Dem Bones' Revenge (Tracy Eaton Mysteries #2) [Paperback]

Kris Neri (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2000

When the cops catch mystery writer Tracy Eaton's mom, Hollywood legend Martha Collins, alone with the bloody remains of celebrity litigant Vince Sperry — holding nothing but a lame excuse — Tracy leaps to her mother's defense, despite her own publication woes.

Only Martha seems determined to impede Tracy's attempts to clear her. That just convinces Tracy her mom has pulled a doozy this time, even if Tracy can't see how anything Martha does relates to Sperry's murder.

Not that other suspects don't abound — but those scare Tracy even more. Was Martha right, had Tracy's stuffy lawyer husband, Drew, settled his career-making lawsuit with a bullet? Or did her dad, aging Hollywood heartthrob Alec Grainger, decide to end an old feud once and for all?

All roads seem to lead to the past, to one Hollywood scandal after another. Will Tracy's digging clear Martha's past and free her future? Or will she unearth something that's sure to slam the cell door shut on her exasperating, but much-loved mother?

Editorial Reviews

Review

Murder, mystery, mayhem and madcap—who could ask for anything more?” -- — Gillian Roberts, author of Helen Hath No Fury

The characters reek of hilarity and even Traci’s husband (who plays straight-man to Traci’s antics) loosens his tie... -- —Cathy Gallagher, About.com

This is a wonderful book that lets you escape to LaLa Land, suspend belief and take a fabulous ride... -- —Doris Ann Norris, BookBrowser

About the Author

Kris Neri's first Tracy Eaton Mystery, Revenge of the Gypsy Queen, has been nominated for Agatha, Anthony and Macavity Awards for Best First Novel. Neri, a Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA member, has combined her acting background with her love of mystery fiction to create a ground-breaking new chapter in the evolving L.A. Detective Story that began with Raymond Chandler. Her humorous mystery novels, Revenge of the Gypsy Queen and Dem Bones' Revenge, feature Tracy Eaton — mystery writer, detective wannabe and the offspring of eccentric Hollywood stars — a heroine as impulsive, energetic and imaginative as the city that shaped her. The quintessential industry brat, Tracy is both a product of her background and its most droll critic.

Geraldine Gallentree has written of Revenge of the Gypsy Queen in her Cozies, Capers & Crimes newsletter, "This was a book I kept trying to cast as a movie. What potential this would have on the big screen. Imagine Marisa Tomei as the errant bride who's actually named Marisa and Alec Baldwin as Tracy Eaton's rock solid, blue-blood husband, Drew. What fun! Rush to your local bookstore and demand they order Revenge of the Gypsy Queen by Kris Neri." Orange County bestselling author, Jan Burke, has described it as, "I Love Lucy meets Murder She Wrote." L.A. mystery novelist Dale Furutani has called it, "A great read." And The Charlotte Austin Review describes the ending of Revenge of the Gypsy Queen as "ingenious and unpredictable . . . needs to be read in one sitting. Don't miss it." Tracy Eaton was introduced in Neri's humorous Derringer Award winning story, "L.A. Justice" (Murder by Thirteen). She's made two new short story appearances in "L.A. Memorial" (Dead on Arrival/Gerstenberg, Germany) and "Beverly Hills Halloween" (Murderous Intent Mystery Magazine).

Neri has published more than forty short stories in such publications as Woman's World, TheCase.com, Blue Murder Magazine, Murderous Intent Mystery Magazine, Mystery Time, Crimestalker Casebook and many others. Her story, "Capital Justice," which took a dark, edgy look at the convoluted path justice must sometime follow in the City of the Angels, also won a Derringer Award for Best Short Story.

An L.A.-area resident since 1978, Kris Neri has spoken before many local and national audiences. She's appeared on Larry Mantle's "Airtalk" on KPCC-FM radio, and has been interviewed on CNBC-TV. The former president of the Los Angeles chapter of Sisters in Crime, she is also a member of the SoCal chapter of Mystery Writers of America. She teaches crime writing at various Southland campuses.

Product Details

• Paperback: 294 pages
• Publisher: Rainbow Books; 2 edition (August 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568250819
• ISBN-13: 978-1568250816
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,132,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kris Neri writes the Tracy Eaton mysteries, REVENGE OF THE GYPSY QUEEN, DEM BONES' REVENGE, REVENGE FOR OLD TIMES' SAKE and the forthcoming REVENGE ON ROUTE 66, as well as the Samantha Brennan and Annabelle Haggerty magical mysteries, HIGH CRIMES ON THE MAGICAL PLANE and the just-released MAGICAL ALIENATION. Her other books include her standalone thrillers, NEVER SAY DIE and DEVIL'S GAMBIT - DEVIL'S DUE, and a short story collection, THE ROSE IN THE SNOW.

She hails from Sedona, Arizona, where she and her husband own The Well Red Coyote bookstore, and she teaches writing online for the prestigious Writers' Program of the UCLA Extension School.

When she isn't writing, Kris loves reading, hiking and cooking. She loves hearing from her readers through her website, http://www.krisneri.com.

She lives in the Sedona area with her husband and their pets, a Cocker Spaniel named Annabelle and Maine Coon cat called Philly - both named for characters in her novels.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique, fresh, highly entertaining., November 22, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dem Bones' Revenge (Tracy Eaton Mysteries #2) (Paperback)

Kris Neri garnered spectacular success with her first Tracy Eaton mystery, Revenge Of The Gypsy Queen. Nominated for Anthony, Macavity and Agatha awards for Best First Novel, it was apparent that Kris Neri was an up and comer. Kris had published numerous short stories of the mystery genre in magazines and is currently at work on Tracy's next adventure: Revenge For Old Times Sake.

Picture a "Postcards from the Edge" type of relationship between mother and daughter. Mother is a combination of Elizabeth Taylor and Debbie Reynolds. Tracy is more of a combination of Calamity Jane and Princess Leia. Throw in Tracy's husband, who could be a mix of Harrison Ford and Bruce Willis in a suit. But Tracy is a struggling writer about to be cut off by her publisher. She has two days to "fix" her latest novel, and suddenly Mother is the prime suspect in the murder of Vince Sperry. Did Martha Collins commit murder, or did she just stumble into the thick of things? Did she want to save her mother? From the start, Neri sets up a hilarious dialogue between Tracy and Martha:

"Mother sidled close to my ear. `There's a telephone number everyone in Beverly Hills is talking about. You order a servant you can keep forever for little more than a few years' salary. I heard about it from Rico, my hairdresser. As I reeled away from her into a pile of skiwear, I shook my head. `Please tell me I'm adopted.'"

Needless to say, Dem Bones Revenge is a hilarious mystery because it so closely resembles the real deal between mothers and daughters. Tracy's character struggles with her desire to euphemistically murder her mother while trying to save her. Martha Collins is the stereotypical aging actress who can't quite get over her case of the pampered movie star blues. The plot pulls the reader from one near-miss to another as Tracy stubbornly peels away the layers of facade, pulls her husband Drew into the act, and saves Martha from herself.

Neri's characters are unique, fresh, and yet somehow are people we all know and love. She knows her territory, being a Southern Californian, which gives the plot a unique perspective.

Shelley Glodowski, Reviewer

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!, December 12, 2001

By 

Huntress Reviews (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dem Bones' Revenge (Tracy Eaton Mysteries #2) (Paperback)

Tracy Eaton was the author of the "Tessa Graham Mystery Series". At that point in time her house was like a pig sty (due to a small redecoration project), her publisher had a lot of changes to be made to the latest book (to be completed within three days), and her husband was stressed out from trying to make partner in the law firm. When Tracy believed it could get NO worse, her mother called!

Martha Collins had been a Hollywood goddess for what seemed like forever. Yet she still looked wonderful and made people notice her. She found Vince Sperry's body, called the police, and became the number one suspect! No matter how hard Tracy tried to clear her mother of the charges, her mother kept blocking her from doing so. Tracy kept wondering just WHAT was a daughter to do in a time like that and just WHY had she not been an orphan?

***** An excellent "who-dunnit" mystery that kept me guessing right up until the end! Tossed with bits of humor that I could not help but enjoy. This is one I definitely did not want to end! Luckily for me, this is a series of mysteries that began with "Revenge Of The Gypsy Queen" and will continue. I find myself eagerly looking forward to the next mystery in Tracy Eaton's bizarre world! Highly recommended for all mystery fans! *****

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give your bones a laugh, February 26, 2001

By 

Kathleene Thomason "katreads" (Dunbar, KY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dem Bones' Revenge (Tracy Eaton Mysteries #2) (Paperback)

What do you do when your mother is found, alone, with the bloody remains of a corpse and won't tell you or any one else what happened? Dem Bones Revenge, Kris Neri's new hilarious look at murder, mayhem, mystery and parents, mystery writer Tracy Eaton, whose mother, Martha is a famous film star accused of murder, must defend her mother. Never mind that her mother doesn't want to be defended and impedes Tracy's efforts at every turn. Add to that trying to meet a publishing deadline, dealing with a double-dealing editor, a father that can't or won't be found, and decades old scandals and you have a story that is will have you laughing out loud, squealing with delight when you solve the murder, only to turn the page and find out you are wrong and feeling very good that Martha isn't your mother. And the more Tracy digs into the past, the more she realizes that she really doesn't want to do this as she finds herself suspecting everyone from her dad to her own husband. A book that will make you very grateful for your mother's idiosyncrasies, because whatever they are, they can't be this bad.