Lanya Virtue is a recovering alcoholic and former cop who is attempting to embark on a musical career. Thus, while performing at a child's birthday party, Chuckles the Clown dies from nicotine poisoning. Additionally, at her AA meetings, Bree, Charise, and Scarlett befriend Lanya, and before she knows it, the entire group, are trying to solve the murder.Â
I have to be honest I was quite disappointed in the murder mystery, and I had many questions regarding who was harassing Lanya. Such as who spray-painted her trailer with "MURDER" and left a six-pack of beer outside her front door.Â
But I did enjoy the colorful characters throughout the story. For example, Don Virtue, Lanya's father and former rock superstar, who suffers from dementia from drug abuse when he was younger. Agnes Harcourt is a member of the HOA for Pinecrest Trailer Park along with Myrtle Jean Maud and Clifford Bagstrodt. Anyway, according to the bylaws, all holiday decorations must be taken down and stored away until next season within the end of the holiday. Unfortunately, Jeanette Winthrop, one of the residents, still had her July 4th flag (aka regular American flag) still displayed therefore, she earned herself an infraction and three weeks of community service. But since she died over a month ago, she was excused from doing community service.Â
I chuckled while reading this book and am definitely looking forward to the next installment in this series.Â
I have to be honest I was quite disappointed in the murder mystery, and I had many questions regarding who was harassing Lanya. Such as who spray-painted her trailer with "MURDER" and left a six-pack of beer outside her front door.Â
But I did enjoy the colorful characters throughout the story. For example, Don Virtue, Lanya's father and former rock superstar, who suffers from dementia from drug abuse when he was younger. Agnes Harcourt is a member of the HOA for Pinecrest Trailer Park along with Myrtle Jean Maud and Clifford Bagstrodt. Anyway, according to the bylaws, all holiday decorations must be taken down and stored away until next season within the end of the holiday. Unfortunately, Jeanette Winthrop, one of the residents, still had her July 4th flag (aka regular American flag) still displayed therefore, she earned herself an infraction and three weeks of community service. But since she died over a month ago, she was excused from doing community service.Â
I chuckled while reading this book and am definitely looking forward to the next installment in this series.Â
Dollycas's Thoughts
Layla Virtue now calls the Lake Pinecrest Trailer Park home. The 30-something blue-haired former cop is trying to hold on to her sobriety as she tries to make a living as a musician. So, she is playing at dive bars, open mic nights, and kids' birthday parties, hoping to get her big break. She also attends AA meetings and is doing all she can to avoid interacting with her neighbors.
When a clown dies at one of the kids' parties right in front of her eyes, her life under the radar explodes. Soon, a group of women from the AA meetings are determined to become friends, and a new neighbor has caught her interest. The women are on board to help her delve into the lives of the upper-class wives, some of whom had romantic relationships with the most undesirable Chuckles the Clown, to try to see who took him down as he made his final balloon animal, and why.
Libby Klein's fabulous sense of humor shines from the very first line and is on display until the very last line. In between, there is a heck of a story.
Layla Virtue had a devastating event in her past, which led her to make some drastic changes. Ms. Klein reveals what that event was slowly, which draws the reader in magnificently, wanting to learn the backstory of our flawed protagonist. We also meet Layla's dad, a famous rocker from back in the day, who was touring until shortly before he arrived for his visit. Trying to keep his identity a secret led to some truly hilarious moments. Layla has a new canine neighbor who spends more time with her than he does with his hunky owner. We also meet Layla's other neighbors, members of her AA group, and mothers of the children at the kids' birthday parties. All were cleverly crafted with depth and their own battles, flaws, and responsibilities.
The author has wrapped her characters in an incredible story with a tough-to-solve mystery. There are so many people who could have wanted Chuck McCracken, aka Chuckles the Clown, dead. Being a former cop, Layla knows the ins and outs of an investigation. Asking the right questions, following the clues, circling back to ask more questions, staying ready for the twists and turns. Having new friends to help her was an added plus. I had a great time following them step by step until the sting when all was revealed.
In addition to the mystery, we delve into Layla's father's life and the hole in Layla's life while he was off touring. It tugged on my heartstrings as they came back together, and how he showed his love for her. It was always the right way, but his heart was in the right place. He does bring a lot of humor to the story, but he also brought tears to my eyes.
This story is filled with multiple themes: friendship, aging, PTSD, dementia, fraud, gambling, and murder. These tough topics are wonderfully entwined in a book filled with heart and humor.
Vice and Virtue has set this series off to a fantastic start. It was impossible to put down. Funny, smart, heartwarming, and entertaining. I loved every minute of it. I am over the moon excited for this series to continue. I enjoyed it so much, I am giving it my A Trip to Paradise rating, and it will hold a place on my Best Reads of 2025 list.
Layla Virtue now calls the Lake Pinecrest Trailer Park home. The 30-something blue-haired former cop is trying to hold on to her sobriety as she tries to make a living as a musician. So, she is playing at dive bars, open mic nights, and kids' birthday parties, hoping to get her big break. She also attends AA meetings and is doing all she can to avoid interacting with her neighbors.
When a clown dies at one of the kids' parties right in front of her eyes, her life under the radar explodes. Soon, a group of women from the AA meetings are determined to become friends, and a new neighbor has caught her interest. The women are on board to help her delve into the lives of the upper-class wives, some of whom had romantic relationships with the most undesirable Chuckles the Clown, to try to see who took him down as he made his final balloon animal, and why.
Libby Klein's fabulous sense of humor shines from the very first line and is on display until the very last line. In between, there is a heck of a story.
Layla Virtue had a devastating event in her past, which led her to make some drastic changes. Ms. Klein reveals what that event was slowly, which draws the reader in magnificently, wanting to learn the backstory of our flawed protagonist. We also meet Layla's dad, a famous rocker from back in the day, who was touring until shortly before he arrived for his visit. Trying to keep his identity a secret led to some truly hilarious moments. Layla has a new canine neighbor who spends more time with her than he does with his hunky owner. We also meet Layla's other neighbors, members of her AA group, and mothers of the children at the kids' birthday parties. All were cleverly crafted with depth and their own battles, flaws, and responsibilities.
The author has wrapped her characters in an incredible story with a tough-to-solve mystery. There are so many people who could have wanted Chuck McCracken, aka Chuckles the Clown, dead. Being a former cop, Layla knows the ins and outs of an investigation. Asking the right questions, following the clues, circling back to ask more questions, staying ready for the twists and turns. Having new friends to help her was an added plus. I had a great time following them step by step until the sting when all was revealed.
In addition to the mystery, we delve into Layla's father's life and the hole in Layla's life while he was off touring. It tugged on my heartstrings as they came back together, and how he showed his love for her. It was always the right way, but his heart was in the right place. He does bring a lot of humor to the story, but he also brought tears to my eyes.
This story is filled with multiple themes: friendship, aging, PTSD, dementia, fraud, gambling, and murder. These tough topics are wonderfully entwined in a book filled with heart and humor.
Vice and Virtue has set this series off to a fantastic start. It was impossible to put down. Funny, smart, heartwarming, and entertaining. I loved every minute of it. I am over the moon excited for this series to continue. I enjoyed it so much, I am giving it my A Trip to Paradise rating, and it will hold a place on my Best Reads of 2025 list.
