Rating: 
Summary: The funniest mystery ever written
Review: After the tensely enjoyable "Seventh Sinner" and so-so "Murders of Richard III", the all-too-short Jacqueline Kirby series hit its stride: Utter, sheer lunatic funniness! (And as I write this review, the book is unavailable. Can you BELIEVE it?)Jacqueline Kirby, seeking to expand her horizens and get out of a romantic rut, travels to New York for a romantic writers' convention. Along the plane ride, she tries out some of the most famous romantic lit (the best word is torrid) and begins her study of the overall reaction to sexy "schlock." Upon arriving, she encounters a colorful band of stereotypes, many of whom seem to have something to hide. Dubretta the scathing anti-romance columnist. Valerie Valentine (and no, that can't be her real name) the gorgeous talented beloved Queen of Romance. The disgruntled Victor Von Damm. The frightened "Valerie Vanderbilt," who is really a nervy college teacher. Betsy the rabid feminist. Laurie the obsessive fan. Sue the demure young writer with a thing for Victor. Hattie, the sinister yet hearty literary agent who might be doing some darn underhanded things. Jacqueline soon encounters death when one of the guests dies, though not exactly unexpectedly. She soon suspects that it was murder, and seeks to discover what secrets are important enough to kill for. Was it jealousy, hatred, or money? (Surprisingly, passion doesn't enter into it) Armed with the ugliest hat and the fattest purse in the world, she sets out to smoke out the killer... Jacqueline is her usual irrepressible self, and her flamboyant clothing becomes even more so in this book (you'll know The Hat when you see it) along with her personality. She steps further from "conventional detective" into her unique, perkily eccentric niche. One interesting fact is that in this book, she sets out to write a historical romance. Accompanying her is sexy but sick-and-tired-of-romance hunk Victor, pretty demure Sue, and Jacqueline's fellow prof and lover James (he is SOOOO sexy, so much better than the standard book hunks). The serious murder-mystery plot is offset in places by goopy romantic feelings spouted by authors, and by the occasional lusty (but always interrupted) excerpt from a romance novel. Jacqueline's response to the first one will make you choke. And to anyone who loved this book: Check out "Naked Once More," which shows what happened after Jacqueline started into the schlock business...
Rating:
Summary: Is it a spoof, or is it an apology?
Review: Barbara Michael's (or is i
Rating:
Summary: Is it a spoof, or is it an apology?
Review: Barbara Michael's (or is it Elizabeth Peters?) "Die for Love"
is so different from her other novels, either in her Barbara
Michaels byline, or under her real name, Elizabeth Peters,
that I wonder if it is meant as an apology for any skeletons
(either literal or literary) that this author might have in
her closet. As we learn of the ins and outs of the romance
publishing business, the sin of ghostwriting lurks
omnipresently in this plot. Whatever little peccadilloes
this prolific author might harbor along those lines, her
originality, her wit, and her diversity make her one of
the best, if not the best, romance novelist in America today.
After all, Egyptologists will come and go, but Barbara
Michaels' fiction is here to stay. This book is a prime
example of the writer at her best.
Rating: 
Summary: A little disappointing
Review: I enjoy this series quite a bit, although of Ms. Peters' three series, it is my least favorite and I almost rated this entry just three stars. This third entry has our favorite librarian, Jacqueline Kirby, attending a romance author/publisher convention in New York,mostly just to escape her boring home city and to use it as a tax write-off since it is remotely related to her field.
Not long after she arrives, there is a murder; a gossip columnist is killed. There is a bevy of suspects for Jacqueline to sort through and therein lies one of the problems of this book - the suspects are a little exaggerated and overblown. Another problem I had with this book was Jacqueline herself. While she was arrogant and stand-offish in the first two books, in this one she is downright mean to some people, particularly to her semi-boyfriend, who has followed her to NYC for the conference. Rather than finding her amusingly sarcastic, this time I found her irritating. The third problem with the book was that this one was a little dated. The first two books of the series, also having been written in the early 1980's, did not come across as being 20 years old but I guess the situation of the romance conference and the descriptions of the dress styles (important to the plot of the book) really showed that this is a re-issue.
But, any Elizabeth Peters book is head & shoulders above most other mystery writers today and I would recommend this book to any mystery lover.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as her others
Review: I see that all the other reviewers just loved this book. I found it disappointing. I didn't really like any of the characters. Jacqueline is less appealing here than in the previous books in the series. None of the other characters are very well-drawn either. The part about the romance convention are very funny, but all the references to romance books are dated. Romances don't follow this old-fashioned plot any more. The identity of the killer wasn't much of a surprise either, and frankly, neither were any of the so-called "plot twists." I really like her other series better, the ones featuring Amelia Peabody or even better, the Vicky Bliss books.
Rating:
Summary: Must-read for anyone who has ever laughed at a bodice ripper
Review: Set in the midst of a conference for romance writers, this mystery features my favorite Peters character Jacqueline Kirby, a librarian from Coldwater College of undetermined age. Eager to escape the rain in Nebraska, Kirby sets off for NYC to attend the Historical Romance Writers of the World conference because she thinks she can write off the cost as business deduction on her tax return(!). Sandwiched in between the clues of the exciting mystery plot are magnificent tongue-in-cheek looks at bodice-rippers and the industry that produces them. The satirical tone and Kirby's dry wit will have you laughing your way through the novel. At then end, you too may be inspired to try your hands at writing a romance novel- after all, if Kirby can write and sell a novel while solving the murder, why can't you?
Rating:
Summary: A Hilarious Romp!
Review: There aren't too many books that I find laugh out loud funny but this is one of them. Written with humor and even the occasional burst of compassion, Elizabeth Peters takes on the cut-throat world of romance novelists.
Those who enjoyed this book may also enjoy "Bimbos of the Death Sun" by Sharyn McCrumb, an equally funny mystery about a murder that takes place at a Sci-Fi convention.
Rating:
Summary: A spoof of bodice-ripping writers
Review: This is by far, one of the funniest books written by Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels. She must have written bodice rippers at one time in her literary life to have created characters so true to form. Jacqueline Kirby has got to be one of my favorite sleuths of all time - combining great looks with a talent for spotting trouble.
Rating:
Summary: Romantic Satire
Review: This was the first book that I have read about Jacqueline Kirby. I found her to be the most extraordinary character. She had style, taste, and enough satire to make even the impassive romance writers cringe. I have never read a romance novel, but the way Jacqueline described them (and so flamboyantly made fun of them) almost made them sound funny. Die for Love was a novel with everything I look for: good characters (especially heroines), good plot, great suspense, non-stop action, and lots of laughs. Jacqueline's attitude and Holmes-like deductions make this a must read for every Elizabeth Peters fan.
Rating:
Summary: Romantic Satire
Review: This was the first book that I have read about Jacqueline Kirby. I found her to be the most extraordinary character. She had style, taste, and enough satire to make even the impassive romance writers cringe. I have never read a romance novel, but the way Jacqueline described them (and so flamboyantly made fun of them) almost made them sound funny. Die for Love was a novel with everything I look for: good characters (especially heroines), good plot, great suspense, non-stop action, and lots of laughs. Jacqueline's attitude and Holmes-like deductions make this a must read for every Elizabeth Peters fan.
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