I’ve become a fan of Libby Fischer Hellman over the last year or so and I’ve read a book in each of her Georgia Davis and Ellie Foreman series. This short story, which is also published in “Nice Girl Does Noir” has both of her heroines. When Ellie finds a dead body, Georgia is one of the cops on the case. I really love when a writer has their literary worlds overlap. I often wonder why more writers don’t do it. To me, it grounds the stories and makes them seem more realistic.

Ellie arrives early at her exercise class and has the unpleasant discovery of a dead body. Georgia’s boyfriend, a detective is having a meal nearby with Georgia, not yet a detective, and brings her along to the scene of the crime. It’s definitely not best-friends-at-first-sight for Ellie and Georgia. The POV moves back and forth between the two so you have plenty of insight into what’s happening. When Georgia makes a crucial discovery, the case is blown wide open.

This is a short story, you’ll probably have it read in 20 minutes or so. But if you are a fan of Georgia Davis or Ellie Foreman it’s fun to see them when Georgia was a still a cop and Ellie was just learning how to be a single mom. As with Libby Fischer Hellman’s other writings, you have a well-written compelling story with sympathetic heroines.