March Challenge: My first time reading this author and this series.
82. A Dose of Murder (A Pauline Sokol Mystery, 1) - Lori Avocato, AVON Mystery, October 2004, ISBN: 97800731656, 305p.
Featuring: Pauline Sokol
Synopsis:
OPEN WIDE AND SAY "AHHRRGGGGHHHHhhhhhhhuuuhhh."
After years of chasing around sniffly munchkins with a tongue depressor, nurse Pauline Sokol has had it. She's sick of being an "angel of mercy"--she'd like to raise some hell for once! But finding a new career won't be easy for someone who's had no experience beyond thermometers and bedpans.
Luckily, the smarmy head of an agency that investigates medical fraud thinks she'd be perfect for the job, since, for him, a potential employee's most important qualification is a killer pair of legs. So now Pauline's a p.i., but since she knows as much about detective work as a potted geranium might, the hunky and mysterious Jagger steps in to teach her the ropes. Her first assignment--going undercover at a local clinic to investigate fake insurance claims--promises to be a hoot...until the healers around her start inexplicably dropping dead. And before she can say, "streptococci," Pauline's stuck in a true health care crisis with her own continued wellness in very serious jeopardy.
Comments:
First in the series. It reminded me a lot of Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books... Pauline is Polish instead of Italian, there aren't any explosions and isn't as much in the way of dead bodies, etc., but there are several similarities too (especially the characters). The book was published in 2004 but sometimes seemed older (she has a cassette player in her car, etc.). Some parts were funny, some were annoying (Pauline was way to gaga over Jagger... So he's hot. Get over it.) I will read more of this series.
Jo
