Freezer Burn: A Peri Minneopa Mystery

an enjoyable whodunit.

Former cleaning lady Peri Minneopa is now a licensed private investigator though she does not carry a gun. She promised her lover Placenta Police Detective Skip Carlton that she would only work safe cases like background checks and taking photos from a distance of cheating spouses. Her latest case involves a client Benny Needles who is a Dean Martin fanatic seeking an ice tray in his freezer used by his hero with an autograph he doesn't want rubbed off by the ice.

Instead she finds a severed hand with an expensive ring on a finger. Benni swears he has no idea whose hand it is, where the rest of the body is, and how it got into his freezer. Skip questions Benny and believes the frightened Martin aficionado is telling the truth that he is innocent and ignorant re the hand. They trace the ring to a homeless woman who admits she stole from a woman in a nursing home. It was supposed to be a copy of the Forever Roses ring to be auctioned at Christies in order for Kevin Conway to pay off his gambling debts. He had no idea that his ring was a copy and he wants to get the real ring back. So do other people; as someone steals it from the police evidence room. Peri goes after the killer, ignoring Skip's warning about murderers' murder, but soon understands what her boyfriend meant.

Peri is a strong willed person who once she makes up her mind nothing stops her; Skip can nudge, but not budge his obstinate girlfriend. She wants to prove to herself she is a P.I. by solving the case though she understands her first mission is to keep the eccentric Benny out of jail as she believes he is innocent. Her lover reluctantly supports her because he fears she will risk her life with or without him. The investigative story line is fun to follow with it ties to Dino and the romance between the cop and the rookie, who behaves somewhat like an amateur sleuth as she learns the ropes the hard way which enhances an enjoyable whodunit.

Harriet Klausner

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Peri the PI

I really enjoyed this book. Peri use to clean houses for a living until she got her PI's license. She does small work at the moment with insurance companies etc until Benny Needles calls on Peri to help get an artifact out of his freezer as he is a big Dean Martin's fan. Peri comes across a severed hand with a big expensive ring and the fun begins when all sorts of shady characters come out and play. With so many interesting characters in this book, it keeps you guessing right up till the very end.

Fresh Story and Unusual Characters

Fun. Amusing. Enjoyable. In a world gone mad with nasty unreasoned political attacks on all sides, here's a pleasant, tight, commendable Southern California story of murder and theft. It is populated by a raft of odd and intriguing characters who interact in logical, amusing and real situations. I had the feeling from the first that these were likeable people to whom I could relate.

One of the nice and even unusual aspects of the book is the age of the protagonists. Yes, there are two, even though the book focuses on the female lead, a 50-year old blond named Periwinkle Minneopa. Her lover is a sharp detective on the Placentia PD. He's single and a few years older than Peri.

Peri is starting a new career. She's been a professional house cleaner for a number of years and is anxiously becoming a private investigator. That mean she finds herself occasionally in conflict with her lover as well as finding him in her bed from time to time. More frequently, as the novel progresses.

Accepting a call from a former cleaning client who is a little off the main stream-he is obsessed with Dean Martin-Peri cleans Benny's refrigerator-freeze and once the cold clog is mostly melted what remains is a frozen hand. Thus begins a straightforward detective story leading to a satisfactory conclusion.

Along the way readers will be treated to some amusing and odd situations, such as the question of a possible pregnancy, and a relationship between a teenaged Goth musician and his girl friend. The girl friend is the daughter of one of Peri's close friends, Blanche Debussy. Blanche just happens to be a forensic scientist employed by the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Author Gayle Carline has a nice sense of humor, a good observational eye and the writing talent to fashion a fine plot. I hope to see more of Periwinkle Minneopa's adventures from Gayle Carline in the very near future.

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