Birthday Party: A Lilly Bennett Mystery

Unlikely as it may seem, Kellogg's feisty series heroine, Lilly Bennett, is both a U.S. Marshal and a private eye. A tough, dyed-in-the-wool Westerner, Lilly also owns an international security firm that's based in her home town of Bennett's Fort, Wyo. In addition, she's an heiress who flies by corporate helicopter and jet, wears couture clothes and always makes sure she's got her trusty Glock in her designer purse. Lilly recently married opera magnate and rodeo star Richard Jerome, but that hasn't slowed her relentless pursuit of killers. It's bad enough when a land developer is slain before her eyes at an exclusive charity dinner, but when the murderer knocks out two muscle-bound former Marine pilots and steals Lilly's helicopter to make a getaway, our heroine has plenty of motive to get involved. While chasing down leads, Lily jets off to Las Vegas, where she gets involved with showgirls, the Mafia and a passel of evil land developers and crooked politicians. As the body count rises and comes to include a federal office-holder, even Lilly's old friend Janet Reno and the director of the FBI get on her case about solving the crimes quickly. Kellogg has produced another uproarious, fast-moving melodrama. Her characters have plenty of attitude, but not much depth. Still, there's fun for all in this comedy-mystery about the outrageous exploits of an audacious heroine and her rowdy, eccentric family of Western ranchers. Readers may not always agree with Lilly's firmly held opinions about everything under the sun, but they'll enjoy her company immensely. (Dec.)