Dial M for Mischief

Sunshine Girls #1

by Kasey Michaels

Meet the Sunshine girls—three mischievous sisters out to clear their father's name…and maybe get a little romance on the side.

Hollywood darling Jolie Sunshine is accustomed to trashy headlines. But the shocking gossip surrounding her father's sudden demise has sent her over the edge… right into the arms of millionaire Sam Becket.

Jolie and Sam once shared much more than a bed, till fame ended their escalating relationship. Now that very limelight is bringing them back together. With a murder to solve and a white-hot passion to quench, they're really about to give the paparazzi a field day.

Genres: Romance, Mystery, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Humor, Romantic Suspense

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 22, 2008

About the author

Kasey Michaels is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 100 books (she doesn't count them). Kasey has received three coveted Starred Reviews from Publishers Weekly, two for the historical romances, THE SECRETS OF THE HEART and THE BUTLER DID IT, and a third for contemporary romance LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY (that shows diversity, you see). She is a recipient of the RITA, a Waldenbooks and Bookrak Bestseller award, and many awards from Romantic Times magazine, including a Career Achievement award for her Regency era historical romances. She is an Honor Roll author in Romance Writers of America, Inc. (RWA)

Kasey has appeared on the TODAY show, and was the subject of a Lifetime Cable TV show "A Better Way," in conjunction with Good Housekeeping magazine, a program devoted to women and how they have achieved career success in the midst of motherhood (short version: "with great difficulty").

A highly praised nonfiction book, written as Kathryn Seidick, "...OR YOU CAN LET HIM GO," details the story of Kasey and her family during the time of her eldest son's first kidney transplant.

Kasey has written Regency romances, Regency historicals, category books including novellas and continuities and a few series "launch" books, and single title contemporaries. She has coped with time travel, ghosts, trilogies, the dark side, the very light side, and just about everything in between. Hers is also the twisted mind behind her ongoing Maggie Kelly mystery series starring a former romance writer turned historical mystery writer whose gorgeous hunk of a fictional hero shows up, live and in color, in her Manhattan living room – to melt her knees, to help her solve murders, and to leave the top off her toothpaste. And, says Kasey, she's just getting started!

Series:
* His Chariot Awaits
* Lion On the Prowl
* Crown Family
* London Friends
* Chandlers Request
* The Trehan Brothers
* Maggie Kelly Mystery
* Romney Marsh
* Sunshine Girls

Reviews

[Ellyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The three Sunshine sisters reunite in Philadelphia to bury their ex-cop private detective father, who apparently committed suicide after allegedly murdering a current mayoral candidate's wife. Jade, Jolie, and Jessica are determined to prove their father's innocence by solving the last cold cases he was working on before his death. Actress Jolie also reunites with her former fiance, millionaire Sam Becket, who still loves her. As the three women work with Sam, his cousin and Jade's ex-husband Court, and detective Matthew, who has his own questions about Teddy's death, they find that the cases are not as cold as they thought.



I'm surprised I didn't like this book more. I've enjoyed some of her standalone novels and her Maggie Kelly series is well-received. But this book seemed like it was juggling far too many storylines with litttle success. Between the four cold cases, Teddy's murder/suicide case, Jade and Jolie's baggage with the Beckets, Sam and Court's exploration of their family history (apparently a nod to Michaels historical novels of which I know nothing), and Sam's unrelated antique shipment-drug bust, I was exhausted by all the plotlines. Plus I couldn't nail down the tone of the book. It tried to combine serious crimes, screwball comedy, mystery, and romance and all seemed a bit short-changed. I realize that it is the first book of a trilogy, but the extreme amount of setup and the quick resolution of the first cold case just didn't seem to gel for me.

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really 3.5 stars.
OK, let me start off by saying I'm a real Kasey Michaels fan. I enjoyed the Beckett's of Romney Marsh historical series, and I really love her Maggie contemporaries. And if you read the Beckett's/Romney Marsh series and have wondered what happened afterward...this new series is about some of their descendants!!

Having said all that...I hope either she or her editor takes a little more care with the next one in this series, "Mischief Becomes Her" in November 2008. There were a few spots in the book where I was saying, "What! Wait a minute...that's stupid/incorrect/doesn't follow." Do you get my drift? Will I buy the next one? Heck yeah. She's been such a steady good read for me that I'll go ahead and get it. If you read this one, you probably will too.

Three sisters (an actress, a reporter, and a private investigator) are reunited at the funeral of their single parent father (their mother left with her brother-in-law when they were very young. He was a retired cop and is now being accused of murdering a woman and then committing suicide. The daughters decide to 'solve' the case.

Jolie, the actress, is reunited with her former lover at the funeral. She left Sam five years ago for the bright lights of fame and neither is sure about what kind of relationship they have now. They both have secrets, yet their attraction still burns as hot as ever.

I didn't dislike this book, but I didn't love it either. If you've never tried Kasey Michaels, I don't recommend starting with this one. If you're a fan, then go ahead and get it. It's a nice mixture of romance and light mystery with the added benefit of learning more about the descendants of Ainsley Beckett.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can not finish this book. There is just nothing here for me...... I have been dragging my feet trying to finish it but I can't. I never used to not finish a book no matter how bad it was to me but lately I have started not finishing, it's just not worth it. For some I imagine its a great book, just not the one for me.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute, fun story. Despite the mystery nature and the atrocious crimes Teddy supposedly committed and the sisters are investigating, is rather light, not dark and heavy. I think it really added to the story to have all the players (except Matthew) living in the same house during these investigations. It created a lot more character interaction and created a dynamic story. This book is about Jolie and Sam, but what I suspect to be the overarching plot of the series (the sisters' hunt for the truth) starts here. Jolie and Sam are ex-fiances who haven't seen each other in five years. They ended with both of them mad at the other; Jolie because Sam didn't want her to follow her dreams and move to California and Sam because Jolie left him and didn't come back. Sexual tension definitely does not completely diffuse the anger between the two, but they do eventually end up talking about what happened and working it out (for a HEA ending with no cliffhanger). Kasey Michaels sets up Jessica and Jade's books quite nicely over the course of this book, bringing in two men who are sure to drive them nuts. For Jessica, it is a cop. As an investigative reporter, he's pretty much the enemy. For Jade, it's her ex-husband from a marriage nobody expected to last more than 6 months. It makes me very curious as to how Michaels plans to resolve these issues and create a HEA for Jessica and Jade. I can't wait to see what happens in Jessica's story, Mischief Becomes Her.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate scoring low because I admire writers but I struggled to finish this book. I think there was just too much going on and it felt like many of the stories were never resolved. I had trouble keeping the different characters separate. I did finish but just frankly feel underwhelmed.

[Lana Redman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series!! Fun read!

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome setting up a mystery for all three sisters. I can’t wait to see what the next 2 books hold.

[Marisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this from a friend who apparently doesn't know my taste in books (oops). I was set up for a straight mystery but this was reading to me as a straight romance. Not my thing. Didn't finish.

[Rosie · Rating 1 out of 5]

It took me forever to finish this book. The story is really dumb and the writing overall is terrible. After almost every sentence the writer (Kasey Michaels) would write "Sam said"; "Court said"....... it really is a terribly written book. I understand that these books are not literature masterpieces, but come on the writing should be better and the reader should be able to identify and have a connection with the story at least to even care about the characters and their lives. I didn't connect with this book and held nothing for the characters. I do not plan to read the other books in this series because I could really care less about the characters. Not sure if I would read anything from this author again....that's how bad I disliked this book and the writing. And after all the time wasted reading this book I still do not know who killed their father (Teddy) or who actually killed the mayor's wife. That's what I guess are in the other books.

[Mnms · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, it was both sweet and funny. I also liked the characters, the story and the dialog. even though I don't always agree with them

[Merideen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. It has a fun sounding plot, the love story sounded good, the idea of three strong sisters working together really appealed to me...but I could barely finish it. Its not that its a horrible book, its just not great and I wanted it to be better the whole time. The dialogue gets confusing, I couldn't always tell who was talking or if it was an inner monologue. It felt like there was a lot of telling, not a lot of showing. The characters felt flat and seemed more defined by their romantic interests than anything else. The romance felt over before it was begun, I never experienced that tension and buildup that I was hoping to get.

This book had so much potential but just didn't live up to it.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book. It has several crimes to solve and three sisters with the fellow mates to solve them. The sisters are quite entertaining while they try to find out who murdered their father. To do this, they must solve four unsolved crimes that he was working on. My only issue I had with it is that I found the dialogue between Jolie and Sam very static. Seriously, who says a person's name every time they speak to them. Sam this, Sam that and wait I forgot to start my sentence or finish it with Sam so I'll just slip it in the middle. Other than that, the book is interesting and fun. I will be reading the second book as there remains unsolved crimes and it involves the most brazen sister, Jessica, and her partner/cop Matt.

[ChloeLeeNH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to this series... I liked the dynamics of the h/h and of the heroine and her sisters... I like that we will get to see them with their respective mates in the next couple of books. These two in this one seemed to be compatible from the start but the other 2 seem like there will be more fireworks and trying to get along which are theo ones that I like... that they hate to love each other.

[Jessi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first in a series where three sisters try to solve their father's murder. I generally enjoy Kasey Michaels but this series isn't my favorite. Jolie Sunshine ditched her fiance and ran off to Hollywood and became a huge star. Now she's back and determined to help solve one of the three cold cases Teddy Sunshine had been working on when he died. While working on it, she falls back in love with her wealthy former fiance.

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well of course the book had my attention from the first introduction of Jolie Sunshine because my first cat's name was Lovely Sunshine and my second cat's name was Jolie. WoW! But seriously perhaps my attention was diverted for a few minutes but it was an easy read mystery that I enjoyed. I understand that it is the first of a trilogy so now I might have to investigate the other 2 titles.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually read Kasey Michaels's books about Maggie, the mystery writer, so I picked this one up out of curiosity. It was a straight-up romantic suspense, but with too many subplots to all be wrapped up nicely. Looks like it's the first in a trilogy, so I'll have to keep reading.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book in a three part series. I really enjoyed the characters back story and the relationship. I would say if you are going to read one read them all close together, it will make it even better. This is just a fun read, don't expect to learn the meaning of life.

[Pam]

06/06/08 rec via bookcrossing

[Sarah Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Kasey Michaels and I was excited to read more mysteries by her. This is the first in a steamy, mysterious trilogy where the three Sunshine sisters are trying to clear their father's name.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was actually very good. I am going to try and pick up the 2nd book today.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I love the murder mystery aspect along with the romance in this book. I'm really excited that the next two books pick up where this one ends.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good, it does make me want to finish the series.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, terracing it because I got the second book, and it was still really good!

[Monique Lebrocq · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hollywood actress
Tries to solve Father’s suicide
And falls back in love

[Karen Desmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

4

[Charleen Marx sowards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It sucked me on from the first page and I had a hard time putting it down to sleep! Starting the next one now :)

[Meagan Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this book although it did take me a little while to finish it. I'm not sure why because it was good. I'm excited to start the next one today!

[Deborah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay. Too much sex and love story. Needed more focus on the mystery.

[Jeanette montgomery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this story and love Kasey Michaels books.

I liked Jolie and Sam's story.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, even though there were a lot of things going on at the same time. Four cold cases and 2 current cases. It's a lot to take in, but well worth the read.