Mysteries Galore.com

Reviewed by Caryn St. Clair

Following How to Host a Killer Party, How to Crash a Killer Bash finds event planner Presley Parker planning a major fundraiser for the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park. The director has requested a murder mystery theme for the party so guests arrive decked out in costumes of their favorite detectives. They are then given little spy glasses and notebooks to aid them in their quest to “solve” the crime they are to witness. The stage is set for the crime to happen and the “real” detectives straight out of crime fiction are introduced to the audience. The crime is staged with all of the appropriate screams and blood with everything seemingly humming along nicely-that is except for the part where the victim really is dead. Before long, Presley’s assistant becomes the main suspect and Presley is left to find the real killer.

Presley Parker is a protagonist that readers can’t help but like. She’s been down on her luck but lands on her feet when she comes up the idea for an event planning business. For a mystery series, it’s a near perfect occupation. Presley will be doing something different in each book and will then have an entirely new set of supporting characters each time out. Warner uses real places around San Francisco to set the stage for her series which gives the reader a definite sense of place.

The continuing characters, besides Presley, include her mother who is loveable but wacky and the crime scene cleaner who has an office in the same building as Presley. The crime scene cleaner, Brad, fills two vital roles. His occupation puts him at the scene of the crimes that seem to plague Presley’s parties thereby giving her some inside scoop on the police investigation. There is also every indication that he may turn out to be more than just a building-mate.

Finally, if the reader is going to be hosting any sort of event from a birthday party to a full scale gala, the event tips in these books are worth noting for future reference. They can easily be adapted to larger or smaller events.