Caviar Dreams

by Judy Nichols

Your best friend's in love with a lying, scum-bag thief. How do you tell her? Because what she doesn't know could kill her. This is photographer Lisa Watson's dilemma. Lisa has always relied on her plain, overweight friend Debbie to cheer her up when she's down on her luck (which is most of the time). When Debbie falls hard for a handsome stranger named Derek. Lisa is skeptical, believing Prince Charming is more interested in Debbie's money than her kind nature. Derek may be a small-time hustler, but he has big-time plans. He intends to blackmail his wealthy lover, Robert Helton, a conservative industrialist desperate to hide his secret gay life. However, Derek's plan takes a fatal turn when Debbie is found dead in her apartment.

Genres: Mystery

Paperback

First published August 10, 2003

About the author

Judy Nichols grew up in a Batavia, Ohio, a small town 20 miles east of Cincinnati. Now, along with her husband and daughter, she is lucky enough to live on the coast of North Carolina where she never has to drive in snow and the ocean is ten minutes away.

For no good reason, she decided to write a book while her infant daughter napped. Five years and several viewings of "Toy Story" later, her novel "Caviar Dreams" was finished, a murder mystery based in Cincinnati.

Her daughter is all grown up now, and Judy never stopped writing. Her books include two featuring journalist/single mom Kate Dennison: "Tree Huggers" and "The Reason for the Season" and the Ian Dodge Mystery series, following the cases of a British transplant living in rural North Carolina.

Any resemblance between Ian Dodge and her husband Nigel is purely intentional.

Her latest book is a Young Adult Paranormal Mystery titled "Echoes of Evil," available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Evil-Ju...

In April of 2012, Judy achieved her lifelong dream of competing on the quiz show Jeopardy! She was a two day champion winning a total of $46,500 and the distinction of being officially named the smartest person in a room full of very smart people.

Judy is available to speak at book clubs, libraries, whatever either in person if you're near Wilmington, NC or via skpye. Contact her at judyfivecents@gmail.com.

Reviews

[LJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

CAVIAR DREAMS (Mystery-Cincinnati, OH-Cont) – Ex
Nichols, Judy – 1st book
Zumaya Publications, 2003- Trade paperback
Struggling photographer Lisa Watson is concerned when her friend Debbie takes up with a seemingly charming man she met in a video store. Derek figures he can live a comfortable life with while setting up a life of luxury by blackmailing a wealthy businessman.
*** Amazing! Someone finally wrote a much more believable amateur sleuth/police procedural. The characters are realistic; Lisa who is trying to be a photographer but is working as a temp in the meantime; Debbie who is sweet, somewhat naïve, wanting to believe in romance and the best in people; and the arrogant businessman who feels wealth and position are the most important things of all. Sense of place is well done, as is dialogue. But what impressed me most of all is that it is not Lisa running around investigating clues, but the police who investigate and solve the crime. And Ms. Nichols makes it all work, and ties it all together with a suspenseful ending and an absolutely delightful book. I don't often gush, but this book deserves it. Brava!

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked on this book from the start. It's funny, entertaining and compulsive. The characters are well developed and totally believeable. There are so many twists and turns, the book is a real page-turner, I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. The main character Lisa's life is turned upside down when her best friend falls in love with a thief who steals all her money, and there are devastating consequences for all involved. I would highly recommend this book.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Like some of the other reveiwers, I found myself not being able to put it down. The setting is well drawn - from the downtown Cincinnati low-rent apartment of Lisa to the upscale life of the evil corporate bigwig.
But it's the characters that pull you in. Earnest Lisa, toiling as a temp clerical worker while looking for her big chance as a photographer. Innocent, plain Debbie, who thinks this hunky charming guy just fell into her life and loves her for her. Even the minor characters are well done. The plot clues and twists are all believable, unlike many mysteries.
This book deserves a wider audience, you won't be disappointed.

[Jimmy Tarlau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable reading experience. The main character was so real life that I felt she was one of my close friends. Involving such real-life characters in a murder story made the book charming and hard to put down. I'm looking forward to reading the author's new book, Tree Huggers.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fast moving "read on the plane" book. It is easy to get caught up in the author's world. Caviar Dreams is a great distraction from those take off & landing jitters. The crying babies just fade into the background. Her characters are three demensional and you really want to keep turning those pages.

While not at all necessary to enjoy the book, Cincinnati itself is well protrayed so, if you know the city you will enjoy Judy's descriptions.

[Joni Michaels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one after reading Tree Huggers by the same author. Lisa, the main character at the center of this book, is clueless. The murderer's right there in front of her and she doesn't see it. And that's what I liked about it. Funny and scary at the same time.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-moving page turner set in Cincinnati! Got hooked right from the get-go and was hard to put down. Read everything James Patterson? Highly recommend this one.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wrote this myself. Read it and let me know what you think.