Critic Oline Cogdill takes readers to Florida with her review of Elaine Viets’ latest novel, Beach Blonde Betrayal. You can order a copy of the mystery through the Webstore, https://shorturl.at/Z7R2h
Check out the review of Beach Blonde Betrayal.
Book review: Elaine Viets’ ‘Beach Blonde Betrayal’ capitalizes on the antics of Florida Man and Woman
‘Beach Blonde Betrayal: A Florida Beach Mystery’ by Elaine Viets; Severn House; 240 pages; $29.99
Florida is such a fertile ground for mystery fiction — beginning with the quirky, unbelievable behavior the state seems to attract, often summed up as the cultural phenomenon of Florida Man and Florida Woman.
Florida-centric mysteries are having a resurgence, with books such as Elaine Viets’ “Beach Blonde Betrayal,” the second in her A Florida Beach Mystery series.
Viets’ series is long on Florida lore, utilizing its landscape, culture and — of course — eccentric residents. The author sets all of that within the Florodora, a beachside apartment building more than 100 years old in the fictional town of Peerless Point, which Viets locates between Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood.
The Florodora is owned by Norah McCarthy, who inherited it from her late grandmother, a former Florodora Girl — “a superstar chorus girl” in 1920. Like her grandmother, Norah fills the four-story, eight-apartment building with people she likes and feels will fit in with the others. As a result, the residents are more like family than neighbors.
But not all is peaceful at the Florodora. Several young women have been murdered at the nearby beach. One resident is planning a wedding to a man she’s known briefly. And Norah is having troubles with her boyfriend, who also lives in her building. Add in a wealthy woman, a beloved cat who could win a prize for shedding, and a restaurateur specializing in alligator for an involving plot that showcases Florida and a sense of community.
Viets’ five series are known for wide swaths of humor. “Beach Blonde Betrayal” contains some well-placed humor, especially when referencing the antics of Florida Man and Woman. But Viets’ more serious approach here serves this story well, showing that while a lot of funny things happen in Florida, so do a lot of somber events.
“Beach Blonde Betrayal” is a solid addition to Florida crime fiction.