(Reviewed by Don Jung)
Size Zero is a bizarre and crazy murder mystery that revolves around the dark side of the fashion industry. LeClaire Model Management focuses on keeping their young models skinny by strange, unusual methods and then spinning them into the sex trafficking world.
The main characters are Cecil LeClaire, the son of the agency’s matriarch, and Ava Germaine , an eighteen year old year employee who has muscular dystrophy and a strange history that unravels as the story evolves.
Cecil is given a bed and breakfast in New Hampshire and is unaware of the goings-on of his mother’s business. The girl he loved, Annabelle Leigh, disappeared from the agency ten years earlier at age fourteen, but he still misses her. Suddenly he is called back to New York by his mother, and he decides to search for her and asks Ava to help. Along the way these two strong -willed characters evolve with a certain chemistry that gets more interesting as the grotesque murders start to unravel.
They both seek to find a character named “VD” that is the head of the sex trafficking ring and as their journey unfolds the odd ball situations they uncover keep you curious. There are strange brothel room scenes and even stranger visits to the morgue plus a wacky plastic surgeon who keeps you guessing who the real villain is.
This is a dark look at the under belly of the fashion industry and the major characters are so fascinating that it is difficult to put this book down. You’ll get hooked with each murder and surprises abound as you search for the missing girl. Each dark secret leads to another one.
Size Zero will appeal to those who enjoy atypical murder mysteries and thrillers.
