Book Review: The Last Cheerleader

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Last Cheerleader     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Meg O'Brien
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Thriller
Mira, Dec 2003, $6.50

Hollywood based literary agent Mary Beth Conaghan is stunned when she learns her ex husband Arnold and her top selling author Tony Price were murdered side by side. The weapon is an Ivory Chinese dildo, something that the gay community loves. Police Detective Dan Rucker questions Mary Beth who offers nothing to the investigation except that she is sure neither victim was gay.

Not long afterward, Mary Beth goes to meet with another of her writers only to find Craig dead in his motel room with a dildo nearby. As Dan seeks the link to Mary Beth, her high school friend Lindy Van Court seeks sanctuary from her husband with her. Apparently Roger, CEO of Courtland Pharmaceuticals, tossed Lindy out of their home as she objected to his use of illegal drugs on their ailing daughter. Mary Beth soon finds the link between the drug company and her dead writers with only Dan keeping her from joining the dead literary club.

THE LAST CHEERLEADER is an entertaining police procedural romance that cleverly ties the two subplots over the course of the tale through slowly emerging clues. The plot engages the audience from the moment a shocked Mary Beth learns of the dildo murders. Though she and Dan hop into bed too fast to seem realistic, Mary Beth is a solid heroine trying to understand how she is the connection between the homicides of the authors she represents. Meg O’Brien provides a terrific suspense laden story.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner