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Rating: 
Summary: BOY, I AM TIRED TODAY...WHY?
Review: ...I stayed up late to finish MISSING MARLENE! Although I'm not an avid mystery reader, I found myself finishing the book in one sitting. Marshall kept the suspense building right to the end. I won't give anything away, but I guarantee you'll be left guessing right up to the last page. For all you aspiring mystery writers out there--both the author and hero of MISSING MARLENE are literary agents. Keep a look out for tips on the ins and outs of agenting and how to and how NOT to deal with your agent. Also, you may want to take a look at his nonfiction title, THE MARSHALL PLAN FOR NOVEL WRITING. It clearly lays out the novel-writing process from start to finish--helping you avoid beginner pitfalls.
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Summary: Fine Contemporary Cozy
Review: As a mystery writer with my first novel in initial release, I've heard quite a bit of conversation regarding Evan Marshall at mystery conventions at which I've appeared as an author. Mr. Marshall is a literary agent who launched his mystery series starring a literary agent with this book. Taking place in Shady Hills, New Jersey, Jane Stuart is the sleuth with a cat and several other hangers-on. In MISSING MARLENE, Jane and her people (including her cat)must find a missing person--Marlene. The book has a well-paced plot and enjoyable charcters. It is a thoroughly enjoyable contemporary cozy.
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Summary: A pleasant surprise from this first time author.
Review: As somebody who's reading taste leans more towards thrillers and harder-edged mysteries, (Thomas Harris, Jeffery Deaver) I didn't think I would be that interested in a book about a woman and her cat. I was pretty surprised to find myself a few hours later, halfway through the book, and completely immersed in the storyline. Mr. Marshall has a way of describing the characters' personalities in a way that makes you feel like you know them. This book was a pleasant surprise from this first time author, and I looked forward to reading further work of his.
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Summary: Fast Paced, and FUN!!!
Review: I don't read a lot of mystery books, but this one was a keeper! This book is fast paced, fun, and full of exciting twists. I recommend it to anyone who likes the suspense of mystery, but doesn't enjoy the darkness of most mysteries.
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Summary: All I can say is WOW!
Review: I have been an avid mystery reader for years, so when I discovered yet another new author, I wasn't sure what to think. Besides, what kind of dork would name his books using alliteration? An amazing author, that is who! Once I picked up this book, I could not put it down. A+ to Mr. Marshall!
Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: I was very disappointed with this book after reading the rave reviews it received from other people here. It made me wonder whether the other reviewers were really reading the same plodding and cliche-ridden book I did.
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Summary: Great debut mystery
Review: In Shady Hills, New Jersey, the school secretary calls literary agent Jane Stuart to pick up her son Nick when his nanny Marlene Benson failed to do so. After they get home, Jane calls her best friend Ivy, who happens to be Marlene's mother, to complain about her daughter.
Jane wonders how her beloved, deceased spouse would handle rejecting a work by one of her top writer's, Roger Haines. She tries to persuade Roger to rewrite the novel, but the egotistical author refuses. Instead he demands she sells his work. Before she can draw a conclusion on what to do next, Jane, with the help of Nick's cat Winky, looks into the disappearance of the MISSING MARLENE. She soon uncovers a secret life that places her and her son's cat in danger. The debut of the Jane-Winky amateur sleuth series is an entertaining amateur sleuth tale. At first look, the story line seems simple, but actually have several interesting twists. Fans will enjoy Jane's exploits and Winky's assistance, while the support cast makes suburban New Jersey appear real. However, though Evan Marshall provides the sub-genre with a fine mystery, his talent shines when he uses current scenarios for Jane seeking a solution to flashbacks into her past. This provides readers with much character insight and motivation while propelling the plot forward. Fans will want more novels starring this new amateur duo. Harriet Klausner
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Summary: A remarkable debut!
Review: MISSING MARLENE introduces Jane Stuart, Nick, and Winky in their debut mystery. Jane is Nick's mother. She is also a literary agent. Winky is their feline cohort. Marlene is the nanny that Nick and Jane felt they could live without but hadn't expected it to happen so suddenly and suspiciously. Jane hired Marlene because she was the daughter of a friend, and when the nanny comes up missing, it's Jane who risks it all trying to find her. What an impressive debut and cast of characters created by Evan Marshall. Through the mystery, we will meet those around Jane and her small family. Their stories are remarkably interwoven through the mystery without distracting from it. The plot is great, although one part of the storyline (the colorful part) has been touched on many times in other stories, the way Mr. Marshall uses it is just as attention-grabbing. Through the mystery and mayhem, Jane leads her readers to and fro to meet some interesting and unsavory characters and puts herself in some interesting situations. The rough and tumble showdown will leave you hanging until the end.
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Summary: Cloyingly cute
Review: This book really strains to be cloyingly cute. If marzipan could write, this is the kind of book it would produce.
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Summary: Wonderful!
Review: What a delight it is to read a mystery that focuses on plot and characters instead of gore and violence! I admit that I was stumped at guessing the villain. Now I look forward to the next one and the next one and the next one--I hope there are many! This is one author who will be on my list of favorites.
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