Harley Jane Kozak releases new book

Congratulations to our "Santa Barbara" babe Harley Jane Kozak, who has released the latest novel in her Wollie Shelley mystery series. The talented author, who is Mary Duvall McCormack to us, has garnered some attention -- and awards -- for her novels, such as "Dating is Murder."

Here's the synopsis from the press release for the new book, "Dead Ex":

"When David Zetrakis, a prominent television producer, is found dead in his home with a gunshot wound to the head, there’s bound to be a feeding frenzy in the media. But since David is an old boyfriend, Wollie finds the ripples are a little to close to home. To make matters worse, Wollie’s friend Joey also dated the producer – an often explosive relationship that the paparazzi remembers all to well. The fact that David had once fired Joey from the popular soap 'At the End of the Day,' on top of the discovery that upon his death she inherited a two-million dollar Klimt painting makes her the prime suspect in the eyes of the LAPD. Despite Joey’s recently erratic behavior, Wollie knows she didn’t kill David. So in her trademark gumshoeing style Wollie sets out to figure out who else had means and motive, which leads her to a host of oddball characters, any of whom could have pulled the trigger.

"And for Wollie, the fact that she’s also navigating a second murder; a disappearing suspect; a cop and a lover, both frustratingly dedicated to their work; and a very unhappy killer who’s focused on keeping the truth out of the tabloids, is just par for the course."

(A soap opera angle? How fun! And how close to home!)

Dead Ex
Harley Jane Kozak
Doubleday
Release date: August 7, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-385-51802-4
352 pages; $21.95