Death in Advertising

Laura Bradford

Feb 2017 · A Tobi Tobias Mystery Book 1 · Lyrical Press

About this eBook

When Tobi Tobias decided to open her own ad agency, having to moonlight in a pet shop wasn’t part of her vision . . . of course, neither was murder.

Sometimes when opportunity knocks, the door you open leads to a closet. That’s certainly the case for Tobi, whose weekends spent cleaning cages in her best friend’s pet shop may soon be over. She’s just landed her first big break—Zander Closet Company needs a catchy campaign slogan ASAP, and Tobi thinks she’s got the right hook to knock ’em dead: “When we’re done, even your skeletons will have a place.”

But when a real dead body topples out of a showcase closet, she’s about to discover there is such a thing as bad publicity. To save her fledgling business and not get killed by the competition, Tobi takes on a new pet project: solving the murder. But with a stressed-out parrot as the only witness to the crime, Tobi will really have to wing it to put the cagey killer behind bars.

Ratings and reviews

Death in Advertising by Laura Bradford is the first book in A Tobi Tobias Mystery series. Tobi Tobias started her own advertising agency in St. Louis and called it Tobias Ad Agency. If she does not get a new client soon, though, she need to close up shop. Tobi is even working at the local pet store to help supplement her income (I am curious how she pays for the receptionist). Tobi gets her miracle when Andrew and Gary Zander walk into her office. They own and run the Zander Closet Company. They need a catchy slogan for a radio campaign that begins three days. Tobi comes up with the perfect slogan and it is an instant hit. The radio spot ties in with the Annual Home Showcase Weekend in Chesterfield. The Zander Closet Company has installed a premium closet system into Preston and Mitzi Hohlbrook’s house (they are a part of the tour). They are going to take photographs of the closet system for the website and new pamphlets. Andrew is opening a special compartment to show Tobi when Preston Hohlbrook falls out. Someone took Tobi’s slogan literally. The press have a field day using Tobi’s slogan, and Tobi’s agency is now persona non-grata. Tobi starts investigating the murder so she can clear her agencies name (or she will no longer have an agency). It is not going to be easy since the only witness to the crime is Baboo, Preston’s African grey parrot. Tobi needs to work quickly before the wrongdoer flies away (I just had to do it)! Death in Advertising is easy to read and has some interesting characters. I found the book to be more cozy than mystery. The book focused on Tobi and her life (written in the first person). I felt the author put too many quirky characters into the book. It felt like we were introduced to all of Tobi’s neighbors (and anyone she meets while walking to work) and their pets. There is, of course, the requisite annoying neighbor (seems to be a common attribute in books I have read recently). I did like Grandpa Stu and Tobi’s neighbor, Carter (I thought he was entertaining). I give Death in Advertising 3 out of 5 stars. The mystery was not the main focus of the book. I believe more time was devoted to Tobi eating her cocoa puffs cereal (she should buy it in bulk) than the murder. There are one or two clues early in the book, but the main hints are right before the reveal. I did appreciate the authors use of misdirection. The mystery can be solved before the reveal (do not fall for the diversion). I wish there had been less time devoted to Tobi’s thinking (or spacing out in front of people) and her interest in Andrew as a romantic prospect. One scene had Tobi more interested in a rogue chocolate chip than the questioning of the suspect (I wanted to yell at her to just ask for some chips from the cook instead of trying to swipe the lone chip that fell on the counter). Death in Advertising is just not the right book for me (I prefer the mystery to be more prevalent).

About the author

Laura Bradford is also the author of several bestselling mystery series, including the Amish Mysteries and the Tobi Tobias Series. She lives in Mohegan Lake, New York, with her husband and their blended brood. Visit her website at laurabradford.com.