Wicked, Loving Murder

Rating:
Summary: Book Two of Five (so far as I know)
Review: The five titles are, in order: Sweet, Savage Death; Wicked, Loving Murder; Death's Savage Passion; Rich, Radiant Slaughter; and Once And Always Murder. I have a few of the author's books written as Jane Haddam. These are lighter and funnier in tone. Except for the fifth book, they all skewer the publishing business, particularly Romance. (Now you know where the strange titles come from.)

The exerpt stops before the acid really starts. You should enjoy what Pay McKenna tells us she did with a past issue of "Writing". The descriptions (and dialog) are what make this book so much fun to read. You have unpleasant characters, losers, eccentrics, and insights into Romance Writers, not to mention the Hazards of Becoming/Being a Writer.

So who killed Michael Brookfield? Was it his Abusive Aunt Alida? One of his brothers? His aunt's right-hand woman, the terribly perfect Felicity Aldershot? Marty the Comptroller? Mrs. Haskell the Irate Client? Ivy the even more seriously screwed client? There is something definitely rotten at Writing Enterprises, and its not just their advice (or even Michael's corpse). If it weren't for her best friend, Phoebe, McKenna would love to walk out on it all.

Don't let the boring cover fool you. Even the original Crime Club dustjacket with the partial view of a person whose neck is wrapped around three times by a black ribbon with red hearts on it was more interesting -- and more fitting for such a funny book.

Rating:
Summary: Book Two of Five (so far as I know)
Review: The five titles are, in order: Sweet, Savage Death; Wicked, Loving Murder; Death's Savage Passion; Rich, Radiant Slaughter; and Once And Always Murder. I have a few of the author's books written as Jane Haddam. These are lighter and funnier in tone. Except for the fifth book, they all skewer the publishing business, particularly Romance. (Now you know where the strange titles come from.)

The exerpt stops before the acid really starts. You should enjoy what Pay McKenna tells us she did with a past issue of "Writing". The descriptions (and dialog) are what make this book so much fun to read. You have unpleasant characters, losers, eccentrics, and insights into Romance Writers, not to mention the Hazards of Becoming/Being a Writer.

So who killed Michael Brookfield? Was it his Abusive Aunt Alida? One of his brothers? His aunt's right-hand woman, the terribly perfect Felicity Aldershot? Marty the Comptroller? Mrs. Haskell the Irate Client? Ivy the even more seriously screwed client? There is something definitely rotten at Writing Enterprises, and its not just their advice (or even Michael's corpse). If it weren't for her best friend, Phoebe, McKenna would love to walk out on it all.

Don't let the boring cover fool you. Even the original Crime Club dustjacket with the partial view of a person whose neck is wrapped around three times by a black ribbon with red hearts on it was more interesting -- and more fitting for such a funny book.