Review: Bitter Pill by Stacey Kade

Bitter Pill is one of Stacey's earlier releases that was published using the name Stacey Klemstein in 2008.  The book was edited and re-released in 2013 under Stacey Kade.

Rennie Harlow grew up in a small town and moved to Chicago after high school.  She graduated from college, got married, and had a great job.  Life was moving along smoothly until she discovered her husband was having an affair with his paralegal.  She moved back to her hometown and is now living in the apartment above her mother's garage while working as a freelance writer for the local paper.  As if being divorced and returning home isn't scandal enough, trouble constantly surfaces around her.  She has discovered not one, but three dead bodies over the past year and the townspeople are definitely talking.  

At the beginning of this book she finds the body of the local pharmacist.  She arrived early that morning to pick up her mother's medication and became concerned when the store was still dark and Doc Hallacy didn't open the door promptly at 8:00 a.m., which has been his routine for as long as she can remember.  As an investigative reporter she takes it upon herself to assist the attractive young sheriff, Jake Bristol, with the investigation.  Not only does she need to clear her name, but the first hand knowledge will make for a great story in the paper.

This is a light and sometimes humorous murder mystery.  Rennie isn't a skilled investigator, but she is personable and people feel comfortable talking to her.  She also has great intuition and can think outside the box.  That is why Bristol allows her to unofficially assist with the investigation and often invites her along to watch how people respond in various situations.  Being young and naive she finds herself in some dangerous situations and doesn't always interpret the clues correctly.  Especially when the warnings are directed at her.

I have enjoyed all of Stacey's book, but I would have to list this one towards the top.  738 Days is probably my favorite with Bitter Pill a close second.  I would recommend this book to any reader and not just someone looking for a mystery.  I flew through this book in only a couple of days and was definitely surprised by the ending.  It wasn't at all predictable and was highly entertaining from start to finish.