FIVE O'CLOCK SHADOW

Author: Genie Davis ISBN: 0821779788 2/2007 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: KENSINGTON/ZEBRA

Have love, will travel... When Jessie Adams, indie-rock DJ, part-time musician, and full-time fool for self-absorbed long-haired rockers, decides to do a favor for a friend, she never imagines said-favor will take her from sunny SoCal to Waikiki and back again…twice. When her pal's beach-side music club, The Sea Shack, is threatened by the gentrification of their Bohemian neighborhood. Jessie figures throwing her hat in the City Council race might be a way to save the place. What she doesn't count on is somebody who wants the candidates out of the way—or literally running into Chuck Jackson, one tall, cool, and infuriating detective. After all, Jessie just met the guy, and he's already staking his claim by vowing to protect her at all costs, not that she minds him guarding her body. In fact, she just might like that part of having him around a little too much. But when danger strikes, Jessie will have to figure out fast whether her undercover lover is playing around—or playing for keeps...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

FIVE O'CLOCK SHADOW affirms my long held belief California is peopled with lots of kooky characters.

And every last one of them is featured in Ms. Davis'lastest romance. (Okay, so I'm exaggerating. Pardon me, please, I was trying to make a funny).

While I might not have a flair for comic timing, Genie Davis does. In spades. FIVE O'CLOCK SHADOW is a real treat, funny and fresh with just the right touch of charming zaniness. Add two irresistible characters and a creative whodunit to this hilarious mix and FIVE O'CLOCK SHADOW soars.

Jessie Adams, the DJ, and Chuck Jackson, the cop (the book cover is real drool material), don't slip-slide into love. No, this pair bump into each other in the opening pages of FIVE O'CLOCK SHADOW, and, uh, fall hard... into love. Their romance (after a slightly bumpy start) is sweet, tender, and believable. Oh, yeah, and definitely sexy.

While I am not a real fan of first person narrative, the device works fairly well in this story. Jessie is a competent interpreter, even if—as with many first person efforts—most of the other characters are shadowy figures. Jessie's meandering narrative, including her insightful observations, are pretty much dead on target.

FIVE O'CLOCK SHADOW is pure fun from beginning to end. The wacky characters play off each other perfectly, the mystery is well done and the romance is just right.

Debbie Jett