I Love You to Death

How many ways can a blind date give way to murder, sleuthing and hot-yet safe-sex? At least three, judging by these three longish stories. In ""My Love Life is Killing Me,"" Alex Ramsay reluctantly agrees to meet a blind date for drinks. When she spots him at the bar, Alex is mesmerized by his looks and surprised to find herself enjoying the company. She quickly learns the gorgeous guy is private investigator John Tanner, and her date, Matt, is dead in the bathroom. Alex and John team up (several ways) to discover how her original blind date wound up dead. In ""Dial M for Murder,"" coffee shop owner Darcy Bennett plans a blind date night to drum up business and find a little lovin', but the night turns chaotic when her competitor is found dead upstairs. With the help of handsome local news reporter Noah Gleason, they discover dealing with difficult situations is easier if you spend your nights with the right person. In ""Dead Men Don't Write Checks,"" Franny Gabriel's blind date mission was to crash a party to convince Theo Landry to preserve a historical site. Franny wasn't expecting to fall for the dangerously fetching Theo, but after one of the guests dies during dessert, Theo and Franny support each other through heartfelt talks and steamy love-making sessions. Lovers of romance novels and chic lit will appreciate Garvey's mildly sinister spin to these otherwise light-hearted stories.