The Hellraiser of the Hollywood Hills (McAfee Twins, book #5) by Jennifer Colt

May 11, 2010 | Author Marcia

I want to thank author Jennifer Colt (also Jennifer Colt blogspot) for introducing me to Kerry and Terry McAfee her twenty-something PI, crime fighting twin sisters. In all my searches at Amazon these books never popped which is sad because I’ve really enjoyed reading this series. These ladies are a riot. Terry lives to live on the edge and Kerry lives to keep Terry from going over that edge. The twins are completely besotted with their rescued four-legged children so I had to love ‘em. Their sleuthing practices are a bit unorthodox but somehow, some way, usually stumbling across clues, they manage to get the job done. And just when you think the twins have solved the crime(s) and everything is tied up in a neat little package bow and all Ms. Colt throws in a twist or two that you won’t have seen coming. Knowing The Hellraiser of the Hollywood Hills is the 5th installment in this series I went back and read books #1 (The Butcher of Beverly Hills), #2 (The Mangler of Malibu Canyon), and #4 (The Con Artist of Catalina Island) though you certainly don’t have to. I skipped book #3, The Vampire of Venice Beach. If the word vampire is in the title or synopsis I am so not going any where near it. Actually Hellraiser should have been book #3 in this series but due to publishing issues became book #5. This is a fun, light-hearted PI mystery, with some chick-lit moments, making it a perfect beach read and a great escape from your hard-core blood and murder mayhem mysteries. After reading 4 of the 5 books I actually found The Hellraiser of the Hollywood Hills to be my least favorite for a couple of reasons. 1) I’m not a tabloid junkie so the story line wasn’t my fav and 2) I really, really missed not having great-aunt Reba and Cousin Robert around. Talk about two of the most over the top characters one can meet in a murder mystery. Hopefully Ms. Colt’s publishing situation will improve because I’m definitely looking forward to meeting up once again with the McAfee twins.

Here’s what others are saying: Because this novel is hot off the presses I wasn’t able to find any other independent blog reviews when I posted. Feel free to leave your post link in the comments if you’ve read and reviewed The Hellraiser of the Hollywood Hills.

While on a stakeout in a sketchy corner of Hollywood, twin detectives Kerry and Terry McAfee are mistaken for paparazzi by none other than pop music phenom Bethany. The girl is totally annoying, not to mention certifiably nuts, but when a gang of goons makes a grab for her, the twins reluctantly come to her rescue. Their heroics are rewarded with a job offer: keep an eye on the unpredictable pop princess until she leaves on her world tour. Desperate to improve their cash flow, the twins agree. Yet what begins as a glorified babysitting gig quickly devolves into a high-stakes game of murder, stolen identity, and blackmail. Fueled by high-octane action, suspense, and humor, the fifth installment of Jennifer Colt’s addictive McAfee Twins series will have readers perched on the edge of their seats one minute and howling with laughter the next. Together, Kerry and Terry tackle the seedy underbelly of Hollywood celebrity as only they can, with sass, nerve, and that infamous hot-pink Harley.