Review of KNOCK OFF by Rhonda Pollero (see her website)

Kensington, March 2007

Paralegal Finley Tanner takes long lunch hours, arrives at her office late, and is always happy to get a high-limit, no questions credit card. What she doesn't get is interesting cases, which is why she knows there's something wrong when the managing partner assigns her to work with an important client. Sure enough, the client doesn't want help with her estate, she wants Finley to investigate a murder. That would be bad enough if a murder had actually happened, but the police are convinced that the woman's elderly husband fell asleep at the wheel.

Finley starts by going through the motions--in between long lunches with her girlfriends and sexy fantasies about the investigator she brings in to help with the case. Gradually, though, she comes to realize that the crazy client just might be right. How likely is it that three men from a jury just happen to die of accidents?

Author Rhonda Pollero writes a fast-paced mystery with a chick-lit feel and plenty of romantic tension between Finley and investigator Liam McGarrity (when Finley isn't making time with perfect boyfriend Patrick.) At times I thought Pollero tried a bit too hard to make Finley fit into the chick-lit conventions (do we really need the shoe moments?) but Pollero definitely sustained my both in the mystery and in Finley.

If you're looking for a sassy sleuth with attitude, a well-written story, and romantic tension that doesn't unfold too quickly, KNOCK OFF is a definite winner.

Three Stars

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