Susan McBride certainly has created another titilating tale that is flying off the shelves of bookstores everywhere

Susan McBride, author

In college, Susan McBride was one of my favorite Pi Phi sisters because she was just so darn funny, nice, down to earth, as well as a bright journalism student. Little could I have guessed that she would go on to become a highly successful author with nearly a bookshelf full of best-selling titles to her credit!

Three weeks ago her most recent hit -- 5th in the Debutant Dropout Mystery Series (and the last) -- landed in bookstores: Too Pretty To Die (Harper Collins)

I learned today that it's gone back to press -- meaning GOBS, HORDES, LEGIONS of readers have already snatched up all of the paperback copies Harper Collins thought would satiate the appetite of Susan's many fans -- less than one month after being released!

They call them "pretty parties," and they're the latest rage among Dallas debutantes—get-togethers with light refreshments, heavy gossip, and Dr. Sonja Madhavi and her magic Botox needles. Former socialite Andy Kendricks normally wouldn't be caught dead at such an event, but she's attending as a favor to her friend Janet, a society reporter in search of a juicy story. And boy does she find one when aging beauty queen Miranda DuBois bursts into the room—drunk, disorderly, and packing a pistol.

Miranda's wrinkles have seen better days, and she blames it all on Dr. Madhavi. Luckily, Andy calms her down and gets her home to bed . . . where she's found dead the next morning. The police suspect suicide, but Andy knows that no former pageant girl would give up that easily. She's determined to find Miranda's killer herself, but she'll have to be careful. After all, Botox can make you look younger, but it can't bring you back from the grave.

Susan and her book are getting some terrific reviews including:

Gumshoe Review: "This is a marvelous series. The interaction between Andy and her mom is always worth reading. The look into the upper crust debutante world of Texas is very fun. The writing moves right along, with nary a dull moment. And the answer to the mystery is a little bit unexpected. This is a good book, and I enjoyed it. TOO PRETTY TO DIE is just too good to pass up."


Genre Go Round Reviews: TOO PRETTY TO DIE is a delightful Debutante Dropout mystery with a social message concerning the nation’s addiction to beauty at all cost. The protagonist of the humorous and charming cozy isn’t interested in beauty or her standing in society which makes her seem much more mature than many of the other characters. Susan McBride provides a fantastic amateur sleuth tale sprinkled with humor yet with a deep underlying question on wasting medical funds on the frivolous." by Harriet Klausner

Spring Break is coming -- don't forget to pick up your paperback copy before heading to the beach -- the sand and sun won't be as fun without this fast-paced mystery.