Gretchen ArcherRezensionen

#3 in the Davis Way series. A fun caper but I just didn't like the #hashtag crap throughout the book. I understand the advertising people do on social media but it's just too much tags happening that distracted from the book. A new tournament at the Bellissimo #strikeitrich is taking up all of Davis's time. Shady characters, money laundering, & social media liaison is cutting into Davis & Bradley's wedding time. Solve the mystery & quite possibly murder and pass go or will Davis's ex-ex husband get in the way?

Davis & Fantasy have been adultnapped on their way to July and Baylor's wedding. Left on a barrier island with another woman and trapped in a "double wide" they scramble to figure out where they are and why they have been taken. A mistaken identity, a long ago crime, & senior citizens on the lam has a statewide search looking for them. This book is written in letter form as Davis writes letters to Bradley in case she dies and her & Fantasy aren't found. Email form as Baylor emails to Davis's account on what's going on, & newspaper article form as a reporter documents the mystery and search. I would've added another star but one of the reporters (Tiffanee) is an idiot and writes in slang that brought the overall story down a notch with stupidity.

After losing most of her job after the hurricane, Davis is bored with her lack of duties. Bradley is on his way out of town so Davis is in charge of the Bellissimo. An Elvis convention, 5 million in cash missing, and a missing employee has Davis and Fantasy up to their eyeballs in keeping things running smoothly while trying to find the lost cash. Unfortunately, Davis's mom & ex-ex mother in law show up in the mix. Between elvii, no Bianca, family, and several mishaps, Davis and Fantasy have to enlist Baylor to help track and find the cash. The game is afoot and with more dead bodies, a destroyed suite, and nefarious characters dodging their every move, the three of them need to solve the mystery to survive and keep their jobs. Hilarity ensues

Another hilarious Davis Way adventure. Davis hasn't left the apartment in 8 months while taking care of the twins. The apt was turned into a "smart" home that keeps malfunctioning. Topping off firing nannies, her ex-ex mother in law Bea showing up, the casino going under, & her team being disbanded, Davis has to contend with the new casino next door that seemingly has stolen everything the Bellissimo has including employees, planes, & art. Working alone this time Davis has to uncover what is truth & what is lies to save the casino & her sanity in the process

#8 in series. Davis, Bradley & Fantasy are getting the casino ready for lock down because a hurricane is on the way. Evacuating guests, shutting down & emptying machines of money, & covering 3 million feet of empty building they are in for a few surprises. The Gaming Commission, FEMA, a weather station team, & a few other teams are stranded in the casino with them. Dead bodies, a pig, Davis's ex-ex-husband, & 50 million in missing cash that needs to be recovered before the storm hits. Fighting for their lives while trying to figure out who & why murders are happening have Davis & company riding out the storm. Twists and turns and I couldn't figure out who the killer (s) were. Edge of your seat

Davis is at it again. The Bellissimo is having a dog show, her sister is missing, Bradley is out of town, there's a destructive white trash billionaire couple staying on the premises, & hometown friends & nemeses show up uninvited. Juggling the job, the kids, missing show dogs & blackmail Davis has her hands full. With Fantasy helping and keeping No Hair at bay the two have a rollicking mystery laden adventure trying to find Davis's sister, keep a blackmailer at bay, & find some dogs. Good clean fun

Davis & Bianca are in their final trimester of pregnancy & Davis is forced to go on a Caribbean cruise on a new ship with a bunch of billionaires to double Bianca. State of the art security has Davis, Fantasy, No Hair, & a few other guests trapped on board the ship. Davis & Fantasy have to sort out why they are locked in their room with no outside help, why there are dead bodies, how is Davis' cat finding casino chips, & dealing with Davis's mother along for the cruise. Secrets from the past are revealed and current problems are dealt with. Wasn't into this book as much as the previous in series but I will keep going with the series

Another great caper in the Davis Way series. Davis & Bradley are newly married & ensconced in the Bellissimo in the managers apartment which resembles a New Orleans Big Easy flea Market. Swearing that the former manager's wife keeps sneaking in & stealing things in the monstrosity, Davis has to piece together what's missing and how it connects with the banker's convention and Dionne Warwick concert happening at the resort. Millions of dollars in a hotel room tub with a missing guest top off the list of shenanigans Davis & co. encounter along with Bianca's outrageous behavior are just the tip of the iceberg

Another hilarious Davis Way book. This time the casino is hosting a slot machine contest & Davis has to impersonate Bianca, try & shake the sleaze Eddie, do more undercover work to find out who's bilking senior citizens, & work on her relationship with Bradley. It's all in a day's work. NOT! A fun & humorous ride into the Bellasimo adventures with Davis & the crew.

This book was hilarious! A great introduction to the series. Davis Way is a former cop & computer hacker, twice married to the same ass, & applies for a job at a casino. She's hired & really doesn't know what her job actually is. Plenty of characters to keep her on her toes. The mystery has to do with gambling machines & winnings. Humorously written as she has mishaps & makes some really stupid decisions. Family dynamics with her hateful mom, loving father, & so so sister. Clean language & no sex scenes. I'm definitely reading the next in the series.

FAVORITE BOOK IN THE SERIES!

Gretchen Archer’s Davis Way Crime Capers is one of the BEST series you will ever read! Double Dose proves Archer’s writing is entertaining, outrageously funny, and filled with bizarre characters. Her plots contain unique conspiracies that keep you turning pages into the night. The best part to me is her love for her family, which always manages to drive her to the brink of the edge, yet they always come first. Double Dose is my favorite book in the series!

Really closer to a 3.5. The main character was fun and creative as she fell into a job working for a security company in Biloxi without really understanding what the job was.

The biggest issue I had was so many unbelievable situations and skills. Definitely need to set aside some reality knowledge to fall into the story line. And, ummm... GLOCKS DON'T HAVE A 'THUMB SAFETY.' Sheesh. That whole scene kind of sat wrong for an experienced former law enforcement professional. But I won't say more because I don't want to do any spoilers.

I might read more in the series, mostly because the writer did a pretty good job at developing characters and editing for spelling, grammar etc and offered a fun ride.

Davis Way Cole lives on the twenty-ninth floor of the Bellissimo Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. This is due to the fact that she's the wife of Bradley, General Manager, and mother to a pair of three-year-old twin grils. She's also part of a three-person security team for the resort, along with Fantasy and Baylor (just Baylor). When her husband puts her in charge for the week he's going to be out of town - along with owner Richard Sanders and Davis's boss No Hair (forever), she agrees, thinking, what could go wrong?

Aside from the fact that five million dollars has completely disappeared? And there's an Elvis convention filling the rooms and the town? And the woman who runs the Lost and Found - where the money was left - is also gone? Not much...unless you count Davis's mother, her ex-ex-mother-in-law, a missing cashier, a howling cat, frisky dog, and a smell so rancid it will put you in a coma...

When Davis and Fantasy are on the hunt for the missing money (and Birdy, the old, old lady who runs the Lost and Found) they don't want to tell Baylor. Because he'll squeal and tell their boss and anyone else who will listen. So the two women try everything to get the money back, but all that occurs is more problems..and more. And what ensues is complete chaos, Davis trying to find a moment to regroup and not go insane, and her mother spending all her time cooking everything she can. (because cooking is love).

The casino is a madhouse, there are Elvii (or Elvises, depending on who's arguing the point) everywhere, and Davis is frantic to put her hands on the money and keep her family safe. She's also discovering that what seems like an accident wasn't, but when she finds this out it may be too late for all of them -- in more ways than one.

It's a wild roller coaster ride from one end of the casino to another, and one floor to another, moving tomato plants, gawd-awful smells, and several missing persons needing to be located. Meanwhile, she's babysitting a woman who's nearly a hundred, and trying to stay out of the sight of her mother and ex-ex-mother-in-law (a long, long story best saved for another time, and who shouldn't even be there in the first place, according to Davis).

Ms. Archer takes us on this crazy journey from the first page, and keeps us moving through the story like we're trying to find our way out of a house of mirrors at a carnival. Without help. With people trying to kill us. It's fascinating, humorous, suspenseful, and even a little maddening (but that might just be Bea Crawford). If you blink, you'll miss something.

It's an old saying: follow the money. But in this case it's true - if you can find the money; which Davis can't. So there's that. But it starts with that thread and leads into a whole lot more, until you have a regular tapestry in front of you that she needs to unravel. And it's the unraveling that's the most fun you'll ever have. Highly recommended.

Davis Way Cole works at the Bellissimo Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi as a sort of "secret super spy." When she's needed, she does whatever necessary to keep things running exactly the way they should, even if it means turning into a female James Bond.

Right now she and her family - her husband, President and CEO Bradley, and twin daughters Bexley and Quinn, need to evacuate the casino because of impending hurricane Kevin. But that can't be done until they remove all the cash from the machines, and there's only herself and her partner Fantasy to do it. The rest of their team - Baylor and No Hair - are in Hawaii for Baylor's wedding to Davis's nanny July.

Unfortunately, they also have in residence Davis's lookalike Bianca Sanders, who, along with her husband Richard, own the casino (Richard is in Norway) a couple of women from Michigan who couldn't leave because of flight problems, the Bellissimo Storm Team (first responders and specialists), and a television production crew, and a couple of gaming agents.

But things never go according to plan, especially so when Davis and Fantasy hear a gunshot while removing the cash boxes from the machines. They follow the sound and find Davis's ex-husband Eddie (who is there because for some reason unknown to Davis - and unwanted - her high school reunion was supposed to take place at the casino) apparently shot, and his girlfriend Danielle - Davis's nemesis - lying in a pool of blood. Which turns out not to be hers. But which also means it has to belong to someone else, and that someone else isn't Eddie. Which means there's a shooter in the casino, and they need to find out who and where that person is.

Needless to say, Davis isn't going anywhere, and neither is anyone else; which means they're all going to be huddled up on Disaster, the unnamed thirteenth floor that Bianca's father built as a fortress in just this kind of emergency and which no one is supposed to know even exists.

Now that the stage is set for riding out a hurricane in a deserted casino, holed up in a fortress that isn't there, let me be clear: In Davis's life, things never go as easy as riding out a hurricane in a fortress. This is about to be made clear in her latest escapade. Which all takes place in under 48 hours.

It's an intense ride, rather like being on a roller coaster - backwards, upside down, blindfolded, and in the rain. Even if you could see, it wouldn't be a pleasant trip. Davis finds out that there's more at stake than finding a lone shooter in the casino. It's finding out who killed the man on the floor... and who took the fifty million dollars they removed from the machines. But, unfortunately, the only witnesses are Danielle, who seems to have amnesia, and Eddie, who's dumber than a sloth (which is the dumbest animal on the planet). Which means Davis has no help at all.

What ensues is worse than chaos, and Davis is stuck right in the center of it, like being in the eye of the hurricane. Endlessly. With no way out. It's full of suspense, intrigue, conspiracy, and cunning. The tale is masterful, with Ms. Archer pulling you into the story immediately, and right from the amusing phone call with her mother (who wants her out of the casino now) to that first gunshot. By that time, you are hooked.

But there's more afoot to be found: People who are not what they seem, and even what appears to be forthright problems on the surface turn out to be something else entirely. (Sorry, but in saying more I'd be pretty much telling you enough so that you wouldn't need to read the book - so I won't). It's enough to say that not only are the twists and turns aplenty, it's a tale that weaves so many threads throughout you could create a tapestry. It's crazy. Insane. Totally enthralling. It makes me grateful I don't have to live Davis's life.

Some of the characters are annoying (even I was starting to hate Eddie and Danielle as much as Davis) and I probably wouldn't have been able to keep from slapping Filet, so Davis has the better of me there. Or more patience. Either way. I do think Bianca has grown on me, since I actually like her, too. I don't know why. I love Davis, Bradley, and the rest of the crew, who are always there and always have each other's backs, and not a stupid one among them. I even like her parents (her mother, while trying at times, does have her moments).

When we reach the climax and everything starts to come together, it's woven so tightly you couldn't pull the threads apart if you tried. It's a delightful narrative, engaging, and those last few moments when the action finds it way to a close are surprising. An ending to be proud of. A book to be read and reread. Highly recommended.

I don't know how she does it, Gretchen Archer's Davis Way series seem to get better with each book. This one had me in stitches. The descriptions of Princess, the dog with all his idiosyncracies, smells and tics was hilarious. I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator does such a great job. The accents and voices she uses adds to the humour. The books uses every stereotype of the south and then magnifies it. They are similar to the Stephanie Plum books with those taking place in New Jersey with Italian stereotypes.

This story has the Bellisimo hosting a dog show, and slot tournament. Dogs are missing, dead bodies are showing up, Middle East Royalty is missing, lottery winners are running amok and Davis' sister is missing. Trying to solve all these problems without her husband Bradley, who is in Nashville, finding out as well as raising her two young twins is harder than she expects. Fantasy is back in this story with her sass and assistance. Several new characters from Davis' home town show up in this story and that is where the Southern Humor comes in. I did not put this one down as I laughed my way through it. You do not have to read this series in order, but it is such a great one, you might want to start at the beginning.

Once again there is trouble at the Bellisimo, but this time, Davis Way-Cole is not on duty, in fact almost nobody is on duty. Davis is home with her twin baby girls trying to deal with her "Smart House" while the Bellissimo is going under. A new casino has been built three miles away and it seems that whatever the Bellissimo plans, they are one step ahead. They have hardly any customers, they are laying off employees and even the Sanders have jumped ship and gone back to LasVegas. Blaming herself for all that has befallen the Bellissimo casino, she sets out to right the perceived wrongs, using what has driven all her previous capers, her intelligence, computer skills, intuition, and gut feelings.

At the beginning of the story Davis is a shut in due to the birth of her daughters. She does not want to leave them with anyone else. She also thinks everything is her fault and nobody will want to see her. Even Fanatasy has jumped ship to the new casino. There is completely laugh out loud hilarity starting with "House" and continuing when her ex-ex-mother-in-law, Bea shows up. For some reason she thinks the twins are her grandchildren and she wants to move in with Davis. When Davis sends her in to spy at the new casino, she is even more hilarious. As we finally get to know Bea, we see another side of her that is soft and loving, where she was always rather bitchy in other stories. As the action revs up, we see some of the previous characters and they also reveal some new information and show their loyalty.

Typically in this series, everything seems to be heading in one way, then there is a twist that sends Davis off in another direction. Will she be able to figure out what the new casino is up to? Will her, Bradley and the twins end up moving to LasVegas? What is going to happen to Bea? I thoroughly enjoy that while the story winds up nicely, but the ending has a lot of ways to go with the next story in this series. A fun, cozy mystery that will have you laughing at their exploits.

This is the first in a series that I have been wanting to read for a while, I am glad I finally did. This was really a humorous, fast-paced, mystery story. Davis Way, our protagonist has quite a background. She was married twice to the same man, was fired from her job as a police officer by her father, is not welcomed by her mother who has tried to evict her a few times and also has a computer programming degree. Without a job, she is finally hired to do security at a casino in Biloxi. She works undercover in many disguises to nab the bad guys. She has to play a slot game, clean rooms in a motel, work as a waitress and pretend to be a high roller. Sounds like fun, but when Davis finds out her ex-ex-husband is somehow involved in all this, she wants to head for the hills. Unfortunately she has a signed contract, which she didn't bother to read, that locks her in for at least 90 days.

There were a lot of interesting characters in this story. George Morgan or mayber Morgan George, was a cabbie that seemed to know more about what was going on than Davis did. The two security guys she was supposed to work with, Teeth and No Hair as Davis called them, thought she was a bumbling fool, but usually did what she asked. The two older women who played the slots beside Davis were also pretty funny. There was a lot of action, some unexpected twists and a totally surprising romance angle that will have you turning pages quickly to get to the satisfying conclusion. I am ready for Double Dip.

Once again, Gretchen Archer pens a fast moving mystery with Davis Way still undercover for the Bellissimo Casino. This book was once again full of humor, almost slapstick. Davis aka David, is still acting as a double for Bianca Saunders and in this story, she gets Bianca in some situations that hit the press. Of course keeping Bianca from finding out what has happened is a job in itself. When there is a fire at the Bellisimo on the day of Davis and Bradley's wedding, the plans go awry. Add in the fact that her divorce to her ex-ex was never finalized and Davis is in some hot water. The "Strike it Rich Game" is where she is supposed to be concentrating her attention, but there is just way too much other stuff going on.

Davis Way and her associates are becoming more developed and we are seeing other sides to them to make them real to us. Everyone is a person with motivation, a back story, and a unique personality. Even the “bad guys” are complicated. I love how they put together the motivation and the plans of the bad guys so that we can actually believe the story could have happened. The interpersonal relationships are also filling out. Bradley Cole now works with Davis, at the same casino. He is the manager now, so he sees what she is doing and is there to help.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters, the intricacies of the plot, the humor, the unexpected happenings and the relationships all mesh together to create an enjoyable series. Ms. Archer’s descriptions of southern culture are wonderful. I doubt they will make her popular in Alabama, but it’s some of the best, snarky, sharp, intelligent descriptive writing of a place and its culture I’ve ever read. I found myself reading sections out loud to my son, who laughed along with me. Gretchen Archer is a great author to enjoy with each book in the series better than the last. I definitely recommend this one.

Once again, Davis Way, Fantasy, Baylor and No Hair are trying to save the casino. Bradley (Davis' husband) is now the manager and they are working together. Being newlyweds, this might not be the best idea. When the events manager disappears, the vault is robbed and Davis and Bradley are living at the casino in the managers suite that looks like New Orleans spewed all over, you know there is going to be mayhem. Add in that Davis is sure Magnolia, the previous manager's wife, is sneaking into their apartments, Biana Sanders is still as crazy as ever and there is a rather crazy pilot helping them out and the laughs are also there. This story has a more serious take on it than previous ones, but Davis still bumbles her way into and out of trouble. Someone had to find the missing platinum and Davis is sure the Banking Conference has something to do with it. Missing guests, counterfeit money and a printing room found hidden in their quarters gets Davis up in arms, especially when Bradley tells her to butt out.

The characters in this story are fleshed out a bit more. We find out about Fantasy's home life and family, and she makes a big mistake in this book that could cost her a lot. Baylor comes across as a young, dumb, bodyguard type character in this story, even more than the last one, but comes through when he is needed. Bradley and Davis show some sides of their relationship that we have not seen before and it adds some dimension to Bradley. Finally, Bianca actually had me feeling a bit sorry for her. The new characters in this story were portrayed well, some funny, some nasty. The plot moved quickly as there was a lot going on, but it was not confusing. Once again, I enjoyed the escapades of Davis and her team. I can't wait to see what Gretchen Archer has in mind for her next story.

It’s Davis Way’s first slot-tournament season. And it may be her last. Stephanie Plum, Davis Way can sure give you a run for your money!

In this second book of the Davis Way Crime Capers, the story is never dull. Davis is still working undercover for the Casino as well as standing in for Bianca Sanders for public appearances. The story starts off with a bang when they hears shots and when reaching the Sanders’ offices, they find Bianca shot and bleeding. From there the adventure ratchets up. Davis and Bradley are still together and they move into an upscale new condo. While he is out of town, ex-ex-husband Eddie shows up and is staying at the condo while her sister redecorates and she stays at the Casino with her granny. When Bradley arrives back home unexpectantly, he sees Eddie and storms out. That is when Davis starts fainting at just about anything and constantly feels sick. While Davis, Fantasy and No-Hair (Jeremy) are trying to solve the newest problem at the casino, Davis is running a slots tournament pretending to be Bianca, she is trying to salvage her relationship with Bradley, help him as he is dealing with lawsuits and deal with problems from home.

The adventure and laughs never quit. I love Davis, she seems to step into one problem after another. She has a nose for clues and finding solutions, although not always legally. Her sidekick, Fantasy, keeps her in line and they play off one another quite nicely. No-Hair, puts up with their escapades as long as they get the job done. Another great addition to the Davis Way series. On to the next book. I definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a humorous cozy.

Fans of Davis Way will be delighted and worried about her latest adventure. Both Davis and Bianc are pregnant, Davis with twins. They have set sail on the Casino's newest endeavour, a gambling ship called the MS Probability. This is not really a vacation as Davis has two jobs; the casino's security spy watching over the operations of the debut cruise and to once again serve as casino queen Bianca Sanders's body double. In the beautiful suite, she has Fantasy, her mother, a butler and suite attendant all in tow. They have even snuck her cat, Anderson Cooper on board. This one of the ship's PR people in the suite, there is a glitch and they get locked in. When they realize it is not just a glitch, but that their is a high-tech heist taking place.Can Davis escape? Will she save her boss? Will she deliver early? Will she kill her mother?

With this being the fifth book in the series, I am beginning to wonder if being in or working for a casino is safe. This is a fun story where we find out some very personal information about Davis' past. We also get to see her interactions with her mama, that was a hoot. This story had some bittersweet spots, but most of it was fun. Once again, Davis finds a way to save the day. I am looking forward to her next adventure in Double Jinx.

Yes!!!! Davis Way is back! I've missed her. While the last installment of Davis' life left me craving Waffle House waffles, this one had my sides splitting from all the laughing out loud that I did while reading this book. (Okay, maybe not splitting, but I did laugh more in this book than I have the others. And, there was no shortage of laughs in the others.)

I just love this series. It's WAY better than the Stephanie Plum books. (Twenty books down the road and the girl can't decide on Ranger or Joe? SMH.) Plus, Davis is married and has other things on her mind.

The cast of characters, with the exception of the regulars who work at the casino, keep changing as to who from Pine Apple, Alabama is visiting her this time. That city is sure full of wackos.

I guarantee once you read one of these books, you will want to read them all. The capers and the situations that Davis finds herself in are hilarious.

Thanks to Henery Press and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Davis Way Cole is waiting for her sister Meredith's visit. Meredith and her best friend Vreeland Howard are coming for a dog show that's been booked at the Bellissimo, where Davis works as a super secret spy/security expert. But when she answers her door, it's not Meredith but Vree, and she explains that Meredith and Bubbles - Vree's dog, who is going to be entered in the show - are arriving a little later.

But Meredith doesn't arrive. Neither does the dog. Instead, Vree's sort-of mother-in-law Bootsy shows up. Bootsy is mean enough to be a witch, and people have accused her of such. Bootsy is also there because Meredith isn't coming unless Davis gives her one million dollars. Davis, of course, doesn't have a million dollars, but if she doesn't get it, then Pastor Gully (who apparently has kidnapped both Meredith and Bubbles) threatens to leave them on a street corner in Guadalajara, Mexico.

But the troubles don't end there - Davis's boss 'No Hair' shows up at her door with what appears to be some kind of snarling dog and tells her to take care of it. The owners - lottery winners who are also hicks - have checked in and are spending money and creating havoc. When the dog decides to 'leak' on Davis's floor, she calls housekeeping, and they send up two burly men to clean up who look more like they should be in security detail.

So Davis calls her best friend Fantasy to come help get Bootsy out of her home, and into Fantasy's bonus room above her garage. Which isn't easy - and then still has to decide how to rescue her sister and find out who the dog belongs to; not to mention the 'schmucks' who are running amok in the casino causing problems.

At least Bradley is out of town on business, so she has one less thing to worry about; but just when things can't get any worse, they do. Suddenly there's a dead body, a doctor who doesn't know what he's doing, and now she has two dogs to contend with. Will Davis be able to save her sister and her marriage before Bradley returns? Can Davis and Fantasy keep No Hair from finding out what they're doing? And how will she find a million dollars without robbing the Bellisimo in time to save her sister?

Yes, it's just another day in the world of Davis Way Cole, Super Spy and security expert for the Bellissimo. And I can't say too much about this book without giving too much away. But I will say that the characters are indeed fun to be around. Sometimes I feel sorry for Fantasy, but then again, she walks right into it, so it's really hard to do so.

But Davis has her hands full with twin daughters and a near-hysterical woman from small-town Pine Apple where she grew up, who faints at anything and everything; and a physician (?) who's lascivious to the max and doesn't know a wart from a mole (or cares). But we have a case of a missing body, missing people, missing cars, a missing sister and missing dogs - I don't think I'm missing anything here (but I could be).

At any rate, this book is both suspense and hilarious, if it can be such, at the same time. Davis is one smart cookie, and she needs to be to deal with these looney tunes - which includes her boss Bianca, who expects Davis to impersonate her wearing the most ridiculous outfits yet. But then again, we've all known Bianca isn't all there anyway...

In the end, this book is definitely on my list of one of the best this year. Ms. Archer's writing is impressive, the characters are well-defined and full of life, and the plot highly believable. When we come to the end and it is all sorted out, I was sorry it ended so soon. A book I will reread more than once. Highly recommended.

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Davis Way Cole is the ex-Secret Super Spy for the Bellissimo Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. 'Ex' because she's retired - now taking care of two eight-month-old baby girls, Bex and Quinn - while her husband Bradley is left to run what's left of the casino. I say this because there's a new sheriff in town: The Blitz, which has been built right across the river from the Bellissimo, and they've not only taken the Bell's staff, but most of their customers as well. They've become practically a ghost town on their own, and the owner, Richard Sanders (and his wife Bianca) have decamped for the lights of Las Vegas and left Bradley to salvage what he can.

Davis blames herself, because if she hadn't been so busy being pregnant and then motherhood, she believes she would have known what the Blitz was up to all along and none of this would have happened; she would have been at the top of her game and realized they were building a mega-casino instead of what she originally thought - a football stadium. Why a stadium? Because the person who now runs the Blitz is the grandson of the owner, Elias Johnson, and an ex-football player.

Because of this, Davis has refused to leave her lavish penthouse, and has become as reclusive as Greta Garbo. That is, until her ex-ex-mother-in-law Bea Crawford shows up and refuses to leave. At first Davis is horrified, but when things start going even further south, she realizes she can use Bea in her own scheme to put things right again, and that's when she turns Bea into a spy herself (sort of). But just when Davis thinks things are starting to look up, she hasn't got a clue as to how dark they can become...

As a great fan of the series I was really looking forward to this entry, and for the most part, wasn't disappointed. While it started out slow - it's not that interesting to follow a storyline of someone who spends all their time in an apartment with their babies - but once the plot got going - and so did Davis, it really took off (see what I did there?).

There isn't a lot I can say about the plot without giving away the crux of the story, so let it suffice to say that Davis is tired of what is going on around her and decides she's the one who needs to save the company (and her home). She learns from Bea what is going on over at the Blitz; decides she can do something even better at the Bellissimo, and sets forth on a plan to save the resort and her husband's job in the process. What ensues is quite humorous at times, suspenseful at others, there was even one scene between Fantasy and Davis that had me downright chuckling; plus Davis' reaction when she realizes why she's spending time with Bea is worth reading the book alone; not to mention what happens when Bea begins to take herself seriously as a spy.

In the end, it was a fun journey with an unexpected ending, and while not technically a murder mystery (although there is a murder, have no fear), it still gives you plenty to devour while you enjoy the book and wait for the next in the series to arrive. Recommended.