Rating: 
Summary: Book OK, audio edition terrible
Review: This is the first Susan Isaacs book I have read. I listened to the abridged audio CD version of the book. Ms. Isaacs is the narrator herself. It is terrible. I am unable to concentrate on the story - I am so distracted by her voice. She tries to do "accents" of some of the characters - all the accents turn out to be caricatures - of southern accents, of Eastern European, of Brooklyn, etc. It is almost unlistenable. Do yourself a favor, Ms. Isaacs - save the narration for the professionals!
Rating: 
Summary: Slow, Slower and Slowest!
Review: This tale never really takes off. If you're looking for something to help you sleep at night, this book is it! I kept waiting for it to get better because I have enjoyed Ms.Isaacs previous works, but this one left me snoozing. Can't believe all these "friends and acquaintances" of the deceased would agree to meet and entertain in their homes a complete stranger who is interested in who murdered rich, little, perfect Courtney Logan. The storyline is as inane as the characters. Better luck next time, Susan.
Rating: 
Summary: Sassy sequel to "Compromising Positions".
Review: Two decades ago, I read Susan Isaacs's wonderful "Compromising Positions". I fell in love with the saucy and witty Judith Singer, amateur sleuth and canny critic of the Long Island social scene. Judith is back. Two years widowed, she has a doctorate in history and she teaches at St. Elizabeth's College. Her kids are grown and gone. She has a little time on her hands. So what would be a good use of her spare time? Isn't it obvious? She should investigate another Long Island murder, of course! It seems that a young wife and mother named Courtney Logan has mysteriously disappeared and Judith, who had no personal contact with the victim, has appointed herself unofficial sleuth to find out what really happened to Courtney. Judith has the help of "Fancy Phil Lowenstein," erstwhile mobster and father-in-law of Courtney. To complicate matters, Judith still holds a torch for Nelson Sharpe, the hunky cop whom she had fallen in love with so many years ago. He reappears in her life and, lo and behold, the spark is still there. "Long Time No See" is a delightful souffle. Isaacs knows the Long Island social scene. Her hilarious observations on interior decorating, fashion, child-rearing and infidelity, Long-Island style, are sharply satirical. She makes the most of her motley group of characters, from Courtney's female associates, to Fancy Phil (who is constantly weighed down with tasteless gold jewelry), to Courtney herself, a beautiful cipher with a mysterious hidden life. It is great fun to be in Judith's company. She is self-effacing, insatiably curious, nosy and always lively. Isaacs inserts some poignant observations about the loneliness of widowhood. It seems that Judith misses her late husband, even though her marriage had long since become stale. I enjoyed the interplay between Judith and the love of her life, Nelson. Will they be able to pick up where they left off? A weakness in the novel is Isaac's handling of the mystery of Courtney's disappearance. Judith wears herself out questioning dozens of people at length and it gets a little tedious after a while. Why would these people be so forthcoming to a total stranger without any credentials? In addition, the ending of the novel is formulaic and way over the top. The solution to the mystery makes little sense. However, in spite of these flaws, this book will be a huge success and I recommend it. Light mysteries with protagonists as delightful as Judith Singer do not come along very often.
Rating:
Summary: Sassy sequel to "Compromising Positions".
Review: Two decades ago, I read Susan Isaacs's wonderful "Compromising Positions". I fell in love with the saucy and witty Judith Singer, amateur sleuth and canny critic of the Long Island social scene. Judith is back. Two years widowed, she has a doctorate in history and she teaches at St. Elizabeth's College. Her kids are grown and gone. She has a little time on her hands. So what would be a good use of her spare time? Isn't it obvious? She should investigate another Long Island murder, of course! It seems that a young wife and mother named Courtney Logan has mysteriously disappeared and Judith, who had no personal contact with the victim, has appointed herself unofficial sleuth to find out what really happened to Courtney. Judith has the help of "Fancy Phil Lowenstein," erstwhile mobster and father-in-law of Courtney. To complicate matters, Judith still holds a torch for Nelson Sharpe, the hunky cop whom she had fallen in love with so many years ago. He reappears in her life and, lo and behold, the spark is still there. "Long Time No See" is a delightful souffle. Isaacs knows the Long Island social scene. Her hilarious observations on interior decorating, fashion, child-rearing and infidelity, Long-Island style, are sharply satirical. She makes the most of her motley group of characters, from Courtney's female associates, to Fancy Phil (who is constantly weighed down with tasteless gold jewelry), to Courtney herself, a beautiful cipher with a mysterious hidden life. It is great fun to be in Judith's company. She is self-effacing, insatiably curious, nosy and always lively. Isaacs inserts some poignant observations about the loneliness of widowhood. It seems that Judith misses her late husband, even though her marriage had long since become stale. I enjoyed the interplay between Judith and the love of her life, Nelson. Will they be able to pick up where they left off? A weakness in the novel is Isaac's handling of the mystery of Courtney's disappearance. Judith wears herself out questioning dozens of people at length and it gets a little tedious after a while. Why would these people be so forthcoming to a total stranger without any credentials? In addition, the ending of the novel is formulaic and way over the top. The solution to the mystery makes little sense. However, in spite of these flaws, this book will be a huge success and I recommend it. Light mysteries with protagonists as delightful as Judith Singer do not come along very often.
Rating:
Summary: A great mystery, a great portrait of diverse women
Review: What a terrific storyteller Ms. Isaacs is! All her characters are terrifically, believably human -- even and especially Fancy Phil the mobster. And the story itself is a real page turner. All the clues are there, we uncover them along with Judith, and getting to the climax is one great ride. I believe what gave the story added texture was the variety of women profiled -- especially Nancy (a loyal friend and unfaithful wife), Emily ("the mouse"), Courtney (Martha Stewart run amok), and Judith (the empty nester with so much to give and to little to give it to). I enjoyed the time I spent with them all.
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