Bad Day in a Banana Hammock (A Zach and Zora Mystery Book 1)

From the Publisher: Zach wakes up with no memory, no phone, and no clothes except his stripper g-string. And oh yeah! There’s that pesky naked dead guy in bed next to him. Problem is Zach's not gay. Or a murderer. At least, he doesn't think so. Only one person can help him, his sister, Zora. Of course Zora's got problems of her own—she has three kids at home and is eight month's pregnant with the fourth. So she’s a bit cranky. But that’s not going to stop her from helping her brother. With kids in tow, the siblings set how to find the true killer, clear Zach's name, and reassure Zach he's not gay.

My Review: This was a really great short read! It had all the things I liked in a mystery/comedy: Humor, wit, good characters, and, of course, a good mystery! :)

The book opens on our main character, Zach (a male dancer), who has just woken up in an unfamiliar place, next to a man. But the kicker is, as Zach very soon finds out, the man is dead! So what does he do? He vomits. I think I'd probably do the same if I was ever in that situation. HA! Upon his not-so-great discovery, he also soon realizes that he has nothing on but his g-string! He frantically looks around for his clothes only to find they are gone! About this time he hears police sirens and makes a very hasty decision, he runs for it, all the while worried not so much about the body and that he is more than likely the #1 suspect, but the fact that if news gets out that he was in bed with a man, he'll be thought of as gay! Heavens, he can't have that!! Not in his line of work. ;)

All this is the start of crazy day that includes Zach's sister, Zora, an ex-security guard for a large company. She's very pregnant and used to her brother getting into trouble, but murder?! This ensues a very relatable (to us moms, anyway) situation with bringing kids along on something that you're trying to keep low-key. I found myself cracking up at some of the scenes.

I don't want to give much more away, simply because it's not that long of a book and you'll just have to read it to see all the crazy lengths Zora and Zach will go to prove his innocence. But you won't see it coming as to who is behind all of it. At least I didn't.

The only thing I didn't like about it was Zach came across as dumb, which I guess is stereotypical of a male dancer? But I would have liked it if he was written as having a little more sense. Like a very sexy male dancer with not only a big "banana" but also brains to go along with it. ;)) Having said that, I still very much enjoyed the book!

So grab a copy of Bad Day in a Banana Hammock and be prepared to laugh! Plus, this is the first book in the series, so I can't wait for the next one to come out.

                                                   **** 4 Stars! I Really Liked This Book!