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Bubbles All the Way

Review

Bubbles All the Way



The latest in a string of books featuring hairdresser turned
reporter Bubbles Yablonsky, BUBBLES ALL THE WAY has our heroine
investigating the murder of Debbie Shatsky, who seemed to be
despised by many of the women in town. It is the height of the
Christmas season, and Bubbles is helping out at the salon. During a
hair appointment, Debbie dies before everyone's eyes as she
supposedly reacts to glue used for hair extensions. The cops who
arrive assume it was an accident, but Bubbles believes this was all
a setup. The so-called glue was found in the ladies room of the
salon, incriminating Bubbles's best friend Sandy, owner of The
House of Beauty.


There seems to be plenty of motive, as Bubbles and probably the
rest of the town know that Debbie had always bragged about her
perfect husband Phil. He didn't watch sports and loved viewing
chick flicks with Debbie and cried along with her. He kept the
house clean and was the perfect househusband. Any woman would want
to do away with Debbie in order to get their claws into Phil.
According to Debbie, there was a lady named Marguerite who wanted
to do just that. Is Marguerite the possible murderer? And who is
she anyway?


Told in a chatty style of narrative, BUBBLES ALL THE WAY is fun and
lighthearted but contains an intriguing mystery as to who in the
world would want to murder Debbie. Bubbles discovers there are a
lot of people who wanted Debbie gone, as she also finds out that
Debbie happened to be involved in some business practices that
would have shocked the rest of the ladies at the hair salon.


I personally couldn't guess who killed Debbie, but it was fun to
see where the book was taking me as I followed Bubbles's antics and
her romance with her one true love, Stiletto, the AP photographer
who was involved in one way or another with the mysteries she had
to solve in earlier novels. The subplot centers on Bubbles's
upcoming marriage to her ex-husband Dan, a man she loathes but is
marrying again to help out their daughter, who had a breakdown in
the previous book. Bubbles loves Stiletto, but for the sake of her
daughter, she is willing to give up her own happiness to marry her
sleaze of an ex. This plotline is just as engaging as the mystery
and undoubtedly will keep readers interested.


The only problem I had with the novel was the conclusion. It was
way over the top, even for a Bubbles book. I was really surprised
that it ended the way it did, and I wasn't sure whether to be
disappointed or pleasantly surprised. Despite this shortcoming,
BUBBLES ALL THE WAY is fun, as all the Bubbles books have been ---
somewhat silly but a great escape for those who enjoy light
mysteries.


   










Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton (Ratmammy@lofton.org) on December 23, 2010

Bubbles All the Way
by Sarah Strohmeyer

  • Publication Date: November 7, 2006
  • Genres: Fiction, Mystery
  • Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Onyx
  • ISBN-10: 0451412273
  • ISBN-13: 9780451412270