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quietjenn's review against another edition
3.0
It meandered a bit and I figured out a lot of key points way before they were officially revealed, but still quite enjoyable.
wordnerdy's review against another edition
3.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2013/06/2013-book-165.html
ssejig's review against another edition
5.0
I know I'm in a minority but, for me, there is only one Elizabeth Peters mystery series and it's not Amelia Peabody.
Jacqueline Kirby is the woman I want to be when I grow up. Former librarian turned world famous romance writer who has a quick quip for every situation. A little brash yet able to charm. Maybe without so many dead bodies though...
I read the Kirby books about ten years ago and enjoyed them immensely. When I saw this book on NetGalley, I immediately hit 'request' to see if they were as good as I remembered.
Oh, they are. Or, at least this one is. Yes, it's a bit dated (word processors anyone?) but most of it holds up amazingly well.
Jacqueline jumps at the chance to finish the last two books in a trilogy. The author wrote one fabulously received book and then, one rainy night, vanished. Seven years later, she's now officially been declared dead and authors are vying to be the one chosen to finish out the series. Some are in deadly earnest, though that doesn't throw Jacqueline off her stride. She tries to finish the next book but is distracted by what happened to the original author. Okay, and a little distracted by the increasingly dangerous "accidents" that seem to be occurring to her.
Jacqueline Kirby is the woman I want to be when I grow up. Former librarian turned world famous romance writer who has a quick quip for every situation. A little brash yet able to charm. Maybe without so many dead bodies though...
I read the Kirby books about ten years ago and enjoyed them immensely. When I saw this book on NetGalley, I immediately hit 'request' to see if they were as good as I remembered.
Oh, they are. Or, at least this one is. Yes, it's a bit dated (word processors anyone?) but most of it holds up amazingly well.
Jacqueline jumps at the chance to finish the last two books in a trilogy. The author wrote one fabulously received book and then, one rainy night, vanished. Seven years later, she's now officially been declared dead and authors are vying to be the one chosen to finish out the series. Some are in deadly earnest, though that doesn't throw Jacqueline off her stride. She tries to finish the next book but is distracted by what happened to the original author. Okay, and a little distracted by the increasingly dangerous "accidents" that seem to be occurring to her.
kristicuse's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
holtfan's review against another edition
4.0
Jacqueline Kirby isn't a universal favorite amongst Elizabeth Peters readers but I absolutely adore her, especially now that she is firmly in the driver's seat as the main character.
Having published her tongue-in-cheek romance novel to rave reviews, the ex-librarian now gets the chance to complete the sequel for a wildly popular novel whose author disappeared 7 years earlier. Except the more she looks into it, the more suspicious the disappearance appears...
While I personally enjoyed [b:Die for Love|66506|Die for Love (Jacqueline Kirby, #3)|Elizabeth Peters|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1391231838l/66506._SY75_.jpg|1674960] more, this was a better mystery. Jacqueline spends less time protesting that she doesn't know why people confide their life stories to her and more time sleuthing. At least one of the twists is fairly obvious, but it is fun seeing everything come together.
I'd definitely recommend this series to mystery lovers with a taste for '80s throwback, the use of a word processor alone should leave you grinning.
You can skip the first two books in the series without much loss but this one won't make as much sense if you don't read Die for Love first. Well, you can probably get away without reading Die for Love first, because honestly this book rehashes the important bits, but you'll have missed out.
Having published her tongue-in-cheek romance novel to rave reviews, the ex-librarian now gets the chance to complete the sequel for a wildly popular novel whose author disappeared 7 years earlier. Except the more she looks into it, the more suspicious the disappearance appears...
While I personally enjoyed [b:Die for Love|66506|Die for Love (Jacqueline Kirby, #3)|Elizabeth Peters|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1391231838l/66506._SY75_.jpg|1674960] more, this was a better mystery. Jacqueline spends less time protesting that she doesn't know why people confide their life stories to her and more time sleuthing. At least one of the twists is fairly obvious, but it is fun seeing everything come together.
I'd definitely recommend this series to mystery lovers with a taste for '80s throwback, the use of a word processor alone should leave you grinning.
You can skip the first two books in the series without much loss but this one won't make as much sense if you don't read Die for Love first. Well, you can probably get away without reading Die for Love first, because honestly this book rehashes the important bits, but you'll have missed out.
raben_76325's review against another edition
4.0
This book was such a lovely little way to spend some time over the past few days. The main character, Jacqueline Kirby, has so much great personality and the mystery was very appealing to me. Loved it!!
kaybeee's review against another edition
5.0
A reread of I don't know how many times. This is probably my favorite Jacqueline Kirby book.
donnaslair's review
1.0
Did not finish.
I've read and enjoyed seven or eight of the Amelia Peabody series, but unfortunately, Peters' writing style doesn't translate well to this character.
Kirby's character is supposed to be brash, bossy, and over-the-top (because really, doesn't that describe every librarian you know?). But to me, it comes across as pompous, self-satisfied, and arrogant. Further, it feels to me more like that's the tone of the book itself more than just the main character. For instance...
I hope never to read another book that uses the word 'effusions' twice in the same chapter. Too many 50 cent words where simpler ones would fit better. And they're not just in the dialog - they're in the narrative, too.
Jacqueline's trip to a local bar is apparently supposed to have some sort of shock value, like seeing your grandma on a Harley. You can practically see the author's self-satisfied smirk as we humble readers gawp at this dignified lady's descent into humanity.
Which reminds me of my confusion over Jacqueline herself. I can't figure out who she's supposed to be. In one scene, she's a hot mamma turning heads and sleeping with a 30-something detective. In another, she's got grandchildren and is giving some poor clerk a two paragraph rant about how she should be called "Mrs. Kirby" instead of Jacqueline. I mean, I know it's not mutually exclusive, you can be sexy AND yell at a clerk, it makes her seem kind of schizophrenic to me.
Usually, I'm pretty tenacious when I start a book - it takes a lot for me to put it aside. But all that, coupled with a mystery that seems wafer thin, made me look for greener pastures.
I've read and enjoyed seven or eight of the Amelia Peabody series, but unfortunately, Peters' writing style doesn't translate well to this character.
Kirby's character is supposed to be brash, bossy, and over-the-top (because really, doesn't that describe every librarian you know?). But to me, it comes across as pompous, self-satisfied, and arrogant. Further, it feels to me more like that's the tone of the book itself more than just the main character. For instance...
I hope never to read another book that uses the word 'effusions' twice in the same chapter. Too many 50 cent words where simpler ones would fit better. And they're not just in the dialog - they're in the narrative, too.
Jacqueline's trip to a local bar is apparently supposed to have some sort of shock value, like seeing your grandma on a Harley. You can practically see the author's self-satisfied smirk as we humble readers gawp at this dignified lady's descent into humanity.
Which reminds me of my confusion over Jacqueline herself. I can't figure out who she's supposed to be. In one scene, she's a hot mamma turning heads and sleeping with a 30-something detective. In another, she's got grandchildren and is giving some poor clerk a two paragraph rant about how she should be called "Mrs. Kirby" instead of Jacqueline. I mean, I know it's not mutually exclusive, you can be sexy AND yell at a clerk, it makes her seem kind of schizophrenic to me.
Usually, I'm pretty tenacious when I start a book - it takes a lot for me to put it aside. But all that, coupled with a mystery that seems wafer thin, made me look for greener pastures.
missmarketpaperback's review
3.0
This is a low 2.5/3. I love brassy, ballsy Jacqueline Kirby. This book however really dragged for me. The action took forever to get anywhere.
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