UNMANNED - Lois Greiman
Dell
ISBN: 978-0-440-24362-5
October 2007
Mystery

Los Angeles, California - Present Day

You remember Christina McMullen don't you? (UNSCREWED 2007) The former cocktail waitress, now psychologist -- not a psychiatrist, thank you very much -- has her own practice far from her childhood home in Chicago. Except for the fact that Chrissy's had two attempts on her life within the past six months and hasn't been with a man in almost two years, her life is just fine. Police Lieutenant Jack Rivera has tried numerous times to date Chrissy, but the last time a work call on his infernal cell phone kept him away before he even made it to her house.

One seemingly normal day, a good-looking man Chrissy meets at the gas station follows her home after work. When he gets murdered in her yard, her life goes from fairly calm into hyper drive. Then, just when things couldn't get any worse, here comes her older brother Pete, driving a stolen, or is it a "borrowed," Corvette. Pete is supposed to be getting married in two weeks in Chicago; why is he in Los Angeles? Chrissy quickly finds out as other people try to kidnap, shoot, and otherwise harm her for reasons she learns have to do with Pete. Is it really her brother's shenanigans behind all these threats and accidents, or is there some reason everyone in California is looking to end her life? Chrissy's brother will enchant you with his posturing and little boy stunts intended to get her on his side, even though he brings unsavory characters with him wherever he goes. But the important question is: Will Jack Rivera ever find the time to plant a big one on her?

Written from Christina's point of view, UNMANNED features the crisp, fast paced writing of Lois Greiman, who has enchanted me with her three other stories about Chrissy. UNZIPPED (May 2005), UNPLUGGED (February 2006), and UNSCREWED (January 2007). Each character is superbly drawn, and her continuing meetings with people trying to murder her make this a book that will appeal to everybody who loves great writing and superb characterization. The non-stop action and Chrissy's unique personality, as well, make this a memorable read.

UNMANNED is a little different from Christina's other adventures. Her friend Laney is off making a movie out-of-state, leaving her boyfriend Solberg alone and worrying himself to death over whether she has met anyone else. Chrissy's brother Pete is the person around which her adventures occur. You could easily decide he was a troublemaker ever since he made her eat sheep droppings (said they were raisins) when she was a child. Several other men, either dying or trying to kill Chrissy, keep everything at a fever pitch.

UNMANNED is the fourth book in the continuing adventures of Christina McMullen, but by no means do you need to have read the others. My only complaint is will Chrissy and Jack ever get together for longer than a kiss? If they do, watch out for spontaneous combustion! A refreshing and action-packed story will surely tempt you to read UNMANNED and love it.

Carolyn Crisher