"Tutu Deadly" (love the title) is a mix of mystery, humorous chick lit and a little romance. The lead character, Jenny T. Partridge, is a dance teacher who is barely scraping by on her low income. She's also cute, single, and prone to mixing up her cliches ("living hand to mouth" becomes "living hand to foot"). Kind to both the Mormon ministers who come to her door and the children who occasionally pee on her dance floor, Jenny wouldn't seem the type to become the main suspect in a murder. But there's a dark side to running her type of business: pushy moms, poisoned cookie dough and a gay best friend spreading rumors about Jenny's own sexuality to save his reputation with his family all add up to a fast-moving plot that has Jenny and two hot detectives trying to figure out who murdered one of her little dancer's mothers.
There's a lot to like in this book: the humor is great, although I agree with the reviewer who said the jokes about Jenny not having enough to eat wear thin (hee-hee) after the third re-telling. And Jenny is immensely likeable, even though some of her dippiness here and there (like the confusion about cliches even though English is her first language) is a bit hard to swallow. She also has a few "too stupid to live" moments that clearly only exist to further the plot.
Tate Donovan is a sexy, interesting couterpart to Jenny, but their romance remains underdeveloped. That's probably because the series will continue, so no happily ever after was possible at this point. But I still thought the blurbs on the front promising a steamy romance overstate what actually occurs between them.
The author also does a great job setting the scene and describing life in a small Utah town. But there were a few times when my attention lagged, especially when the author drifted in and out of these long passages explaining things that had happened in the past that weren't especially relevant to the plot. There seemed to be a bit of padding taking the place of real character or plot development-- i.e. things sometimes seemed random or scattered. Bottom line for me: the book could have been more tightly edited.
And finally, I wasn't in love with the mystery. It was a little weak and the solution, when we finally get there, isn't particularly compelling.
That said, this is a promising start to a new series with an appealing heroine.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Top reviews from other countries
HeatherMelinda
If you want a fun escape...You'll love it
Reviewed in Canada on March 16, 2021