Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door by Lucy Score Series: Riley Thorn #1
Published by That's What She Said Publishing on August 27, 2020
Pages: 519
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Natalie Duke
Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins
Amazon Audible
A nice, normal life. Is that too much to ask? For Riley Thorn it is.
Divorced. Broke. Living with a pack of elderly roommates. And those hallucinations she's diligently ignoring? Her tarot card-dealing mom is convinced they're clairvoyant visions.
Just when things can't get worse, a so-hot-it-should-be-illegal private investigator shows up on her doorstep looking for a neighbor...who turns up murdered.
Nick Santiago doesn't play well with others. Unless the "others" are of the female persuasion. Wink. He's a rebel, a black sheep, a man who prefers a buffet of options to being stuck with the same entrée every night, if you catch his drift.
When the pretty, possibly psychic Riley lands at the top of the list of suspects, Nick volunteers to find out whodunit. Only because he likes solving mysteries not because he wants to flex his heroic muscles for the damsel in distress.
All they have to do is figure out who pulled the trigger, keep the by-the-book detective with a grudge at bay, and deal with a stranger claiming he was sent to help Riley hone her psychic gifts. All before the killer discovers she's a loose end that requires snipping.
What a great kickoff to the series! Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door is wonderfully entertaining.
Lucy Score has a knack for taking flawed, stagnant, down-on-their-luck heroines and transforming them into plucky, confident winners. Riley Thorne is an absolute delight. I loved her dry and self-deprecating sense of humor. I was constantly amused by the journey of her coming to terms with her psychic gifts.
The murder mystery is secondary to the huge cast of colorful characters. I loved Nick Santiago, the macho private investigator who quickly falls for Riley’s quirky charms. Gabe, Riley’s spiritual guide, is a devoted teddy bear wrapped in an intimidating bouncer’s body. The endearing seniors who are fellow residents of a run-down mansion are funny without even trying. And I can’t forget Riley’s well-meaning but embarrassing parents. This story left me wanting more of this misfit crew. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Natalie Duke hits a home run with her narration of the audiobook. She really brings all the characters to life in funny, distinctive ways.
Recommended for fans of:
Romantic comedy
Mysteries
Psychics
Entertaining side characters
About Lucy Score
Lucy Score is a Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author. Small town contemporary rom-coms are her lady jam and she enjoys delivering the feels with a huge side of happily ever after.
Her books have been translated into several languages, making readers around the world snort laugh, swoon, and sob. Lucy lives in Pennsylvania with the devastatingly handsome Mr. Lucy and their horrible cat.
In her spare time she enjoys sleeping, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and reading all the romance novels in the universe.
This sounds like so much fun! The title catches my attention every time I see it. I just need to get to it! Great review.