Rating: 
Summary: Presumption of Death
Review: I enjoyed all previous Perri O'Shaughnessy/Nina Reilly novels and had looked forward to Presumption of Death. I was disappointed to find the storyline disjointed and hard to follow with too many characters. I'm hoping the next Nina Reilly novel will follow the authors' previously successful formula.
Rating: 
Summary: BORING
Review: I have been a huge fan of this series, so I bought the hardcover edition of this book with great confindence. All I can say is it is by far the worst in the series. It was so boring that it took me several weeks to finish it and it was a chore. I don't know what happened, but I am surprised because usually the plot is so great in these books. I usually adore Nina, but for some reason found myself being very irked by her. The mystery was idiotic and I found myself not caring about the outcome. The only redeeming part was the chapter about the "party" because it was so crazy. Keeping all the families straight in my mind was hard though because I did not care enough to put any real effort into it. I think one of the biggest drawbacks in this series is the fact that all of the interesting characters have died out. I hope the next book is better and we can get back to the real Nina.
Rating:
Summary: Presumption of Death
Review: I have loved all the previous O,Shaughnessy books but this book is awful and I am so disappointed. I have read 2/3 of this book and still wonder what's going to happen. It is not written in the style of the two sister authors and is boring. I've decided not to waste my time reading the remainder of the book. What happened? The authors should keep Nina in Tahoe and not spend so much time describing her relationship with Paul. Keep to the mystery. My friends and I swap books and I cannot tell you how many are so disappointed in my review.
Rating:
Summary: A big disappointment
Review: I placed a preorder for this book as I have very much enjoyed all the previous ones by these authors. However this seemed completely different - turgid, boring. I found the characters too confusing, there waas little mystery and indeed little legal drama - many pages of complex subplot and descriptions of poison oak forest. Nina and Paul now both seem irritating and indeed irritated with each other.I didn't really complete it - got completely lost and baffled in the party scene and then skipped to the short courtroom sessions. I doubt if I will buy their next one - not without finding out if it is back on track.
Rating:
Summary: A big disappointment
Review: I placed a preorder for this book as I have very much enjoyed all the previous ones by these authors. However this seemed completely different - turgid, boring. I found the characters too confusing, there waas little mystery and indeed little legal drama - many pages of complex subplot and descriptions of poison oak forest. Nina and Paul now both seem irritating and indeed irritated with each other. I didn't really complete it - got completely lost and baffled in the party scene and then skipped to the short courtroom sessions. I doubt if I will buy their next one - not without finding out if it is back on track.
Rating:
Summary: not up to par
Review: I usually enjoy reading these authors but with this book I stopped reading with about 30 pgs left. I just didn't care anymore.
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't even finish it!
Review: I've read all the other books in this series and liked them all. But, this one is bad!!! Nina is boring in her new role as a live-in side kick; and Paul shows his controlling nature, so I didn't like him either. I stopped reading about 120 pages into the book after we had met all the characters in the neigborhood who might be suspects in the arson. I couldn't keep them straight, and after awhile I didn't even care. The plot seemed so improbable and disjointed. I don't stop reading many books, as I can find a redeeming feature in most of them. Not this one.
Put Nina back in her law office with the characters we have grown to care about.
Rating: 
Summary: An Ambitious Change-of-Pace
Review: In Presumption of Death, the O'Shaughnessy sisters turn up the heat, both literally and figuratively, when Sandy Whitefeather's son, Wish, just barely escapes from an inferno, only to find himself charged with arson and murder. With the evidence mounting against Wish, Nina faces an uphill battle she must fight in geographically and socially unfamiliar territory. Nina's personal life is as fiery as the inexplicable conflagrations around Siesta Court, the scene of the crime. She can't decide how she feels about long-time friend and lover, Paul van Wagoner, she can't quite cope with son Bob's raging adolescene and she can't unravel the twisted threads of her own psyche. And yet, Nina manages to do what she does best: work the case. As noted by other reviewers, this novel IS different from the others in the series and I suspect that what may be so jarring for some readers is that Presumption of Death so successfully captures the true-to-life ebb and flow of a relationship (the petty annoyances, the inexplicable fears, etc.), the disorientation that arises when suddenly confronted with a "foreign" culture, and the pressure to meet the unreasonable demands of cherished friends. More than any other novel in this excellent mystery series, Presumption of Death is steeped in the idealogy and philosophy that is so quintessentially Californian and, at every turn in the story, its essence can be felt. In much the same way, the sisters masterfully evoke the desired reactions to the Siesta Court community by skillfully and unapologetically plunging the reader right into the midst of its swirling waters. For fans of the Nina Reilly mysteries, there is certainly enough of the familiar feel of the series to keep the reader comfortable . . . but it's the unexpected departures that give this book its distinctive, and - perhaps - more honest (if less comfortably predictable) flavor.
Rating: 
Summary: SOLID DELIVERY OF A CONTEMPORARY THRILLER
Review: Listeners have come to expect exemplary readings from voice performer Laural Merlington and she delivers again with "Presumption of Death," the ninth in the Nina Reilly series by the sister duo who write under the pen name of Perri O'SHAUGHNESSY. After battling for some of Lake Tahoe's most challenging clients attorney Nina Reilly deserves a breather. But, we don't always get what we deserve, do we? Nina is found in Carmel Valley with her steadfast boyfriend, Paul van Wagoner. He wants to tie the knot - she's not sure she's ready. Any thoughts of matrimony are put on hold when arson rears its deadly head. There have been two suspicious fires to date. A third inferno results in loss of life. Regrettably, the suspect earmarked by the police is Wish, the son of Nina's former assistant. Not only that but the fatality was Wish's good friend, an auto mechanic who resented the changes taking place in his hometown. As Nina and Paul begin their investigation it's not too long before they learn that those fires aren't the only burning issues in this picturesque community. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: SOLID DELIVERY OF A CONTEMPORARY THRILLER
Review: Listeners have come to expect exemplary readings from voice performer Laural Merlington and she delivers again with "Presumption of Death," the ninth in the Nina Reilly series by the sister duo who write under the pen name of Perri O'SHAUGHNESSY. After battling for some of Lake Tahoe's most challenging clients attorney Nina Reilly deserves a breather. But, we don't always get what we deserve, do we? Nina is found in Carmel Valley with her steadfast boyfriend, Paul van Wagoner. He wants to tie the knot - she's not sure she's ready. Any thoughts of matrimony are put on hold when arson rears its deadly head. There have been two suspicious fires to date. A third inferno results in loss of life. Regrettably, the suspect earmarked by the police is Wish, the son of Nina's former assistant. Not only that but the fatality was Wish's good friend, an auto mechanic who resented the changes taking place in his hometown. As Nina and Paul begin their investigation it's not too long before they learn that those fires aren't the only burning issues in this picturesque community. - Gail Cooke
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