Death of Dad: The Nursery School Murders

Rating:
Summary: Comic Mystery Falls Short
Review: At times, Jake Fuch's "Death of a Dad" hits the mark with a satirical look at the inhabitants of a Marin County suburb who are faced with the murder of an obnoxious dad on the "corn meal table" of a nursery school. Maren, one of the teachers in the school, is pulled into the mystery of 'whodunnit' and the novel has moments of both true suspense and true hilarity as she uncovers -- and sometimes purposely covers up -- leads on who the perpetrator of the crime is. The cast of characters include her husband (an English professor who seems clueless), her fellow teacher (who can't remember directions anywhere, and is a well-drawn character), the head of the school (who seems the likeliest suspect), and a clown who does porno films (after a botched 'enhancement' operation). Unfortunately -- at least for me -- the novel and the writing style left a lot to be desired. I ended up more intrigued by Maren and her husband, not to mention Boffo the aforementioned porno clown, than by who did the murder. I especially disliked the writing style at the end; not to give away too much, but there's a gathering of all the players and an explanation of what it all means that seems contrived. However, when the story and style hit, it's a bullseye, and Fuchs captures the Northern California mindset very well.

Rating:
Summary: Scathingly Witty
Review: Let the reader beware: this book is not for everyone. It has more sex than I need in a novel, but it also has GREAT prose. I read the novel last summer and phrases still linger, ready to amuse. My favorite: when querried by her miffed husband as to why she had kept the murder a secret, the heroine replies that "after all, he was only a parent." That jewel alone is worth the read, and there are many, many more. At times, I had to put the book down, just to savor the joy of the words.

Rating:
Summary: Scathingly Witty
Review: Let the reader beware: this book is not for everyone. It has more sex than I need in a novel, but it also has GREAT prose. I read the novel last summer and phrases still linger, ready to amuse. My favorite: when querried by her miffed husband as to why she had kept the murder a secret, the heroine replies that "after all, he was only a parent." That jewel alone is worth the read, and there are many, many more. At times, I had to put the book down, just to savor the joy of the words.

Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable respite from the mundane of every day life....
Review: The book was a fast-paced, bitingly funny mystery that's great for a night of escapism. Set in the quirky Berkeley, regular people get caught up in a horrific murder(s), and the author somehow manages to make it funny. I read the book in two nights.