cover image Double Dip: A Davis Way Crime Caper

Double Dip: A Davis Way Crime Caper

Gretchen Archer. Henery (www.henerypress.com), $15.95 trade paper (260p) ISBN 978-1-938383-94-6

Slot tournament season at the Bellissimo Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Miss., provides the backdrop for Archer's enjoyable sequel to Double Whammy. Davis Way, who's a member of the resort's undercover security team, and her "stunningly pretty" partner, Fantasy, are ordered by their bald boss (aka No Hair) to investigate a 74-year-old woman who has signed up for every slot machine event through the summer. That she gives her home address as a church in Alabama makes No Hair suspicious. When the elderly woman disappears, Davis heads for Alabama, where she becomes involved in a scandal at the woman's church. The reappearance of Davis's ex-husband causes even more stress. Credible characters and plenty of Gulf Coast local color help make this a winner, though readers should be prepared for frequent, albeit amusing, detours from the mystery. (Jan.)