Customer Reviews

Better Off Dead (Casey Jones Mysteries #5)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I expect a great book when I see Katy Munger is the author, but I'm always surprised at just how good the books are. The Casey Jones series is a first-day-rush-to-the-book-store and grab the next book in the series for an evening's entertainment, and you might as well block off the entire evening, because you won't be able to put this puppy down. :) I thought Legwork was fantastic, but each book in this series is better than the last. Better Off Dead is a carefully plotted, thrilling mystery populated by colorful characters, and the star, Casey Jones, is my idol. The only bad thing about Better Off Dead was I finished it so quickly; however, I do plan on making up for that by reading it again soon.

If you enjoy great writing, a suspenseful plot and several good laughs per book, then this book is for you.

The Casey Jones books are a gem that I savor -- while reading as fast as I can! Casey is a no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners PI in North Carolina. Her boss can't stop eating Little Debbie cakes, and her boyfriend can't stop Casey from doing what she wants to do. In this book, a string of rapes on a college campus results in Casey having to go undercover as a college student. Meanwhile, her whole group of crazy friends moves into a victim's house and sets up an adult frat-house. At times, Casey is the sanest of the lot. Katy Munger has the wit of a Janet Evanovich or a Harlan Coben -- with the hard-boiledness of a Robert Crais or an SJ Rozan. But Casey Jones is her own woman, and she gets better and better with every book (as does Katy Munger). Pretty amazing, for an author who was excellent to start with!

A serial rapist/murder is preying on Duke University coeds and PI Casey Jones is called upon to flush out the sadistic brute responsible for the dastardly deeds. Armed with an illegal handgun (she has an unfortunate felony in her background), an outlandish disguise, a strong sense of purpose, a fat hound dog, and a houseful (literally) of offbeat and delightful characters, Casey places herself in harm's way before finally bringing the cowardly perpetrator to justice.

This book is an appealing example of what Ms. Munger calls Tart Noir and a delightful romp of a mystery story. Just when you think you have safely climbed down from the edge of your chair at the climax of the story, Ms. Munger tantalizes you with just one more tidbit of a mystery.

If you like quirky characters, some fast paced action, a few sudden plot twists or turns, a nicely plotted story, and good tongue in cheek humor, I think you will like this book.

Tough and able to keep her head during a crisis, Durham, North Carolina private detective Casey Jones does not own an official sleuthing license because she did time. Minor problem to Casey as she still handles inquiries for clients. Helen Pugh was raped, tortured, and left to die, bur somehow she survived. Already suffering from an extreme case of agoraphobia, her attacker begins calling her saying he plans to finish the job.

Helen thinks Duke University Professor David Brookhouse attacked her, but his high priced attorney persuaded the jury otherwise when the case went to trial. Casey goes undercover as a student in one of Brookhouse's classes to see what dirt she find on him, not yet realizing how her actions places herself and her loved ones in danger from a clever sociopath.

BETTER OFF DEAD is an exciting thriller starring an intrepid heroine and a host of eccentric characters, which eases some of the tension from the non-stop action. Katy Munger is a bright star who keeps her readers' attention until the climax, an ending that is not as tidy as most genre books. Fans should read this marvelous novel.

Harriet Klausner

Katy Munger's BETTER OFF DEAD stars a tough female PI Casey Jones. It's a terrific read. The well-paced action keeps coming and the author writes in a sharp, breezy style. The rich humor had me laughing aloud and only Charles Willeford and Richard S. Prather have done that. There are other titles in the series I'll put in my TBR pile.

Casey Jones is a big, rollicking, smartmouth with a wicked sense of humor, and a jaundiced view of the world. Her view of the world applies particularly to personal human relationships. She's a lot like her creator. And she's a lot of fun to hang around. Her adventures are modern, important and well-worth reading about. Unfortunately, too often for this reviewer (and this may be purely personal taste) Casey has to rely on others to get her out of some really bad scrapes.

Still, we read these adventures, and look forward to more, because watching Casey choose to take on certain cases, deal with her friends and colleagues, maneuver through thickets of evil and dangerous people, not to mention her often convoluted love life,is just a whole lot of fun.

Casey Jones is an under-the-table private investigator. Because of an unfortunate past she's unable to obtain a private investigator's license in North Carolina where she hangs out. And she certainly isn't permitted to carry a weapon. But she has an accommodating partner, Bobby D., for whom Casey seems to do most of the work.

This case concerns a professor at Duke University named Helen McInnes who was the victim of a particularly violent crime, including attempted murder. Although she never saw her attacker, she has accused a fellow academic of the crime. Her attacker is acquitted and the combination of the crime and the acquittal have so traumatized the woman, she has developed agoraphobia and cannot even venture onto her own front porch. And now, she's being besieged by evil and vicious mail and telephone attacks, apparently from the same man.

Casey, of course, agrees to look into the case and the more she learns, the more inflamed becomes her ire. Into the case come her police contact, Marcus, her boyfriend Burly, her partner Bobby D, and his current girlfriend, Fanny, as well as some new characters. As befits noirish P.I. novels, this one is very plot driven. Nevertheless, Munger does an admirable job of bringing these many characters and their foibles to vibrant life.

As one has learned to expect from Munger's writing, the pace is fast, the dialogue sings and the mordant humor is well-placed. This is a very well written novel, has been well and carefully edited and deserves a place on the bookshelves of anyone who is a fan of the hard-boiled P.I. novel.

........and hold it until the last page. Casey Jones may seem a little more rawboned then other female heroines, but she has the humor of a Stephanie Plum (albeit a little dryer) and men seem to see through her tough as nails aura and lust after the sexy persona that seeps through her "don't mess with me" attitude.

She moves into the home of Helen Pugh, the victim of a horrible rape that has been so traumatized she can't make herself leave the home she has shares with an eccentric mother. Casey vows that the man who ruined Helen's life will not get off scott free for the second time. Thus opens up a chilling flood of incidents that are brought to fore of women that have met with the same horrific crime as Helen, but did not survive the attacks. Casey sets herself up in a gutsy charade in hopes of bringing an end to the monster that has robbed her client of living a normal life. In the process, Casey's sleuthing almost brings an end to her own life.

This intense, suspense filled book was impossible to put down and was even more impossible (for me) to guess the outcome. Some mysteries tend to get thin and become anti-climatic near the end. This one was was a 'kicker' until the very last page. Thought I had it figured out. I was wrong. I didn't realize when I bought this book that it was part of a series. Thankfully it didn't harm the plot of the story or give less of a clue into the troop of characters by not reading the first in the series. What a great find this book was!

I have read and loved all of the Casey Jones series by Katy Munger. They just get better all the time. If you have not read these books, start at the beginning and read them in order. Casey is a wonderful character, truly original and the books are hard to put down. Wonderful, lighthearted and funny!!

This is the first book by this author that I've read. I wish now I would have started from the beginning so that I would had the background of the characters. I did enjoy how her main character solved the mystery with humor and guts. This book did remind me of the Stephanie Plum series. It's a very quick read and easy to get into. I would recommend it to anyone.

Casey just keeps getting better and better. I really love this series and the only bad thing about Better Off Dead is that it ended and now I have to wait for the next one!