Josie Toadfern is a small town girl. She lives in tiny Paradise, Ohio, where she is not only the owner of the only Laundromat in town, but she is also the self-proclaimed “stain expert.” She knows just the trick to get out all kinds of stains – everything from mud to sweat – and she’s convinced that her expertise is going to put her little hometown on the map. Literally.

The local business people are none too pleased when the new Ohio State maps are printed and Paradise is not on them. This will surely hurt business, so Josie takes it upon herself to drum up a little publicity. She comes up with the perfect plan – she’s going to write a letter to Tyra Grimes, a Martha Stewart-like TV personality, about her stain busting knowledge and just maybe Tyra will invite her on the show!

What Josie’s good intentions turn out to be is a severe case of be-careful-what-you-wish-for. Tyra gets her letter all right – and shows up in Paradise unannounced, turning the whole town upside down. When a murder occurs, everyone starts looking to place blame on the cause for all their troubles – and Josie is their gal.

Death Of A Domestic Diva is completely devoid of reality, so if readers can get past that, they’re in for a fun time. Certain actions exhibited by the characters come off more than slightly half-cocked at times, and I found myself thinking, “real people wouldn’t act like this.”

Probably true – but then there wouldn’t be much of a story, which hangs on many of the eccentricities that Short gives her characters. Luckily, these eccentricities fall into the “endearing” category as opposed to the dreaded “annoying” category – so this band of small town oddballs is rather charming to read about.

Aside from some nice characterizations, Short really elevates this tale by giving the reader a good mystery. It takes some time to build, but once the ball gets rolling, it takes on a life of its own. There are numerous twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing up until the end. In other words, the mystery is not sacrificed in the name of creating those charming, eccentric small town locals.

Short also drops enough tantalizing hints to keep readers curious about future books. Most notably, Josie has an autistic cousin she loves like a brother, and a bit of a traumatic childhood. All ripe mining territory for an ongoing series, and one I hope the author has an opportunity to explore.

While the brief exits from reality occasionally get to be a little much, Short writes such a good mystery and creates such interesting people that it’s hard not to enjoy the ride. Giving her heroine an unusual occupation is sure to gain some recognition among cozy readers, and her attention to detail makes Death Of A Domestic Diva a notable debut.

--Wendy Crutcher