Ratings Overall: 8 Sensuality: 8 Suspense Element: 9

This is an Official Review by a Suspense Romance Writer Official Reviewer

Review for Vows, Vendettas and a Little Black Dress
Author: Kyra Davis
Date of Review: 06/24/10
Reviewed by: Leah

Reviewer Comments: Love means so many things to so many people! Take this idea and add a little mystery and you have the premise for Kyra Davis’s latest Sophie Katz novel. The book takes us through many different suspects and through a large number of twists and turns before finally revealing everything at the end.

Sophie Katz solves crimes—well, when she isn’t writing her books that is. She doesn’t have the best relationship with the local police, but she can always count on her unique group of friends to stand by and support her. When her best friend, Dena, is shot as they stand in Mary Ann’s apartment, Sophie needs all of her friends to help her figure out who the culprit is.

Dena lives an unconventional life. She is involved in a polyamorous relationship with two men and a woman. A polyamorous relationship basically means that Dena doesn’t want to have to commit to one man and to settle down. She loves sex just too much and running the local erotic shop allows her to turn her passion into a job. Dena’s current male lovers are Kim, who is hiking in Nicaragua, and Jason, a vampire wannabe. The woman, Amelia, is there for Kim and Jason to spend time with when Dena is busy. Amelia works in a flower shop and believes in free love and marijuana.

Mary Ann is Dena’s cousin. She has just gotten engaged to Monty who seems to be the perfect romantic match for her. She is also dealing with a cheating ex-boyfriend named Rick who just won’t go away. After Dena is shot, Rick shows up everywhere with his new girlfriend, Fawn.

As for Sophie, the love of her life is Anatoly, a Russian private investigator with his own secrets. Sophie and Anatoly frequently argue about what Sophie is and isn’t going to do in the investigation. They don’t see eye to eye, but Sophie is more worried about the secrets that she thinks Anatoly is keeping from her.

From the very beginning of this book, the relationships are the heart of the story. Sophie relies on the relationships that she has with everyone in her life to help her figure out who shot Dena. Ms. Davis paints a very clear picture of how all these people are related to one another and that it is the love that they feel for each other that colors how they interacts with each other. This isn’t a romance in the sense that two people meet and fall in love. Rather it is about what happens after that. How do people keep a relationship going? What is love and what types of love are there? Does stalking show love?

The mystery in this book was interesting because there are so many suspects that it is hard to figure out just who did it. Like Sophie we are kept guessing until the final reveal. The ending is a satisfying one that makes sense in the context of the story. We understand the shooter’s motive and feel some sympathy for their plight.

When you read this book, make sure you read the quotes that begin each chapter. They are some of the funniest one-liners in the book and really show the personality of Sophie Katz.