The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss

August 31, 2015
Wirestone’s debut features the snarky Dahlia Moss, an unemployed thirty-something woman tasked with solving a virtual mystery that escalates into an actual murder. Her wildly spontaneous roommate, Charice, introduces Dahlia to the ultra-wealthy Jonah Long, who hires Dahlia to be a detective and find “the Bejeweled Spear of Infinite Piercing” that was stolen from him in a game called Zoth, an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game). Jonah hires Dahlia because she’s familiar with the game and briefly temped as a receptionist at a detective agency, but when Jonah is murdered with a replica of the missing virtual spear, the stakes rise for Dahlia. As Dahlia begins playing Zoth looking for clues, the book loses steam, which it continues to do as she familiarizes herself with people in Jonah’s real and virtual life to see if she can find his killer and the person who stole the spear. The convoluted plot overwhelms the author’s attempts at witty repartee and humor. This story will mainly appeal to gamers.

August 15, 2015
A hapless 20-something is surprised to find that online gaming is good for something after all-and that something is catching a real-world murderer. Dahlia Moss has been going on hopeless job interviews for more than a year without any luck, and her life has become a boring and ramen-filled one. So she's surprised that when she finally does get a job, it finds her-she's offered $2,000 to recover a stolen virtual weapon from a massive multiplayer online role-playing game called Kingdoms of Zoth. This seems to be easy work for the former geek, but when her employer dies before he can pay her the second half of her fee, Dahlia is pulled into a murder mystery. On- and offline, an odd cast of characters floods into her life, from the former guild mates of the recently deceased to a detective who may know more than he lets on about gaming, and her life quickly goes from boring to dangerous. She may have even found love, though she suspects it may be with a murderer. Wirestone's writing is funny and quite nerdy-though while practicing geeks will find many jokes hidden in the story for them, nongeeks will not feel left out. The many clever references are a nice accompaniment for Dahlia's complex voice, which is winning even when she's being a bit of a loser. Wirestone combines the traditions of several genres to great effect here, such that a mystery reader will enjoy the book as much as an MMORPG aficionado. Though the whodunit is not particularly hard to solve, the book is more focused on the journey than the destination. Even the acknowledgments are fun to read. A clever mystery featuring a delightful amateur detective. Or, in online parlance: Dahlia Moss FTW!

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October 1, 2015

Librarian/author Wirestone's debut is a gem that can be summed up as "geek chic." The title character is like no other. Dahlia is initially hired to solve a mystery in a virtual online game, only to have to solve the real-life murder of the person who hired her, the intriguing Jonah Long. Dahlia's life is hilarious, ridiculous, and adventurous as she has surrounded herself with others who are even more bizarre. Though Dahlia continually makes unfortunate decisions, she just might be the right one to handle all of it and score a guy in the mix as well. VERDICT This is a fun, quick read for those interested in light crime fiction, as well as a recommended read for all fangirls and fanboys or anime lovers. May also do well as a YA crossover for older teens. One does have to suspend disbelief to embark on the adventure of this novel. If you're not into gaming or massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) better to skip altogether.--Anne M. Miskewitch, Chicago P.L.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2015
For 26-year-old Dahlia Moss, the past year has been a blur of fruitless job interviews, breakup blues, and ramen dinners. So when Jonah Long approaches her at a party with a business proposition, she jumps at the opportunity, or at least the $2,000 attached to it. Her mission: recover a spear that was stolen from Jonah in Zoth, a MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game). Professionally unqualified ( I'm not a detective. I'm an unemployed millennial with an overly expensive business degree. ), Dahlia does have gaming experience on her side; however, she has barely begun her investigation when Jonah is killed by a real-life replica of the digital spear she was hired to find. Undeterred, she plunges into the role of private detective with hapless enthusiasm, encountering bizarre characters, both in-game and out, who only complicate the mystery of the spear and Jonah's death. Dahlia's misadventures feel like Stephanie Plum meets The Guild web series, filled with comic circumstances and geek culture. A hilarious, delightful start to a new mystery series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)