Booklist Review
G'day! Meet Kelvin Kookaburra, Korinna Koala, and Penny Platypus, Muppet-like members of the Oz Mob, a Australian kids' hit TV show, whose plush toy re-creations are coming soon to L.A. Then, in an initial shipment of the stuffed animals, Kelvin's soft belly is used to smuggle exquisite Australian black opals. Oz Mob creators Alf and Chicka Hartnidge, identical twins, can't afford the bad press or any other impediments to a potentially huge movie deal, bankrolled by a Christian film company, that they're working out, so they seek out private investigator Kylie Kendall. Newly relocated from Down Under to L.A., Kylie isn't sure she's up to the task, but more than the puppets' morals are at stake--the contraband's value exceeds $100,000. As McNab's well-paced confection proceeds, family pressure coaxes Kylie back home to Wollegudgerie to help mum with the family pub, and our heroine develops a smoldering attraction to her cool, savvy L.A. business partner. A good read whose easily understood Aussie expressions add flavor. That's fair go. --Whitney Scott Copyright 2005 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Having inherited half an L.A. detective agency from her divorced American father, quirky Aussie lesbian Kylie Kendall begins work as an "apprentice" PI. Her first major case involves twin Australian brothers who host a wildly popular children's TV show back home. They hope to hit the U.S. market but will lose their contract if the family-oriented station discovers that rare black opals are being smuggled inside their special show-related plush toys. Before long, murder takes precedence, so Kylie ratchets her Aussie slang into high gear. Clever humor, nifty characters, and subtle plotting commend this second Kylie Kendall adventure (after The Wombat Strategy) to most mystery collections. A former president of Sisters in Crime, McNab lives in Los Angeles. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
