Vice and Virtue - (A Layla Virtue Mystery) by Libby Klein (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Layla is taking her new life one day at a time from the Lake Pinecrest Trailer Park she now calls home. Being alone is how she likes it. Simple. Uncomplicated. Though try telling that to the group of local ladies who are in relentless pursuit of Layla as their new BFF, determined to make her join them for coffee and donuts. Meanwhile, since her first career ended in a literal explosion, Layla's trying to eke out a living as a rock musician. It's not easy competing against garage bands who work for tacos and create their music on a computer, while all she has is an electric guitar and leather-ish pants. But Layla isn't in a position to turn down any gig. Which is why she's at an 8-year-old's birthday party, watching as Chuckles the Clown takes a bow under the balloon animals. No one expects it will be his last... Who would want to kill a clown--and why? Layla and her unshakable posse are suddenly embroiled in the seedy underbelly of the upper-class world of second wives and trust fund kids, determined to uncover what magnetic hold a pudgy, balding clown had over women who seem to have everything they could ever want. Then again, Layla knows full well that people are rarely quite what they seem--herself included..."--

Book Synopsis

Layla Virtue, a blue-haired, 30-something recovering alcoholic and former cop is trying to reinvent herself as a musician--between AA meetings, dodging eccentric neighbors at her trailer park, and reconnecting with her mysterious dad--in this ​unforgettable new mystery brimming with hilarity and heart for readers of Margot Douaihy, Jane Pek, and Darynda Jones.

Layla is taking her new life one day at a time from the Lake Pinecrest Trailer Park she now calls home. Being alone is how she likes it. Simple. Uncomplicated. Though try telling that to the group of local ladies who are in relentless pursuit of Layla as their new BFF, determined to make her join them for coffee and donuts.

Meanwhile, since her first career ended in a literal explosion, Layla's trying to eke out a living as a rock musician. It's not easy competing against garage bands who work for tacos and create their music on a computer, while all she has is an electric guitar and leather-ish pants. But Layla isn't in a position to turn down any gig. Which is why she's at an 8-year-old's birthday party, watching as Chuckles the Clown takes a bow under the balloon animals. No one expects it will be his last . . .

Who would want to kill a clown--and why? Layla and her unshakable posse are suddenly embroiled in the seedy underbelly of the upper-class world of second wives and trust fund kids, determined to uncover what magnetic hold a pudgy, balding clown had over women who seem to have everything they could ever want. Then again, Layla knows full well that people are rarely quite what they seem--herself included . . .

Review Quotes

Praise for Libby Klein

"A cast of wacky characters, plenty of humor, and the antiques and B&B frame provide the appeal. The story concludes with a selection of gluten-free recipes." --Booklist on Antique Auctions Are Murder

"Fans of Chopped will have fun juggling the complicated set of suspects and following a romantic triangle that has yet to be resolved." --Kirkus Reviews on Restaurant Weeks are Murder

"A funny series with plenty of twists and some gluten-free recipes to try, this will suit plenty of fans." --The Parkersburg News and Sentinel on Theater Nights are Murder

"An inside, irreverent look into the high-profile world of celebrity culinary arts. Hilarious!" --Suspense Magazine on Restaurant Weeks are Murder

"Lots of comical characters keep the chuckles coming as the determined Poppy solves a surprisingly difficult puzzle." --Kirkus Reviews on Midnight Snacks are Murder

About the Author

Libby Klein is author of the Vice and Virtue series and the Poppy McAllister mysteries. A member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Women's Fiction Writers Association, she writes out of her Northern Virginia home with her sweet black Lab named Vader, and a very naughty Persian named Miss Eliza Doolittle. Visit her online at LibbyKleinBooks.com.