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Claire Fontaine is a 20-something female with a sophisticated sense of fashion, a taste for the best things in life and a rich father with the money to help her acquire what she wants. She also has an interest in solving homicides. Luckily her daddy has contacts in the mayor's office and is able get her a job interview with Henry Bennett, an ex LAPD homicide cop, now a PI with a first-class reputation for solving the hard cases. Claire thinks a partnership with Bennett would be peachy, but to her astonishment Bennett, with his middle-aged paunch, non-existent personal grooming habits, and horrible suits doesn't even want her as a receptionist! Claire cannot accept that. A not too subtle reminder that giving her a job would make the mayor happy is all that is required for Bennett, who needs his City Hall contacts for his work, to give Claire a try. Claire immediately gets to the important part of her new job. She purchases a few quality office furnishings for herself, chooses the right Ralph Lauren colors for the painters to brighten the office and a new carpet to pull it all together. Then she's ready for Bennett to let her in on all the gory details on his latest, hottest case. When Bennett refuses, Claire simply waits for him to leave the workplace and invites herself into his private office to take a look at his files. His latest case is the death and murder of Beth Valentine who was 22, a pretty party girl with lots of friends in low places and who was well liked by all until she was abducted, taken to an abandoned warehouse where her throat was slashed by a person or persons unknown. Claire immediately feels compelled to find poor Beth's killer and tries to think of an angle to get Bennett to let her in on the case. She soon convinces Bennett that what his investigation needs is a woman's point of view and a gentle touch, and he lets her speak to Beth's grieving mother. Now Claire is certain that a partnership with Bennett is just around the corner. This book is enjoyable but it has its flaws. Claire isn't a very well explored character; we learn all about her fashion opinions and standards but when the end of the book comes around we know as much about her background and history as when we started, almost nothing. Because of this, the reader can't build much of a bond with her. Claire seems to have sprung into life at age 25, completely educated and living the high life but there's no explanation as to why she had never taken any courses on being a private detective before this time if she always had such an interest and flair for the subject. The more you read, the more you understand that logic has no connection to this book. CLAIRE FONTAINE CRIME FIGHTER spins reality on its heels to prove that a sense of fashion style is as valid as 15 years of experience when investigating a homicide. There's also a secondary story of a budding romance between Claire and a mystery neighbor that outrageously and humorously uses every cliche in the romance genre handbook. If you're looking for a hard-boiled murder mystery, don't read CLAIRE FONTAINE CRIME FIGHTER. If you want realism and a tough leading female character, you won't find it in this book. But if you like a fast, fun read, written with a sense of humor as fashion accessories are used to solve a crime and bring down a killer, CLAIRE FONTAINE CRIME FIGHTER is just the book for you. It's light, but likable.
Reviewed by Sharon Katz, May 2006
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