On My Radar: Diane Vallere's The Glass Bottom Hoax

 

Long-time readers know that I discovered Diane Vallere's Madison Night series when I was offered an advance reading copy of The Decorator Who Knew Too Much. The book became one of my Best Reads that year, and I quickly bought all the previous books in the series. I was hooked. I still am.

Readers who look at the covers and think the series too silly to try are doing themselves a disservice. There's depth to these books. Madison grows as a character throughout the series, and she certainly experiences life-changing events over and beyond stumbling over dead bodies. 

So now that you know I'm a dedicated fan, you know that I went out and popped a wheelie or two in the driveway when I heard that the twelfth (!) book is coming. Let me tell you more about it.

Available October 29, 2024!

 

Synopsis: 

"Madison Night has a reputation for excellence in mid-century modern decorating, but when a covert opportunity to expose a crime ring on a cruise ship comes her way, she goes undercover. The job will test her acting skills as much as her investigative prowess: she’s booked as a Doris Day impersonator and police captain Tex Allen is posing as her manager husband. But roleplay and reality blur when the body of the entertainment director is found on the lido deck sometime between shuffleboard and sunset.

The purser was Madison’s lone contact on the cruise ship, which leaves her adrift. Catching crooked employees is one thing, but exposing a murderer in the middle of the ocean is another. It’s bad enough that she’s expected to sing for her supper; her convenient cover story puts her in the center of danger. With a very fake husband and a very real crisis, Madison has to dive deep for answers before the tides turn against her.

Can Madison keep her head above water, or will this case send her overboard?"

Most of the series takes place in the Dallas, Texas, area, so I'm looking forward to being on a cruise ship with Madison-- and she certainly should make an excellent Doris Day impersonator! 

If you haven't tried this series, it would be good to start at the beginning (Pillow Stalk), but it's not necessary. As I discovered in The Decorator Who Knew Too Much, there's enough backstory provided that you shouldn't feel as though you jumped into the deep end of the pool without your life preserver. To begin at the beginning or not... just begin!