Hollywood Ending by Kellye Garrett

Reasons to celebrate: First, this was the 100th episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast! Second, Kellye Garrett returned to the podcast! If you are a regular listener, you will remember Kellye from her first episode back in September of 2017 when she joined me to talk about her debut novel, Hollywood Homicide. She returned this time to talk about her follow-up book, Hollywood Ending.

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Tinseltown's awards season is in full swing, and everyone is obsessed with dressing up, scoring free swag, and getting invited to the biggest awards shows of the year. But when celebrity publicist Lyla Davis is killed, the festive mood comes to an abrupt halt.

Apprentice private eye Dayna Anderson thinks she's uncovered the killer. Unfortunately, what starts as an open-and-shut case turns out to be anything but. Diving deeper into the investigation, Dayna gets a backstage look at gossip blogging, Hollywood royalty, and one of entertainment's most respected awards shows—all while trying to avoid her own Hollywood ending. (Source)

I love this series. Dayna is hilarious, likeable, and relatable, and Kellye's writing is engaging and fun. The book is part mystery (could even be considered a cozy mystery), part beach read, and all enjoyable.   If you like mysteries but like them on the lighter side (you know, without the gory details or the scare-the-pants-off-of-you moments) then this is a series you should definitely check out.

Genres:

• Mystery
• Crime
• Women's fiction 

What I enjoyed:

• Kellye's writing. She's hilarious, relatable, and can turn a phrase like nobody's business.
• Dayna. First, we need more people of color represented across genres, so I love that Dayna is a black woman who solves mysteries. She's also how I imagine many of us would be if we were to find ourselves suddenly in the role of private investigator: she doesn't quite know what she's doing, but she asks questions, she sticks with it, and she's not afraid to run AWAY from danger.
• The secondary characters who all have their quirks and who we are getting to know a little better with each book. 
• The way Kellye weaves in bits of Hollywood into the story: she describes people by what type of role they might be cast in, and situations in terms of what kind of movie they'd be a part of.

Quotes:

• "He was close. Too close. Like 'you should be professionally cleaning my teeth and assuring me I don't have any cavities' close."
• "Geez, she was a cranky one. Perhaps because she'd been subsisting on kale, hot air, and judgement for most of her adult life."
• In a fit of desperation, I'd even called her number--and we all know someone has to be really desperate to actually want to speak to another human being on the phone."
• "If this were a heist movie, the Silver Sphere offices would be secured three floors underground in an airless chamber guarded by a feral unicorn with a Rambo-approved knife as a horn."

Where to find Kellye online:

• Website: https://kellyegarrett.com/
• Facebook: @KellyeGarrettAuthor
• Twitter: @kellyekell
• Instagram: kellyekell
• Chicks on the Case: https://chicksonthecase.com/
• Amazon Author Page: Kellye Garrett
• Goodreads: Kellye Garrett
• BookBub: @KellyeGarrett

Author Bio:

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Kellye Garrett's first novel, Hollywood Homicide, won the Agatha, Lefty and Ippy awards for best first novel. It was also nominated for a Barry award. Hollywood Ending, her second book in the Detective by Day series, will be out on August 8, 2018. In addition to writing, she currently serves on the national Board of Directors of Sisters in Crime as its Publicity Liaison.

Kellye previously spent 8 years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for the CBS drama Cold Case. People were always surprised to learn what she did for a living--probably because she seemed way too happy to be brainstorming ways to murder people. A former magazine editor, Kellye holds a B.S. in magazine writing from Florida A&M and an MFA in screenwriting from USC's famed film school. Having moved back to her native New Jersey, she spends her mornings commuting to Manhattan for her job at a leading media company--while still happily brainstorming ways to commit murder. (Source)

Intrigued by Dayna and her crime-solving adventures? Then enter our giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Hollywood Ending by Kellye Garrett! Entering is easy-peasy: go to one of our social media pages and comment on the post for this episode (Episode 100). That's it! Just go  to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and comment on the post for Episode 100: Interview with Kellye Garrett! You have until August 25th to enter, and winners will be announced on August 27th. Good luck!