Author

Dodie Ownes

Review

Undead and Unwed

by Dodie Ownes

Tiffenie is a 300-year old-vampire forced to live within the existence of Tiffany Amanda Blair, whose identity she recently purchased online. You see, this is a very modern vampire story. Undead and Unwed is set in dozens of Hallmark movie tropes—The Fixer Upper, The Perfect Snowy Date, The Bachelor Auction —in a small Vermont town where Tiffany has just inherited a dilapidated country house. But why now, and where is the real Tiffany? Having just lost her job at the plasma bank, Tiffenie picks up and moves with her roommate and newly minted vampire, Heaven, to Valentine to start new lives. Drinking coconut water instead of blood works, to some extent, but a gal can get thirsty, and when handsome Christmas-tree farmer Tyrone appears on the scene, Tiff’s undead body gets hot. Her irksome and devastatingly handsome ex Vlad keeps showing up, offering her eternal princesshood at his side, and decides to stay in Valentine. Everyone in town knows more about Tiffany Amanda Blair than Tiffenie does, and there is the matter of her ex-fiancé’s untimely death and his connection to Tyrone. Tiff’s sessions with the town therapist, during which she tries to convince Dr. Rosetti that she is an actual vampire, are hilarious. When the town inspector threatens to condemn the house that Tiff and Heaven plan to turn into a B&B, he suffers a regrettable injury and starts to dig deeper into Tiffany Amanda Blair. Blackmail, small-town minds, and mean girls meet found family, true love, and Hallmark happiness in this campy, little-bit-steamy, and entertaining tale.

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Review

The Dinner Party

by Dodie Ownes

It doesn’t take long for van de Sandt’s plot and writing to grip readers’ attention in this debut. Two timelines interweave around the circumstances of a single dinner party, set to celebrate the launch of Franca’s fiancé, Andrew’s, latest project, a canon of sorts inspired by time capsules. Franca once aspired to have a career, but it is clear that Andrew prefers a more domestic arrangement for her. Her father died while she was quite young, and her mother is distant, so her life with Andrew feels safe, initially. In his discussion with Franca over what should be served at the dinner party, Andrew throws off a mean vibe, even insisting that Franca get fresh rabbit to prepare, despite knowing she is a vegetarian. Kitchen disasters up the tension, and when one unexpected guest arrives, a friend of hers from Utrecht, the wrenching details of Franca’s relationship with Andrew are slowly revealed as the timeline shifts forward and back. Claustrophobic and thrilling at the same time, the book allows readers to follow Franca’s unwinding as she seeks revenge against the man who says he loves her, when he just wants to own her, body and soul. Readers will feel every bit of Franca’s female rage as she attempts to extricate herself from her untenable situation. At a time when “tradwife” movements are on the rise, which prioritize homemaking and caring for the husband, trusting him to provide and protect, this story is particularly relevant.

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Review

The Bridesmaid

by Dodie Ownes

A quirky forensics expert and an undercover NYPD detective are thrown together here to solve a murder. Adrianna Kensington, daughter of nightclub kingpin Leopold Kensington, is putting together the wedding of the century on the family’s private island, Elysium, while her husband-to-be, tech bro Mark Li, gathers sponsorship deals. Her bridesmaids are all fellow alums of Kensington Manor, an elite all-girls school whose motto is “Discipline, Self-Restraint, and Godliness”—and all of them were with Dri three years ago when she was kidnapped and held captive for three days after her 21st birthday bash at Elysium. When crime-podcaster and bridesmaid Simone is found dead days before the wedding, everything is at risk—Adrianna’s reputation, social-media money, and the whole Kensington empire—and the kidnapper could be after the bride again. Holly was the forensics side of the podcast, and is asked to substitute for Simone at the wedding. Fitzwilliam, a cop as preppy as Holly is goth, tags along as her assistant. The story is told from alternating views of the wedding party, allowing readers to experience the cut-throat world of mean girls, reality-show nuptials, and bridezilla moments. A dark historical twist in the tropical paradise setting adds depth to this high-flying tale of money, murder, and secrets.

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Review

A Killer Wedding

by Dodie Ownes

As a junior editor at Bespoke Weddings magazine, Christine is thrilled when she is chosen to cover the supernova wedding of the year, that of Jane and Graham Beaufort, soon-to-be heirs to the massive and influential cosmetics company Glo. A trip to Ireland and a chance to prove to her boss that she can do the job is just what Christine needs to earn that senior editor title! But nearly from the moment she arrives at the gorgeous yet medieval Ballymoon Castle, something seems off. Some of the Beaufort family does not trust Jane, and none of them trusts one another. Matriarch Gloria Beaufort (known as G.B.), who hand-selected Christine to cover the wedding, reigns over the clan, but her grandson Graham, the groom, is clearly her favorite. On the day before the wedding, tragedy strikes, putting the nuptials at risk, but the family decides the show must go on. Enter a handsome bartender, suspicious minds, secret tunnels, and a missing murderer—along with Jane’s interesting past and family history—and this closed-castle mystery takes off. The Beaufort family has no idea what sort of lessons and payback G.B. has planned for them, but they will find out soon enough. Fans of haute couture and wedding culture will delight in this somewhat snarky take on wealth, celebrity, and the cosmetics industry.

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Review

Breathe In, Bleed Out

by Dodie Ownes

Maybe Hannah’s best friend Tess is right—a restorative yoga retreat in Joshua Tree might be what Hannah needs to let go of the images of her fiancé’s horrific death, right after he proposed to her in a stunning wilderness setting. On the women’s arrival in the desert, all seems idyllic—the sound bowls, Guru Pax in his flowing robes, the yurts and tech-free environment. But soon Hannah’s nightmares about Ben’s death are supplemented with visions of Waylon Barlow, an ancient miner with a flesh mask and a pick axe. The other retreat attendees, including Hannah’s high school ex-boyfriend Miles; tech-bro Jared and his ethereal partner, Luna; and Dennings, an ex-Marine, start to sense that something is off. Pax’s assistant, Kimi, assures them all is well—but then Dennings disappears. In superb Final Girl form, the retreat attendees get picked off one at a time, in entertainingly gruesome ways. As Hannah struggles to survive and save Tess, she has to confront her own secrets. Author McAuley, winner of Esquire’s Best Horror Book of 2022, Curse of the Reaper, demonstrates once again his flair for cinematic suspense with humor and splatter.

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Review

Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests

by Dodie Ownes

When Vivienne, an admittedly dowdy and somewhat bitter middle-aged magazine editor, receives a mysterious invitation to a dinner party, she almost throws it away. Reconsidering, she goes to the elusive address to find Serendipity, which appears to be a pop-up fine dining experience. None of the other six guests has any relation to her, or one another, it seems. Readers get to know them through their actions and words, and it would be easy to start guessing what is to come, but the highlight of the dinner is when each finds an envelope at his or her place setting. Janet, the most spontaneous (and likely most drunk) of the guests, tears hers open to find a card that states You will die age 44, and she is just weeks from her 45th birthday. Fear, accusations, and incredulity sweep across the group, and then, dismissing it as a publicity stunt, they depart. But then the words on the cards start coming true. As the guests tell their stories and admit to their sins, readers see Vivienne emerge as a caring and clever amateur sleuth who finally has a family to protect. A terrific addition to the current trend of If you knew you were going to die, how would you live your life? novels.

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Review

The Dead Husband Cookbook

by Dodie Ownes

Maria and Damien Capello hit the big time when they opened their oh-so-chic restaurant Polpette della Nonna in upstate New York. Chef Damien was the darling of the foodie circuit, known for his incredible creations—until his sudden disappearance, officially ruled as a suicide. But since no body was ever found, suspicion abounds, and rumors swirl that Maria had something to do with it. Which might involve a freezer, a cookbook, and a secret ingredient. When publisher Hanes House gets one scant chapter from Maria, promising to tell the real story, junior editor Thea is shocked when she is assigned to the project and whisked off to meet Maria to flesh out the rest of the book, on an extremely tight deadline. Thea’s phone is taken away, wifi access is highly controlled, and as she is doled out one chapter at a time by the enigmatic Maria, with the mystery of the vanishing chef slowly revealed in one delicious twist after another. Nothing is as it appears in the Capello family, and their secrets will soon collide with Thea’s world. With its humor, touch of domestic angst, and possibly unreliable narrators and recipes, foodies who love a good mystery in a kitchen setting will devour this tale.

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Review

Just Another Dead Author

by Dodie Ownes

Swedish author Bivald gives readers another delightful twisty tale (following The Murders in Great Diddling) with well-known mystery author Berit Gardner in the lead role, along with a diverse and quirky cast of characters, most of whom are writers, agents, and publishers attending a retreat outside Lyon, France. Against the backdrop of the somewhat dilapidated yet beautiful Chateau des Livres, the envy and adoration amongst the attendees begins to merge, even as they continue to workshop “Dramatic Plot Twists” and “Portrait of a Writer on Fire.” When John Wright, headliner and bestselling author, dies in the front row during Berit’s welcoming address, nearly everyone is a suspect. A series of reveals follows, including two Mrs. Wrights, a partial manuscript, and a kitchen crush. When another particularly annoying attendee is found stabbed, the stakes are raised. With the help of sharp-eyed observers and a DCI Ahmed, a friend from England, Berit and her rep Sarah, who happens to be the daughter of John Wright’s agent, start to work out whom the murderer might be, much to the chagrin of local authority Commissaire Roche. Fans of Kemper Donovan’s Ghostwriter series will eat this up. A fun romp through the publishing industry is icing on the cake!

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