The Debutante Dropout Series Books 1-5 by Susan McBride
You can take the girl out of Highland Park…
Andrea “Andy” Kendricks seems to find trouble everywhere she goes. When she’s not horrifying her high society mother, Cissy, with her blue collar and single lifestyle, she’s stumbling into criminal investigations around her Dallas stomping grounds. Following her father’s untimely death just before her debut, Andy has settled into a decidedly non-Junior League life designing websites for nonprofits. Everywhere she turns, however, she finds a mystery to be solved. Along the way, Andy shows that she is a devoted friend and daughter who truly cares about doing what is right. Despite being a trust fund baby, she remains remarkably grounded and is not afraid to get dirty to solve the case. McBride skewers the Highland Park culture with relish, and Andy’s attempts to placate her mother’s high society whims without sacrificing her own sense of self are amusing. The entire series is full of laughs and high jinks. Those familiar with the Dallas social scene will find McBride’s characters particularly amusing. Each mystery makes a great beach or airplane read, or a nice fun diversion.
Blue Bloods: Book 1
When an old friend calls and asks her to take care of her son, Andy becomes involved in a dirty murder mystery full of sex, lies, and money. Accused of killing her sleazy boss, Molly O’Brien is desperate to protect her child. Andy comes to the rescue, securing Molly’s son in the Kendricks’ manse, and investigating the crime from inside the torrid Jugs restaurant. When Andy’s snooping gets the attention of the killer, everything goes from bad to worse.
The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder: Book 2
When Cissy spots a webmaster position with Marilee Mabry’s The Sweet Life, she volunteers Andy for the job. Now that Marilee is going national, her wholesome image is more important than ever and Cissy is happy to use her friendship to improve Andy’s social standing. Marilee, however, is completely unlikable and when her young daughter is near death just moments before her mother’s debut, Andy becomes embroiled in the drama. Soon Marilee’s secrets are being exposed, including an affair with boy toy and personal trainer, Justin Gable. Who has the most to lose? And what lengths will they go to to save themselves?
The Lone Star Lonely Hearts Club: Book 3
Cissy goes undercover at the swanky Belle Meade retirement community to find out what caused the deaths of two of her friends. When she uncovers an exclusive matchmaking club, medical irregularities, and a slew of pending lawsuits, she realizes she may be in over her head. Andy must come to her mother’s rescue before her investigating makes her the next victim.
Night of the Living Deb: Book 4
When her sexy boy toy and lawyer friend Brian Malone disappears during a bachelor party at the high end “Men’s Club”, Andy is drawn into the intrigue as she attempts to clear his name. Forced to join forces with her archenemy, Allie Price (Brian’s ex and colleague), Andy once again goes undercover to find out the truth. Did straight-laced Brian leave with a stripper? Why is the stripper dead now? And where the heck has Brian gotten off to? With the help of her mother and her mother’s new male friend, Stephen Howard, Andy races to get to the bottom of the murder.
Too Pretty to Die: Book 5
McBride closes out the series with a mystery straight out of the headlines. When her friend and society reporter, Janet, wrangles her into attending a Pretty Party, Andy figures that she is in for a shallow night of high society grooming. Instead, the entire botox party is interrupted by a drunk and armed former beauty queen intent on revenge. Miranda DuBois blames the good doctor for the disfiguring adverse reaction she suffered and she’s intent on revenge. It looks like the drama is over when Andy coaxes Miranda back home. When Miranda’s body is found the next morning, however, Andy is sucked into the mystery. With her family out the country, Cissy has been named Miranda’s power of attorney, and she is certain that this was not a suicide. Did the doctor resort to murder to save her practice?
Read alikes: Laura Levine, Leann Sweeney, Nancy Martin, Kate Collins, Patricia Sprinkle and Ellen Byerrum.
See McBride’s young adult series: The Debs & The Debs: Love, Lies & Texas Dips
Catch McBride’s Maggie Ryan series: And Then She Was Gone & Overkill
4 out of 5
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I love this! I’m going to have to link from my web site. Awesome summaries and thanks for the kind words.
Thank you! I am very honored. In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I won the Night of the Living Debs contest awhile back…
I saw that you have a new young adult series out featuring a new generation of debs. I’m so excited!
The YA series is out! THE DEBS debuted in August of 2008, and LOVE, LIES, AND TEXAS DIPS was released by Random House on June 9. Next up, GLOVES OFF in 2010 (it was scheduled for March but now I hear they may move it to summer of 2010–we shall see!). At this very moment, I’m working on revisions for THE COUGAR CLUB, which is a grown-up read (nonmystery) set in St. Louis that Avon A will publish in January of 2010. So a lot has been going on since Andy and Cissy first appeared on the scene in BLUE BLOOD in 2004. Maybe one of these days I’ll get a vacation!
I’m going to have my web diva link to this page when she updates my site for July. I’m so glad I found it!