Review: Over Her Dead Body

Over Her Dead Body by Kate White
3 stars

Reasons for reading: I'd enjoyed other books in the series; Mystery for Triple 8 Challenge

Book description: "Talk about rapid turnover! In a matter of days Bailey Weggins has been axed from one New York magazine and hired by another. Her new job at Buzz, a weekly filled with sizzling gossip, has Bailey covering celebrity crime. Bailey doesn't have to look far for her first big story when she finds her boss, Mona Hodges, gasping her last breath after being bludgeoned with a blunt object. A raging tyrant, Mona made Buzz a top magazine but racked up an impressive list of enemies. Now it's up to Bailey to get the scoop on whodunit--even though one of her closest friends is at the top of the suspects list."

First lines: "What you see isn't always what you get. The trouble with cliches is that they're so downright tedious, you fail to pay any attention to the message they're meant to convey."

My thoughts: This is the fourth book in the Bailey Weggins series by Cosmopolitan editor Kate White. Crime reporter Bailey has been let go from the Cosmo-esque Gloss and hired by USWeekly-alike Buzz. While I can see why White thought the series needed a change, I have to say I preferred the previous Cosmo-licious settings. The reason I started reading the series was because I read Cosmo (to my shame!) and the poisoned truffles, deadly spa treatments, and dying bridesmaids of the other books mixed chick lit with murder mystery really well.

Bailey is still a great character - curious, brave, a good friend, and dedicated to finding the truth, along with a bit of cattiness when provoked and the usual single-girl-in-the-city troubles. But for me this one lacked the elements that made the other books unique. White still gets her magazine editor experience in with a peek behind the scenes at a near-tabloid (complete with some very juicy fictional-celebrity scandals) and a particularly bitchy co-worker worried that Bailey's getting too cozy with their new male editor, but I just didn't find it is as interesting or as tension-filled as the other books where Bailey was more personally involved with the crimes.

I may read the next book, Lethally Blonde, but it's not at the top of my list. But mystery/chick lit fans should definitely check out If Looks Could Kill and A Body to Die For, in particular.