3 1/2 stars of whimsical murder and mystery

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Dirty Harriet Rides Again by Miriam Auerbach


The opening scene is of Harriet having ditched her... black leggings, black tank top and leathers...for a rented Vera Wang...with four-inch sandals. Little did our leather wearing, hog riding, gun toting, gorgeous  investigative babe know that she would be caught in the middle of a murder case at her gay friends' wedding. Harriet fortunately is on hand to use her investigative skills at this crucial moment.

Harriet Horowitz is a recent ex Boca Babe Searching for a new reality. She  is a domestic abuse survivor, turned Private Investigator, a smart, yet self deprecating character, whose internal dialogue catches us up with her story. This running commentary is delightful--savvy and humorous. Add to that, her relationship with her bike and her martial arts skills, oh, and her relationship with said skills instructor. Harriet is a warrior woman, larger than life.
Watching her tangled steps as she works through her  'life changing struggles',  we sit on the sidelines cheering. Developing friendships is a new challenge. As Harriet says, 'recovery was forging real relationships instead of faux friendships.'
Mind you Harriet's philosophical conversations with her alligator neighbour Lana get a little wild, but they clear all our heads.  An alligator for a life coach is somewhat handy.
When the murder investigation moves from not just one death but three, Harriet turns out to be on quite the ride.
I enjoyed many aspects of Harriet. I really liked her. The murders themselves are for several reasons just bizarre. An amusing tongue-in-cheek mystery showcasing a hard hitting and likeable lead.

A NetGalley ARC

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