Lucy Score's The Dead Guy Next Door

 

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Now that we are well into July, I thought it would be a good time to review some fun summer reads for that family vacation or time at the beach. What better way to start off than with an entertaining romantic suspense packed with plenty of quirky characters and humor. Lucy Score's Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door is the first mystery in a series about reluctant clairvoyant Riley Thorn. However, while the story does focus on Riley and her elderly neighbors, the novel is told from dual points of view, Riley's and hot private investigator and love interest, Nice Santiago's. 

Riley is recently divorced and broke after her cheating spouse took her to the cleaners in their divorce settlement. Worse, she's now stuck in a dead-end job she hates. But Riley's life soon gets turned upside down when she gets a vision that her neighbor across the hall is going to be murdered. At first, she tries to write it off as a bad bout of food poisoning. But when the vision becomes a recurring one, Riley decides to warn her neighbor and warn the police that said neighbor is in grave danger. Unfortunately, nobody takes Riley seriously until the guy next door winds up dead. 

Enter hot private eye Nick Santiago who has been given the task of serving papers to the same neighbor from Riley's visions. Nick doesn't believe Riley is the killer even after her warnings to the police put her near the top of the suspect list. From there the hijinks begin. Though he can't stop himself from wanting to help her, Nick is determined to keep Riley at arm's length. He isn't about to give up his life as a freewheeling bachelor no matter how sexy, sweet, and utterly original he finds her to be. However, as the danger mounts for both of them, his commitment to staying single and unfettered is sorely tested. 

Add into the mix an octogenarian neighbor who ventures out at night for mysterious reasons, Gabe the handsome spiritual guide Riley's grandmother has sent her to help her learn to control her stronger-than-normal clairvoyant talents, and a host of other quirky characters and you have the makings of a hilarious mystery with a spicy dash of romance. I laughed out loud at times reading this book. The banter between Riley and Nick is witty and fun. The mystery was one I didn't puzzle together right away and the final showdown at the end was both scary and humorous, not an easy feat to pull off. I highly recommend this book if you're a fan of Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan mysteries or enjoy Emily Henry's rom-coms. I've already got the next two Riley Thorn books in the series lined up in my to-be-read pile and the fourth book is set to come out mid-July. 

If you're interested in purchasing your own copy of Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door by Lucy Score just click on the title. It will take you to Union Avenue Books, an independent bookseller in downtown Knoxville, TN. Or I encourage you to look for a copy at one of your own community independent booksellers. 

My next summer reads book review will be of...

Image copied from Goodreads

A heartfelt, summer romance by Rebekah Crane set in Ireland. I was fortunate to receive a NetGalley copy from publisher Skyscape and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Copied below is the blurb posted on the NetGalley site. The book is set to come out in early August 2024. 

For an American woman on an impromptu summertime trip to an Irish island, life changes in a heartbeat in a refreshing romance by the author of June, Reimagined.

The last thing Chicagoan Maeve Kaminski expects to inherit from her estranged biological father is a pub. Now thousands of miles from home, Maeve is on a remote Irish island and is the new owner of the Moorings. Charming? Yes. Practical? No. The bright side: Maeve is in debt, and off-loading a famous pub for a pretty penny could be the gift she’s been waiting for.

Briggs Murphy is suffering from a broken heart. Literally. Recently diagnosed with the same condition that killed his father, he’s not looking for love. But when Maeve shows up with her color-coordinated datebook and striking blue eyes, he falls hard. Too bad she’s off-limits. According to familial legend, they’re enemies. And for the sake of the island, they better stay that way.

Love was never the plan. But for Briggs and Maeve, it might just save them both. To make it work, they’ll have to rewrite history…before it’s too late.