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In her quirky, self-published mystery, How to Lose a Client, author Becky A. Bartness brings readers a host of colorful characters and laugh-out-loud moments. This is one pick off the self-published list that doesn’t disappoint.
Attorney Kate Williams ends up in Phoenix, Arizona, starting her own criminal defense law firm. Her first client, Katherine Paar, a.k.a. Tangerine, hires Kate to look after a thumb drive that supposedly holds a list of clients who frequent Pole Polishers, a discreet escort service. But things get complicated when Tangerine’s former lawyer ends up murdered in a compromising position and Tangerine disappears.
Kate enlists the help of Tangerine’s loyal employee, Tuwanda, to help find Tangerine before her lawyer’s killer gets to her first—but each time they find Tangerine, she ends up slipping away from them. In the process, Kate is kidnapped twice. She also ends up taking temporary custody of a smelly homeless man who hangs his head out of her car window like a dog. And, to add insult to injury, her hairdresser accidentally dyes her hair bright red.
Even though Kate reminded me a bit too much of Stephanie Plum, and, personality-wise, Tuwanda is a definite clone of Lula from the mystery series by Janet Evanovich, I still thoroughly enjoyed How to Lose a Client. It’s one of the most well-written self-published novels I’ve ever come across. In fact, it’s so well-written that you can’t tell that it’s self-published.
Filled with humor, wild characters, and a satisfying mystery, How to Lose a Client will keep you methodically entertained right down to the last page. Though it has a fantastic twist, I’ll admit that I saw it coming way before the ending (one particular scene early on will give it away if you’re paying attention). But that didn’t stop me from clinging to the novel, eager to laugh out loud at the multihued characters—and to see how it all comes out in the wash.
Anyone who enjoys Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum mystery series will enjoy a Kate Williams mystery just as much. I, for one, look forward to the next book in the series. Get your copy of How to Lose a Client and see what I mean.
