Reading over Reality

TITLE: A Plus One for Murder
AUTHOR: Laura Bradford
SERIES: Friend for Hire Mystery (#1)
RELEASES: December 7, 2021 by Berkley
GENRE: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction
AGE RANGE: Adult
RATING: 1 out 5
SYNOPSIS: Entrepreneur Emma Westlake is reinventing herself as a hired friend when murder gets in the way in this exciting new mystery series from USA Today bestselling author Laura Bradford.

Emma Westlake has always wanted to be in business for herself. As a kid, she had her own successful lemonade stand and dog-walking business. And when she entered adulthood, Emma sunk all her cash into her dream job of travel planning. But as her customers became more and more internet savvy, the need for her services declined. At a loss for what to do next, she turns to an elderly friend who suggests she try to get paid for doing something she's really good at--being a paid companion. Emma thinks it's a crazy idea until requests start pouring in. Big Max from down the block wants her to act as his wingman at the local senior center's upcoming dance, nurse practitioner Stephanie needs a workout partner, and writer Brian Hill asks Emma to be his cheering section at an open mic night.

Brian will be reading from his latest work and wants to know someone will clap for him when he's done. When Emma balks at the notion that people wouldn't, he tells her the room will be filled with people he's invited--most of whom will likely want him dead by the time he's done reading. Assuming he's joking, she laughs. But when Brian steps up to the mic and clears his throat to speak, he promptly drops dead. Emma is one of the last people to see him alive, and so she becomes an immediate suspect. Now she'll have to cozy up to a killer to save her skin and her new business.

REVIEW: Emma Westlake has always dreamed of owning her own business. As an adult, she invested all her savings into the job of her dreams: travel planning. However, she saw her services diminish as her customers became increasingly internet-savvy. When she's lost for what to do, an elderly friend suggests she try being a paid companion, something she has a lot of experience doing.

The idea seems wild to Emma until the requests begin to pour in. A neighbor from down the block wants her as his wingman at an upcoming dance at the local senior center, a nurse practitioner needs a workout buddy, and a writer wants Emma to be his cheering section at an open mic.

When Emma balks, he tells her the room will be full of people he's invited--most of whom will want him dead when he finishes. She laughs, thinking he's joking. Upon stepping up to the mic, Brian drops dead. As one of the last people to see him alive, Emma becomes an immediate suspect. She must cozy up to a killer to save herself and the business she's just started.

I had a tough time getting through this book. My first impression of the main character was that she was so stupid. The suspect was poisoned, and she fled the scene, taking evidence with her. My jaw dropped in disbelief at how stupid she was.

There is barely any discussion of the murder mystery until about halfway through the book when it focuses instead on the main character's new job. This doesn't add anything to the plot.

I skimmed through many of the pages because there was so much fluff. One chapter would feature the main character talking to one person, and then the next would feature the same conversation rehashed with very similar dialogue. It seemed overly redundant. Despite the main character's apparent love for her dog, I did not enjoy their incessant dialogue. Emma's occasional conversation with her dog would have been fine if it had added anything to the plot. Once again, though, most of it seemed like unnecessary fluff, so I skipped over it.

Overall, the book was disappointing due to its lack of focus on the murder mystery and excessive filler content.