What's a Girl Gotta Do? (Robin Hudson Mysteries (Hardcover))

Rating:
Summary: Sparkle is so sparkly and spunky!
Review: "Fifteen thousand cabbies in New York, and I have to get the one who speaks English. I took down his medallion number. I don't know why. What was I going to do? Complain? Yes, Mr. Singh insisted on driving safely and being charming and wise. See that it doesn't happen again."
This is Robin Hudson's mind, her thoughts and inner most feelings all laid out on a cab ride in which she just wants to get to where she wants to go. Also, this quote from "What's a girl gotta do" was one that had me literally cracking up with laughter. She is a witty woman, that Sparkle.
The story is told all in first person by Robin Hudson. She's quick witted, honest and a totally red hot dame. This dame is also a reporter/journalist who has lost credibility in her field due to some antics. Like, belching into the mike(not knowing it would carry so far) at a press conference. She also asked someone what human meat tasted like. This is a girl who has nothing holding her back. Along side is her impending divorce. With these two strikes against her, she goes full throttle into the investigation of the murder of Griff, a private eye who had some personal information on not only Robin but a few other employees of ANN (ALL NEWS NETWORK) Otherwise known as Robin's place of work.
Griff is found murdered at the Marafles Hotel, on New Year's Eve. This is after he meets face to face with Robin on the dance floor at her work party. He tells her to come up to his room to retrieve this "information" Before she can meet him, he is found dead, apparently murdered. Robin becomes a suspect. She spends most of her time trying to prove she is innocent and find out who the real killer is. Keeping up with the frenetic pace, Robin goes about her life as normally as she can. She is working on a sperm bank scandal for the news, and is also trying to solve Griff's murder. Eventually another murder happens..no not our dear Robin. We need her to keep the story going, and she does it so well. A great face paced story that will make you laugh. I think Robin is a character many women will relate to very well. She's got strength, determination, and will not give up. A true woman of the 90's! Even though she does look like Rita Hayworth.
This debut novel of Sparkle Hayter is a murder mystery/comedy/behind the scenes of t.v. news type story. She seems like an extremely intelligent woman yet also close to comedic genius. I like how she writes. She knows how to blend comedy in with a good story, and she knows how to "hook" the reader. When I read both this and "Naked Brunch" I was immersed into a world of Sparkle's world that I didn't want to leave. I instantly fell in love with her writing when I read "Naked Brunch", which I read before this one. It's not empty mindless fun, like I said Sparkle is a smart chick. She has had some experience in the field of journalism and is also a sometime stand up comic. Smart, sassy, and Witty is how I describe her.

This is the first of five Robin Hudson mysteries. I don't usually make it a habit of reading series books, but that habit is about to start.

Rating:
Summary: If you like Stephanie Plum, try this
Review: I picked this book up because Sparkle Hayter is going to be the Mistress of Ceremonies for Bouchercon this year. I'd never read her books, but when I saw the cover of this one, I thought it looked fun. I'm happy to say it was. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Robin Hudson, not-so-mild-mannered TV journalist. Robin's having a rough time right now...her husband left her for a much younger woman, she's been demoted to Special Reports due to a couple of fairly serious on-air faux pas, and now someone's trying to kill her.

I got a total kick out of this book because I liked the heroine immediately, and according to my brother and his wife, the newsroom stuff is dead-on accurate. This book isn't laugh out loud funny like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books, but I liked the character and story just as well. I'm going to read the rest of the books in this series.

Rating:
Summary: Most Interesting Thing about this Book is the Author's Name
Review: Which is not to say it is a bad book, by any means. Unpolished, maybe, but not bad.

Sparkle Hayter has created a hapless alter-ego in Robin Hudson, newswoman for the thinly-disguised ANN, 24-hour news network. Robin has been in better positions, but has been steadily dropping off the radar scope due to some poorly-timed mistakes. This serves to make Robin a likeable underdog for whom we root with gusto.

The plot: Someone is blackmailing ANN's on-air personalities. The blackmailer is murdered. Now Robin and her coworkers are all suspects. That's it.

It's pretty easy to follow, being an uncomplicated romp through the back rooms of live television news, and has its humorous moments,but is overall a "commute" book - one to read while on the train, or stuck in traffic, or waiting for a dalayed plane. There really isn't enough here to engage a fully-attentive brain.