Without Mercy-Toni L.P. Kelner

Without Mercy
Toni L.P. Kelner
Five Star, Jan 2008, $25.95
ISBN 9781594144783

Boston based freelance celebrity author Tilda Harper recently wrote a where are they now article on the former cast members of ’70s sitcom Kissing Cousins. Her article published in prestigious Entertain Me magazine focuses on the “Curse of the Kissing Cousins”; as two former cast members starring respectively as Brad the jock and Damon the freak recently died. When paranoid fanboy Vincent Peters claims a third cast member starring as Sherry the cheerleader was murdered and that a serial killer is bumping off the cousins, Tilda takes him seriously as he is her best tipster when he insists Mercy Ashford is next as they are being killed in chronological order.

Tilda’s first investigation into the cousins led to her easily finding everyone except Mercy, who walked off a movie set and disappeared without a trace; she has never picked up her rerun checks. However, this time going through her boxes of 1970s fan junk Tilda considers a different approach to finding the missing cousin who was her idol when the reporter was a teen. Tilda is unaware that someone is watching her moves following her to New York because she is the best chance of finding the fourth victim.

WITHOUT MERCY is an enjoyable journalistic investigative tale starring a likable heroine. Her behavior towards Vincent and her sister shows she is a caring person; her actions towards an obnoxious last Entertain me reporter is amusing and on target. Fans who appreciate the Scooby Doo mysteries will enjoy this fun homage to Geeks and Freaks.

Harriet Klausner