Little White Lies [Paperback]

There's nothing wrong with a little white lie... or is there? Pippa Hunnechurch is convinced she can revive her dying corporate-recruiting business if she just makes the right contacts. But, when the indomitable Brit links her career with a high-powered headhunter who's known for shading the truth, little white lies lead to disaster--and murder. As the well-paced plot unfolds, Pippa resorts to some unusual methods to investigate the crime: sending a male stripper to shock one suspect, and surprising another with a case of live crabs. British phrases and terminology add a quirky twist to this American tale, whether it's Pippa "wagging her adorable bum" or soothing herself with a hot "cuppa." There's a strong spiritual theme as well, but the authors skillfully avoid falling into preachiness and pat answers.

All the elements for a successful suspense novel are in place, but in the end, it's the character of Pippa that hooks the reader. Whether she's whipping up an English trifle, dodging gunfire, fending off amorous advances, or breaking into an office under the cover of darkness, Pippa has all the earmarks of compelling the same sort of reader loyalty that Agatha Christie's Miss Marple or Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone engender. Delightful dialogue, understated humor, and the right blend of romance and suspense guarantee the craving for a sequel. --Cindy Crosby

In their debut novel, the Benreys spin a brisk Christian murder mystery with a moral question at its core: Do the little white lies people tell to protect others or to smooth their own lives really leave no mark? The creative, feisty (and unfortunately named) heroine and narrator is Pippa Hunnechurch, a British transplant to a small community in Maryland. Pippa is running from a tragic past and working to establish a one-woman business as an executive headhunter. Her fortunes seem to take a happy turn when she lands a key assignment and finds a willing business partner with the perfect qualifications. But when that new colleague promptly drowns under somewhat mysterious circumstances, Pippa is sucked into a world of high-powered resume-dressing and cover-up, with four ambitious women executives at the center of the plot. Involving the police and revealing all she has learned would mean ruining the careers of several women guilty only of "little white lies," so Pippa embarks on a daring scheme to catch the murderer herself. The novel, while predictable, is fast-paced and liberally seasoned with flavorful bits of British culture and dry humor. It is driven mainly by its female characters, who rather formulaically blend the contemporary and the traditional. They're strong and independent, but they're also beautiful and well-dressed, deliberately charming men for their own advancement. This mystery will appeal to readers who enjoy decent suspense laced with Christian ethics.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

The Benrey team's Little White Lies is about Britisher Pippa Hunnechurch, a one-woman head-hunting firm who falls into the habit of embellishing resumes. It works, she finds, and she has a glib partner in crime, the overly ambitious Marsha Morgan. But then Marsha drowns, her death is followed by another, and all of a sudden the police are interested in Pippa's fibs. A Christian friend tells Pippa she has to come clean, but doing so will damage the prospects of her current clients, not to mention her own career, and thus Pippa faces the deepest crisis of her life in this likable, often witty tale. John Mort
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Pippa Hunnechurch scoffs at the idea that God cares about her future. So with economic hard times on the horizon, Pippa concludes she is on her own. Owning her own executive recruiting firm, her luck seems to improve when she nails down a plum assignment and teams up with a highly successful "headhunter," Marsha Morgan. Pippa's joy turns to confusion when Marsha drowns in what everyone assumes is a freak accident. As Pippa struggles on, she finds herself caught in a web of deceit-spun out of the harmless exaggerations that Marsha had put in the resumes of her most successful candidates. After another death-this one clearly not an accident-Pippa is in a terrible dilemma. If she cooperates with the police, she will ruin her own reputation and destroy the careers of four celebrated executives. If she remains silent, she will become the target of a ruthless murderer. But Pippa does have one ally. A genuine Christian soldier, who understands that in the midst of a battle to save her business, her reputation, and ultimately her life, Pippa needs most to put the Lord back in her life again.

Ron Benrey is an award-winning writer who has authored hundreds of business articles, six books, a thousand plus magazine articles, and many major speeches for the CEOs of Fortune 100 companies. Janet Benrey has written an extensive variety of public relations and marketing communications materials and has in recent years branched into book marketing and promotion. The Benreys reside in Columbia, Maryland, where they are cofounders of Benrey+Benrey, a successful freelance writing firm.