"The Corpse with the Pearly Smile" By Cathy Ace: Review/Giveaway

Review by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

After an injury forced the vacationing couple of Bud Anderson and Cait Morgan to delay their return home, the Canadian couple enviably spent Bud’s recuperation in the idyllic beach resort on the island of Tahiti. Not all is paradise though, as even more unsettling as the fish that try to nibble on Cait while she swims in the lagoon is the body that floats up and bumps into her.

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Image Source Four Tails Publishing Ltd.

Vaiarii Teriimana was a model famous for his smile, which was prominently displayed in his ads for Ducasse Pearls. His fiancée was also a much-followed Instagrammer, and the bad publicity threatens the success of the brand new Legrand Resort recently opened by Bud’s former RCMP coworker Henri Legrand and his wife. This being a small island, it’s not surprising that he and Fleur also knew “Little Vai,” or that Vaiarii’s fiancée and her father would now be arriving to stay with them at the resort. CeeCee Ducasse seems more intent on cultivating her image as a now-tragic figure than mourning for real, bringing along her own assistant to help her take the perfect postable pictures. When he is also attacked and hospitalized, Henri enlists Bud and Cait’s assistance in solving the case before the Legrande Resort even gets its chance to officially open. 

While Bud may be retired and not at a hundred percent physical health, he hasn’t lost any of the skills he used as a Canadian Mountie. Cait herself is still a professor of criminal psychology, which in the past has allowed her to profile suspects and assist in catching killers. Their extended vacation in Tahiti may have lulled her usual psychoanalyzing tendencies though, and Cait is alarmed at how she uncharacteristically has been taking her new friends at face value. While trusting the people one meets may seem like a positive trait in most, for Cait it means that she lowered her guard and may have missed seeing the signs of a murderer. 

This 14th in the series continues to explore Cait and Bud’s delightful relationship, which after three years of marriage still has them charmingly calling one another “wife” and “husband.” Having left the Vancouver setting behind, this latest entry explores the beauty and complicated politics of the Tahitian Island. Despite his attractiveness, Vai still encountered racism as the face of Ducasse Pearls, which is perhaps why he may have pursued a less than legal sideline. The flaw in not looking under the surface becomes a resonant theme throughout, with Cait realizing the most that not everything – or everyone – is as they first seem to be. That doesn’t mean that the exquisite setting isn’t showcased at its most enviable, nor that the mouth-watering meals aren’t also described so well that they tantalize with flavors of coconut and li hing mui. This is another enjoyable mystery that explores timely topics while also showcasing a unique and engaging investigative couple.

To enter to win a signed copy of The Corpse with the Pearly Smile , simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line ",” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 15, 2024. US and Canadian residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! A new episode goes up next week.

You can click here to purchase this book.

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

 Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.