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AMATEUR SLEUTH/CHICK LIT/
COZY/CRIME/HUMOR/
ROMANTIC MYSTERY
DATING DEAD MEN
Los Angeles greeting-card artist Wollie Shelley is dating forty men in sixty days as research for radio talk-show host and bestselling author Dr. Cookie Lahven’s upcoming book, How to Avoid Getting Dumped All the Time. Wollie is meeting plenty of eligible bachelors but not falling in love, not until she stumbles over a dead body en route to Rio Pescado–a state-run mental hospital–and is momentarily taken hostage by a charismatic “doctor” who is on the run from the Mob. Wollie fears that her beloved brother, a paranoid schizophrenic living at Rio Pescado, is involved in the murder, so rather than go to the authorities, she decides to solve the crime on her own. As she meets up with an array of small-time crooks and swaggering mobsters only slightly more sinister than the men she's been dating, Wollie realizes that “getting dumped” is the least of her problems. Finding true love, she discovers, sometimes means learning how to avoid getting killed. . . .

DATING DEAD MEN will keep readers guessing until the final bullet is shot–and cheering for the irresistible Wollie as she makes her way out of confusion and into the welcoming embrace of Mr. Right.
Read A Review:

Wollie Shelley has to date forty men in sixty days as part of the Dating Project, a research project. She will earn $5,000 from Dr. Cookie Lahven, a bestselling radio personality psychotherapist.. All of her dates have to be selected related to her list of requirements. Her friends Fredreeq and Joey are doing the initial screening for her dates. She receives an outfit to wear on each date and has to keep a journal afterwards.

Wollie has a small card shop “Wollie’s Welcome! Greetings.” She’s trying to upgrade her status to Wilkommen! status which would allow her to buy her shop. She has to make it through the inspection by Mr. Bundt. Near the end of that inspection, he informs her that there are two more inspections. These will be done by plain clothes people. In other words, spies!

Her shop is located on Sunset Boulevard, east of Highland, smack in the middle of a small strip mall. This was not an optimum location. Her philosophy is, hookers need greeting cards, too.

Also during her inspection her brother P.B. calls. He is a paranoid schizophrenic living at Rio Prescado, a stat-run mental hospital. He hangs up before she can find out why he’s calling.

Later she gets in touch with P.B. Turns out he’s concerned about a dead body. Wollie doesn’t know what to think about this. He does have delusions and lots of anxiety. He asks her to bring him more foil. She says she’ll bring out to him that night.

After her latest date, she goes to the hospital to deliver his foil. As she was approaching the hospital in her car, she discovers a dead body in the road. Now she’s concerned P.B. might have something to do with this. He’s never been violent before. But she is still unsure. She goes to P.B.’s room. He is asleep and she hates to wake him. She just leaves the foil.

When she gets in the elevator to leave, there is an empty gurney and a man. He is dressed like a doctor. At first she is scared. Then she finds herself attracted to him. She didn’t talk to him as she’s afraid she’ll blurt out about the dead body she saw.

They are joined by two guards. When they get off the elevator, the doctor ends up shoving the gurney at them and kidnapping Wollie!

Things escalate from there. Turns out the “doctor” is on the run from the mob. Men begin chasing them. Not only is Wollie’s life in danger, her future with Welcome! Greetings is at risk.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it hard to put down. Wollie is such a fun character and her friends and dates really add to the story. Then there’s the “doctor” and all the escapades with him. What a fun book!

I highly recommend this book! I look forward to reading the next in this series. Can’t wait!

Dawn Dowdle