Dating Dead Men

Los Angeles greeting-card artist Wollie Shelley is dating forty men in sixty days as research for a radio talk show host's upcoming book. Wollie is meeting plenty of eligible bachelors but not falling in love, not until she stumbles over a dead body en route to Rio Pescado-a state-run mental hospital-and is taken hostage by a charismatic "doctor" who is on the run from the Mob. Wollie fears that her beloved brother, a paranoid schizophrenic living at Rio Pescado, is involved in the murder, so rather than go to the authorities, she decides to solve the crime on her own. As she meets up with an array of small-time crooks and swaggering mobsters only slightly more sinister than the men she's been dating, Wollie realizes that to find true love she'll first have to avoid getting killed!
"Kozak has written a
finely calibrated story about a cheerfully seedy section of Los Angeles with
characters of all ages-all very human and real…While there are many laugh-out
loud moments in this novel, they come from sources other than a wisecracking heroine:
gently goofy comments inspired by the personalities of likable characters;
plot-specific, situational humor; and wry social observations that will appeal
to both men and women."
"Kozak has struck
gold first time out with a wacky, high-octane plot and characters to match."
"There's never a dull
moment in this rollicking caper, an exuberant, fun-filled roller-coaster ride
worthy of Stephanie Plum."
"Lots of action, quirky characters, an engaging new sleuth who designs greeting cards, and a ferret named Margaret-what more could any reader want? Dating Dead Men is a superb debut."
"Wollie Shelley, Kozak's entrepreneur extraordinaire, manages to deal with a murder, the Mafia, an appealing but mysterious love interest, and a killer who wants to see her dead, all with originality and humor."
"Harley Jane Kozak fashions a doozy of a debut, starring cars, cads, clothes, and an L.A. gone hilariously mad."
"Dating Dead Men is a page-turning romp alive with fresh, quirky characters and inventive situations that left me anxious for another date with Wollie Shelley, provided author Harley Jane Kozak is amenable next time around to a man who's still breathing."