Dying to Sing - Softcover

Chittenden, Margaret

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1575661896 ISBN 13: 9781575661896

Publisher: Kensington Pub Corp, 1997

Synopsis

When an earthquake unearths a skeleton in the backyard of Chaps, California's hottest country-western bar, lively divorce+a7e Charlie Plato, who lives upstairs, turns sleuth with the help of her business partner, Zack Hunter, to find out which of her Bellamy Park neighbors is hiding a deadly secret. Reprint.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

A country-and-western tavern called CHAPS on the San Francisco peninsula is the setting for this creditable debut featuring Charlotte "Charlie" Plato, a 30-year-old divorcee with an attitude. Charlie, who lives above the tavern with her pet rabbit, Benny, is in the tavern partnership with Savanna, an African American version of Dolly Parton; Angel, an ex-rodeo rider; and Zack Hunter, an actor who bolted from his successful TV series two years earlier. After an earthquake, Charlie discovers the skeletal remains of a foot in a flowerbed. Det. Sgt. Taylor Bristow, an African American cop who quotes Shakespeare and is smitten with Savanna, determines that the corpse belongs to an elderly man who was killed more than six months ago. Learning that the police aren't giving the crime high priority and motivated by an anonymous phone call suggesting money was buried with the body, Charlie investigates on her own. Zack helps by discussing the cases he solved as a sheriff on his TV show, at the same time subjecting her to his seething sexuality and general obtuseness. With a wry tone and a good heart, Charlie gamely traces the dead man's identity and, after some missteps, confronts the murderer. Although she reminds us too often of her curious nature and over-reports her romantic interests, Charlie demonstrates an appealing, lightweight charm.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

There's plenty to like in this kitschy, faux country-western mystery. Set in San Francisco, the story stars redhead Charlie (never call me Charlotte!) Plato, who is part owner of Chaps, the city's most popular country-western bar. When an earthquake uncovers a skeleton buried in Chaps' front yard, Charlie turns amateur sleuth. At first, the skeleton, which the coroner judges to be that of an elderly male, is more an object of curiosity than anything else, but soon Charlie starts getting threatening phone calls from someone looking for a half-million dollars that the dead man apparently took to his ghoulish grave. Alarmed by this bizarre turn of events, Charlie teams up with her business partner, handsome, pulse-quickening TV idol Zack Hunter, to find out what the devil is going on. Fun, fresh, entertaining, and original. Emily Melton

About this edition

• Publisher: Kensington Pub Corp
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 1575661896
• ISBN 13: 9781575661896
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 295