Once you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall, as the famous pun goes. In Murder at the Outlet Mall by Marilyn Baron and Sharon Goldman, the puns are flying, but this shopping-related suspense tale is much more than that. It's a rollercoaster ride which will have the reader on the edge of their seat until checkout.
It's a story of love, revenge, and big spenders and it is excellently written. The location is perfect. The St. Augustine Premium Outlet in Florida is a fashion retail center where the designer apparel is to die for. There are some well-researched geographical and historical details about Florida which were excellent. This tour-guiding episode in which (spoiler alert) the duo endevor to dispose of the 'body parts', reads like a comedy caper film script, and is wonderfully wrought.
Overall, this is a fun story. It's soft-boiled crime for the discerning reader. It captures perfectly the 'feeding frenzy' of shoppers, and the 'Buyer Straits' of a shopping mall. Madame Wang and Madame Li are lovingly created and read brilliantly. And a last word to the authors, who never lose their customary humor but at the same time, prove themselves masters of suspense.The ending is straight out of left-field and is completely satisfying for the reader. There'll be no returns where this story is concerned!
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