad is found dead in his office--and Sam and Janie are both suspects. Detective Logan Vance is breathing down Sam's neck, her boyfriend and sleuthing partner Gabe Pulizzi is working the case for Chad's sexy former lover, Dara Reed, and unwelcome discoveries are springing up all over town. Netting the killer feels like a long shot, but as another cheating husband's crimes threaten Sam's business, her brand-new relationship, and even her life, the penalty for slipping up could be fatal.From Publishers WeeklySports moms waiting for practice to end will enjoy the third bubbly entry in Apodaca's cozy series (after 2003's Dying to Meet You) starring Samantha Shaw, amateur sleuth and owner of Heart Mates, her "beloved and struggling dating service" in Lake Elsinore, Calif. When her old friend Janie Tuggle tells her that ex-husband Chad, the head coach of the Soccer Club of Lake Elsinore (SCOLE), has been embezzling funds, Sam is anxious to help. Janie should know, since she managed the club's accounts for years, until Chad left her for a younger woman. No sooner does Sam manage to copy the disk with SCOLE's accounts than Chad is murdered in his office, and Sam and Janie become prime suspects. A number of potential allies stonewall or even hinder Sam's investigation. Now why on earth would they do that? The tension grows as Sam zeroes in on the killer. Amusing characters and situations add to the frothy fun. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review"One can almost hear Miss Marple saying, 'You go, girl!'"