New Additions To The TBR Pile in August

The Butcher Of Beverly Hills by Jennifer Colt

Description: Two pairs of private eyes are better than one...

WHO IS KILLING THE RICH SOCIETY WIDOWS OF BEVERLY HILLS?

Meet Kerry and Terry McAfee --- identical twin sisters who have nothing in common save their red hair and California-girl looks. Kerry's the good girl, a straight-A student who won a scholarship to UCLA. Terry's the bad girl, whose appetite for nose candy won her a spot in the slammer. When Terry gets out of jail, the twins decide to open their own business as private investigators --- and soon they're keeping L.A. safe with the help of their trusty sidekicks, a Pomeranian name Paquito and a pug named Muffy.

When wealthy socialite Lenore Richling's twentysomething gold-digging boy toy of a husband absconds with ten thousand dollars' worth of her jewelry, she does what anyone in her position would do: she checks herself in for a plastic surgery shopping spree, then calls the McAfee twins for help. While Lenore recuperates from her face-lift in a luxury hotel, the gals hop on their hot-pink Harley-Davidson and begin investigating a bevy of suspicious characters, including Barbie, a bimbo beauty consultant with buns of steel; Daniel Hattrick, a painkiller-pushing plastic surgeon, and Hugh Binion, a silver-haired, snake-tongued Hollywood attorney. Before they know it, the twins are wading in dead husbands, purloined cash, crotchless panties, mystery pills, and a body count high enough to make even tough cookies like them a little squeamish.

With a razor-sharp wit that brilliantly brings to life L.A.'s most eccentric personalities, The Butcher Of Beverly Hills marks the debut of two of the hottest sleuths since Stephanie Plum --- and delivers a fast-paced, highly original take that will keep you guessing until the very end.



Smashed Squashed Splattered Chewed Chunked And Spewed by Lance Carbuncle

Description: Idjit Galoot has a problem. He escaped from his master's house for a brief romp around town, seeking out easy targets such as bitches in heat, fresh roadkill and unguarded garbage cans. When he returns to his house, the aged basset hound discovers that his master has packed up their belongings and moved to Florida without him. "Smashed, Squashed, Splattered, Chewed, Chunked and Spewed" is the story of Idjit Galoot's ne'er do well owner and his efforts to work his way back to the dog that he loves. Along the way, Idjit's owner encounters Christian terrorists, swamp-dwelling taxidermists, carnies, a b-list poopie-groupie, bluesmen on the run from a trickster deity, and the Florida Skunk Ape.


Confessions Of A Pregnant Princess by Swan Adamson

Description: When Marcello Brunelli --- aka II Principe of one of Italy's oldest and most fabulous families --- declared his love to down-on-her-luck, done-with-men Venus Gilroy, she learned a few eyebrow-raising things about love and life. And now she's willing to share...

PORTLAND, OREGON, REALLY IS A LONG WAY FROM ROME.

When a prince invites you to his place, it's not for take-out Chinese and a DVD. No, Marcello flew me home, a sprawling palace where we could be under the same roof and still a mile away from each other. It was a far cry from my ratty apartment and my usual luck with men. Turns out Marcello wanted me to teach him about slacking while he did his suave Italian best to seduce me...

LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND ROYAL ARE KIND OF ... BORING.

Prince or not, Marcello was an everyday workaholic. Well, "everyday" in the "jetting off and meeting with other captains of industry" sense. Which left me noddling around the palazzo with his suspicious adult daughter, his more-royal-than-thou mother ---- and Johnny, his hot-and-hunky chauffeur, as my Vespa-driving tour guide.

THERE'S A CHANCE FAIRY TALES JUST MIGHT COE TRUE ANYWAY...

Romance and Rome match up like a little black dress on a blonde, and it didn't take long for me to fall head over high heels for Marcello --- for real. But sometimes even fairy tales can surprise you...





Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger

Description: The bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada and Everyone Worth Knowing returns with the story of three best friends who vow to change their entire lives...and change them fast.

Emmy is newly single, and not by choice. She was this close to the ring and the baby she's wanted her whole life when her boyfriend left her for his twenty-three-year-old personal trainer -- whose fees are paid by Emmy. With her plans for the perfect white wedding in the trash, Emmy is now ordering takeout for one. Her friends insist an around-the-world sex-fueled adventure will solve all her problems -- could they be right?

Leigh, a young star in the publishing business, is within striking distance of landing her dream job as senior editor and marrying her dream guy. And to top it all off, she has just purchased her dream apartment. Only when Leigh begins to edit the enfant terrible of the literary world, the brilliant and brooding Jesse Chapman, does she start to notice some cracks in her perfect life...

Adriana is the drop-dead-gorgeous daughter of a famous supermodel. She possesses the kind of feminine wiles made only in Brazil, and she never hesitates to use them. But she's about to turn thirty and -- as her mother keeps reminding her -- she won't have her pick of the men forever. Everyone knows beauty is ephemeral and there's always someone younger and prettier right around the corner. Suddenly she's wondering...does Mother know best?

These three very different girls have been best friends for a decade in the greatest city on earth. As they near thirty, they're looking toward their future...but despite all they've earned -- first-class travel, career promotions, invites to all the right parties, and luxuries small and large -- they're not quite sure they like what they see...

One Saturday night at the Waverly Inn, Adriana and Emmy make a pact: within a single year, each will drastically change her life. Leigh watches from the sidelines, not making any promises, but she'll soon discover she has the most to lose. Their friendship is forever, but everything else is on the table. Three best friends. Two resolutions. One year to pull it off.




Carbs And Cadavers by J.B. Stanley

Description: Except for an extra fifty pounds, former English Lit professor James Henry hasn't got much left to lose. Recently divorced, he's left the university job he loved and returned to his hometown to care for his cranky widowed father. To improve his social life and his waistline, James joins a new supper club for dieters where he meets Lucy Hanover, an attractive woman who works in the sheriff's department and dreams of becoming a deputy someday. When someone mysteriously drops dead in the Sweet Tooth Bakery, James and his fellow dieters find themselves in the midst of a sticky murder investigation. Dodging delectable temptations, savory treats, and bullets, the supper club members must turn up the heat to find the killer.