Rating:  Summary: TERRIFIC NEW SERIES! Review: Oh, are you in for a treat when you meet Sasha Solomon! Snappy wit, sharp dialogue, first rate mystery and then add UFO's, conversations with her cat, international intrigue, the magic of southeatern New Mexico, and...oh, too much to mention without giving the plot away. This is one of the best mysteries I've read in a long time and I'm eagerly awaiting the next in the series. No wonder Tony Hillerman have her a rousing review!Take it from me, a mystery writer who knows how hard it is to keep pages turning, when I tell you Pari will keep you up all night with this one!
Rating:  Summary: TERRIFIC NEW SERIES! Review: Oh, are you in for a treat when you meet Sasha Solomon! Snappy wit, sharp dialogue, first rate mystery and then add UFO's, conversations with her cat, international intrigue, the magic of southeatern New Mexico, and...oh, too much to mention without giving the plot away. This is one of the best mysteries I've read in a long time and I'm eagerly awaiting the next in the series. No wonder Tony Hillerman have her a rousing review! Take it from me, a mystery writer who knows how hard it is to keep pages turning, when I tell you Pari will keep you up all night with this one!
Rating:  Summary: Will quickly earn her legions of appreciative fans Review: Pari Noskin Taichert is a journalist and public relations consultant. She draws upon her experience and expertise in The Clovis Incident, an intriguing and superbly crafted murder mystery which following the unexpected adventure of Sasha Solomon, an ordinary PR director fired from her job as PR director of Albuquerque's only holistic HMO, and then travels to the small New Mexico town of Clovis to bid on a PR project for the local Chamber of Commerce only to become entangled in a dark and ruthless plot of murder and intrigue. An exciting journey through hidden motives in a desperate search to protect oneself with the power of truth and insight before it is too late, The Clovis Incident is unique and compelling in its masterful interplay of layers of plot. The Clovis Incident is Taichert's rather impressive debut effort and will quickly earn her legions of appreciative fans who will look eagerly toward her next title.
Rating:  Summary: Murder (and other mayhem) in US Southwest Review: Pari Noskin Taichert's first book is a quirky cozy with just a dab of Rod Serling thrown in. Sasha Solomon is a PR consultant who has, as the book opens, been fired from her job but conveniently has a job interview lined up in Clovis, NM. Nothing like good timing -- maybe. While working up a prospective proposal for the Clovis Chamber of Commerce (to get some of Roswell, NM's UFO tourist dollars) she helps solve a murder. Along the way, Sasha has hallucinations and a talking cat, and works through problems with a friend she visits in Clovis, the friend's children, local characters (and they are legion) who are anything but ordinary, law enforcement, Far Eastern beliefs, UFO sightings, aliens, etc. Whew! It's a memorable combination that Ms. Taichert has deftly woven together. Unquestionably different than anything else I've read, "The Clovis Incident" seemed to start slow, but I think that was my getting into the rhythm of Pari's truly breath-of-fresh-air voice and her first person narrative. I've found that I'm particularly drawn to Sasha, who's a bit of a wisecracker with a keen sense of humor that reminded me of (but in a more refined sort of way) Katy Munger's Casey Jones character. I also like Sasha's cat, Leo da Cat, who has a 'know it all' personality. I hope Pari Taichert has another book in the pipeline because I REALLY want to read more of her work -- and to see what other insights Leo has to offer! "The Clovis Incident" is a fun book -- do yourself a favor and read it.
Rating:  Summary: MURDER, WHIPPED CREAM, ALIENS: WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR? Review: Several reviewers have done a spiffy job of giving a basic plot summary. I would like to comment on the author's writing. This book is just hilarious at times. I am always impressed with good comedic writing, and Ms. Taichert has certianly mastered the technique. Add a little murder, mayhem, and whipped cream, and you have yourself a great read. Super congrats to Ms. Taichert. Can't wait for the next!
Rating:  Summary: Nancy Drew in her 30s Review: The writing was pretty good throughout "The Clovis Incident." Several of the characters were respectably well developed-- enough to seem real. But the book had some freshman-year oddities in it, such as strange breathless little side-trips that added length to the book but did not seem to tie into the plot at all. Also in several spots the main character Sasha kind of hints that she has some sort of deep, dark, unresolved "stuff" going on with her mother-- and motherhood-- in her mind, but to have a character allude to that sort of thing or be sarcastic about it, without shining any light of explanation on it, comes off as frustrating and pointless. A review I read said the author is proud of all the deep research she did making the book accurate, and by this I guess she means how the police would operate if told about a dead person found on a ranch near their town, and little things like that. Nothing struck me as needing extensive research while I read. A lot of the coincidental meetings and happenings were just too simplistic for grown-up enjoyment. Sure, you have a mystery, but I felt disappointed by the end and think the mystery was handled childishly-- so much so that I'm not able to recommend it to my friends who appreciate good mystery writing. This book was kind of, uh, Nancy Drew once Nancy reaches her mid-30s. I do love that Sasha has a squirt can of whipped cream in her hotel room at all times that helps her deal with stress! And I hope the author keeps learning & practicing because I'm sure there is something good in there. It just could 've been expressed better.
Rating:  Summary: YOU'LL LOVE THIS BOOK! Review: This book is a delight to read! I fell in love with the sassy, quirky Sasha Solomon and her unique approach to the art of living, especially when it comes to conjuring "not so wholesome comfort foods." Sasha is a "comfort food" master . . . offered here as an example of the varied, stylish and witty, personality imprints that Sasha could patent if she were a real person. As a reader, I was immediately "on her team," marveling at the twists and turns that forced Sasha to tackle the peculiar challenges thrown her way; she does so with diligent skepticism and an intelligent sense of humor. In fact, while reading "The Clovis Incident," I found myself laughing outloud. Sasha would be the kind of girlfriend one would call up for a fun-filled "girls night out." With this character, enhanced with deftly written plot points, Pari Noskin Taichert skillfully carves out a unique approach to the mystery genre . . . with surprises coming so fast I couldn't wait to turn the page. I hope we hear more (and soon!) from this gifted writer.
Rating:  Summary: An engrossing mix of blood, money, and alien abductions Review: This is a fresh approach to the mystery genre. Protagonist Sasha Solomon is not a private detective, insurance investigator, salvage expert, mystery writer, or busybody amateur sleuth. She doesn't have inside connections with the police, the department of motor vehicles, or the street-savvy underworld. Rather than looking for trouble, she's looking for a regular paycheck in the PR field and a dependable supply of whipped cream. Sasha is you and me - if we unexpectedly find ourselves in the small-town New Mexico neighborhood of a murder. A murder that plants a good friend in a scenario mixing blood, money, and alien abductions. A number of suspicious townspeople have their own reasons for keeping Sasha in the dark, but she is just stubborn enough to stumble towards the truth. At her own peril, of course. Author Pari Noskin Taichert is at her best in describing the details that perch readers on the worn counterstools of a Clovis diner, with an ear out for gossip on what that Solomon woman and the police detective might have been up to over at the motor lodge very late last night. That's just another of the many questions Sasha herself would like answered. Little green men or not, no one is going anywhere until the truth is uncovered. "The Clovis Incident" is a 4-and-a-half star read that promises to get even more rewarding if we get the chance to follow Sasha Solomon on her next trip out of Albuquerque into the sidetracks of mayhem.
Rating:  Summary: Murder She Wrote Meets the X-Files Review: Want to take an unusual roller coast ride of a mystery? Pari Noskin Taichert's debut novel, "The Clovis Incident," introduces offbeat series heroine Sasha Solomon, a freelance PR professional who gets a New Age trancendental overload and is fired from her job--all in the first chapter. Hallucinations, space aliens, a killer, Sasha battles them all as she researches the small New Mexico town of Clovis in search of a lucrative PR job. She lands in the middle of a murder when an old friend finds a body on her land. Sasha deals with an intriguing gallery of small town characters, vindictive relatives, and cops of all types who become involved because the victim was an important foreign military officer. The reader bounces with Sasha from likely suspect to likely suspect. Her inquiring mind eventually gets her into trouble--several threats and two life-threatening situations--before she figures out the killer and the motivation. Pari has finished a second Sasha novel and is busy on a third. Readers can look forward to more adventures in out of the way New Mexico small towns as Sasha continues looking for employment but finds mystery and suspense.
Rating:  Summary: Murder She Wrote Meets the X-Files Review: Want to take an unusual roller coast ride of a mystery? Pari Noskin Taichert's debut novel, "The Clovis Incident," introduces offbeat series heroine Sasha Solomon, a freelance PR professional who gets a New Age trancendental overload and is fired from her job--all in the first chapter. Hallucinations, space aliens, a killer, Sasha battles them all as she researches the small New Mexico town of Clovis in search of a lucrative PR job. She lands in the middle of a murder when an old friend finds a body on her land. Sasha deals with an intriguing gallery of small town characters, vindictive relatives, and cops of all types who become involved because the victim was an important foreign military officer. The reader bounces with Sasha from likely suspect to likely suspect. Her inquiring mind eventually gets her into trouble--several threats and two life-threatening situations--before she figures out the killer and the motivation. Pari has finished a second Sasha novel and is busy on a third. Readers can look forward to more adventures in out of the way New Mexico small towns as Sasha continues looking for employment but finds mystery and suspense.
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