In Clark’s rambunctious 12th Regan Reilly mystery (after 2008’s Zapped), the New York City PI heads for Los Angeles to help an old neighbor, film hairstylist Abigail Feeney, track down her ex-boyfriend, producer Cody Castle, who owes Abigail $100,000 she loaned him. Born on a Friday the 13th, Abigail has always felt cursed, and this is just the latest disaster in a run of bad luck. The missing Cody’s filmmaking partner, Dean Puntler, is also worried, since Cody has squandered funding they needed for their production to boost “hot young actress” Stella Gardner. The murder of 85-year-old Nicky Tendril, one of Cody and Dean’s prospective investors, adds extra stress. Might Abigail be the killer? Abigail had been cutting Nicky’s hair for free until he began getting rude, but Regan is sure she’s innocent. Clark’s bubbly humor makes this a great vacation read for mystery-lite fans who love a Hollywood twist. (Apr.)

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(Publisher’s Weekly, Mar 30)