Insurance fraud investigator Pauline Sokol is back and working on her most intriguing case to date. Mysterious hottie Jagger brings her in on a case he's also working on, investigating an air and land ambulance company. The company has recently come under new management and since the creepy twins, Payne and Pansy Sterling, took over, the company has been seeing amazing profits. Suspecting billing fraud, Pauline draws on her past career of nursing to go undercover. The only glitch in the plan is that Pauline has a fear of flying.

It isn't long before Pauline discovers the evidence she needs to close the case. When confronted by a knife- wielding Payne, Pauline manages to get away, but without the incriminating paperwork. She and Jagger return to the office and discover Payne with a knife in his chest and the papers missing. There's no shortage of suspects: burned-out paramedic ER Dano, helicopter pilot Sky, accident-prone newbie Buzz, and of course, Payne's twin Pansy, whose grief seems a bit false to Pauline. Pansy is removed from the suspect list when she, too, ends up with a knife in her chest after Payne's funeral. Now Pauline has to find a killer in addition to the missing evidence before the killer makes his move on her!

DEAD ON ARRIVAL by Lori Avocato is Pauline Sokol at her finest. The action is fast-paced, the mystery element suspenseful and tautly written and the cast of supporting characters refreshingly fun. Pauline's mom is still worried about her unmarried daughter and encourages the wearing of thongs on her dates, Jagger is gloriously sexy and as mysterious as ever, and Miles and Goldie are the greatest best friends in the written world. Add to the mix the surly, sexy ER Dano and readers are in for a treat. I read this one in an afternoon!

Book Summary

Normally, insurance fraud investigator Pauline Sokol likes to keep her feet firmly on the ground. But her latest undercover assignment has the aero-phobic ex-nurse flying high—as she takes off to ground a land-and-air ambulance company that's been doing some rather flighty billing. Even having ER Dano, the company's best (and hottest!) paramedic, in the copter seat next to her isn't enough to soothe her queasy tummy.

But her insides really start doing loop-de-loops when one of the company's owners is brutally murdered—and Pauline starts receiving creepy phone calls . . . from the killer! Suddenly the air looks a lot safer than the ground. And if Pauline doesn't crack this case soon, even mouth-to-mouth from her favorite paramedic won't be enough to revive her.