Rating: 
Summary: Plain Brown Wrapper
Review: The question of the day is who killed Everett Carson? Carson, the successful publisher of a popular black magazine, is well known for all the wrong reasons. As an overbearing, abrasive, arrogant, calculating heartbreaker of numerous women, the list of Everett Carson's potential enemies is seemingly endless.Given the previously noted facts, finding the person who caused his sudden demise in his hotel suite provides uphill struggle for the LAPD. Adding to the complexity of the murder was the location and time it took place, Everett Carson was in his hotel room preparing to receive the coveted Journalist of the Year Award in front of a Ballroom crowd of hundreds of his peers. Among his peers were dozens of competitors, colleagues, and even jilted lovers, most of whom had the opportunity and motive to commit this violent act. Alex Powell, a former employee of Ev's and now a successful newspaper columnist in her own right is asked to check on her friend Everett Carson due to his uncharacteristic lack of appearance at his own banquet. Upon arriving at his room, Alex finds him murdered and consequently, is enlisted by the LAPD to assist in the investigation. Alex's reputation as a journalistic diva among the black elite as well as being a well known mover and shaker in the writing community, makes her a valuable resource in solving the crime. Author Karen Grigsby Bates does her best to create a vivid image of her main character by exhaustingly detailing her journey through the haunts, social gatherings, and homes of the "well to do". Bates shows Alex's impeccable sense of style by describing seemingly every fashion decision Alex makes in her travels to find a killer. By not only providing information about Alex's clothing but providing ample information about the fashion no no's of others, I began to wonder if we were ever going to actually begin the development of the mystery. After reading half of this novel without any changes in story line or interesting twists in the plot, it became really hard to maintain interest in the search for Everett's killer. As a reader who appreciates strong characters in novels, I am constantly challenging authors to increase the level of detail when describing their main characters; moreover, if there was ever a case for a writer grossly over doing it, this book is it. I found "Plain Brown Wrapper" to drag on mercilessly, incessantly belaboring the same scenarios over and over while approaching an ending that proved anticlimactic at best. As someone who is extremely partial to mysteries and probably too easily impressed by most efforts, it pains me to say that I would not recommend this novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Looking Forward to the Next One
Review: This was the most fun book I've read in a while. There were times I found myself laughing out loud. Many others, a knowing smirk. Maybe it should have been billed as a romantic comedy. No need to go into the plot, as others have already done that. I concede it wasn't the best mystery ever written, and that I really didn't give a hoot about the dead editor, but the characters felt real and I liked Alexa. Perhaps because I write romantic suspense for the 'marvelously mature,' I enjoyed this story about a mature, professional woman finding romance.
Rating: 
Summary: Sneak Peak At Black Journalistic Elite
Review: While this book is clearly not your typical mystery, I found it an engaging, calm, and very entertaining read. Ms. Bates covers multiple genres in one tale-love story, humor, mystery, travel, African-American culture, food & dining etc... Plain Brown Wrapper provided in depth insight into the nuts and bolts of black bourgeouis(sp?)life sometimes to the point of irrelevant tedium. But it is well written. The main character walks away from the murder of her colleague Ev Carson with it all, her suspect, a great 'vacation' and a man!!!! I look forward to reading more of her work.
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