Jane Kelly Mysteries: Ultra Violet

Mystery enthusiasts everywhere will love the third installment of the Jane Kelly Mysteries, Ultra Violet, by Nancy Bush. Like Candy Apple Red and Electric Blue, Ultra Violet lives up to its' counterparts and features all the usual characters so prominent in her first two novels; Jane Kelly, a process server and apprentice PI, her lovable pug dog The Binkster, and her friend and mentor Dwayne Durban. Once again Jane finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when Durban Investigations is hired by the prime suspect, Violet Purcell, to find her favorite ex-husband's killer and get her off the hook.

Beautiful, wealthy, and eccentric Violet Purcell, Ultra Violet to which she is referred, is the second ex-wife of local millionaire Roland Hatchmere with whom she's been having an affair. Roland Hatchmere has been murdered on the day of his daughter Gigi's wedding. All evidence points to Violet who was with him only hours before he was killed, her prints all over the murder weapon, a sterling silver serving tray that Gigi received as a wedding present. Violet has admitted to having a heated argument with Roland and hitting him with the tray on the day he was murdered, but only once! As the story progresses, the list of suspects begins to grow as Jane and Dwayne try to prove Violet's innocence. There is Roland's first wife, Renee, and his current wife, Melinda, his kids, Gigi and Sean, Gigi's fiance Emmett, and Emmett's parents David and Goldy, Gigi's Maid of Honor Deenie, and the mysterious Dante. Jane can't help but feel that the murder is somehow connected with the Columbia Millionaire's Club (CMC).

To complicate the situation, Dwayne is laid up with a broken leg and Jane must do all of the legwork by herself. While she investigates the Hatchmere murder Dwayne, from shear boredom, has taken to spying on his neighbors across the lake. In fact, Jane feels he's become downright obsessive about it! He's given each cottage a nickname based on their inhabitants, and has taken a keen interest in one cottage in particular to which he's labeled "DO NOT ENTER." "DO NOT ENTER" is a shell of a cottage which is being used as a weekend party hangout for the local Chinook teens. As if Jane weren't running around enough, Dwayne has a bad feeling about what's going on at this cottage and wants her to investigate this as well by going undercover as a high school student. This so-called minor investigation proves to be just as dangerous as the Hatchmere murder and leaves Jane with a black eye as she goes head to head with Chinook High School's start quarterback!

An easy read, Ultra Violet will leave you wondering when the fourth book in the series, Pink Cadillac, will be released. Also, check out Nancy Bush's website: http://nancybush.net/.