Review of "Lucky Stuff: A Jane Wheel Mystery" by Sharon Fiffer

In this 8th book in the 'Jane Wheel' series, the private detective investigates a murder in her old hometown. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Private detective Jane Wheel collects 'antiques' from dumpsters, flea markets, house sales, etc.
Having recently divorced, sent her son off to prep school, and put her house on the market, Jane packs up her best collectibles and sends them off to her hometown of Kankakee, Illinois. When her house sells Jane sets off for Kankakee herself, where her parents still live. Unfortunately Jane's belongings go astray en route, and she has to contemplate the possibility of losing them forever.





It so happens that Jane arrives in Kankakee at about the same time as second-tier comedian Lucky Miller. Lucky spent his childhood in Kankakee and has returned to stage a 'roast' for himself, thinking this might revitalize his career. Lucky is also spreading around a lot of cash to restore some of his old hangouts. It seems Lucky has lost his childhood memories and hopes that re-staging old experiences will help him recover them.



Before long a suspicious death occurs that draws Jane's attention. Fortuitously, Lucky hires Jane to be his temporary assistant, which gives Jane a good vantage point to look into what's going on with the comedian, who seems to be an eccentric sort of guy. Jane also gets a little help from her investigative partner, Bruce Oh.



It turns out that Lucky had a childhood friend who died tragically, after which Lucky's family moved away and his life took an odd turn. It seems Lucky needs to recall the details about all this to find peace.



Various characters add interest to the story including Jane's difficult mother and kindly father; her best friend Tim - who meets a new boyfriend; Lucky's employees; and more. I liked the scenes where Jane visited a favorite old soda shop - which reminded me of my own childhood.





I liked parts of the book but Lucky's quest to recover old memories - and the way he went about it - rang a false note for me. I didn't find this part of the story credible. The 'mystery' at the core of the story was also not believable to me, and was a letdown.

This is the first Jane Wheel book I've read and I might try another one.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Yes Please: A Memoir" by Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She gained television fame as a cast member on 'Saturday Night Live' and is probably best know for her role as Leslie Knope on the sitcom 'Parks and Recreation.'


Amy Poehler on Saturday Night Live


Amy Poehler starred in the hilarious Parks and Recreation



I listened to the audio version of this memoir, narrated by the author. The audio book also has 'cameos' from a handful of celebrities and dialog with Amy's family, friends, and colleagues. Thus there are snippets from Patrick Stewart, Carol Burnett, and Kathleen Turner as well as contributions from Seth Meyers (from Saturday Night Live), Michael Schur (showrunner of Parks and Recreation), and Amy's mom and dad. All this adds to the charm and humor of the book.

Amy talks about growing up in a Boston suburb (she demonstrates her original Boston accent - which is way earthier than that of of John F. Kennedy) and how she became interested in acting and improv as a youngster. Amy's first foray into improv was in grade school when she played Dorothy in 'The Wizard of Oz' and did 'a bit' with the dog who played Toto.


Little Amy Poehler


Amy Poehler in high school

Amy's rise to fame required a lot of hard work and practice/training with improv groups while she made rent by waiting tables. During these times Amy sometimes lived in shabby apartments in scary neighborhoods but she makes it all sound rather fun. Amy also notes that she met a lot of now famous comedians/actors during this time, some of whom became good friends and colleagues.

The book is not a linear narration of Amy's life and achievements. It skips back and forth in time and is a conglomeration of many subjects including autobiographical sketches from Amy's youth; anecdotes about 'Saturday Night Live' - including the Hillary Clinton impersonations; chat about helping to create the Upright Citizen's Brigade Improv Theater; talk about 'Parks and Recreation' - with a humorous tribute to each cast member; and a chapter about attending Boston College.


Amy Poehler graduated from Boston College


Amy Poehler with the Upright Citizen's Brigade Improv Theater


Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton on Saturday Night Live


Amy Poehler and the real Hillary Clinton

Amy includes a section about assisting in Haiti after a deadly hurricane; confessions about teen drinking; a mention of the sadness caused by her divorce from Will Arnett; snippets about pregnancy, motherhood and her sons; and a chapter about her sleep problems.


Amy Poehler and Will Arnett


Amy Poehler and her sons

Amy adds fun descriptions of award show skits performed with an array of comedy actresses; how she enjoyed (finally) winning an award ('getting the pudding'); a self-assessment of her appearance; and much more. Through it all Amy comes across as a personable gal with plenty of talent, drive, and ambition.


Amy Poehler and Tina Fey


Amy Poehler and Kristen Wiig



Amy's rise to fame wasn't all sweetness and light however. Along the way she had to deal with manipulative producers and difficult people - and Amy makes it clear she's no pushover. Get on her wrong side and she'll let you have it! This is a side of Amy I didn't anticipate, but quite admire. An important lesson in the book - perhaps aimed at aspiring performers - is not to expect overnight success.



Some parts of the book are laugh out loud funny, some are moving and insightful, and some drag along. Overall, however, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to readers who enjoy celebrity memoirs.

Rating: 4 stars

Review of "The Jezebel Remedy: A Novel" by Martin Clark

Married couple Joe and Lisa Stone are partners in a small law firm in Virginia. Married for twenty years, they have no children but dote on their pooch Brownie. 🐶 Most of the law firm's work is routine with the big exception of their client, Lettie VanSandt.





Lettie is an ill-tempered, eccentric woman with a small income; a bunch of tattoos; a large, gold, front tooth; various piercings; frazzled hair; an assortment of thrift-store clothes; a home full of cats and dogs; and a penchant for inventing useless things.





Joe has a soft spot for Lettie however, and acts as her (largely unpaid) attorney as she sues everyone in sight, constantly changes her will, files patent applications, and sets up loopy trusts she can't fund.

As the story opens, Lisa is vaguely dissatisfied with her marriage and embarks on a liaison with Brett Brooks, a handsome, suave, fellow attorney. This includes an illicit trip to the Bahamas which proves to have troublesome consequences later on.



Meanwhile, shortly after making a will that gives the bulk of her assets to her son Neal, Lettie's body is found in an exploded meth lab.



Before she died Lettie changed her will once more, and a handwritten version is found that leaves her estate to attorney Joe Stone.



The police believe Lettie was a druggie who died as the result of a drug-cooking accident, but Joe can't believe Lettie used meth. In any case, Joe's a nice guy and renounces his claim to Lettie's assets (which he believes are minimal), giving everything to Neal 👨‍.

A few days later Dr. Stephen Downs - a brilliant but unstable scientist who was fired from Benecorp Pharmaceutical Company - shows up in Joe's office. His story: Lettie invented a skin healing cream called Wound Velvet (WV) and sent it to Benecorp for evaluation. The cream didn't heal anything but Benecorp discovered it was valuable for something else and was determined to acquire it. To get it, Benecorp apparently made a deal with Lettie's son Neal.



This sets up the rest of the story. Joe and Lisa - convinced that Benecorp tried to take advantage of Lettie and maybe even killed her - attempt to wrest WV from the firm's unsavory clutches. The pharmaceutical company, however, has a crafty, manipulative director who will do anything to retain control of WV 😣. This includes lying, inventing evidence, manipulating the system, harassing Dr. Downs, and crushing the Stones' law firm.



As part of its legal proceedings, Benecorp claims that Lisa and Joe extorted money from them. Part of their 'evidence' includes photos that apparently show Lisa collecting a pay-off from a Bahamian bank when she visited the island 🌴. So, to add to her other troubles, Lisa fears that Joe will learn of her dalliance with Brett.



The legal shenanigans in the story, as Benecorp tries to ruin Joe and Lisa, are fascinating and infuriating. They're also plausible, which is no surprise since the book's author is a judge.

The tale is full of interesting characters including: M.J. - Lisa's loyal friend who collects inappropriate boyfriends and comes through in a pinch; Neal - Lettie's nervous, timid son who's craftier than he seems; Seth Garrison - Benecorp's rich but nasty president; lawyers on both sides of the aisle; Brownie - a sweet dog; and of course Lettie. I had to laugh when Lettie tried to sue her neighbors for coaxing songbirds away from her yard by buying birdseed - which she couldn't afford. I had to wonder if the author (in his job as a judge) had actually seen cases like this.



I enjoyed the book but feel like it had a very slow start. For me, the first part of the book concentrated too much on Joe's annoying habits, Lisa's affair, how Lisa came to know M.J., Lisa and Joe's farm, and so on. Once the action got started, however, the story was a compelling page turner with plenty of drama.

I'd recommend this book to fans of mystery/legal thrillers.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon: A Meg Langslow Mystery" by Donna Andrews

In this 4th book in the 'Meg Langslow' series, the blacksmith/amateur sleuth goes into action when her brother is accused of murder. The book can be read as a standalone.



*****

Once again there's trouble brewing in Caerphilly, Virginia. Rob Langslow feels something is amiss at his computer game company 'Mutant Wizards'. So he convinces his sister Meg Langslow - blacksmith and amateur sleuth - to sign on as temporary receptionist, hoping she can uncover the problem. Sure enough, Ted - the office practical joker/pain in the neck - is soon murdered as he rides around on the automated mail cart.



The Chief of Police, who pays minimal attention to evidence, arrests Rob for the murder. So Meg, convinced her brother is innocent, jumps into action to investigate. 'Mutant Wizards' employs a full array of oddball characters as well as sharing their premises with a group of psychotherapists, so there are plenty of suspects. Also on hand are Meg's dad, who enjoys a spot of sleuthing himself, and Meg's fiance Michael, who calls in his admonitions from an acting gig in California.



As Meg uncovers a variety of clues several possible motives present themselves. Did someone murder Ted to get his living quarters in housing-deprived Caerphilly? was Ted a blackmailer? was Ted involved in a harmful lawsuit? Meg has to find out.

The murderer is revealed in a finale that's mildly amusing but so drawn out that it becomes a bit tiresome.

This is an entertaining light mystery with fun characters, my favorites being George the one-winged Buzzard who eats microwaved mice....

…..and Spike the bad tempered dog who bites anyone within reach.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Murder in the Afternoon: A Kate Shackleton Mystery" by Frances Brody

In this third book in the 'Kate Shackleton' series, private detective Kate Shackleton investigates the death of a stone mason. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

It's the early 1920's in England and youngsters Harriet and Austin Armstrong take lunch to their dad, stone mason Ethan, at the quarry where he works.



Shockingly, they find him on the ground, apparently dead.



The kids run off to get help but when they return the body is gone. Dissatisfied with the police response Ethan's wife, Mary Jane, asks private detective Kate Shackleton for help.



As it happens Kate was adopted as a baby and Mary Jane reveals she's Kate's biological sister. Thus, in this third book in the series, Kate gets to meet some of her biological relatives.

Ethan's body is subsequently found and Mary Jane becomes a prime suspect. However, Kate - feeling her blood ties - is determined to demonstrate Mary Jane's innocence. Kate learns that, on the day he died, Ethan was working on a sundial for the wife of local bigwig Colonel Ledger - a sundial that's since been vandalized and destroyed.



Kate also discovers that Mary Jane once had a close association with the Ledger household and was well-acquainted with other people that had conflicts with Ethan. Adding to Kate's problem, her beau - Scotland Yard Detective Marcus Charles - seems to think Mary Jane is guilty.



Kate continues to investigate with the help of her assistant, former policeman Jim Sykes. This provides a few smiles as Sykes pretends to be a hosiery salesman to do his sleuthing.




Some humor is also provided by Kate's scheme to unmask an apparent gold-digger who advertises for a wealthy husband in the newspaper.



There are plenty of potential suspects in this cozy, and an interesting peek into the lives of some of the British 'upper-crust' and 'lower-crust'. I enjoyed the story, which is well-written and contains an interesting array of characters.

Rating: 3 stars