Trashy Chic is a light-hearted mystery told from the perspective of Bertie Mallowan, a reporter with a once-stellar record who has become disgruntled by recent newspaper-industry changes.
Synopsis
Bertie Mallowan used to write hard news stories, but now is stuck with subjects like fashion and other fluff. Bertie’s unhappiness shows in her actions—from dirty passwords on her computer to her latest sport, lying to management. In short, Bertie is on a collision course with trouble.
She interviews the king of must-have luxury items for the rich of Southern California—like monogrammed airbags for "The Crash with Panache" and mink coats pre-streaked with red paint to foil PETA kamikazes.
Two days after Bertie's interview, Bellingham's body is found on the floor in the family mansion, his skull smashed in by a blunt object. Thanks to her interview, Bertie has the inside track on a story that could put her back into the big time.
Despite being warned to drop the story by her boss, Bertie presses on. She’s convinced that any of the bizarre family members could have knocked off Bellingham. A second murder and an attack on Bertie bring her face-to-face with the kind of danger she's only ever written about—and a terror she’s never experienced.
Review
Lubenski writes with an easy style that draws the reader in. At times it feels as though the reader is listening to Bertie tell the story over coffee. The downside to a self-deprecating character like Bertie is that there are times when their antics become a bit much. Here, that happens when Bertie, the disaffected employee, lies to management for no apparent reason. She becomes a character who should be fired, yet isn’t because Lubenski portrays management as too dense to see through Bertie’s lies.
Trashy Chic is, however, driven by the likable Bertie, her flaws and her desire to get back to hard news. That desire drives her on even when she knows she should stop. And, as Bertie becomes more involved in the case, the stakes, and consequently, the suspense, escalate.
The revelations that hit her in both her personal and professional lives engender sympathy for Bertie and cause the reader to root for her despite the odds being stacked against her.
Learn more about Cathy Lubenski on her website at www.trashychicbook.com. See the real definition of “trashy chic.”
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