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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not one of the best, March 23, 2001
By A Customer
I was intrigued at the thought of a prequel to the Faith Fairchild story. However, the book turned out to be a letdown. I was disappointed to find that Faith was the same shallow, self-centered snob she always comes across as...only it was ten times more annoying without the usual cast of characters (particularly Pix) and the small-town New England setting to even things out. And it was even worse with the book being set in New York City, and Faith's intermingling with the "upper crust." The rich society cliches and constant use of expensive brand names and designers was way overdone. The author seemed to put so much emphasis on Faith up on a pedestal (she'd always been the dumper rather than the dumpee, there were plenty of men who'd drop everything for a call from her) that after awhile she stopped seeming real and stopped being likeable. I also found the story not up to par from this author, whose work I usually enjoy greatly. Certain branches of the storyline were never resolved. Did Todd ever manage to track her down? Why did Harvey tell his mother to make her leave? Did she ever hear from Richard again? What was the connection between Lucy and Adrian? Why did Phelps want to borrow money from Hope? And, being that this was a prequel, I seriously doubt we'll ever go back 20 years again to find out. Since the author included a present-day epilogue, it seemed that some of those minor loose ends could and should have been wrapped up for those who read the series regularly. The main plot wasn't too bad, but by the end of the book I'd already figured out whodunnit, which doesn't usually happen in this series. We were never told how Faith figured it out and what made her realize who it was, so I was left wondering where her conclusions came from...certainly not the same place as mine (one paragraph that seemed out of place and unnecessary, and made it obvious the author was trying to work in justification for her conclusion). I'll look forward to the next adventure of Faith, and the knowledge that as trifling as I find her at times, Tom, the kids, and especially Pix, will be back to make for a very enjoyable read.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Flashback is Fun ; Fashion Fails, August 9, 2000
By A Customer
I have read every other "Faith Fairchild" mystery and honestly, this one isn't a favorite, although I could never DISLIKE this author's work. The story is solid, the food descriptions are yummy (as always!) but I found the constant "label-dropping" very annoying in this book. Designer names mean nothing to me anyway so I found the references to them very distracting. It made Faith's character seem so much more shallow and materialistic than she is portrayed in the other books. If that was the author's intention, she succeeded, but I think it could also alienate readers who aren't privy to the world of Donna Karan et al. Can this be what a prior reviewer meant by "culture?" I hope not! On the other hand, if this blatant display of wealth and material goods was meant as a foil for the character of Nathan Fox and his socialist values, it has a tiny bit more value in the story. In any case, it would have been nicer to read this book without constant reminders that the main character's clothes, car, house and shoes are more expensive than anything the reader owns!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Going back was a pleasure, July 11, 2000
THE BODY IN THE BIG APPLE is the tenth book in Ms. Page's BODY series starring catering sleuth, Faith Sibley Fairchild. Touted as a prequel, readers are taken back to where and when Faith first started catering and sleuthing. The place is New York City. The time is the late 1980s. Is there such a thing as a cultured mystery? If there is, then THE BODY IN THE BIG APPLE is it. I found it very easy to fall into this polished whodunit. Ms. Page's words flowed effortlessly making it easy to follow the characters and the storyline. I found Faith to be a pleasant, adaptable, protagonist whose personal life is intermingled pleasingly into the mystery without it taking over. The plot was very good. The practiced mystery buff in me almost had it figured out, but had doubts and was sufficiently surprised at the end. A young, unmarried Faith Sibley has embarked on independence and a catering business. While catering a lavish party, she runs into a close friend named Emma who she hasn't seen in a long time. Emma is in serious trouble, but doesn't want to go to the police for fear of harming her husband's political career. When Faith agrees to help her, Emma's past begins to rise and trouble starts brewing for them both. The added bonuses to this appetizing mystery are the tantalizing menu ideas sprinkled throughout the book and the scrumptious recipes, which all include apples, offered at the end of a satisfied read. WARNING: I recommended that you approach THE BODY IN THE BIG APPLE the same way as it's recommended one should approach grocery shopping - on a full stomach, if not you may find yourself carrying this mystery back and forth to the kitchen in an attempt to find something resembling the fabulous food mentioned in this enticing whodunit.
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