<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: a fun read
Review: Heavily pregnant Juliet Applebaum needs to find a new home for a her expanding family and fast! Not only are their current digs not going to be big enough to accommodate three children and two adults, but the people who have bought the lot next to the place they're renting have started an extensive remodeling work, and husband, Peter, a horror screen play writer (who works at the night and sleeps during the day) is getting no sleep at all and his work is suffering. Finding a nice and affordable house in LA is no easy feat; fortunately Juliet has an ace up her sleeve: her good friend Kat is a real estate agent -- albeit a heavily pregnant and quite reluctant real estate agent. Morosely, Kat agrees to go house hunting with Juliet. And when Kat shows her the magnificently restored house that Kat's cousin (Farzad) and his gay lover (fashion designer, Felix) are planning to sell, Juliet immediately falls in love with the house. Unfortunately the house also comes with the dead body of the Felix's sister, Alice. Once again Juliet finds herself in the middle of another murder investigation. But this time, solving the murder ahead of the police may actually net Juliet her dream house. Now all Juliet has to do is successfully discover who murdered Alice and why, as well juggling childcare, and making sure she doesn't give birth in the middle of her investigation...If you're looking for a mystery novel that is full of snappy dialogue and that takes a humourous look at the life of a young(ish) mother in LA, you're bound to enjoy "Murder Plays House." Juliet is an engaging and taking character, and her attempts to be the perfect mother and understanding spouse, while trying to juggle a career as a private detective and her own needs, were truly funny and entertaining to read. However, mystery-wise, things were a bit of a let down. For example the mystery subplot was not all that well developed, and actually unfolded in a rather uneven manner, at the expense of the "mommy-track" subplot. Leads and suspects pittered out very quickly, so that when Juliet finally solved the case, it felt as if luck more than deduction was key to resolving everything. Though I will admit that because of the snappy dialogue and Juliet's engaging accounting on what it was like to be an average mom amongst the LA rich, "Murder Plays House" turned out to be a lively read. Also well done was the commentary on the lengths that some will go to in order to remain as young looking and as thin as possible. So that while the mystery angle left a bit to be desired, the storyline and narrative style made "Murder Plays House" an enjoyable yet sobering read.
Rating: 
Summary: A house to die for.
Review: In "Murder Plays House," by Ayelet Waldman, lawyer and part-time sleuth Juliet Applebaum is bursting at the seams. Literally. She has gained fifty pounds during her third pregnancy and she and her husband, Peter, need a bigger house for their growing family. The problem is that a desirable house in L. A. is not easy to get unless the buyers are filthy rich, which Juliet and her husband most certainly are not. While house hunting with her realtor friend one day, Juliet stumbles upon a dead body in the bathtub. The owner of the house, who is the victim's brother, retains Juliet to help investigate the case. Along with her partner, Al, Juliet starts digging into the life of the deceased, an out-of-work actress named Alicia Felix. Juliet interviews Alicia's former co-workers, ex-boyfriend, and anyone else with a possible connection to the crime. At the same time, the mother-to-be is trying to cope with her out-of-control appetite and ungainly shape, while also tending to the needs of her husband and young children. "Murder Plays House" has its moments. Juliet is witty and sassy, and Waldman's wry humor and satirical treatment of the shallow L. A. culture are right on target. The author has a go at the trendy fashions, the insane desire to be thin at all costs, and the desperation of marginally talented actors to make it in show biz. Waldman has trouble, however, balancing her lighthearted humor with the book's tragic elements, most of which are introduced in the second half of the novel. The carefree tone of the book's opening gives way to a somewhat somber and preachy ending. Although the plots of the "Mommy-Track Mysteries" are only passable, I keep reading them because of my fondness for Waldman's irresistible and down-to-earth heroine, Juliet Applebaum.
Rating:
Summary: A house to die for.
Review: In "Murder Plays House," by Ayelet Waldman, lawyer and part-time sleuth Juliet Applebaum is bursting at the seams. Literally. She has gained fifty pounds during her third pregnancy and she and her husband, Peter, need a bigger house for their growing family. The problem is that a desirable house in L. A. is not easy to get unless the buyers are filthy rich, which Juliet and her husband most certainly are not. While house hunting with her realtor friend one day, Juliet stumbles upon a dead body in the bathtub. The owner of the house, who is the victim's brother, retains Juliet to help investigate the case. Along with her partner, Al, Juliet starts digging into the life of the deceased, an out-of-work actress named Alicia Felix. Juliet interviews Alicia's former co-workers, ex-boyfriend, and anyone else with a possible connection to the crime. At the same time, the mother-to-be is trying to cope with her out-of-control appetite and ungainly shape, while also tending to the needs of her husband and young children. "Murder Plays House" has its moments. Juliet is witty and sassy, and Waldman's wry humor and satirical treatment of the shallow L. A. culture are right on target. The author has a go at the trendy fashions, the insane desire to be thin at all costs, and the desperation of marginally talented actors to make it in show biz. Waldman has trouble, however, balancing her lighthearted humor with the book's tragic elements, most of which are introduced in the second half of the novel. The carefree tone of the book's opening gives way to a somewhat somber and preachy ending. Although the plots of the "Mommy-Track Mysteries" are only passable, I keep reading them because of my fondness for Waldman's irresistible and down-to-earth heroine, Juliet Applebaum.
Rating:
Summary: Losing faith because of errors
Review: Like another reviewer, I do love Ayelet Waldman's Mommy-Track Mystery Series, but I too was really disappointed by the errors and typos. Waldman is a Harvard graduate--surely she didn't commit those errors herself! (If so, remind me not to ever hire her as my attorney.) I've noticed a number of books lately with sloppy copy-editing, but this one was the worst I've seen. Too bad, too, because the plot and characterization reflected Waldman's usual excellent work. Maybe she let one of her children copy-edit for her this time?
Rating: 
Summary: fine mommy Track mystery
Review: She was a public defender but after giving birth to two children, Juliet Appleton quit to become a full time mother. When she became bored, she and her friend Al opened up their own private investigate business that still doesn't pay their salaries. When Juliet discovers that she is pregnant for a third time, she realizes it time to move into a house with lots of rooms. Her husband Peter, a horror screenwriter, agrees with her. Juliet finds the perfect house for her family. After inspecting the home and loving every inch of it, Juliet looks in the guest house where she finds Alicia Felix, the owner's sister, dead in the bathtub, her body knifed countless times. When she talks to Felix about buying the home he tells her he is grieving for his sister and is not ready to move. Juliet agrees to represent Felix and his lover Farzad in their dealings with the police; she and Farzad agree that she will be given special consideration to buy the house if she finds the killer. It's not easy being eight months pregnant and conducting a homicide investigation but Juliet tries anyway. Ayelet Waldman's mommy Track mysteries get progressively feistier and wittier mainly due to the situations the protagonist finds herself in. Juliet is outrageous as she investigates and sometimes with her two children accompanying her interviews a suspect who might yield information that will lead to the killer. MURDER PLAYS HOUSE is a well thought out mystery that uses a social problem as the basis for the killing. Readers will adore Juliet and her two (no make that three) munchkins. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: fine mommy Track mystery
Review: She was a public defender but after giving birth to two children, Juliet Appleton quit to become a full time mother. When she became bored, she and her friend Al opened up their own private investigate business that still doesn't pay their salaries. When Juliet discovers that she is pregnant for a third time, she realizes it time to move into a house with lots of rooms. Her husband Peter, a horror screenwriter, agrees with her. Juliet finds the perfect house for her family. After inspecting the home and loving every inch of it, Juliet looks in the guest house where she finds Alicia Felix, the owner's sister, dead in the bathtub, her body knifed countless times. When she talks to Felix about buying the home he tells her he is grieving for his sister and is not ready to move. Juliet agrees to represent Felix and his lover Farzad in their dealings with the police; she and Farzad agree that she will be given special consideration to buy the house if she finds the killer. It's not easy being eight months pregnant and conducting a homicide investigation but Juliet tries anyway. Ayelet Waldman's mommy Track mysteries get progressively feistier and wittier mainly due to the situations the protagonist finds herself in. Juliet is outrageous as she investigates and sometimes with her two children accompanying her interviews a suspect who might yield information that will lead to the killer. MURDER PLAYS HOUSE is a well thought out mystery that uses a social problem as the basis for the killing. Readers will adore Juliet and her two (no make that three) munchkins. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Typos mar the book
Review: The plotting, characterizations and style are all as good as they were in the first 4 books in the Mommy-Track series.
.
However, there are typos throughout the book. For example (page numbers in the hardcover edition):
"I'd staffed looking" (instead of "I'd started looking"; p. 2)
"you're husband" (p. 125)
"temperment" (p. 152)
"stiletto-healed alligator pump" (p. 181)
"miniscule" (p. 271)
.
I'm sad and a little disturbed. Did the publishers decide to save money by cutting back on proof-readers? Did they think that computer spell-checkers can replace them? Do they think that readers no longer notice typos or care about them?
.
The typos marred my appreciation of an otherwise enjoyable book.
<< 1 >>
| 
