Laura DiSilverio

This series keeps getting better. If you haven’t read the first two Mall Cop books, do so. Malled to Death can be read and enjoyed without reading the previous two, but why deprive yourself? EJ is a wounded warrior – a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who must give up her military career due to a leg injury. When police departments do not offer her a job, she resorts to security work at a suburban mall. This setting presents plenty of entertaining situations and characters. EJ must operate as an amateur sleuth since being a mall cop does not carry any official status, a situation that a handsome local detective reminds her of constantly.

In Malled to Death, EJ’s famous actor father takes center stage when his action movie is filmed at the Fernglen Mall. EJ has spent her adult life trying to escape the Hollywood scene. Complicating things further, the mysterious proprietor of a cookie shop on the food court escalates their relationship.

Without getting political or maudlin, DiSilverio weaves the plight of wounded war veterans into her story when a soldier with a head injury is implicated in a movie prop manager’s death. EJ feels compelled to clear the soldier of the murder and sorts through the many suspects with the help of her retired CIA agent grandfather.

I tried to solve the murder before the final scene, but the ending caught me by surprise. If you are looking for a fun read with the right combination of humor and depth, try the Mall Cop series. You won’t be disappointed.
… (meer)