VICE AND VIRTUE is the first book in the brand new Layla Virtue Mystery series by Libby Klein. From the very first sentence, the author’s trademark humor is on full display, but ratcheted up a notch or two compared to her cozy mystery series, which makes it a fun, fun, fun read! And the fact that the humor is sustained throughout the book is quite impressive. Protagonist Layla Virtue is a deeply flawed character… but one you want to cheer on and see life improve for her. Ms. Klein doles out Layla’s backstory judiciously, which made me even more invested in finding out what brought her to the trailer park she calls home and playing the Hokey Pokey on her electric guitar at a kid’s birthday party alongside Chuckles the Clown. That is until Chuckles is murdered at the party and Layla must get involved.

The author’s way of creating the characters and her strong humorous descriptive language to give them personality makes each individual quite memorable. I especially loved the inclusion of Layla’s rock-in-roll legend dad, after he turns up unexpectedly on her doorstep. Their relationship has its difficulties, but it feels genuine. I might have had to blink away a tear or two at times during a few sweet scenes, especially involving Layla’s next-door neighbor’s dog (who steals each scene he appears in). The strong emotional themes running throughout the story, like friendship, abandonment, addiction, family, and love, only added to the appeal of the book and made me even more invested in the characters.

The mystery of who killed Chuckles the Clown is top-notch and Layla knows a thing or two about investigating, whether or not she wants to. There are clues to follow and several twists and turns to keep it interesting. With plenty of suspects who might have wanted Chuckles dead (who knew a short, pudgy clown could attract so many female admirers which complicates things!) I was kept guessing to who the culprit was. A jilted lover? An angry spouse out for revenge? A disgruntled party host? Ms. Klein parades the suspects around until the final reveal.

This is one of those books impossible to put down where “just one more chapter” turns into hours of turning pages until you reach the very end. Buckle in, hang on tight, and enjoy this rollicking tale while jamming to 80s rock tunes blasting from the stereo!

Really fun read! Vice and Virtue was just the perfect mystery!

Layla is settling into her new life at the Lake Pinecrest Trailer Park, enjoying the solitude and simplicity after a tumultuous past. Despite her desire for peace, a group of local women is determined to make her their new best friend, constantly inviting her for coffee and donuts. As she struggles to find success as a rock musician after her previous career ended in a literal explosion, Layla takes whatever gigs she can get, even playing at an 8-year-old's birthday party. However, things take a dark turn when Chuckles the Clown, who performs at the party, is found dead after taking a bow. Layla’s quiet life is soon upended as she finds herself involved in unraveling the mystery behind his unexpected death.