It’s been two years since the last Cat DeLuca mystery, way too long in my opinion. I always feel as if I need to remind readers what they’re missing if they haven’t discovered K.J. Larsen’s funny series. It doesn’t get much better than a large Italian family of cops, a Mama demanding that her thirty-year-old daughter get married, and a hot FBI agent. In this case, throw in a family wedding to make it even funnier. And, I didn’t even mention that Cat owns Pants on Fire Detective Agency. The new Cat DeLuca, Bye, Bye Love, is a treat.

Cat DeLuca disappointed her mother by not marrying a cop. Her father, uncle, and brothers are cops. Her sister is rapidly producing an entire generation of DeLucas. And, Cat quickly divorced her cheating husband, and now works as a private investigator investigating cheating spouses, following couples into sleazy hotels. But, this time, it’s a body that trips Cat up, literally. She’s out running with her beagle when she trips over a body in the park. By the time she discovers who the victim was, the  killer comes back, overpowers her, and swipes the body. Even though she calls the police, no one believes that she ever saw a body, and her father’s ex-partner, Captain Bob, denigrates her skills and the Pants on Fire Detective Agency. So, even though her brother, Rocco, believes her and agrees to investigate, Cat goes rogue..With the aide of her assistant, Cleo, two dogs, and assorted men, Cat sets out to track down a murderer. And, Cat knows the man who kidnapped the body will have her dog’s bite mark on his leg (just like Ted Bundy).

I once referred to Cat DeLuca as Stephanie Plum with brains. Bye, Bye Love, with its twists and turns, wacky characters, hot men, and outrageous confrontations, is an entertaining mystery. There’s wonderful Italian food and absurd family situations. And, the culminating wedding scene is priceless.

Looking for a witty mystery with a sassy detective, oddball characters, lovable dogs and good food? It doesn’t get much more fun than K.J. Larsen’s Bye, Bye Love.

K.J. Larsen’s website is http://kjlarsenauthor.com

Bye, Bye Love by K.J. Larsen. Poisoned Pen Press. 2015. ISBN 9781464203831 (hardcover), 218p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure – The publicist sent me a copy of the book, hoping I would review it.