Dallas Book Diva

FITNESS KILLS by Helen Barer

I confess! I really enjoy reading mystery fiction. I like to try to figure out "who done it" as I read by paying attention to the clues authors leave lying around. I interviewed author Helen Barer not only for dallasbookdiva.com but also for the Fort Worth Community Cable Television program "Books In Review." She is delightful.

This is the first in a series of mysteries with Nora Franke as the central character. An unlikely sleuth, Nora Franke is a foodie. She reviews restaurants, writes a food column for a magazine, "MetroScene," and lives in New York.

Nora's life has recently taken an interesting turn. She and long-term boyfriend, Max, have decided to "take a break" from their relationship. At the same time, she is offered an opportunity to work as a menu consultant at an elite fitness ranch in Baja. Nora sublets her apartment and off she goes hoping along the way to meet some new people, shed a few pounds and "mend" her broken heart. To Nora's chagrin, in addition to the tranquil spa atmosphere with its yoga classes and morning meditation hikes, someone has added murder to the menu! Nora finds herself in personal peril as she attempts to aid the Mexican authorities in solving the case. This book is truly a "cliff hanger" and I enjoyed every minute of it.

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