Dying for a Double

Laurel McKay Mysteries #8

by Cindy Sample

DOUBLE THE TROUBLE AND TRIPLE THE LAUGHS IN THIS AWARD-WINNING AND NATIONAL BESTSELLING SERIES Heads turn when Laurel McKay Hunter gets a gig as an extra in a movie filming near her home. Why? Laurel's a dead ringer for the female lead. The next day the actress vanishes from the set. The frantic director recruits Laurel to double for the missing woman while she uses her investigative talents to search for her.Despite having zero acting experience, Laurel reluctantly steps in. Then she stumbles over a dead body on the set. Is the murder connected to the actress’s disappearance? Laurel chases clues as the action moves from the historic Gold Country to sun-kissed Malibu beaches to the glamorous and sometimes seedy Hollywood scene. The intrepid detective quickly discovers all that glitters is not gold. Can she find the actress and catch a killer before it’s too late? Or will her final role be playing dead?"Sample’s sleuth is an endearing character that readers will adore.” RT Book Reviews"Cindy Sample's long-awaited new book, Dying for a Double, is finally out! And like fine wine, this series only improves with age. The storyline takes place on the set of a movie shoot and is fast-paced and intriguing. I simply could not put this book down until I knew what was going on! It all culminates in the end chase scene, which is thrilling, original, and hilarious. Dying for a Double is yet another example of Cindy Sample's first-rate work, work for which she is known and admired." Heather Haven, IPPY Award-Winning Author"The adventures of Laurel and her friends continue to be endlessly entertaining, especially when here they combined with the exploits of a Hollywood film crew. Warm-hearted, funny, and incredibly relatable, these are characters who demand further adventures and intrigue they can share with their delighted readers." Cynthia Chow, Kings River Life Magazine

Genres: Mystery

263 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 7, 2019

About the author

Cindy Sample is a former corporate CEO who decided plotting murder was more fun than plodding through paperwork. After one too many mergers,she retired to write her national bestselling and award-winning Laurel McKay Humorous mystery series set in the California Gold Country. Spindrift Cove Mysteries, her newest series, is set in Washington State, featuring Sierra Sullivan, a former cruise director.

Cindy is a five-time LEFTY Award finalist for best humorous mystery and a two-time SILVER FALCHION Award finalist for best traditional mystery. She is a past president of the Sacramento chapter of Sisters in Crime and has served on the boards of the Sacramento Opera and YWCA. Visit her website at www.cindysamplebooks.com

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superior entry in the wonderful Laurel McKay Series.

The PI business isn't going so great for Laurel, until she gets mixed up in a movie being made in Placerville. The star is missing, and wouldn't you know it, but Laurel is the star's double. Laurel tries to act and starts her investigation, but ends up ticking everyone off, and one of the other stars is murdered.

It all leads to a tense, yet humorous climax.

Kudos!

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one, the eighth in a series that I've followed from the start. Gran and Stan are a hoot, and the rest of the cast isn't bad, either. =) Can't wait for more! 4.5*

[Ron Chicaferro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read any of the Cindy Sample "Dying for" books for a real treat. 'Dying for a Double' is Cindy's latest and is, I think, her best. This is a terrific story of a kidnapping and a murder - our heroine, Laurel McKay, is a former banker who has turned herself into a pretty darn good private eye. The earlier books have Laurel as still a banker who sort of stumbles into murders. She's a full time PI now and works on these cases while still balancing her life as a wife and mother. Her husband is a former detective who is also part of the private eye business - but its Laurel who is the main focus of the stories. She is wonderfully funny at times and serious when she needs to be. There are great one-liners that come out of her mouth that will keep you laughing - at least until something serious happens - which could be on the next page. A real treat!

[K.A. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always know I’m going to be highly entertained when I pick up a book by Cindy Sample and her newest release, DYING FOR A DOUBLE, is no exception. This eighth book in the Laurel McKay Mystery series finds Laurel McKay Hunter trying to bring in clients after teaming up with her new husband and step-father in opening their own private investigation firm. Ms. Sample writes great tongue-in-cheek humor and I was laughing out loud as Laurel tried to come up with good marketing tag lines for their agency. Laurel also seems to consistently find herself in zany, troublesome positions, despite her best efforts, which adds additional layers of humor. Not only does the protagonist provide laughs, but the author has developed a good supporting cast of quirky characters, particularly Laurel’s Gran. Gran is known as being Trouble with a capital T and she steals each scene she’s in. Despite the situations Laurel finds herself in, I appreciate the fact that she and her husband have a blended family and she’s committed to her kids. It brings a sense of everyday-ness to the story and makes Laurel feel more relatable.

Another entertaining feature of Ms. Sample’s books is her description of the various locations each book takes place at. It’s obvious that she invests a lot of time researching the locales and career situations Laurel and her cohorts find themselves in. In DYING FOR A DOUBLE, Laurel starts in Coloma, California, a historic town known for being the center of the Gold Rush, participating as an extra on a movie set. The author’s strong descriptive voice helps the reader see, feel, smell, taste, and hear what the characters do. From Coloma, Laurel and her best friend, Stan, head to Hollywood. I got a chuckle out of her description of trying to drive in the bumper-to-bumper traffic on Southern California freeways. She captured it perfectly. With so much fun going on in the story, Ms. Sample still manages to pack in a well-plotted mystery with subplots to keep the reader intrigued and coming back for more.

[Mary Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Loved this book and I love the main character Laurel! She's smart and funny. Fun to try to solve the cases along side her.

[Randi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I continue to love this series, and this addition to the collection is just as easy to devour as the rest. Laurel continues to bloom into her role as a now professional sleuth, while still quite literally stumbling into trouble (and corpses). My only critique would be to see more insight into professional detective work, beyond interviews and chance, since the line between being an official detective and an unsuspecting amateur still seems blurred. Nonetheless, I love this series and all of the side characters that continue to color the world, including Mother, Stan, and Gran!

[Julie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The whole idea of everybody having a double out there somewhere is nothing new but when combined with a great cast of characters it sure makes for a great story. So much happened in this story it is hard to pick out what I enjoyed most but I think it is the mystery and fact that you never knew where the author was going to take you next, is she investigating a runaway or a kidnapping, a disappearance or a murder? The plot certainly kept you guessing until the end, which unfolded nicely with clues along the way. The other great things about this book is the characters and a big suspect pool, they are so varied and unique from the rich stars, to the stage hands, to the gay assistant private investigator, to make-up artists and hairstylist. All were fun and entertaining. I can't wait to start the next book in this great series because like the cover they are a fun adventure and a mystery you wouldn't want to miss.
Laurel is surprised to find she has a body double and her just happens to be a famous film star making a film in her small town. When the starlet starts to suffer problems on the set she asks Laurel to act as her double on the set, giving her free excess to the cast so she run an investigation into the accidents. Then the star goes missing, nobody but her boyfriend is worried as she has a habit of going off. It only turns serious for Laurel when the stars co star is found dead. Did Brittany to into hiding of her own free will? Or could her disappearance have something to do with the murder? For celebs gossip there is only one person can turn to help help, her best friend Stan. Can the pair get to the bottom of the mystery or is this the last curtain call for Brittney's career and maybe her life?

[Anne Rightler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not having read any of Cindy Sample's books before I wasn't quite sure what to expect with Dying for a Double. But I found it to be a fun, never a dull moment book. Even though this is the 8th in the Laurel McKay Mysteries, I was able to follow the story well without feeling like I was missing parts of the backstory. Laurel is a private detective who finds herself acting in a film because she resembles the missing actress. Murder, kidnapping, and lots of fun chaos, all keep the pages turning. The author does a great job keeping the reader guessing as to the culprit. Will Laurel be able to find the missing actress without getting herself murdered? I enjoyed the book and will be looking for more of Sample's stories. I read a complimentary copy of the book and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.

[Jerri Cachero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kay, Yi, Yipee, Ay Yay!

What a great book! Laurel is trying to solve the kidnapping of an actress, filming a movie in her town. Before you can say "action", there's a murder, horseback riding, Gran in an old time western dress (complete with bonnet & wig), Stan dancing the night away in Hollywood, Laurel' s Mom wanting to join the detective agency and of course there's Laurel's husband & Tom, her partner in their detective agency , trying to take care of the kids and their animal kids, Scout & Pumpkin!

The mystery was filled with red herrings, humor and a little romance. Perfect for when you're in the mood for an entertaining cozy with humor!

[Cathy Egan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humorous mystery

This is an entertaining mystery series with the main character being Laurel, an average mom who always seems to manage to find trouble . She turned herself Into an amateur detective and has been solving crimes with her best friend, and former co-worker Stan. This one is about a missing movie star that happens to be Laurel's doppelganger. Lots of entertaining escapades and twists and turns keep the story moving. It's a cute mystery but predictable. I enjoyed it.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dying for a Double

Laurel Hunter is a private detective and owns Gold Country Detective Agen CV y we with her husband and stepfather. They aren't very busy,that is,until she and a friend go to a movie set to try to get hired as extras. The lead actress,who by the way looks almost exactly like Laurel,suddenly disappears. There are clues and dead bodies and plenty of suspects. This is a well written book full of mystery and suspense. I enjoyed it and reccomend it to everyone. I give it 5 stars.

[Sandra Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

The detective has a chance to be an extra on a western movie set. It seems there have been a few “accidents” happening to the lead actress, and Laurel happens to be a dead ringer for her. Eventually the actress goes missing and Laurel is hired for the job, but not to investigate as she’d hoped, but as a stand-in for her double.

Nice, easy read overall, but kind of lags. I expected a more interesting investigation. She spends more time acting than investigating.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my last book to read in this series, as I read #9 first, and then started from #1! I really enjoyed the book, as I did most of them. One star off for her use of the singular "they" twice, in contexts where it was not needed. (Sometimes it may be needed in a nonfiction book, but never in a fiction.) Still, the series is recommended to all chick lit fans, to readers of cozy mysteries, and to readers who live in the northern California area!

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

strange detective

The detective is more accidental bumping into information or stumbling into danger. She really doesn’t “detect” logically or even methodically, just haphazardly going in all directions. Her success is totally accidental. Plus she is never prepared for the danger she steps into. Book is too long recording her circuitous questioning of everybody and his dog (which she cares more about).

[Peggy Clayton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. It was a really cute story and such a great friendship between a mother and daughter. This was the first book I had read from the author and will be reading another of her books soon. Cindy hit the ball just over the top of the shortstops head for a double then stole third so she turned it into a triple!

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laurel does it again!

I love this series & the fact that Laurel is in her 40’s, remarried with kids, she is so relatable. The mysteries are engaging and it’s fun to see her entire family involved in her life & crime solving.

[Patricia Gligor · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Dying for a Double" by Cindy Sample, Laurel has once again put herself in some dangerous and potentially deadly situations as she strives to find a missing actress and to solve the murder of her co-star.
A great addition to the series!

[Jean Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story

Just finished reading all the Laurel McKay books. Once I read the first one I had to buy all the others, they were that great.

This book includes kidnapping, murder, Hollywood stars and the developing story of Laurel and Tom. Please let’s have lots more

[michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Series

Finally, I real woman playing detective! I love Laurel! I am so tired of the "Barbie boozing lady PI or homicide detective with either a dark past or daddy issues." Can't wait for the next one.

[Michelle Beese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having lived in Placerville, I love being able to see in my mind local places described in Cindy Sample's books. I always enjoy seeing what the main character Laurel gets herself involved in each book. A fun and sassy read!

[Katie Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stan in Hollywood

For Cindy Sample fans that's enough said. But for newbies, Cindy always gives her readers a great story. Lots of surprises, fun characters, and a great ending.

[Roberta G. Mower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cindy Sample does not disappoint

So fun to read these stories. The characters become people you could know. Laurel is someone whose humor leaves you happy.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read, with good cast of characters, good plot, & unpredictable ending.

[Gene Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addictive Mind Candy

I have now completed all 8 of these books this year. You want my review? Okay, it can be summed up in one question:

Where's the next one?

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is out to get Brittany and why??? It’s a good thing Laurel is on the ball!!! I enjoyed his story and recommend the book.

[Teresa Marzec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Laurel did it again! This time she went to bat for a "double"! This was a funny but intriguing book! You'll like it!

[Liz Whelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC

This Book Series was Fantastic. I enjoyed every book. I hope there will be more in this Series. A Must read for everyone. I laughed & laughed. Great Writing.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book interesting and worth recommending. A good story. You will have to pay close attention to discover the killer before the end. Characters are good and believable.

[Cathy Inboden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. She keeps you on your toes. Can't wait til the next one comes out

[Alicia Luechtefeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me forever to read. I’m not sure if it was due to being on vacation or just being over this series. I like the main character but her husband really makes me frustrated. #dyingforadouble #laurelmckay #laurelmckaymysteries #cozymystery #cozymysteryreaders #murdermystery #booksofig #booksofinstagram #reading #readingchallenge #readingchallenge2020 #aliciareads