Helpful Score: 3
I've read Diana Palmer books before and enjoyed them. Sadly, she tries to write a more complex book here but her skills are not up to it. I lost interest in the story line when it became obvious around page 50 who the murderer was. Sadly, the main characters start to look like idiots for not seeing what's so obvious to the reader. She also didn't seem to edit for consistency (as when the hero states that he can only afford to buy her a cheap burger, but when she says she'll go dutch, he orders himself a steak.) The story tends to hit the reader over the head with the obvious. Too much of the dialog is of the "As you know" variety and the supporting characters are all one-dimensional caricatures plainly built to support the "mystery". Diana should stick to what she does best--romance--and leave murder mysteries to those who write with more subtlety.
