Bare-Naked Lola
Melissa Bourbon Ramirez
Entangled Select 2012
Bare-Naked Lola is a very enjoyable lightweight mystery novel by Melissa Bourbon Ramirez. This is the third in the series. Not having read the first two is not really a problem though there are references to Lola’s previous adventures that will go over a new reader’s head. Bare-Naked Lola is a cozy with an interesting main character by an author who knows how to tell a story and keep it fun. Kindle version at Amazon
Lola Cruz is a rookie detective and quite an interesting character. This time around the agency she works for is hired to look into the death of dancer for the Sacramento Royals basketball team. This means Lola goes undercover as one of the Royals dancers. When she uncovers a few promising clues Lola discovers she will have to uncover everything as the victim was part-owner of a naturist resort.
The naturist resort angle is a selling point for this mystery but though interesting, Bourbon Ramirez does not really rise above the usual cliches. Not that it really matters as the story makes up for it.
The story also covers the ongoing and growing relationship Lola Cruz has with her police detective boyfriend Jack as well as Lola’s family and the restaurant she sometimes helps out at.
If you are looking for a good beach style read, Bare-Naked Lola fits the bill. It is good enough to make you curious about the previous two novels and / or look forward to the next one.
Preview at publisher’s website