cover image Wanted Deb or Alive: A Debutante Detective Mystery

Wanted Deb or Alive: A Debutante Detective Mystery

Laurie Moore. Five Star, $25.95 (310p) ISBN 978-1-4328-2540-9

At the start of Moore's superlative sequel to 2010's Deb on Arrival, former debutante Dainty Prescott resolves to drop her TV intern job for the moment and head for Mexico, against the advice of her new boyfriend, Det. Jim Bruckman of the Fort Worth, Tex., PD, to rescue two current debutantes. Dainty's sister, Teensy, has been robbed and beaten by thugs in Ciudad Ju%C3%A1rez, "the murder capital of Mexico," and Teensy's friend, Tiffer, has disappeared. In El Paso, Dainty finds an unlikely ally in an undersized police detective, Lt. Amanda V%C3%A1zquez, who goes by the "street name" Canary Tanzanite. South of the border, Dainty and Amanda%E2%80%94sharp-witted, funny, and occasionally kooky%E2%80%94make an unlikely duo as they encounter killers, kidnappers, and crooked cops at every turn. Moore will keep readers on their most stylish toes as they follow fashionista Dainty in her pursuit of the surprising truth. (July)