“Death by Sample Size” by Susie Black

Death by Sample Size

Susie Black
The Wild Rose Press, Inc. (2021)
ISBN 9781509236350
Reviewed by Jill Rey for Reader Views (6/2022)

Author Susie Black uses her expertise and industry experience as an executive in apparel sales to craft a hilarious and wild adventure through the California Apparel Mart. Holly Schlivnik makes for a loveably relatable DIY private investigator as she is determined to get to the bottom of Bunny Frank’s death, which is wracking the Apparel Mart vendors.

Bunny Frank is the woman EVERYONE loves to hate. Her work ethic makes her a resounding success, but her methods leave much to be desired. So, when Holly finds her body laid out in an elevator one morning on her way to work, let’s just say there are a lot of people with motives and reasons for wanting her dead. In fact, many aren’t even all that surprised to hear of her gruesome murder. However, it isn’t until Holly’s friend, and a member of her morning coffee group, the yentas, is targeted and arrested for Bunny’s murder that Holly becomes determined to find the REAL killer, putting herself at risk along the way.

“Death By Sample Size” takes on Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum Series vibes as the cozy, hilarious, wild, and intriguing antics play out across the pages. Black is a wiz at crafting such mesmerizing character descriptions they feel like your own enemy, or friend, and paint the perfect mental picture of the individual’s persona and appearance. 

Despite all the industry players and roles introduced within, Black’s ability to draft memorable characters lends well to the book’s development. Holly and her hilarious group of friends did the rest in making this a spectacular read. Their entertaining stint as self-trained, TV-learned private investigators and verbal dialogue of the panic that ensued each time they sought to uncover more clues was truly hysterical and somehow entirely relatable. From the actual police work to the middle-aged women investigating to the wild and flamboyant swimsuit apparel industry, there are so many entertaining and enjoyable twists to this book. 

“Death By Sample Size” and the ensuing Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series to follow in its wake are sure to keep readers coming back time and time again for more.