Book Review: Popped

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Popped     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Carol Higgins Clark
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Cozy   Private Investigator   Woman Main Character   Humorous
Series: Regan Riley # 7
Scribner, Oct 2003, $23.00, 266 pp.

The owner of Hot Air Cable Roscoe Parker has two television shows competing against each other for a slot on his network. Bubbles Ferndale is producing and starring in a sitcom she hopes to get on the air while her competition Danny Madley is trying to get his reality show on Rosco’s network. Danny has three married couples competing to see which one should renew theier vows in a hot air balloon and cash in a million-dollar check.

When malicious pranks start happening on the set, Danny is worried enough to call his friend private investigator Regan Reilly to learn who is sabotaging the show. Many, but not all the tricks, can be attributed to Roscoe who loves stirring the pot. However, someone outside of his control is trying to hurt the contestants and he wants to discover the culprit. Between escalating pranks, each team trying to outwit the other, and team members trying to outsmart the competition, Regan has a hard time keeping everyone alive.

The judges of the reality show Uncle Heartburn and Aunt Agony are just two of the funny, quirky and eccentric characters that populate the pages of POPPED. This is a delightful screwball farce that will have the audience in stitches of laughter. Nobody gets killed and no blood is shed so fans that don’t like violence in their mystery novels will want to read Carol Higgins Clark’s lighthearted satirical cozy.

Harriet Klausner

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