Product Description

Rona Shively has seen a lot of things in her day, but nothing like the case brought to her by Gilbert Delvecchio. He is looking for his ex-wife, and she’s definitely not the woman he married. Before she knows what is happening, Rona is swept into a web of deception where everyone is both a target and a suspect. A couple of romances and a shootout later, can she find the missing ex-wife before the bull’s-eye finds her again? Or is it too late?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3347540 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-21
• Released on: 2006-08-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 92 pages

Customer Reviews

The raw and abridged Stephanie Plum
This novella is recommended for:
1. Fans of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich
2. People who like murder mysteries
3. People with short attention spans
4. All of the above

Just in case you fall under category 3, I'll make this quick.

Main character:

Rona Shively, Private Detective, 38 years old, petite, single and available, did time, domestically challenged, foul-mouthed, drives ugly car and has no aversion to alcohol or fast food.

Assignment:

Locate missing person

Possible problems:

a. Missing person's uncle is a crime boss
b. Missing person has undergone significant lifestyle changes
c. People are starting to get killed
d. Effeminate neighbor is getting too close for comfort
e. Nothing appears to be as it seems

Humor, mystery and murder combine here in an all-too-short but thoroughly enjoying read, and I'm really looking forward to the next Rona Shively Story.




Amanda Richards, June 20, 2007

Life is Full of Surprises
Rona Shively's life IS full of surprises. As a private investigator, she finds herself in more trouble than she bargained for when she takes on a missing person's case: looking for an ex-wife who has changed her lifestyle drastically. As though that didn't present enough trouble, Rona escapes murder by a thread until it finally surprises her 'In The Wash'--room that is. During all the difficulties, Rona is faced with a chance to love and be loved, but will her tendency not to trust anyone keep her from this very aspect of life a woman desires so badly? I liked Rona Shively because she's so down-to-earth. She's tough, but underneath that toughness lies a tender heart. The story is good, the plotting great. Rebecca Benston draws you into the story from the first page. Read the book. It's a delightful, but short, mystery.

My review's not as enthusiastic as those proceeding me
In the Wash is a mystery, the first in a series for which the sleuthing protagonist is Rona Shively. Rona is an interesting character whom Benston describes as "feisty, fearless and fabulous."

Here comes the short summary: Rona Shively has already been a detective for some time when this book begins. She is thirty-eight years old, has problems with her personal relationships, and in the case which this book recounts, has problems with her professional life, as well. She is hired to find a person named Luther Janetti, who has lived an interesting life. While on this search, Rona catches the attention of her annoying neighbor, hears conflicting stories concerning her client, and finds herself in mortal danger.

Now, on to the pros and cons of this book...

For one thing, Benston knows how to put a sentence together adequately. It is not hard to read her writing. This mystery is a short, light read. This is the sort of story a person might want to bring along on a trip to the beach.

Another factor is the plot. Obviously, I can't give too much detail, particularly as this book is rather short, but the plot is kind of crazy. The first three chapters immediately convey the fact that Benston is not an author to write about the mundane. Even the description of the person Rona is hired to find causes the reader to raise his or her eyebrows and say, "Ooh...I need to know more!"

Unfortunately, the read is not as engaging as the first three chapters led me to believe. To be fair, this is the first book in the series, and Benston's writing might get smoother in her later books. With regards to this first book, however, I felt that it was a bit under-developed.

The plot is interesting, but the conclusion felt too hasty. The book was wrapped up too quickly. Really, the entire book feels like it should have been fleshed out a little more. There are quite a number of characters introduced, but I didn't often feel like I comprehended their personality. And at times, the manner in which the action occurred felt a bit mechanical.

However, Benston's subject matter in this first book was intriguing. She seems to be an author who has really interesting ideas. Also, In the Wash is a quick read, which is often desirable.