Some Like It Lethal

by Nancy Martin

Overview

In this updated version of the Blackbird Sisters Mysteries, falling hard for a magnetically attractive mobster might sound ill-advised for Philadelphia blue blood Nora Blackbird, but what else can go wrong for a girl after her parents run off with her trust fund and her toxic boss would like nothing better than Nora's pretty head on a platter?

To make matters worse, Nora's attendance at an exclusive hunt club means she's sipping champagne with the horse fanciers when the seemingly wealthy husband of a dog food heiress is found bludgeoned by a polo mallet. The prime suspect is Nora's sister Emma, a well-known expert in horsemanship, handsome men, and-truth be told-hard drinking. To protect her little sis, Nora uncovers an aristocratic blackmail plot that reveals some inconvenient secrets among high society's high-and-mighty.

The quips fly faster than a Grand Prix show jumper, and Nora's having a very hard time not falling hard for the irresistible Mick Abruzzo. It's mystery, mayhem, not to mention hot men abounding in Nora's latest misadventure.

"Hilarious repartee and zany characters." --Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781962790048
Publisher:	Yinz Reads
Publication date:	11/06/2023
Series:	The Blackbird Sisters , #3
Pages:	250
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.53(d)

About the Author

Nancy Martin is the bestselling author of over fifty novels full of wit, mystery and maybe too much sex appeal. She used to write romance novels, but turns out it's more fun to kill people... at least on paper. Her mysteries combine a Sex and the City with a little Cabot Cove and a dash of Agatha Christie to keep readers turning pages late into the night. She's a lifelong Pennsylvanian, except when traveling with her husband, Mr. Football. Her favorite things are Venice, books in the bathtub, someone else's puppies, and her own grandchildren. Find her at NancyMartinMysteries.com

What People are Saying About This

Kasey Michaels

What great, deadly fun!

Jennifer Crusie

Great clothes, great mystery, great fun!
—(New York Times Bestselling author)

Interviews

Ransom Notes Interview with Nancy Martin

High society and deadly danger make a potent mix in Nancy Martin's third Blackbird Sisters mystery, Some Like It Lethal. Philadelphia upper-crust reporter Nora Blackbird knows that life is about connections -- and she's got plenty of them, with all their attendant complications. She's nearly broke, but her family history among the Philadelphia elite gives her the access she needs for the juicy stories on her beat. But this time the subject of one of those stories is her own sister, who's linked to a homicide at an exclusive hunt club event -- and a web of scandal, blackmail ... and murder. Ransom Notes spoke with Martin about her own connections -- to her readers:

Nancy Martin: Writing mysteries lets me indulge my inner child. (And my inner bitch and inner romantic -- all the extremes of my own personality.) I love the playfulness of creating quirky, entertaining characters and situations.

Nora has her grandmother's vintage clothes and the crumbling old house with the leaky roof -- possessions that make up the Blackbird legacy. But what Nora is discovering is that her relationship with her sisters is what's truly valuable, and what she must fight for. Having come from a distinguished, moneyed family may make Nora initially interesting to readers, but the depth of her character is best revealed when the chips are down. For me, she wouldn't be nearly as fascinating to work with if she had unlimited resources. She must use her wits to overcome adversity, not buy her way out.

My own family "lost our fortune," as my grandmother politely put it, many years ago, but my grandmother never lost the attitude that went with social distinction. A grande dame from the get-go, she gave me an insider's peek into the world of Old Money and American aristocracy. One of my most vivid childhood memories is tailgating at a steeplechase, where the horses paraded past elegant tables set with crystal and silver. I grew up more like Emma Blackbird -- interested in horses instead of debutante balls -- so I've had to do research to get other parts of the lifestyle right. Oh, darn, another black-tie gala to attend for research!

One of the most memorable books I've read was Diana Vreeland's autobiography. That book started me thinking and looking at clothing as art, as creative expression as well as a reflection of personal values. When I realized how great Nora needed to look to do her job in rarified circles, I indulged my interest and invented Grandmama Blackbird's collection of couture. Mind you, this is a fantasy of mine -- having unlimited fabulous clothes at my disposal.

Ransom Notes: What do you like about the contrast between Nora's amateur detective approach to investigations, as opposed to the methods used by her Mafia prince boyfriend, Michael, and the police detective, Ben?

NM: Nora believes everyone is inherently good and if she just asks her good friends for help everything will turn out right. But Michael and Ben know otherwise, and their insider's view into crime sometimes shocks her. Yet she's drawn to them and to danger, so I see a lot of conflict in their futures. The threesome really clashes in Some Like It Lethal. Investigating so-called victimless crimes can be more thought-provoking than crimes where the line between right and wrong is distinct. Nora must make some difficult moral choices this time. I think readers will either love her choices or hate 'em.

I love hearing from readers. Knowing there's somebody out there desperately waiting for the next book is a big morale booster. You can contact me through my web site: www.NancyMartinMysteries.com

Editorial Reviews

Kasey Michaels