Synopses & Reviews
PI Helen McCorkendale's childhood friend, Jimmy Scanlan, has just opened January, the most lavish casino and hotel resort in Vegas. After attending the grand opening, Helen returns to New York and encourages her magazine editor friend, Laurel Imperiole to create a get-away contest for readers offering a weekend at the hotel as the grand prize. The winner, Dawn Chapman, a jewelry store employee from Cincinnati, denies entering the contest and initially refuses the trip. Finally persuaded by Laurel to accept, she arrives at the hotel and nearly faints when she passes the hotel's elite meeting rooms where the International Diamond Dealers Consortium is holding its annual meeting. She insists on returning home immediately. Suspicious of her behavior, Jimmy visits her suite to encourage her to attend the Saturday afternoon pool party, saying she can leave on his private jet the next day. Later in the afternoon, he finds Chapman's dead body by the pool. She's been murdered--an unusual double poisoning by cyanide and diamond dust. Dawn Chapman was not who she appeared to be, and therein lies a mystery. But to Helen and Laurel, the main task is to take Jimmy Scanlon off the suspect list and clear his name. Will their luck hold? Or will it be a crap shoot, as they roll the dice and do it 'the hard way,' going for doubles when the odds are against them. Losing may mean losing their lives. Book 3 of the Laurel and Helen New York Mystery series.
Review
Private Investigator Helen McCorkendale and her male friend return from the opening of the most lavish casino and hotel resort in Las Vegas. It is beyond wonderful with an ice bar with ice furniture in addition to Vegas' usual gilt and gold. It was extra nice that the trip was free as the casino is owned by her childhood best friend, Jimmy Scanlan. There was no problem at all convincing Laurel Imperiole, Senior Editor of Women Now magazine to sponsor a contest offering readers a free weekend there. The contest was a way to flaunt the magnificence just waiting to be experienced.
Dawn Chapman, a jewelry store employee from Cincinnati won the contest. By some fluke, the Diamond Dealers Consortium was meeting there with plans to show a huge red diamond. Donna said she had not entered the contest and she was reluctant to accept. After a bit of coaxing, she agreed to go. Her first and only interview was Saturday afternoon. When Jimmy arrives, he finds her murdered. Jimmy is the only suspect.
Donna is NOT who she presented herself to be. P.I. McCorkendale sets out to clear Jimmy's name.
This is the third book of Stoler's Laurel and Helen New York Mystery Series. It reminds me of Agatha Christie in many ways. A work of suspense and mystery.
--Carolyn Lanier, I Love a Mystery
Review
"Las Vegas, New York, designer duds, diamond thieves and--crucially--characters you care about make a killer combination. With crisp prose and gym-fit plotting, Stoler delivers a slice of the high life and its underbelly that keeps you turning those pages right to the tricky, tricky end."
--Catriona McPherson, award-winning author of As She Left It and the Dandy Gilver series
"Flashy with underlying grit, just like diamond dust!"
--Laura K. Curtis, author of Twisted.
"Fast-paced, and lots of fun, The Hard Way is a Vegas tale that's full of glamour and intrigue. I had a great time following Helen on her latest adventure."
--USA Today bestselling author Alison Gaylin
Review
"The transitions between Las Vegas and New York are done smoothly and naturally, so there is no trouble following the flow of the action. The pacing is good, with never a slow moment. There are surprises around every corner, with mysteries within mysteries. Helen is a gutsy, smart PI and I felt her character was very well drawn. The murder mystery is complex and I didn't solve it until nearly the end. The mystery surrounding the diamond was much easier to figure out in advance, but it was enjoyable to watch it all play out. Mystery lovers, especially those who enjoy a well-drawn setting, are sure to be captivated by this exciting adventure." --Long and Short Reviews
Synopsis
A free getaway to Vegas turns ugly when the winner is murdered. The contest was the brain child of PI Helen McCorkendale, who wanted to help her friend Jimmy Scanlan promote his new hotel/casino. Helen and her friend, Laurel Imperiole, vow to get to the bottom of a scheme involving diamond theft, false identities and mortal danger. The third Laurel and Helen New York Mystery.