Harley Jane Kozak

So here's another favorite from my shelves that you may not be reading. Harley Jane Kozak, a woman of many talents (starred in films like Arachnophobia and Parenthood) writes a great series with a fantastic heroine. Wollie Shelley (Wollstonecraft Shelley as in Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley) is a greeting card artist who wants just a few things out of life, her own franchise store and a nice guy. Too bad she seems to have the worst luck ever in both departments. 

Dating Dead Men is the first in the series and once again it has been way too long since I read this so, here's what PW had to say about Harley Jane's fabulously hilarious debut:

"Even Stephanie Plum's antics will seem sedate after readers make the acquaintance of Los Angeles's own Wollie Shelley, greeting card designer and small business owner. Wollie is dating 40 men in 60 days as part of a research project for a bestselling radio personality; the $5,000 fee could help her struggling store, "Wollie's Welcome! Greetings." In particular, Wollie's worried about inspections from national headquarters, who want to ensure that her franchise is up to standard. Her already full plate gets loaded up further when her paranoid schizophrenic brother, P.B., who resides at a mental hospital called Rio Pescado, phones to tell her he's witnessed a murder. The last thing Wollie wants is to call the police, so she dashes off to Rio Pescado. On the way she finds a dead body. At the hospital she picks up a charismatic stranger, "Doc," who's on the run, and Wollie can't help getting herself mixed up in his troubles as well. Juggling dates, avoiding the bad guys on Doc's trail, trying to keep her store up to snuff and figuring out what to feed the ferret Doc left in her care have Wollie hopping at a pace reminiscent of the best 1930s screwball film comedies. Kozak has struck gold first time out with a wacky, high-octane plot and characters to match." 

Guaranteed to have you rolling around laughing in tears! Dating Dead Men is followed Dating is Murder and Dead Ex. The fourth book in the series is due out in March 2009 and is called A Date You Can't Refuse. I love this series. It's one of those sleeper hits that everyone should be reading especially if you love Stephanie Plum.