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Raven McShane #1
Diva Las Vegas
When Las Vegas exotic dancer Raven McShane launches a private detective business, no one takes her seriously. But when a former dancer and good friend needs help solving the town's most notorious murder, Raven joins forces with a built bouncer and a smokin' hot Mormon to uncover the killer's identity. Raven dodges casino thugs, old-money families, and long-buried secrets, all of which lead her down a path that's seedier than the strip in the morning light. If she can stay one step ahead of the killer, she just may prove that this beauty has brains, too.
200 pages, Paperback
First published November 21, 2011
180 people are currently reading
603 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
February 21, 2012
I liked this book...I didn't think it was to much like the Stephanie Plum series at all. Good, fun read. Yes Raven is a stripper but hello, the title should tell you something! It didn't bother me at all!
February 27, 2012
DIVA LAS VEGAS-STEVE AND CAROLINE DRIES
This brother and sister writing team is no slouch when it comes to murder mysteries. Just who killed George Hannity. Dissatisfied that the accused Cody Masterson was found innocent and set free; Georges widow Rachael wants some answers and to sue Cody for pain and suffering. She hires her friend PI Raven McShane to find the answers. As well as being a private investigator, Raven is an exotic dancer and uses this position to glean information from various players in the game. However Raven asks some of the wrong people the wrong questions and someone close to the murder wants her dead.
Diva Las Vegas is a page turner with many twists and turns in the plot and a very surprising ending. There is something for everyone in this story, humor, action and lots of steamy romance. While reading this I felt like I was in Vegas taking up the atmosphere of the place. Over all I give this book 5 poker chips. It is truly a high roller.
This brother and sister writing team is no slouch when it comes to murder mysteries. Just who killed George Hannity. Dissatisfied that the accused Cody Masterson was found innocent and set free; Georges widow Rachael wants some answers and to sue Cody for pain and suffering. She hires her friend PI Raven McShane to find the answers. As well as being a private investigator, Raven is an exotic dancer and uses this position to glean information from various players in the game. However Raven asks some of the wrong people the wrong questions and someone close to the murder wants her dead.
Diva Las Vegas is a page turner with many twists and turns in the plot and a very surprising ending. There is something for everyone in this story, humor, action and lots of steamy romance. While reading this I felt like I was in Vegas taking up the atmosphere of the place. Over all I give this book 5 poker chips. It is truly a high roller.
December 4, 2012
Reminds me of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum. While her day job (or night job, as the case is) make this a difficult book to discuss in mixed commpany, the novel is very well composed. Overall, a very well done whodunit.
January 6, 2012
I agree with the other reviewer who said she'd prefer if there weren't as much about the detective's "side job". it seemed like her main job was being a stripper, and I am not into that at all. But the second part of the book heated up a lot and if you can get passed some awkward moments with her lawyer-friend it is a good read.
April 11, 2012
Really solid mystery with some fun and adult situations thrown in. It wasn't wacky like Evanovich but there were some funny parts too.
March 3, 2012
I wish I could write a review and give this 0 or negative stars. I downloaded it, and am happy it was free because I got what I paid for. The buzz on this book was Kinsey Milhone (by Sue Grafton) meets Stephanie Plum (by Janet Evanovich). Ummm, not so much. The mystery was fairly pedestrian, and I guess culprit by the third chapter. The author obviously strived to be as outrageous as a Stephanie Plum novel. This just made the main character seem harder, promiscuous, and to have no morals at all. Other reviews have brought out the fact that the main character, Raven McShane, is a stripper. I didn't have a problem with her career choice, however, i did wonder at the author's lost chance of finding clues at her job. With so many men coming in and out of her life, it seemed like the perfect vehicle to further the story. Also lost was the opportunities to create a real mystery within the casino setting. Honestly, this would have been so much better if it weren't so very obvious. Dries committed the ultimate sin in a novel for me, and that is giving into stereotypes. Having one of the suspects turn out to be gay is almost a trite theme in our culture.
I would not read another book in this series. I would recommend that Dries either go back to creative writing, as another reviewer said, or decide if she wants to write mysteries or other kinds of lit because this story just did not work.
I would not read another book in this series. I would recommend that Dries either go back to creative writing, as another reviewer said, or decide if she wants to write mysteries or other kinds of lit because this story just did not work.
August 10, 2018
I really liked this book. In most ways a typical cozy mystery but I loved that the main character, Raven, is a stripper as well as a PI in Las Vegas. Two perfect occupations for a Las Vegas character. As a frequent visitor to that fun city, I think the author caught some of the character of the city in this story. Everything is a little more dramatic or glossy or over-the-top. The characters are familiar stereotypes but again, just a bit over-the-top. The culprit is a bit easy to guess but there is lots of story included in the mystery. I enjoyed it.
January 9, 2012
Light-hearted and fun. If you like Vegas, mysteries, and strong female lead characters, you'll enjoy this cleanly written story. I hope to read more about Raven McShane soon.
April 18, 2020
Didn’t like the protagonist, but she didn’t annoy me either. I was able to ignore that she was a lying cheat who thinks it’s ok to take advantage of people. I really didn’t like her character for that. But as I say the story was good enough for me to over look that.
I knew who the killer was right from the get go, but the author does to a good job in using lots of red herrings & giving multiple characters reasons to have killed George Hannity. There were moments when I did question if I was wrong, but turns out I was right.
I knew who the killer was right from the get go, but the author does to a good job in using lots of red herrings & giving multiple characters reasons to have killed George Hannity. There were moments when I did question if I was wrong, but turns out I was right.
March 31, 2012
I really liked the way that these authors played the city of Las Vegas. They did show an intimate knowledge of the city and it's inhabitants that added to the story line. Though I was a little disappointed in Raven, I picked out the bad guys three chapters in and it took her to almost the very end to pick out what was going on. And seeing how the story was in first in person Raven had all the same information I did, I got a little frustated with her for going off on other angles. But it wouldn't have been much of a story line if she had got everything from the very beginning.
Being in the first person, the authors didn't tell us our main characters name until she introduced herself to Philip d'Angelo the general manager of The Outpost the small casino her clients husband's family owned almost five chapters into the book. If it had not been a Raven McShane novel I would not have known who I was reading about. Her best friend, Rachel Hannity, didn't even address her by her first name when they saw each other for the first time in five years when she hires her to find something on the man that she was convinced murdered her husband three years ago.
Cody Masters on was married to George Hannity's sister, Amy, and was tried for the murder of George, but he had been found innocent. Now Rachel despertly needed money to get her out of the hands of some loan sharks so she was bringing a wrongful death suit against Cody and needed Raven's help. Raven found out, with the help of her supervising PI Mike Caffrey, that there was some serious skimming going on at The Outpost that involved Philip d'Angelo, Edward Hollis, head of Security, - who was having an affairs with Amy - and Cody. All were good candidates for killing George if he had found out about the skimming, and/or the affairs.
A fun little book about the back rooms lives of the movers and shakers in Vegas and a stripper who is looking toward the future by getting her Private Investagators licences before she can't dance anymore. I am not sure if I will be continuing with this series though.
Being in the first person, the authors didn't tell us our main characters name until she introduced herself to Philip d'Angelo the general manager of The Outpost the small casino her clients husband's family owned almost five chapters into the book. If it had not been a Raven McShane novel I would not have known who I was reading about. Her best friend, Rachel Hannity, didn't even address her by her first name when they saw each other for the first time in five years when she hires her to find something on the man that she was convinced murdered her husband three years ago.
Cody Masters on was married to George Hannity's sister, Amy, and was tried for the murder of George, but he had been found innocent. Now Rachel despertly needed money to get her out of the hands of some loan sharks so she was bringing a wrongful death suit against Cody and needed Raven's help. Raven found out, with the help of her supervising PI Mike Caffrey, that there was some serious skimming going on at The Outpost that involved Philip d'Angelo, Edward Hollis, head of Security, - who was having an affairs with Amy - and Cody. All were good candidates for killing George if he had found out about the skimming, and/or the affairs.
A fun little book about the back rooms lives of the movers and shakers in Vegas and a stripper who is looking toward the future by getting her Private Investagators licences before she can't dance anymore. I am not sure if I will be continuing with this series though.
February 29, 2012
Interesting story about a Skin Worker in Las Vegas who involved herself in the work part time to pay for college while she was getting her degree and continued after graduation and acquiring her private eye's license because the money was so good. Her good friend and former Skin Worker (Rachael) came to town after blowing a fortune she inherited when her husband was killed. Her gambling problem left her in debt to the mob and she was facing the prospect of having to repay her debt on her back. The prospect of proving the prime but, acquitted suspect guilty in a civil trial was the only pleasant prospect for Rachael to extract herself from the debt to the mob. Raven, (the skin dancing P.I. and friend to Rachael) took on the charity case as a way to help her broke but, well meaning friend with payment as a contingency upon winning the civil case. Rachael's Lawyer just happened to be a regular customer of Raven's so the whole case stayed in the family. What Raven lacks in experience and detective skills he more than makes up for in terms of gall and unlimited nerve, walking into danger without a second thought. She also has a cadre of friends willing to help the eyeful P.I. with her escapades. The characters and the look at a different side of life and a refreshing set of attitudes that doesn't condemn willing workers. Take the time to enjoy a feisty refreshing character and her stable mates.
September 11, 2016
I had high hopes, but either it was just okay, or I'm sick of reading. And, as a book addict, I refuse to acknowledge the second as an option.
May 8, 2012
2.5 Stars Really
I came away really disappointed in this book. There was so much potential for humor with the type of characters used, but even though the author tried I just didn't find it funny at all. The mystery itself was ok and I didn't guess the bad guy like some other readers did, but the story just dragged on with the main character repeating the details of the case constantly. I feel like as a reader I wasn't given enough credit - I didn't need to be spoon fed the story.
All in all quite disappointing for a premise with so much potential.
A complimentary copy of this book was received in exchange for review. In no way was this review influenced by those circumstances.
I came away really disappointed in this book. There was so much potential for humor with the type of characters used, but even though the author tried I just didn't find it funny at all. The mystery itself was ok and I didn't guess the bad guy like some other readers did, but the story just dragged on with the main character repeating the details of the case constantly. I feel like as a reader I wasn't given enough credit - I didn't need to be spoon fed the story.
All in all quite disappointing for a premise with so much potential.
A complimentary copy of this book was received in exchange for review. In no way was this review influenced by those circumstances.
January 6, 2012
I have removed my review at the request of the author.
June 20, 2013
Just finished this but can't find out when the next one is coming out. I am in love with the heroine, Raven McShane, and want to keep following her.
July 19, 2019
I don't often read mysteries, but sometimes a premise seems fun enough that I'll give it a shot anyhow. And the premise of a stripper and a Mormon teaming up to solve a mystery seemed way too entertaining to pass up. Sure, the "two complete opposites have to get along to accomplish something" plot has been done to death, but it endures because it's still fun to read/watch. And while this isn't the greatest book I've ever read -- and the Mormon character features in the plot far less than the summary would have you believe -- it was still entertaining and fun.
Raven makes good money as a stripper in Las Vegas... but she knows she can't take off her clothes for a living forever, and so moonlights as a private detective. When Rachel, a former co-worker who married out of the exotic-dancer business, approaches her with a case -- investigating the death of her husband -- she accepts the case. But there's far more behind the man's murder than meets the eye, and Raven will need all her cunning and wiles -- as well as the aid of a nightclub bouncer and her detective mentor -- to unravel a scheme involving extramarital affairs, casino scams, and explosive secrets that could get her killed.
This book is everything it needs to be -- a fairly light-hearted and action-packed mystery packed with the glamour and grime that makes Sin City so appealing to readers and visitors. It can get predictable at times, and some of the characters are pretty much stock cut-outs, but it does have a few surprises in store. And let's face it, it's still fun, especially with Raven's saucy attitude and quick wit. The writing isn't masterful, but does stay light and breezy throughout, making for an easy read.
This isn't the buddy-cop mystery one might expect from the summary, however -- the Mormon mentioned in the summary only shows up for a few scenes and virtually vanishes in the second half of the book. And a scene where Raven gets him drunk so she can try to get some action from him rubbed me the wrong way -- if the genders involved had been reversed, it would have been treated like an assault scene instead of a source of humor. Though maybe that's just me being picky...
I don't know if I'll continue this series, but it was pretty much what I expected it to be -- a light-hearted action-mystery with a feisty heroine -- and honestly I'm okay with that. This is a perfect light read for the mystery fan, and just plain entertaining. Sometimes a book doesn't have to be any deeper than that to be enjoyable.
Raven makes good money as a stripper in Las Vegas... but she knows she can't take off her clothes for a living forever, and so moonlights as a private detective. When Rachel, a former co-worker who married out of the exotic-dancer business, approaches her with a case -- investigating the death of her husband -- she accepts the case. But there's far more behind the man's murder than meets the eye, and Raven will need all her cunning and wiles -- as well as the aid of a nightclub bouncer and her detective mentor -- to unravel a scheme involving extramarital affairs, casino scams, and explosive secrets that could get her killed.
This book is everything it needs to be -- a fairly light-hearted and action-packed mystery packed with the glamour and grime that makes Sin City so appealing to readers and visitors. It can get predictable at times, and some of the characters are pretty much stock cut-outs, but it does have a few surprises in store. And let's face it, it's still fun, especially with Raven's saucy attitude and quick wit. The writing isn't masterful, but does stay light and breezy throughout, making for an easy read.
This isn't the buddy-cop mystery one might expect from the summary, however -- the Mormon mentioned in the summary only shows up for a few scenes and virtually vanishes in the second half of the book. And a scene where Raven gets him drunk so she can try to get some action from him rubbed me the wrong way -- if the genders involved had been reversed, it would have been treated like an assault scene instead of a source of humor. Though maybe that's just me being picky...
I don't know if I'll continue this series, but it was pretty much what I expected it to be -- a light-hearted action-mystery with a feisty heroine -- and honestly I'm okay with that. This is a perfect light read for the mystery fan, and just plain entertaining. Sometimes a book doesn't have to be any deeper than that to be enjoyable.
July 11, 2020
Raven McShane is a Vegas stripper with a P.I. business. Of course, “business” is a loose term as one would need to generate revenue to call it that. But then an old comrade seeks her out to help prove her late husband’s murder.
In doing so, Raven uses her seductive and womanly wiles to get the info she needs. Could you really come up with evidence 3 years later? There was definitely a lot of legal research and lawyer talk (I think she even went to law school for a while,) which slowed down the plot, I think. I didn’t even understand some of it. But I did like that Raven was a strong, fearless woman. She was smart and a smart-aleck. However, the case was too complex for me.
In doing so, Raven uses her seductive and womanly wiles to get the info she needs. Could you really come up with evidence 3 years later? There was definitely a lot of legal research and lawyer talk (I think she even went to law school for a while,) which slowed down the plot, I think. I didn’t even understand some of it. But I did like that Raven was a strong, fearless woman. She was smart and a smart-aleck. However, the case was too complex for me.
July 25, 2023
It's not always the bad you think it is
With nothing to go on Raven slowly but surely uncovered who the real killer was. The brutality and greed of some people are astounding. I personally know of people that act like that and think they are perfectly correct, to get what they want. Stephanie makes it clear how far as a society we have fallen, but uses Raven having to do work she would rather not, to care for family. The story makes a point, people today will take money over life.
With nothing to go on Raven slowly but surely uncovered who the real killer was. The brutality and greed of some people are astounding. I personally know of people that act like that and think they are perfectly correct, to get what they want. Stephanie makes it clear how far as a society we have fallen, but uses Raven having to do work she would rather not, to care for family. The story makes a point, people today will take money over life.
June 12, 2017
Predictable ending and easy-to-solve whodunnit, but these 'cozy' books always are. These are usually three stars for me, but I am giving two stars for the characters. I could not get past the main character being a stripper. But Carlos was worse---a girlfriend and a baby and still hitting on Raven? What an ass. Also I didn't like how Mike was depicted. Not sure why the author made him Mormon. I'm sure a lot of people will love this, but it wasn't for me.
November 30, 2017
This book was much better than I thought it would be. I thought it would be a quick, but somewhat shallow, read. I was pleasantly surprised. The characters are well done and the plot is more intricate and involved than I thought it would be. This is definitely a good mystery series, and I will be reading more.
November 7, 2020
Raven is a dancer in Vegas working as a PI on the side. When an old friend asks her to help investigate the murder of her husband for a civil suit, Raven steps into a dangerous and intriguing situation.
October 5, 2021
Raven stripper and PI!
What a fantastic storyline, Raven is a Private Eye part time, and a stripper, because that is where the money is! A wonderful and entertaining storyline, with great characters and humor.
What a fantastic storyline, Raven is a Private Eye part time, and a stripper, because that is where the money is! A wonderful and entertaining storyline, with great characters and humor.
October 10, 2023
It was just okay nothing to write home about. But I stayed with it till the end to make sure so she got out of her trouble. It was all easy to get into and not as easy to get out of the trouble.
It was a good book and easy to read.
It was a good book and easy to read.
September 13, 2018
Fun cozy mystery series
May 16, 2019
Fun Read
The plot was easy to follow with relatable characters. The ending felt a little incomplete, it never made mention of her friend that originally hired her.
The plot was easy to follow with relatable characters. The ending felt a little incomplete, it never made mention of her friend that originally hired her.
August 10, 2019
Good series
I bought the whole series while they were 99 cents. Can’t wait to read the next books. Quick fun read.
I bought the whole series while they were 99 cents. Can’t wait to read the next books. Quick fun read.
October 6, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, with an unexpected ending.
October 15, 2021
of Raven in her new Detective business tracks down a killer with the help of a bouncer & a Mormon
Read
September 10, 2022Highly Recommend......there should be a review somewhere I've read every one I can get my hands on!
January 30, 2024
Who killed George Hannity and why??? He thought he would marry her and become a millionaire??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews