Rating: 
Summary: A DELIGHT!
Review: I must admit I never wanted to give up my career to stay at home with a baby or two! I would have gone nuts! The frustrations felt by Juliet were just too realistic. They must be borne out of real life for the former public defender. I had a newborn a few years back. He didn't sleep much either, as I recall. I hurried back to work to get some rest! Juliet is hilarious, spending a fortune on an outfit for the party given by her husband's perky partner, Mindy, so that she will look "fabulous." Of course, Juliet forgets to wear her nursing pads under the outfit, so has to hide out in the kitchen much of the time. I enjoyed learning about the Hasidic customs. The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Fraydle gave Juliet something on which to exercise her gray matter when she wasn't trying to capture a few minutes of shut-eye! A delightful read. And short enough to read in a day.
Rating:
Summary: Nice lightweight but pleasant book
Review: I read this book in one sitting, and it is an enjoyable book. Juliet does grow on you; she's an intelligent woman and a likeable one. The plot did not have a lot of twists and turns but was rather straightforward and written with a definite sense of humor. I did enjoy the glimpse into Hassidic life, although I had some compassion for the situation some of the young people found themselves in.
I was a little bothered, however, by the obsession with breast feeding, which seems to take place every other paragraph. Juliet should lighten up on that subject. She'd be much better off.
Rating: 
Summary: Great read!
Review: I read this book while hoping beyond all hope not to be interrupted. Love it. Smart, witty, great twists and turns -- I did not guess "who did it." The opening scene caught me by the funny bone and didn't let go. I could so relate to being completely confused and disorganized by a small infant that I opened the door partially dressed. The book only got better after that. I gave up 2 nights of sleep between 11pm and 1am to read it. A joy can't wait to read the next Juliet Applebaum adventure.
Rating:
Summary: Sleep Deprivation is a Killer!
Review: In the 2nd book in the Mommy Track Mystery series by Ayelet Waldman, Juliet Applebaum is the sleep deprived mother of four-month-old son, Isaac, and three-year-old daughter, Ruby. To help get some much-needed sleep, she hires a baby-sitter to watch her children for a couple of hours. When the baby-sitter, Fraydle, vanishes after only one day on the job, Juliet cannot imagine what has happened to her. Juliet knows her kids are a bit hard to handle, but she cannot envision that it was her kids that ran Fraydle out of town. When Fraydle's Hasidic Jewish family asks for help in finding the missing girl, Juliet simply cannot keep her nosy nature out of the picture. Did Fraydle run away to be with an Israeli boy or was she married off to a strict Hasidic family? Or did something more sinister happen? Juliet tries to solve the case while working on less than 3 hours of sleep per night, and her sense of humor and fearlessness lead her to finding the truth about this case of the missing baby-sitter.Like others have said, I enjoyed this book in the series better than I had the previous book. Even though Juliet is a bit whiny (and I definitely blame her lack of sleep for this) in the book, she was still humorous and completely human. She is a bit flip about many aspects of motherhood, but shows love and devotion to her family at the same time. What set this book apart from other mysteries is that there was no dead body, and for most of the book, Juliet could not figure out why Fraydle was missing. This added a bit of suspense in that I was never sure if she would be found dead or alive. The ending was a surprise, and I am looking forward to reading other books in this series. The first book in this series is "Nursery Crimes". Enjoy! A Cozy Lover
Rating:
Summary: Sleep Deprivation is a Killer!
Review: In the 2nd book in the Mommy Track Mystery series by Ayelet Waldman, Juliet Applebaum is the sleep deprived mother of four-month-old son, Isaac, and three-year-old daughter, Ruby. To help get some much-needed sleep, she hires a baby-sitter to watch her children for a couple of hours. When the baby-sitter, Fraydle, vanishes after only one day on the job, Juliet cannot imagine what has happened to her. Juliet knows her kids are a bit hard to handle, but she cannot envision that it was her kids that ran Fraydle out of town. When Fraydle's Hasidic Jewish family asks for help in finding the missing girl, Juliet simply cannot keep her nosy nature out of the picture. Did Fraydle run away to be with an Israeli boy or was she married off to a strict Hasidic family? Or did something more sinister happen? Juliet tries to solve the case while working on less than 3 hours of sleep per night, and her sense of humor and fearlessness lead her to finding the truth about this case of the missing baby-sitter. Like others have said, I enjoyed this book in the series better than I had the previous book. Even though Juliet is a bit whiny (and I definitely blame her lack of sleep for this) in the book, she was still humorous and completely human. She is a bit flip about many aspects of motherhood, but shows love and devotion to her family at the same time. What set this book apart from other mysteries is that there was no dead body, and for most of the book, Juliet could not figure out why Fraydle was missing. This added a bit of suspense in that I was never sure if she would be found dead or alive. The ending was a surprise, and I am looking forward to reading other books in this series. The first book in this series is "Nursery Crimes". Enjoy! A Cozy Lover
Rating:
Summary: A fun read
Review: Juliet Applebaum studied extra hard and for long hours at Harvard to become a lawyer. However, to her own amazement and to the shock of her spouse, she quits her profession to stay home as a full-time mother. On a good night, her youngest child Isaac sleeps perhaps for ten minutes all evening (a slight exaggeration except when you're the parent with no sleep). Her spouse is not home to provide Juliet with any help with the wide-awake child. Suffering from sleep depravation, Juliet accepts the services of Hasidic Jew Fraydle. Fraydle's baby-sitting allows Juliet to obtain some decent sleep. However, when the girl fails to return Juliet tries to learn why only to find out Fraydle is missing. Worried as time passes with no word, Juliet visits New York where her baby-sitter's fiance lives (as well as her own parents), but obtains nothing new. Juliet returns to Los Angeles where she realizes that Fraydle has a secret lover here in California who might have answers. The trails and tribulations of a mother with a restless newborn and an older preschooler add a unique feel to a fascinating story line. Readers also obtain a glimpse into the social and cultural life of a Hasidic Jew, a group who isolate themselves from the rest of society. This adds an additional uniqueness to the entreating BIG NAP. Juliet is a modern heroine refusing to quit or take another snooze until she feels justice is properly served. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Cute mystery, interesting characters
Review: New mother Juliet Applebaum Wyeth needs sleep. Between ferrying her three year old to preschool and playdates and a newborn who wants to party all night, she hasn't had a decent night's sleep in four months. Her screenwriter husband is no help either. He is working on a new series with a nearly perfect Mindy as a partner. By a stroke of luck, Juliet finds a babysitter at the local kosher grocery, a young Hassidic girl named Fraydle. She does a wonderful job but doesn't show up the next day. Her family doesn't know where she is and Juliet is determined to find out the truth. I enjoyed this book. It combined three worlds I know little about, motherhood, Hollywood, and Hassidim. The mystery is very good and the characters very real. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Juliette does it again
Review: Once again we get to see into the world of the sleuthing Mom of California. I enjoy mystery stories - but have been put off by some of the more gruesome stories that are out there. These books are just the right combination of mystery and detective work combined with an engaging heroine. Juliette's wry sense of humor about being a modern Mom who takes care of the kids (all day and all night) and worries about her lost career is both funny and insightful. For those of us also juggling Mom-hood and jobs it is a character who rings true.
Rating:
Summary: Strong Second Mystery
Review: Stay at home mom Juliet Applebaum is struggling to adjust to the birth of her second child, especially since 4 month old Isaac hardly sleeps at all. She finally hires a young Chasidic girl from her neighborhood to baby sit for a couple hours each day. But after the first day, the girl vanishes. Against all reason, Juliet finds herself drawn to find this young woman, especially after her parents refuse to call the police. But what could make her run away? And can Juliet find her while juggling an infant, pre-school, and her husband's strange work schedule? I enjoyed the first book in this series but felt it had some flaws. This book was much stronger and the same flaws didn't plague this book. It has a fun sense of humor, and while I felt Juliet complained a bit too much at times, I appreciated her love for her family which still came through. The plot is better developed here, although why this woman would search for this girl is beyond me. Even Juliet acknowledges that it doesn't make much sense. I'm glad I've been collecting the paperbacks as they've come out. I won't wait so long to revisit Juliet and her family.
Rating:
Summary: Strong Second Mystery
Review: Stay at home mom Juliet Applebaum is struggling to adjust to the birth of her second child, especially since 4 month old Isaac hardly sleeps at all. She finally hires a young Chasidic girl from her neighborhood to baby sit for a couple hours each day. But after the first day, the girl vanishes. Against all reason, Juliet finds herself drawn to find this young woman, especially after her parents refuse to call the police. But what could make her run away? And can Juliet find her while juggling an infant, pre-school, and her husband's strange work schedule? I enjoyed the first book in this series but felt it had some flaws. This book was much stronger and the same flaws didn't plague this book. It has a fun sense of humor, and while I felt Juliet complained a bit too much at times, I appreciated her love for her family which still came through. The plot is better developed here, although why this woman would search for this girl is beyond me. Even Juliet acknowledges that it doesn't make much sense. I'm glad I've been collecting the paperbacks as they've come out. I won't wait so long to revisit Juliet and her family.
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