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Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite
What Happened in Vegas by Katie Bloomstrom is the second in the Samantha Stone Mystery series, following The Trouble with St. John. Sam Stone has a new goal in life: unofficial private sleuth working for rich Italian Francisco Vitale. Her new job? Searching for Vitale's missing granddaughters, Anna and Leah. Seems simple. Except that Anna kidnapped Leah and took her to Vegas. She has a week to find and recover Leah, earning $35 an hour. That's more than what she earned at her dead end job in the Minnesota town of Elkton. Pretty straightforward. If she doesn't include the dead body she finds at her first lead, or the growing list of suspects for the murder, or the fact that someone is going out of their way to frame her for stealing an expensive necklace from the hotel where she's staying. This doesn't include the attractive cop who seems to hate her, the hot and cold phone conversations with the FBI agent she met in St. John, the notorious Vegas mob, the Savoy Six, being connected, her ex-fiance who doesn't seem to get the hint, and keeping up with her blog.
What Happened in Vegas is a delightful sleuth mystery. Sam Stone has a fun, witty, and smart personality that makes it easy to get caught up in what she has to say. Her blog entries never felt repetitive. They add a bit of commentary on events that are happening, and give background if you haven't read the first book yet (and politely scolds you for not having done). She's only been a PI for a matter of days. She's new and doesn't hesitate to admit that. Nothing she does can be deemed as perfect, which makes it so great. Sam has all the charm of Nancy Drew, but with added flaws that make her easy to relate to. Touching the body at a crime scene, and stealing evidence are among the mistakes she makes. Katie Bloomstrom creates a tangled web of seedy and suspicious characters in gritty Las Vegas. Spending time with Sam is like spending time with a snarky friend. What Happened in Vegas has charm, wit, and humor.
