Tobi Tobias' ad agency has gotten a few more clients so when her good friend Carter is having issues with a Diva at the theater, she offers to help him out by casting her in her commercial spot. Everyone on the set has issues with this actress who makes everyone uncomfortable with her complaints and orders which let everyone there know that she has a peanut allergy.

When time comes for her to have her hair colored (it's a salon commercial) she slides right out of the chair dead! It is later found that the color solution had peanut oil added to it making Carter the prime suspect.

Tobi is determined to find out what really happened and clear her friend.

A side theme is the "romance" of her grandfather with the dreaded Ms Rapple from next door - fun and light-hearted counterpoint.

I enjoyed the first in this series and had my fingers crossed that the second would be as good. Well, it may just be even better. Tobi is back along with her circle of friends and family. Beyond her problems with a vanishing boyfriend, her Grandpa Stu making googoo eyes at Tobi's obnoxious neighbor and her BFF having bird troubles in her pet store.....her dear friend Carter, the hairdresser, has been having girlfriend trouble. Not just the usual stuff. Tobi tried to help him out by giving her a bit part in a commercial and it ends in murder. Exit girlfriend, enter the cops. Can Tobi clear her friend of murder and save her ad agency at the same time? Because each mystery ends with a cliff hanger, I will be eager to read the third entry, even if it didn't have the cliff hanger.

There is so much to love about this series, and I was thrilled when reading this second book in the series. Tobi is a character that you will instantly love and it isn’t hard, when the story and plot line are superbly written. This second book has laugh out moments, great wonder in the who done it and a cast of delightful characters.

I think this was a stronger book than the first in the series (Death in Advertising). If you look at my review of that one, you'll see that I dinged it a bit for too-perfect characters. Not Tobi, but all her friends. I still think we all can dream of having friends as good as Tobi has, but in this book they seemed a little more real. The 15-year-old Sam is still a bit unbelievable (okay, he reminds me of the 15-year-old Brian from the early drafts of Death By Ice Cream, from before I had my own teens), but he's just quirky enough to pass.

The mystery itself was good. I did get an idea or two about whodunnit, but only found my way to the solution as Tobi did (as she uncovered the info that made it make sense), and I followed her off after all the wrong answers. Of course, I knew they had to be wrong, because it was too early in the book to be so sure, but even so, I believed her.

Dialogue is good, the romance continues to take up about the right amount of space (which is to say, not that much), and the writing overall is tight. My biggest concern now is that Tobi needs to get her diet under control, because her hatred of veggies and love of sugar is going to land her smack in diabetes-land. In all seriousness, I am a bit bothered by that, because in a way it normalizes a really unhealthy lifestyle. I figure the only reason Tobi isn't overweight is that she has had to walk everywhere, due to not having a car. Okay, I'm over-reacting, but it did bug me.

My Recommendation:
Definitely a good series for the reader who likes a cozy mystery without over-much kitsch or romance. The advertising angle is a good one that allows for innovative murders and lots of new characters, and no recipes (note: I have nothing against recipes, but sometimes they seem awfully gimmicky). Just don't eat like Tobi does, okay?

I enjoyed getting back to Tobi and her fledgling advertising agency. With two campaigns seemingly underway, things seem to be going well. Until Tobi lets her friend Carter talk her into using a prima donna like wanna be actress for her hair salon ad. An easy read with a not too taxing mystery.

I really this second book of the series. I like the way the characters are developing and can't wait to read the next one in the series. Nice character development and I also enjoy learning a bit more about the advertising business. A few twists and turns kept me reading this book until the end.

Tobi’s business has picked up since her success with the Zander Closet Company despite the murder investigation from the previous book.

The only thing not going so well is her relationship with Andy because his ex-girlfriend has come back into the picture and Tobi is not sure what to do. He wanted to marry her at one point but then she moved of to pursue her career and broke his heart. Every keeps telling her things will work out but she is not so sure and she is trying to not feel hurt herself.

Her friend Carter needs help and she thought she was doing him a favor by hiring his nemesis at the theater, Fiona, for her commercial but things don’t go so well. So instead of helping him she puts him in the middle of a murder as person of interest in Fiona’s death because he couldn’t stand her and it was his hair dye that kills her. You wonder how hair dye can kill, well you will have to read and find out…lol.

Trying to figure out whodonit sort of takes her mind of of things with Andy but not a lot, then her Grandpa Stu shows up to help. I love Grandpa Stu! Tobi is freaking out about his involvement with her nemesis, Mrs. Rapple, her next door neighbor. Poor Tobi.

Fiona was a force all unto her own and I am surprised there wasn’t a huge list of people who wanted to killer her but there was a few like everyone who worked on the commercial set. Fiona was so rude and down right mean! I can’t even really feel sorry for her death, but I did feel sorry for poor Carter who was trying so hard to not think about how bad he would look in orange.

This series has a great cast of characters and a great mystery and I didn’t figure it out until a little bit before Tobi. I totally thought it was someone else!

If you like cozies you will love this series!

Review goes up on August 22nd on http://booksmoviesreviewsohmy.com

Let's just start by saying as a whole, I LOVE Laura Bradford and she has once again delivered with this series! I was an instant fangirl when I read Death in Advertising and was hoping that the first book in the series wasn't just a fluke. I should have known better, this book was just as good if not better than the first. I love the character of Tobi and how real and relate-able she is. I know she and I would instantly be friends! Add in her quirky sense of humor and the fact that she snorts, and is addicted to junk food, just makes her that much more awesome! Even though I think she goes way above and beyond the duties of friendship to help out Carter in this book, it endears you to her that she is that protective and supportive of her friends. I loved this book and the mystery that is spun throughout. I anxiously awaited the release of this book and now I will be anxiously waiting for book three, And Death Goes To..., which looks to be set to be released December 5, 2017. Thank goodness the wait won't be too long!

30 Second Death by Laura Bradford is the second book in A Tobi Tobias Mystery series. Tobi’s friend Carter McDade needs a little help. He is a hairdresser for the Central West End Theater and has been having a hard time with the temperamental and troublesome Fiona Renoir. Carter ended up having an extremely vocal argument with her at the theater and is afraid of losing his job (which he loves). Frank Martindale, the theater’s owner, will not go against Fiona, because she is his niece (which is why she has a job along with the fact that no one else would put up with her antics and diva attitude). Tobi decides to help Carter by giving Fiona a role in the Salonquility commercial. Tobi immediately regrets her act of kindness when Fiona causes drama on the set (upsetting the crew). They get through the first two segments of the commercial and take a short break before they start the hair dying portion of the commercial. Tobi is getting ready to return to the set when she hears Carter scream. She rushes in and finds him staring at Fiona on the floor—dead! Thanks to the very public argument Carter had with Fiona, he is suspect number one. Grandpa Stu returns to town to help Tobi with the investigation and spend a little quality time with Martha Rapple (which makes Tobi cringe). Tobi, with Grandpa Stu’s assistance, needs to whittle down the long suspect list (no one liked Fiona) and find the killer. Will she be able to clear Carter’s name before the cops slap him behind bars?

30 Second Death is an easy to read book. There are some cute moments in the story and the details the author allowed me to envision it in my head (an example is Rudder described in pj’s, nightcap and slippers). I wish, though, that the author had devoted more time and effort into the mystery. It was obvious who would be murdered and how (the nasty person is always bumped off). I identified the killer early in the novel (very limited suspect pool). I am rating 30 Second Death 3 out of 5 stars. Tobi has the maturity of a teenager girl at times (with regard to her personal life). Grandpa Stu’s relationship with Martha Rapple makes her want to throw up. This fact is frequently mentioned. Then the parrot, Rudder makes fun of her laugh (snort, snort). She gets annoyed with the bird (over and over). I admit that I got annoyed with it being mentioned every single time she called the pet store or visited it (repetition of details seems to be a common theme). The whodunit took a backseat in 30 Second Death. More time was devoted to Tobi’s relationship with Andy (and the current problem they are experiencing), Mary Fran’s noise problem at the pet store, Tobi’s need to have sweets and chocolate on hand, and Mary Fran’s high school reunion (and getting the chance to reconnect with the guy she liked in high school). I just felt 30 Second Death was lacking (I wanted more, but that is me). Readers who prefer a light, humorous “cozy” mystery will enjoy 30 Second Death.

Tobi Tobias is delightfully layered and realistically flawed. She places great stock in friendships and has an endearing narrative voice. I sort-of see her as Sandra Bullock in “While You Were Sleeping” or “Miss Congeniality” – a little awkward, a lot lovable, and a good heart. She’s witty and smart, she snort-laughs, she has stand-offs with parrots, and she is a total junk food addict.

In 30 Second Death, the main supporting characters are back and Tobi has her hands full! She must solve a murder to save Carter and solve a business problem to save Mary Fran. All while maintaining her own advertising business and trying not to gag at the thought of her beloved Grandpa Stu’s simmering romance with Tobi’s hated neighbor. You can imagine the hilarity that ensues.

The mystery isn’t so much about solving who did it as it is about proving who didn’t. The victim is so obnoxious that’s it’s almost a relief when she’s killed (i know… that’s awful. But you haven’t met her yet! Trust me.) but then the dread sets in as you realize that Tobi’s best friend Carter (another fave character of mine) is the number one suspect.

Bottom Line: Humor, heart, and a well-plotted mystery. It doesn’t get much better. Tobi Tobias is a heroine you’d want as a friend – and she’ll feel like one after you’ve read a book in this series. 30 Second Death is the second book but it can work as a standalone if you haven’t read Death in Advertising yet. Emphasis on ‘yet’ because you should, even just for the enjoyment factor. And the ending of this book has me eagerly waiting for And Death Goes To… to see how both revelations will play out in Mary Fran’s life. (Not a cliffhanger, per se, so don’t panic.) If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries, make sure this series is on your TBR list!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

I received a free copy for an honest review and I love this series by Laura Bradford!!!! This is the 2nd book in the Tobi Tobias series and it is a great fun read. If you like cozy mysteries then you will really love this series!!

30 SECOND DEATH by Laura Bradford
The Second Tobi Tobias Mystery

Business is booming for Tobi Tobias, unfortunately, her personal life isn't faring so well. Andy's ex has come back into his life and in trying to help her good friend, she may just have set Carter up for a murder charge! A diva at Carter's theatre company has made the mellow Carter lose his cool, so in order to save his job, Tobi rescinds the acting offer she gave the Art Director and gives the job to the Diva. A nightmare on the set, Fiona angers everyone, but it's only after Carter works on her hair that she drops dead. Now Carter's the prime suspect, but plenty of people had motive. Will Tobi be able to prove Carter's innocence when even Mary Fran doubts him? Will she work out her relationship with Andy? And just what is Rudder getting up to at night that the police are called for a noise disturbance?

Tobi's junk food diet makes my eating habits look positively healthy and her snorting, along with her reaction to it, gets on my nerves. Despite the fact that I find Tobi annoying at times, her deep rooted kindness makes me appreciate her as a person and as a character. And although poor decisions abound, if better choices were made there'd be no mystery.

I really enjoyed the mystery in 30 SECOND DEATH. Laura Bradford is quite adept at misdirecting readers, leading us toward what seem like the logical conclusion. When the mystery is solved we're reminded of all those well placed clues we may have glossed over which now make us say, "Well, of course. It all makes sense now!" The romantic anticipations and troubles of both Tobi and Mary Fran add to the angst of the story, heightening the drama.The mood is lightened, however, with plenty of humor, from Tobi's new clients, Dom and Gina Paletti, but especially from Rudder, wise words from teenager, Sam, and those quirky traits of Tobi.

30 SECOND DEATH is a well rounded mystery that provides a pleasurable mixture of laughter and drama while highlighting the importance of love and friendship.

30 SECOND DEATH was 8 hours of unbelievable reading!

Oh, I do love this series. As I mentioned in my review of book one, DEATH IN ADVERTISING I was blown away with every aspect of it. In starting 30 SECOND DEATH, I of course was hoping for more of the same, and author Laura Bradford delivered!

Tobi Tobias is a fresh and fun protagonist. I love her quirky sense of humor, and that she snorts when she laughs like I do! She’s feel very real to me, meaning, she could be someone I know. When I read some leads in other series, I feel like I could never be them. But Tobi, she makes me feel like I can do anything.

30 SECOND DEATH was a fast paced, exciting story that touched on every emotion in me at one point or the other. When I wasn’t laughing at the antics of some of the characters, or deep into other story points of this great book, I was holding my breath over the whodunit portion of the tale. Ms. Bradford really upped the mystery content in this installment of the Tobi Tobias Mysteries, and after the last book, I wouldn’t have thought that possible!

30 Second Death
Laura Bradford

In this second book of the Tobi Tobias Mystery Series, Bradford does a great job of keeping us guessing throughout the book. It is a lot of fun and Tobi herself is a delightful character that many can relate to.
In the story, Tobi’s friend Carter is having trouble at work. He does hair in a theater and is excited to finally get to do the hair for the production of Rapunzel. However, when the lead actress, who just happens to be the theater owner’s niece, refuses to allow him near her hair, he is afraid he is about to lose his big chance to prove himself. Tobi steps in and offers a part in a commercial to the young lady, whose name is Fiona, to get her off of Carter’s case. However, Fiona is definitely a diva on set. She yells at everyone from the director to the assistants and the camera men. She does not like anything and wants everything done her own way. When they finally reach the last take, in which she is getting her hair done by Carter, she falls over dead off her stool. When the police decide it is a murder, their main suspect is Carter, who obviously hated her. Tobi sets off to figure out who really killed Fiona, all the while dealing with her ad agency, her failing love life, and her best friend’s troubles with her pet shop. Can they save Carter? Is there any hope for him? Join Tobi and the entire gang from the previous book and find out. I highly recommend this book! It is a lot of fun to read. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

This is the 2nd book in the Toby Tobias Mystery series. This book can read as a stand alone as the author does re introduce each character.
This is a delightful cozy mystery series. In this next in series. Tobi is helping her good friend Carter who has finally gotten his dream job doing hair and makeup for a production. Tobi has agreed to get a third rate actress a act in the production which proves disastrous. . When a murder occurs Tobi and Carter work together to try to find the killer while sifting through many clues in the theatrical world they are in.
I love the authors strong friend characters here and how they help each other in life. Tobi is a delight and someone we can all relate to as a friend. The writing is fast paced, witty and lots of humor abounds here for the reader to enjoy. The characters are very rich and well crafted to the story. The sleuth was very well done with many clues that kept this reader guessing throughout the book until the last page !
I enjoy revisiting Tobi and friends and look forward to the next in series. A must read for every mystery reader.
Thank you for the ARC which did not influence my review. This is the perfect cozy read !

Tobi Tobias enjoys running her own advertising agency, and she couldn’t have done it without the help of her friend Carter McDade. Carter is a talented hairdresser who is thrilled to be doing the hair and make-up for a production of “Rapunzel”, but his job is on the line because of one temperamental actress whose family connections can make or break Carter’s career. To help out her friend, Tobi offers the actress, Fiona Renoir, a job in a commercial for her newest client. That turns out to be a catastrophe when Fiona is murdered and Carter becomes the only suspect. Tobi vows to find the real killer to prevent Carter from going to prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

I have read books in other series by Laura Bradford, but this is the first book I’ve read in this series. “30 Second Death” is actually the second book in this new series, but I missed the first one. I had no trouble figuring out who was who, so that wasn’t a problem. I like Tobi and her friends and enjoyed the glimpse into the advertising business as well as the theater. I enjoy Tobi and Carter’s friendship and how loyal they are to each other.

I like the even-pacing of the book, but was disappointed in the rushed ending. When the true murderer is discovered, the stage is well-set, but then most of the confrontation is described by Tobi to a friend after the fact, and the reader doesn’t get to see the scene unfold first hand. Hopefully, in future books the reader won’t be cheated out of the big reveal because otherwise this is an entertaining mystery with a touch of romance as well. Fans of Laura Levine will enjoy this light-hearted cozy.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Lyrical Underground. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Author Laura Bradford writes a variety of series but I was completely smitten with her Tobi Tobias Mystery series and was thrilled when 30 SECOND DEATH, the second book in the series, became available! From the opening page to the very end I was struck again and again at how creatively funny this author is! Writing humor is a gift and Laura is gifted in spades. The protagonist, Tobi Tobias, is a proud chocoholic, addicted to Cocoa Puffs, and owns a fledgling advertising agency. The agency allows the author another avenue for developing punny sayings and slogans along with creating interesting companies for Tobi to work on… I’d actually like to frequent some of the companies she mentions :)

The characters surrounding Tobi are varied and just as developed and entertaining on their own as the main protagonist. Tobi’s upstairs neighbor and friend, Carter McDade, is the focal point of 30 SECOND DEATH. He tends to be a drama queen but still has a smile and kind word for everyone. That is until he is a murder suspect in the death of his nemesis and the theater manager’s niece, Fiona. As Carter’s world comes crashing down, Tobi steps in and starts trying to figure out who the real killer is, despite her problems going on with her sweetheart, Andy. Laura Bradford expertly juggles a variety of story-lines and plots between Tobi and the characters and weaves them together in one entertaining story that will keep you guessing “whodunit”!

When Tobi’s friend Carter goes off on an actress at the theater where he works, he’s afraid of losing his job. Tobi decides to help out by hiring the actress to be in a commercial she is about to shoot for an advertising client, but when the actress dies on set while Carter is coloring her hair, he immediately finds himself the top suspect. Now Tobi must do another favor – clear Carter of murder.

I loved the first book in this series, and one of the main reasons was the characters. They are a delight to be around, and their relationships are so wonderful. I felt the mystery in this one was slow, especially in the first half where a couple of sub-plots got in the way of Tobi solving the mystery. Still, it did reach a logical conclusion at the end.

30 Second Death was even better than Death in Advertising! Laura Bradford is an outstanding author who creates multifaceted characters with depth and wonderful hearts. This time that heart has put Tobi in a terrible position. Tobi's best friend is about to lose his job after blasting his boss's niece while said boss was standing behind him. To try to get the, hum, uh, the little minx, out of his hair, Tobi hires the mediocre actress with a diva attitude to act in a commercial for her newest client. The first pain comes from having to tell another woman, one that she likes, that she is out of the commercial to make room for Fiona. The next pain is from having to putt up with the diva during the preparation and shooting of the commercial, and the final pain is dealing with fallout from the death of the diva on her set, right at Carter's feet and guess who becomes the prime suspect...of course, Carter McDade, the best friend she was trying to help. If that isn't tough enough for you, her still-kind-of-new-but-really-important boyfriend takes her out for a lovely dinner only to have his ex-fiancé show up, the one who left him.

It was great to have another visit from her awesome grandfather and to spend time with Sam and Mary Fran. These secondary characters contribute to making this series stand out as special.

Since I loved the first book in the Tobi Tobias Mystery series, I was thrilled to get a chance to read an advanced readers' copy of 30 Second Death. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this opportunity. I always review books that I enjoy and I loved 30 Second Death and look forward to the next book in the series.

This is a great book; this is the second book in the Tobi Tobias Mystery series and written by Laura Bradford. When Tobi Tobias opened her own advertising agency, Carter McDade was there for her every step of the way. A brilliant hairdresser, Carter has just landed his dream project: doing hair and makeup for a theatrical production of Rapunzel. But the dream turns into a nightmare when he runs into Fiona Renoir, a cruel, talentless starlet who won’t let Carter touch a hair on her head. To get Fiona out of Carter’s hair, Tobi hires the difficult actress for a bit part in her latest commercial. But true to character, Fiona is a terror on set, and Tobi is starting to think she’s made the biggest mistake of her life. But things get even worse when Fiona drops dead in the hairdresser’s chair, and the only suspect is the man left holding the tainted hair dye, Carter McDade. And unless Tobi can prove his innocence, he’ll never do hair in this town again. This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night. If you are looking for a great book, then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.