Dying to See You By Margaret Chittenden Before I review this book, some disclosures are in order. I've met Margaret Chittenden ("Meg" to her many friends) at many mystery conferences and I consider her a good friend. In fact, I'm able to write this review because Meg was kind enough to send me an advanced copy of "Dying to See You." Having said that, I should also say that I've been a fan of the Charlie Plato series since the first book, and I enjoyed this latest book in the series immensely.
I enjoy this series on two levels. As a fan, I like the gang at Chaps, the country-western tavern located in an upscale community near San Francisco where the mysteries are set. They're a good lot, with problems, a past and individual personalities that make them come alive with a vibrancy that makes them seem like old friends. The narrator of the series, orange-haired Charlie Plato, is a woman with an attitude. You have to admire her spunky nature, although I'm frankly puzzled why she continues to resist heart-throb Zack Hunter (former TV star and, in this book, erstwhile male model). As Charlie admits, her "hormones" run riot when she's around Zack.
As a fellow writer, I also admire this series because it's so well put together. Meg has written over 34 books (some selling as many as 780,000 copies!), and she knows how to write. She's extremely skillful at handling a large cast of characters, making each character distinctive without resorting to outlandish quirks. Meg teaches writing and her abilities show through in this series.
In this particular book, the action starts with Charlie making a frantic call to Zack because of something going on at Chaps. Zack rushes down to the tavern, but his reaction to what's happening is unexpected (or, if you're familiar with Zack's character, maybe it's totally expected).
Because of this opening incident, Charlie is reluctant to rent Chaps out to private parties, but the partners of Chaps are convinced to let a High School reunion occur at the tavern. Big mistake. Charlie's penchant for finding bodies and getting into trouble are once again exhibited, and a corpse is found in an unusual -- and unusually embarrassing -- location (I predict this will become known as the "body in the potty" book). Events of the past cause a death in the present, and Charlie and Zack are left to unravel both the who and the why of this crime.
If you enjoy mysteries with a light touch and a deft hand, you'll enjoy this book and the rest of Charlie Plato series.