After All These Years: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Quick and fun
Review: I picked up this book after reading "Compromising Positions" and its sequel, "Long Time No See". "Long Time No See" was written 20 years after "Compromising Positions", and "After All These Years" was written between these two novels. I have concluded that Isaacs continues to improve with age. This book was better than "Compromising Positions", but not quite at the level of "Long Time No See."

There's plenty to enjoy in this novel. Isaacs has such a pleasant style and is so clever, this book will keep you laughing throughout. Plus, you have to love a heroine who, after, being dumped by her adulterous husband, manages to solve the mystery surrounding his murder plus makes time to enjoy not one, but two, affairs while on the lamb. The characters are well-crafted and entertaining. Isaacs does not hesitate to allow the main character to poke fun at herself either. Plus, it is fun to find out the secret life her husband has been leading ever since they struck it rich. The only detractor was that I figured out "who done it" very early on. So, to me, the ultimate solving of the crime was definitely not the highlight of the story.

I read this thick book over a weekend, while in the car on a long trip. It was thoroughly entertaining, and made me promptly go out and purchase another Isaacs novel--"Lily White". Even when I do solve the mystery sooner than the protagonist, Isaacs keeps me laughing, and I'm always anxious to read some more.

Rating:
Summary: Isaacs at Her Contemporary Best
Review: This book is fabulous.

I don't agree with or endorse everything in it, but I have to confess, this is a great, great book to read.

First, it's funny. The funniness is the most significant part of it. How many stories about estranged dead husbands are funny, especially when the ex wife wishes he were neither dead nor estranged? But Rosie, the heroine, is irrepressible... and that has nothing to do with the fact that we're both English teachers. She is, in her own words, postmenopausal, and she's Jewish, while I'm neither. But we both do have dark hair.

Anyway, Rosie's husband is dead, and the next best thing about the book is that he was murdered. He was stabbed in the chest with a knife, and everyone thinks that Rosie did it, though all she wanted at that moment was a hot dog. As the book evolves oh-so-deliciously, we learn that someone familiar to the deceased did in fact do it, but who? The well paced and clever plot unfolds without wasting time nor skimping on details, and despite the fact that I'm a savvy voracious reader, the murderer was a total surprise to me. Total. Talk about a totally logical though well-concealed perp!

Isaacs liberal sensibilities are poured all over this tale, which do in fact conflict with my own perspectives, but I find it relatively easy to overlook the ideological differences I have with this book to savor its finer qualities. The only other problem I have with it deals with Rosie's knight in shining armor... Isaacs never does spell out why he didn't ask her to the prom in high school.

Read it! You'll love it.

Rating:
Summary: See Isaacs heroine get even with a cheating husband big time
Review: This is a great, light murder with a pretty predictable plot, but with just enough twists and turns that all 40 somethings will enjoy. The main character, Rosie, seems just like a normal woman with a real sleazebag for a husband. After I read this novel, I proceeded to read all of Isaacs novels, and this is the best. One problem -- all her heroines are unrealistic in two ways (1)they may be middle aged, but they are beautiful and thin and have either great careers or lots of money or both and (2) these women may get dumped in a big way, but by the end of the novel, they have a great man in their life. Still worth reading. It will make you laugh.