Double Dose: A Davis Way Crime Caper

Archer shines in her breezy 11th mystery for undercover casino operative Davis Way Cole (after Double Wide), which takes place over the course of a single day. Recently, Davis’s job working security for the Bellissimo—her husband’s Biloxi, Miss., casino—has taken a backseat to managing her mischievous twins, Bexley and Quinn. Davis’s action-packed Friday begins with the girls bringing birth control pills and a live rabbit to show-and-tell, pushing them closer to expulsion from their ritzy private preschool. Then, at the casino, multiple guests come down with sudden, persistent hiccups around the same time that someone drugs the surveillance team and manipulates the security camera feeds. Harried, Davis sets out to determine whether it’s the work of the Bellissimo’s mob-controlled neighbor casino, the Bling-Bling—and if so, what their motive might be. Archer supplements her amusing, original plot with wry humor and colorful characters, most notably Davis’s casino security colleague, Fantasy. Carl Hiaasen fans will lap up the effortless blend of comedy and crime. (Self-published)