Dead Lift -- Rachel Brady

A few months ago, I said a few words about Rachel Brady's first novel. Now that I've read her second (an ARC; the book's coming in December), I can tell you that there's no sophomore slump. In fact, this one's even better the the first. Emily Locke is back, still working as a private investigator, still trying to work out just where she stand with her daughter and with the hunky Vince. The backstory's in the previous book, but there's enough info parceled out so that if you come to this book first, you won't have any trouble figuring things out.

This time Emily's investigating a murder for a law firm she has reason to dislike. She doesn't believe the woman the police have arrested is guilty, though, so she's determined to do a good job. And she's good at her work. She's learned some things since the first book.

One of the good things about Dead Lift is that Emily really does investigate. She works hard and pays attention to the details. Another good thing is the local color. There's some great stuff about health clubs (note the false nails on the book cover), and the descriptions of Houston's Heights are right on the money. There's some good misdirection along the way, and the villain is a nasty piece of work.

There's humor, too, and I've gotten fond of Emily's uninhibited friend Jeannie. I expect she'll continue to play a big part in the series. It's not all fun and games, though. There's menace and action, too. Check it out.