Knowing that her deceased husband, Trent, was a cheating liar was only half the problem for Samantha Shaw. Now the Heart Mates Dating Service owner, romance book reviewer and mother of two is being threatened by the darker element of society. The unnamed party demands the money Trent owes. The question is why did her condom selling dead husband owe money? Was he dealing drugs and didn't pay up?

The first clue walks into her office one day alerting her to the situation and knocks her out with a stun gun. He scribbles his threat onto her new Nordstrom skirt and then disappears. The dangerous situation has her mother convinced that it's time to get out of the matchmaking business and into real estate. Her mother can't see Trent for what he was, but Sam's grandfather knows an illusion when he sees one. He was a magician in his younger years. He's also no old fool when it comes to securing information on the Internet. That knowledge, plus the assistance of Gabe Pulizzi, a ex LA cop, now private detective, helps Sam in her mission to find this mysterious sum of money and save her family. Gabe installs a security system, gives her a beer drinking dog (but she's really a wonderful protector) and teaches Sam how to protect herself.

The race is on to meet the demands of the men who may have helped her husband into his grave. The mystery is, can Sam trust anyone? Can she trust Blaine, her assistant, who knew her husband before his death? Gabe who becomes more than a friend or Detective Rossi who is investigating the case?

The truth is that Sam is an obvious magnet for danger. She has several individuals trying to kill her and when she's not in danger she's finding bodies. This leads to neighborhood wives believing she's become a private eye and hiring her on. Those that knew her husband was a cheating scoundrel are now calling her because of missing sex tapes.

DATING CAN BE MURDER was one of the best murder mysteries I've read. Why? Because it's protagonist was a "character." She's been taken for a ride in the past and isn't going to stand for it anymore. Sam's got a sense of humor and a killer attitude. She's got the fastest "in-your-face" replies I've ever seen. The plot is very real to life in terms of criminal acts, adultery and wives being the last to know. A word to the wise, write down Jennifer Apodaca's name in your favorite author notebook. This gal is going to sell some books and earn her way to the top.

4 lace panties out of 5
--Denise Fleischer
Gotta Write Network Online Book Reviewer
7/22/2002