Dying for a Daiquiri

Laurel McKay Mysteries. Book 3

By: Cindy Sample

Narrated by: Pilar Uribe

When Laurel McKay attends a Hawaiian wedding, her vacation soon becomes more deadly than the calorie count in her daiquiri. Her post-wedding holiday upends after a beautiful hula dancer is found dead on the rocks below the oceanfront restaurant owned by Laurel's brother and sister-in-law. When a family member is arrested for the murder, Laurel is plunged into a mystery where exotic Big Island locations - a coffee plantation, black sand beaches and a volcano - reveal their deadly side.

And where is her hunky on-again/off-again boyfriend detective when she needs him? Laurel zip-lines and four-wheels her way through the island paradise unearthing long hidden secrets. Will ingenuity and pluck be enough? Or will this hula be her last?

©2013 Cindy Sample (P)2014 Cindy Sample

Fun, humorous mystery

Dying for a Daiquiri is another fun book in the Laurel McKay Mysteries Series. It’s works as a standalone, but it’s fun to start with book one, Dying for a Date. This is a great book to listen to when you need a light-hearted, laugh out loud, cozy mystery.

Entertaining

This is the third book in the series by Cindy Sample. Laurel and friends are in Hawaii for her BFF’s wedding. The next day, one of the Hula dancers is found dead on the rocks below her brother Dave’s bar.

Liz, the bride, has set up plenty of excursions for them. Rumor has it the victim and Dave have been having an affair. There are multiple twists, turns, and ropms. This is a modern day “I Love Lucy” type of mystery comedy.

I loved it.

Returning

I liked the first book in the series. The second one had issues, but I thought I would give this third one a try. I have just returned it.

Honestly, the characters are just weird. I understand jumping when someone startles you, but do you try to strangle that person in a public place? In broad daylight? This action was the last straw. Lots of other weird attempts at creating tension caused I a heroin who is to inapt to live, added to my dislike of this book. Example: she just happens to hit the speaker button on her cell phone as her sister-in-law makes him incriminating statement at a time the room is quiet, so the cops hear it. I just got tired of bumbling this and bumbling that for comedic or dramatic effect.

Armchair Island Mystery Getaway

During this cold, damp spring, I found myself yearning for a tropical getaway. Lacking the money or time for an actual trip, I opted for the next best thing and immersed myself in Cindy Sample's "Dying for a Daiquiri" where I was whisked away to the sun-kissed beaches of Hawaii. Sample's skillfully crafted scenes were so vivid I could feel the sand beneath my feet, smell the ocean breeze, and taste the donkey balls. Curious about what those are? Read the story to find out the answer to that as well as whodunit, which I didn’t figure out until the very end.

Pilar Uribe’s narration was suited to my tastes, using subtle variations in her voice to distinguish different characters without attempting to mimic a male voice. She brought each character's personality to life, making for an engaging listening experience.

Such fun

The stories by Cindy are always interesting and hilarious. This one took you on a fun trip to Hawaii to some of the areas you may not visit. The characters and narrator are perfect. Go Laurel!!!