Killer Cocktail

Whether stepping out for cocktails or murder, Molly Forrester and her gal pals, Tricia Vincent and Cassady Lynch, always look utterly glam in their designer duds-like Nancy Drew and chums George and Bess might look if transported to contemporary Manhattan after watching way too many episodes of Sex and the City. But would Nancy ever say: ""Solving a murder is a lot like falling in love""? Probably not, but that sort of glib chatter is what energizes Anderson's fizzy second Molly Forrester mystery (after 2004's Killer Heels). A hip but frustrated advice columnist for the woman's lifestyle mag Zeitgeist, Molly dreams of becoming a full-time crusading girl reporter, since in her debut outing she managed to solve a murder and land an article in prestigious Manhattan magazine. An engagement party in Southhampton for Tricia's brother, David, offers another opportunity for crime solving. When David's actress fiancee is murdered and he becomes the prime suspect, Tricia asks Molly and Kyle to help in the investigation. Anderson, a TV producer, depicts Molly, Manhattan and terminally cool suspects with a refreshing hilarity, though some readers might wish for less designer name dropping and a deeper, more nuanced mystery.