Dying to Call You by Elaine Viets and The Drowning Girls by Paula Treick DeBoard

This is a great cozy mystery. It has all the right elements-a strong and funny female protagonist who refuses to give up, an intriguing mystery, a cast of unique supporting characters, well-done subplots, and some out-there drama that makes total sense in the world the book has created.

Helen is a telemarketer, the latest in a string of jobs that will pay her cash under the table and not ask questions. She may not love having insults hurled at her through the phone, but she is on the run from her ex-husband and needs the work.

On one of her calls though, she hears a murder. The police don't believe her, and so she must investigate on her own. She goes undercover among a group of wealthy men and women with strange underground parties that may be at the root of the murder that occurred.

I just found out this is part of a 15 book series the author is still writing, and I/'m so excited. This is a series I will definitely be returning to!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

In this book full of masterfully-spun psychological suspense, DeBoard brings to light what hides under the surface of paradise. When Liz and her daughter, Danielle, move to The Palms with her husband Phil (who has been hired as the head of community relations), everything seems perfect. The women are gorgeous, the men are rich, and the homes are beautiful.

But Liz never feels like they quite fit in. After all, they don't own their home-it was part of the job package Phil received-and they certainly aren't wealthy. So she encourages shy, bookish Danielle to attend a pool party for the neighborhood teens.

And there Danielle meets Kelsey, and everything begins to spiral out of control.

The Drowning Girls is a tale of obsession, manipulation, secrets, and lies. It's about how nothing is ever what it seems, and questions how well you can ever truly know someone. Using flashbacks and flashfowards, DeBoard builds a tension that makes it impossible to put this book down.