Death by Sample Size

Holly Swimsuit Mystery Book 1

Fiction - Mystery - Sleuth
179 Pages
Reviewed on 02/18/2023
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

Death by Sample Size: A Hilarious Whodunit by Susie Black is the first book in the Holly Swimsuit Mystery series. It is no secret that Holly’s co-worker Bunny is difficult. Holly certainly doesn’t get along with her, but she never predicted that someone would go as far as killing her. When one of her co-workers gets blamed for Bunny’s murder, Holly believes that the police have the wrong guy, but can she prove it? She decides to dive into the case herself and sets out to catch the real culprit. Holly turns to her closest friends for help and together they embark on an epic sleuthing adventure that will bring them face-to-face with a killer.

The tone is comical from the outset with Holly’s attitude quickly established through her opinion of Bunny. The mystery revolves around Bunny, who Susie Black develops as a character at the beginning of the story, setting up the motives of potential suspects. Sleuthing puts Holly into some amusing (and dangerous) situations such as receiving a threatening note and the fear of being close to a killer. Holly’s group of friends (the yentas) is an important aspect of her story with Sonia, Queenie, Hope, and Joan providing her with backup and support as the mystery unfolds. Each one has a distinct personality such as the vivacious and quick-witted Joan, and Hope who is on the shady side of her thirties. They are bonded over their jobs, and it creates a foundation for the closeness of this group of friends. These characters add charm and hilarity, which helps to maintain the comedic tone.

Swimsuits are a central theme and are seen throughout the story. The writing creates vivid visuals that have a dose of humor in the phrasing such as damp fingers of morning fog giving the air a chewy texture, innards twisted around like a slinky, and like a barbershop pole had a child with a fire hydrant. The comedy is top-notch with antics such as her getting stuck in a chair and wiggling to get free. Mystery lovers and those that appreciate wit will enjoy Death by Sample Size with its clever writing, charming characters, murder mystery, and amusing premise.

Susie Black

Meryl, thank you for adding your review and your kind words. I am thrilled you enjoyed the story. Susie Black.

Meryl Brown Tobin

The first novel in award-winning author Susie Black’s Holly Swimsuit Mystery series about murder in the rag trade, ‘Death by Sample Size’, is a well-written who-dun-it.

The main character, Holly Shlivnik, is a quick-thinking, witty ladies’ swimwear sales executive. The novel’s first sentence lets readers know she is someone out of the ordinary: Before the first inkling of dawn, I said good morning to the nosy crane I shared my slip with as I hoisted myself over my houseboat’s forward deck.

As readers drive to work through LA traffic with Holly, they learn the sort of wisecracking, personality plus young woman she is. Before long she and readers come across a dead body trussed up with shipping tape like a dressed Thanksgiving turkey ready for the oven with a bikini stuffed in her mouth. They also meet a minor character Ernesto, the ancient security guard who was incapable of stopping a wayward bicycle let alone a real intruder.

Black’s writing is concise and fast-paced. In only a few words she paints the unpleasantness of character Bunny. For instance, Bunny examined me as though she was appraising a side of beef. At their first meeting the repartee between Bunny and Holly is entertaining, with Bunny deliberately disrespecting Holly by addressing her as Dolly.

Early on, beside meeting other main players, readers meet the Yentas, a group of women friends, of which Holly is one, who have morning coffee every day.

This is the second of two books of the Holly Swimsuit Mystery series I have read. Though each is a stand-alone mystery, I would recommend reading them in order, as, to some extent, one builds on the other. Holly establishes herself as a memorable protagonist in ‘Death by Sample Size’ and meeting her again in ‘Death by Dreidel’ would have been like catching up with an old friend.

Each of the books sports a cheerful skeleton on the cover and this cleverly links the books.