A decent debut from a writer with experience in crime fiction via the silver screen. Set in contemporary Melbourne, Ted is a PI specialising in mostly routine infidelity cases, trying to establish her business. Her next door neighbour is Chantal, a psychic medium with whom Ted has a somewhat combative relationship, probably because Chantal's musings hit close to home. Ted's own life is of course complicated by a large family and somewhat fractious relationship with her Dad because of deep seeded trauma, which also explains why Ted struggles to commit, except to her loyal puppy companion Miss Marple. When one of Ted's cases begins to explode, she needs to learn to rely on the assistance of others, including her policeman associate and Swordplay frenemy Spike.
This one took a while to gel, but towards the end picked up pace and was engaging. It's an obvious start of a series so a lot of time is taken up with establishing characters and their motivations, and showing how they're all interconnected. Ted herself is not always likeable, she's prickly and kind of annoying at times, so I'm hoping in subsequent novels it's easier to relate to her. She's almost a bit too complicated and quirky for me in her current form, and lacks a bit of empathy and fun. I gotta say too I didn't love all the family drama. I know it's the first book, but I'm hoping they take more of a backseat in future reads. The novel has all the requirements of a good crime caper with potential for humour but again I hope this finds its flow in upcoming novels. The book reminded me of Stephanie Plum but not as funny or relaxed. Some of the pop culture references were grating and will date badly I think. It's almost like the author tried to be hip and happening by including these things but it didn't always feel authentic. Overall it was an easy read, keeping you guessing until the end, which was also a decent twist. I'd look for future books in this series.