I should have known this book was going to be tedious when the first several chapters were all about buying a new car and being shocked and awed by the features. Seriously, who is amazed at a car remote? Or a cell phone for that matter? And why would someone who just had their stomach pumped and has been throwing up want Merlot? And why would someone at a writing conference not know what plagiarism is? The below average high school student knows what plagiarism is! These and many other plot points just don't make sense. It seems every chapter had some conversation where Jane and Shelley were amazed by something that a normal person would never have been amazed at...a ballroom that splits into smaller rooms, miniature desserts, a minibar. I'm pretty sure everything they were amazed by has been around for many years and are very commonplace. I'm not sure how the main character can solve any crimes since she seems utterly clueless and dim. I lost count of the number of times she thought of something and instantly forgot about it...poor plot device and dumb characterization. I understand this is part of a series and the earlier books are much better. This book does not make me want to read anything else by Jill Churchill. The writing is awkward and stilted and just bad, the characters are flat and their motivations unexplained/unfathomable and the story is just boring. Thankfully it is a short book.
While I loved hearing the inside scoop on what goes on at a mystery conference, this was far from my favorite Jane Jeffry book. All the regular elements are there -- Jane and Shelley, a mystery, and interesting characters -- but the characters seem to trot in and out without much development. And Jane and Shelley seemed particularly catty in this book, especially in regards to judging others they come in contact with.The warmth of previous books is missing while the two wine and dine and shop (and make snarky remarks about their fellow attendees). The mystery is pretty transparent, too, and not even fully resolved at the end of the book.After looking forward to this one for so long, I was disappointed.
I'm afraid the title is the best part. First of all Jane (protagonist) spends several paragraphs describing a new red jeep she bought (who cares) then she mentions her lover, Mel, who is either a stuffed shirt or she is kidding herself, plus the fact the book put me to sleep in the doctor's office, and then there is the glaring mistake about copyrights. The book was published in 2003, and since the protagonist is a writer I think she should know. Apparently she is under the delusion that copyright expires if a book goes out of print. Maybe that is cleared up later, but I am afraid that is delusion the readers are stuck with. I stuck with it until page 172.
—Mary
A Jane Jeffry mystery. In this one, Jane and her best friend Shelly, are attending a mystery writers conference as Jane is writing a mystery and trying to obtain information regarding writing, publishing, etc. During the conference two people are attacked and Jane seeks to discover why and by who.This is a later book in the series than the previous one I read, A Groom With A View, and Jane is more settled and much less klutzy and prone to doubts than in the earlier one. Also, her friend Shelly, is less whiney and more take charge than in the earlier novel.
—George
3.5 starsIn many ways, this book felt more like a really good subplot of a larger book. The details about life at a mystery convention were fun (even more so since I've been to one myself), but the mystery felt light, as did the personal development of the recurring characters. Mel's appearance was perfunctory, like he needed to show up so readers wouldn't wonder where he was.In general, I don't read into author motivations when reading a book, but while I was reading this one, It kept feeling like the author didn't really like mystery conventions and fans very much. I also felt that she really doesn't care for fat people. All in all, it was a disconcerting feeling, one I'm not quite sure what think about.
—Laura de Leon
