How would you handle millions of angry bees? Lucky O’Toole is the custom relations manager for the Babylon Casino and Resort in the Las Vegas, Nevada. And she has her hands full when a large tractor-trailer tips over, the hives break open, and a load of honey bees are inadvertently released on the strip. So opens Lucky Stiff, the second novel in the Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure series written by Deborah Coonts.

As the custom relations manager, O’Toole’s main job object is to solve problems. She spends her work days and nights solving problems for the Big Boss while attempting to have somewhat of a personal life as well.

As she worked to get the bee situation under control, she was called to deal with yet another nude guest locked out of their room – this one turned out to be a prominent citizen.

Concurrently, O'Toole also had to deal with the death of Numbers Neidermeyer, an abrasive odds maker hated by local bookies and who was last seen arguing with the Beautiful Jeremy Whitlock, a top Vegas private investigator; the hiring of an eccentric French chef; a major boxing match to be held over the weekend; and the shocking scheme conceived by her mother to auction off a virgin for the highest price.

The most shocking and baffling incident was the discovery of Neidermeyer, at least what was left of her, in the shark tank the morning after her argument with Whitlock. Amid the chaos, Lucky must also contend with her two-month-old relationship with cross-dresser Teddy and his apparent attraction to someone else.

Just another week at the Babylon!

As Coonts proved in Wanna Get Lucky?, she can write with humor and imagination. Using Vegas as a backdrop has increased the fun of reading about the daily trials and tribulations of one of the most interesting characters currently on the comedic scene. Many of the main characters from the first novel return, which provides a welcome continuity as readers are also introduced to the new.

By having O’Toole work on multiple tasks at a time, Coonts shows the fast pace and stress of a job in Sin City while keeping her readers engaged in the action. The story lines are interesting and fun and each comes to a satisfying conclusion by the end of the book.

The mystery of who killed Numbers Neidermeyer keeps readers guessing and the author does provide a satisfying surprise with the reveal. All-in-all this is a fun series that fans will more than likely continue enjoying as further installments are released.

A special thank you goes to Tom Doherty Associates for providing a complimentary copy of Lucky Stiff for our review. If you would like to purchase any of the books in this series, they are available at Amazon.com.