Deb on Arrival: A Debutante Detective Mystery

Moore (Woman Strangled—News at Ten) smoothly mixes mystery, romance, and humor in this excellent first in a new series set in Fort Worth, Tex. When Texas Christian University student Dainty Prescott lands an unpaid internship with WBFD-TV, the station manager, Gordon Pfeiffer, tells her to spy on his wife, Paislee. To Dainty's dismay, Paislee turns out to be having an affair with Dainty's law school boyfriend and date for the Rubanbleu's debutante ball, Strayer Drexel Truett III. Next, a sorority sister asks the pampered princess to investigate her mom's very suspicious fiancé, and ditzy Dainty soon realizes being Nancy Drew is a lot more fun than being Diane Sawyer. Adding romantic heat is Det. Jim Bruckman, whom Dainty meets after running a red light. Bodaciously blunt and destined to learn from her mistakes (or not), this Jimmy Choo–wearing snoop hasn't even gotten her license yet, but if this initial outing is any indication, her next case should be another eye-opener. (July)