Blue Blood

Debutante Dropout #1

by Susan McBride

Mixing a dash of Dallas society, a pinch of Janet Evanovich, and murder in the land of big hair, Blue Blood is the first installment in award-winning author Susan McBride's sassy Debutante Dropout mystery series. To the dismay of her high society mother, Cissy, Dallas heiress Andy Kendricks wants no part of the Junior League life—opting instead for a job as a website designer and a passel of unpedigreed pals. Now her good friend Molly O'Brien is in bad trouble, accused of killing her boss at the local restaurant Jugs. Though no proper deb would ever set foot in such a sleazy dive, Andy's soon slipping into skintight hot pants and a stuffed triple D bra to gain employment there and somehow help clear Molly's name. But Andy's undercover lark soon brings her into too-close contact with all manner of dangerous adversaries—including a shady TV preacher, a fanatical Mothers Against Porn activist … and a killer who is none too keen on meddling rich girls.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Chick Lit, Cozy, Mystery Thriller, Ebooks

333 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Susan McBride is the USA Today Bestselling author of Blue Blood and five more award-winning Debutante Dropout Mysteries from HarperCollins, including The Good Girl's Guide To Murder, The Lone Star Lonely Hearts Club, Night Of The Living Deb, Too Pretty To Die, and Say Yes to the Death. Susan has a second bestselling series with HC/Avon, the River Road Mysteries, that include To Helen Back, Mad as Helen, and Not a Chance in Helen. A fourth installment, Come Helen High Water, will be released in 2017.

Walk Into Silence, a thriller featuring Texas police detective Jo Larsen, was named a Kindle First pick for November 2016 and was the #1 paid Kindle bestseller in the US and UK (and #3 in Australia!). Walk a Crooked Line, the second Jo Larsen book, will be released in July 2018 by Thomas & Mercer.

Susan's young adult thriller, Very Bad Things, was released by Random House in 2014. In addition to her mysteries, she has penned three well-received women's fiction titles from HarperCollins: The Truth About Love & Lightning, Little Black Dress, and The Cougar Club. Foreign editions of Susan's books have been published in France, Turkey, Croatia, Lithuania, and Bulgaria.

Susan has one nonfiction title: In the Pink: How I Met the Perfect (Younger) Man, Survived Breast Cancer, and Found True Happiness After 40, which tells her tale of becoming an "accidental Cougar" and marrying a younger man, her cancer diagnosis at age 42, and finding herself pregnant at 47.

She has authored several YA non-mystery novels for Delacorte about debutantes in Houston: The Debs (2008) and Love, Lies, And Texas Dips (2009). Gloves Off, the third book, will be out sometime in the future.

In January of 2012, Susan was named one of St. Louis's "Most Dynamic People of the Year" by the Ladue News. In April of 2012, she was given the "Survivor of the Year" Award by the St. Louis affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. As Susan likes to say, "Life is never boring."

Reviews

[Margitte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly O’Brien had a tough life after she chose to drop her fashion design classes at the Columbia College in Chicago where she shared a room with her best friend Andy Kendricks from Texas. They met at school when foster child Molly was admitted to a prestigious school for wealthy kids through a scholarship. An illustrious affair with a Hemmingway wanne-be convinced Molly that love could conquer all. She followed him to Paris, fell pregnant, got dropped and had to move back to Texas, where she found a job at the hot-spot restaurant "Jugs".

She is accused of murdering the owner, Bud Hartman, and desperate for help, contacts Andy, whom she hasn't seen for ten years.

Rebellious Andy immediately steps in to help the only real friend she ever had. The friendship was not exactly what Andy's mother, Cissy, a Texan high-society dame, had in mind for her heiress daughter. Molly was from the wrong side of the tracks. But Andy made it her mission to buck the system her whole life, like refusing to be a debutante on her 18th birthday, and studying graphic design and computers when she, as a trust fund baby, never had to work.

With her unending love for Nancy Drew and the television series Law & Order, Andy gets to work on solving the murder mystery. Any bra size is possible with the right shoulder pads strategically positioned. Combined with serious hot pants, she did not have much trouble in getting a job at "Jugs" as a waitress to try and find the real killers of the dangerous owner.

"Jugs" is more than just eye candy for men, thorns in the eyes of the Mother of Porn - ladies, the Women’s Wellness Clinic, and points of interested to Reverend Jim Bob.`

There is a lot of appetites to be satisfied in the ensuing drama, adventure, and mystery. As Dolly Parton can attest to: Jugs can be a lot more than weapons of mass distraction and feisty Andy knows how to seize the opportunity for her own advantages!

My comments: It's a chic-lit book for young women, containing all the elements to demarcate the target audience perfectly. All the young women who ever played a role as a PI, especially a contemporary element of Nancy Drew, are included. The background includes a touch of a Paris Hilton, the reality tv-series The Reals Housewives of Texas, and a similarity with the restaurant-chain Shooters. It is a delightful, enchanting and fun read. There's lots of love lost, but for various reasons other than romance!

Oh, I identified the murderer right from the start. It felt good for a change!

Star rating:
Plot 1; drama 1; character building 1; satire 1; social comment 1. Five stars in this genre.

In fact, I enjoyed it so much, it was presented in such good taste, I would love to read more in this Debutante Dropout Series of 5 books: Blue Blood (#1); The Good Girl's Guide To Murder (#2); The Lone Star Lonely Hearts Club (#3); Night of the Living Deb (#4); Too Pretty to Die (#5).

Yes, imagine me enjoying this genre! Unthinkable, but very true in this case!

ARC received from edelweiss.abovethetreeline.com
MY REVIEWS FOR THE SERIES
#1 Blue Blood
#2 The Good Girl's Guide to Murder
#3 The Lone Star Lonely Hearts Club
#4 Night of the Living Deb
#5 Too Pretty to Die

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blue Blood by Susan McBride is a William Morrow publication. This book was provided to me by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This book was originally published in 2004 and now available in digital format.

Andrea, "Andy" met Molly in college. Andy comes from the affluent Highland Park area in Dallas and Molly was on scholarship. The two girls forged a bond, but Molly's life became complicated when she had an affair, got pregnant and had to leave school. Now working in at a popular restaurant "Jugs", Molly is the target of one of the owners. One night he attacks her and she fends him off, scarcely escaping rape. When her attacker is found murdered, Molly is arrested for murder. She calls her old friend Andy for help.

Andy has turned her back on the Junior League lifestyle, much to her mother's dismay. When Andy begins playing detective to help her friend Molly and her son, Cissy gets involved too, but may have an ulterior motive.... like match making with the attorney they hired for Molly.
When Andy takes a job at Jugs, she uncovers a hoard of secrets. Another girl had also had an unpleasant experience with the deceased and she just dropped off the face of the earth, and the guard on duty the night of the murder is now in a coma after an attempt on his life. Something just doesn't add up. Toss in a religious group protesting Jugs and their exploitation of women and you get an outrageous murder investigation.
Money, sordid affairs, and blackmail round out the sins and crimes surrounding Jugs.

While this first book in the Debutante dropout series is a little aged, with references to VCR's, and a few other things we have long since forgotten about, the story is wonderful. A light, chick lit, cozy mystery with laugh out loud moments and just a little bit of romance. For me, part of my pleasure came from recognizing the area the author spoke of. I live a few hours from DFW now, but I am fairly familiar with these areas. I could really imagine the "Cissy" character and I knew the eateries she spoke up and so on. (I'm not Highland Park material, but we know about them due to a high school football rivalry)

I am so glad this series is now in digital format. I recommend this book to romance lovers, mystery lovers, and women will enjoy it especially. Overall this one gets an A.

[Katie T]

Dnf 40% bc I do this thing where I start books that look bad and then turns out they are bad and I can't deal 🤷‍♀️

[Lucía · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute mistery

[Emmie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great new coys-mystery series. Filled with fun ( Andy's mom is always trying to set her up on blind dates), Laugh out loud situations (Andy's blind dates), and a bit of mystery and romance. Great reading if you want to relax and have a fun read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Diane ~Firefly~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a little slow at first but then picked up. I liked Andy, but boy did she do some stupid things and is lucky she wasn't killed.

What I enjoyed:
* Malone. He was just about the perfect balance of lawyer and accomplice. Plus he seems sweet.
* Andy. She really went out on a limb for a friend she hadn't talked to in over 10 years.
* Cissy. She had some surprises for her daughter to show she wasn't as strait-laced as she had assumed.

What could have been better:
* Andy. Really she did stupid things. Jim Bob and Julie could have easily hurt or killed her. And to confront the killer on her own, after being told the police were close to an ID from the video was just insane.
* Just like Andy felt, it wasn't a happy ending as you could totally understand why the killer did it.

[Ada Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really love reading this book. its all about friendship. . It's about Andy helping her friend, Molly, whom she didn't have any contact with for many years. Then, many years have passed, (i forgot how many year. sorry.) Molly called Andy and asked her for help, because she was accused of murder. The police thinks that Molly killed her boss, Bud Hartman, in Jugs. But Andy didn't believe that Molly killed Bud, because Molly is a very nice person. When the authority was about to give up on the case because they already thought that they caught the killer, Andy was on undercover. She let herself be hired in Jugs to see who the real killer is.

[Mooncat · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, I’m not sure what to say to this one. It was an okay read. A bit boring, as there was a lot of repetition going on. Also it lacked characters that really draw you in. Especially the prota - she’s getting on my nerves with how she always makes a point of how different she is to what was expected of her due to her heritage. After the first few times I thought okay, I got it, move on already! Also the case was not that thrilling to follow. Hence only two stars.
I got a package with the first 4 or 5 books in one, so for now I’ll still be continuing. There are good bones I think. Just hope they’ll be carved out soon ...

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andy is a web designer who tries to live within her means and avoid the social complications of her priviledged family in the Park Cities, Dallas' most prestigious area. Her mother, Cissy is determined to draw her back into society. When a friend from school is implicated in a murder, Andy jumps in to help clear her.

This is the first of the Debutante Dropout Mysteries and like most cozy mysteries is character driven more than plot driven. I enjoyed the characters, particularly Cissy, who is a classic strong southern woman.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Susan McBride loves words, and sometimes she uses to many. i have never been a fan of authors who love to describe every detail in many ways in the same paragraph. The character of Andy Kendricks is constantly throwing herself a pity party for being forced to grow in a lap of luxury and forced into high society. Her best friend from private school, the scholarship girl is accused of murder. Andy is determined to clear her name. The character I find most interesting is Cissy, Andy's mother. Unfortunately she is not featured as much as I would like.

[gremlinkitten · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great start to the Debutante Drop-out series. Fast moving, fun, and with a thoroughly likable protagonist in Andy. The characters that needed to be were well-developed, the plot interesting - so the mystery is easily figured out for lack of suspects, but I didn't notice any plot holes! - and overall, the book was just plain good. I'm looking forward to reading the others and am so glad that I have the next one right here. :)
4.5 stars

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I really enjoyed this mystery set in Dallas about a young woman bucking the life her mother has planned out for her. She drops everything to come to the aid of a friend who calls her from jail after being accused of killing the owner of the shady restaurant where she worked. Andy decides to to a little undercover sluthing of her own at Jugs, the infamous eatery and the fun kicks into high gear at that point. A funny and fluffy read!”

[Mailis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was not as funny as something Evanovich could whip up in her Plum series, but it was sufficiently witty and i appreciated the mother-daughter dynamics from the perspective of a person who has been there and done that and still faces it partly every day. Hell has no wrath like a mother whos daughter does not want to be what she has planned her to be. But all things considered I kind of thought pearl toting Cissy was quite the softy actually...

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the main character because she wants to do her own thing and not depend on her parents $$$ or reputation. But the book points out loud and clear that if it hadn't been for Andy, her mom and their lawyer looking into the murder of a club owner her friend Molly would have gone to prison because the evidence looked so convincing and she was poor and had no influence. It was a fun read!Hopefully there will be more starring Andy the debutante dropout.

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrea "Andy" Kndricks has lost touch with her friend from high school, but she's willing to jump in and clear this friend of killing her boss even if it means going under cover at a questionable restaurant as a waitress. The pacing was uneven, but the characters were good and the book fun.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[sarafem · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm very often drawn to chick-lit for mindless reading I can get through quickly, but very often they're entertaining at the time and quickly forgetten. Maybe it's because I have a soft spot (read: obsession) for Nancy Drew, but I absolutely loved this book! This will absolutely become one of my longterm favorites.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little mystery book that's an easy summer type of read. I love a book that gets you thinking, but maybe I've watched too much Law and Order. Because by the middle of the book I had a really good idea of who did it (I was right of course). Nonetheless, I enjoyed the read and can't wait to read the follow up.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A varm and slightly humoristic series of mysteries. A lot of cliché characters and extravaganza but mixed up with weird situations and near to a smile so it doesn't get to much.
The books cam be read as one offs but are best read in order if you intend to read all of them given there are referenses in them to earlier books.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Susan is a delightful person (I've met her at several author conferences) and that comes across in her books. This is a tale about a mother and daughter who love one another but have very different ideas about what's important in life. And so-o-o funny...

[Deela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I randomly chose this book based on a "you might like this" suggestion from Barnes & Noble. Super quick read and kept me laughing...Andy is like the Texas version of Stephanie Plum - funny and always in over her head.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fun read...a frown up Nancy Drew..and takes place in Dallas. Not a lot of books take place in Big D, since i lived there i like that I can picture the streets and places

[Dana Serrano · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was cute!!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely funny debut of a mystery series. 1st: 6/11/04; 2nd: 12/27/07.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute

[Vicky Beltz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable read with humor and interesting characters.

[Eva • All Books Considered · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excited to read more of this series!

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started this last night -- easy read, REALLY good mystery -- a true cozy.

[Sandie Herron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrea Kendricks doesn’t feel quite at home in the palatial mansion her mother, Cissy Blevins Kendricks, keeps on Beverly Drive in Dallas. Andy had not felt quite like she fit into high school, either, when all she wanted to do was paint and be friends with the scholarship girl, Molly O’Brien. The two had even gone to Columbia College in Chicago, Andy to study art, Molly to study fashion design. Somewhere along the way, Molly was whisked away to Paris, and Andy finished school, returning to Dallas to begin her website design business.

Very early one morning the phone ringing awakens Andy. Molly, whom she hasn’t seen in ten years, is at the local jail, minutes away, charged with killing her boss. Immediately Andy calls her mother to get an attorney to represent Molly from the firm of Abramawitz, Reynolds, Goldberg, and Hunt, aka ARGH. Meanwhile Andy rushes to the station house to be greeted by detectives John Lord and Lydia Taylor.

By now I hope you can see the comical and devious mind Susan McBride must have to conjure up these humorous anecdotes, only the beginning of this wild ride. Molly has been charged with murder, no laughing matter. It was self-defense when Bud, proprietor of the restaurant Jugs, put the moves on Molly after she changed out of her hot pants and prepared to leave for the night. Molly grabbed the first thing she could reach and aimed it at Bud. As she ran out the door, she swears she heard him yelling, so she knew she hadn’t killed him.

Andy figures since the police think they have an open and shut case, she’ll apply for Molly’s job at Jugs and find out what the place is all about. She attends Bud’s funeral led by The Reverend Jim Bob Barker, who is far too familiar with Julie, Bud’s girlfriend in an open relationship.

Andy is quite capable at mixing her southern humor with plain old-fashioned trouble. Her mother Cissy surprises her by getting into the spirit of the “Mothers Against Pornography” movement by trying to rescue Andy from the skimpy outfits at Jugs with a tablecloth. Cissy has been keeping close tabs on Molly’s case via Brian Malone at ARGH using her charm and southern wit. Andy accuses her of using homicide to get her a blind date.

Murder is a messy business, but in Susan McBride’s capable hands, it is deliciously fun and not the least bit civilized. Motives abound for the murder of Bud Hartman. Blackmail. Revenge. Jealousy. Self-defense. Insurance money. Missing cash. Missing persons. Sex and scantily clad women.

Susan McBride can change gears from funny to serious in the same sentence. Being raised in “proper” society but skipping her debutante ball, Andy never had to worry about how she would pay her bills or put food on the table. There was a lot about Molly’s world of working from paycheck to paycheck that Andy would never understand. However, Andy can see the sincere love Molly has for her six-year-old son and has the best intentions to help her out of this quandary.

BLUE BLOOD is hysterically funny, on the polite side of satire, and up to date in the issues it addresses. I adore Andrea Blevins Kendricks, who dreads turning into her mother. Don’t we all?

[Ken Finlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrea 'Andy' Kendrick was born into a life of wealth and privilege.
Only thing is that she never wanted it and couldn't fit in.
Of course, having a substantial trust fund, made walking away from it all easier.
Her mother, Cissy, is not one to give up and constantly schemes to (a) get her married (as long as he has money), and (b) get her to take up her rightful place at her side in Dallas society.
She lives in a small apartment twenty minutes away from her mother's palatial home, supports herself through web design and indulges her passion for art.
A schoolfriend, out of touch for a decade, reaches out for help when she is arrested for the murder of Bud Hartman, the sleazy owner of 'Jugs' - a 'family' bar with scantily dressed waitresses.
The evidence seems watertight - mother of one Molly O'Brien was seen running from the premises on the night he died, her fingerprints are the only ones of the murder weapons and his blood is on her clothes.
But Andy ain't having it. Buoyed by watching TV crime shows she goes undercover at Jugs to find out what happened.
What happens is creative, inventive and funny.
“Blue Blood”, first in the Debutante Dropout series is a light read which doesn't downplay some of the nastier elements of the story.
I liked it, a lot!
4 Stars.