Hollywood makeup artist Gillian McCormick is working on preparing actor Theo Patterson for his role as musician Joe/Josephine, the Tony Curtis role in a remake of Some Like It Hot. She detests the abusive Theo who is nasty to everyone. He treats people as if they belong in the ooze below the food chain. So she is not shocked to hear shouting as she approaches his room between the obnoxious actor and Neil Rucker, stepson of shadowy Phil Adamo. Neil leaves with a huff; Gillian enters only to see the star dead killed by the medal heel of a Jimmy Choo shoe and that Neil, allegedly in the Barbados murdered him.

Gillian turns to her best friend Cora, who previously suggested going on a Geek cruise. Cora remakes Gillian into the Marilyn Monroe Sugar Kane Kowalczyk look and persuades another friend private investigator Lex Manchester to keep her safe on the cruise from the mob. However, no one informed Lex how to keep Gillian safe from the man who guards and wants her while willing to die to protect his beloved from a gangster on the cruise seeking to eliminate the witness.

The fifth “Nerd” romance is a wonderful suspense thriller staring two individuals who find their normal existence blown away by the scenario. Gillian has turned from working class stiff into a bombshell and the once sophisticated Lex has become a classic drooling nerd whenever he sees her. Though readers will wonder why not the police, fans of the series and the classic movie that this novel pays loving homage to will appreciate this fine Nerdy entry cactus and all.

Harriet Klausner