Cha Cha Cha [Mass Market Paperback]

Jane Heller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2002

What does a woman do when her husband loses everything in the stock market-then ditches her? If she's Alison Waxman Koff, and she's been living the good life in a Connecticut mansion, she falls back on her one marketable skill: housecleaning. When her sleazy employer gets murdered, she finds herself with yet another role to play: prime suspect. A true heroine for our times, Alison scrambles to keep up with a changing world-and to find love with a man who might just turn out to be Prince Charming after all.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This debut novel by a publishing insider reads like a pallid imitation of Susan Isaacs, complete with a pampered Jewish housewife as sleuth. Alison Waxman Koff and her affluent husband live by the credo of Wall Street 's Gordon Gecko--"greed is good"--but their financial assets in upscale Layton, Conn., vanish in the crash of '87. Alison must do without her shopping trips, her manicures and eventually her husband, who returns to his first wife. Heavily in debt, she takes a job doing what she knows best: cleaning house. She becomes a maid for Melanie Moloney, a vitriolic, odious writer of sleazy biographies who is currently engaged in exposing the sins of Layton's leading citizen, a former Hollywood actor and U.S. senator. When Melanie is murdered, the inept local constabulary ignore the lengthy list of suspects and arrest Alison, who fights back with some unique weapons--even enlisting the aid of her loathsome mother. Heller's pursuit of humor is relentlessly heavy-handed, and her onslaught of lame wisecracks combines with stereotypical characters to further subvert her unsurprising story. Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternates; author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

The stock market crash of 1987 brings an end to the good life that Alison and Sandy Koff have enjoyed during the 1980s. Not only do they lose all their money, but Sandy decides to return to his first wife. Alison can't make ends meet with her part-time job as a reporter for the local newspaper, so she goes to work as a maid for Melanie Moloney, the celebrity writer who's in town to dig up the dirt on Senator Alistair Downs, the subject of her next tell-all biography. When Alison finds Melanie murdered, she's the main suspect, but others had a good reason to kill Melanie, including Downs himself, his daughter Bethany, and Cullie Harrington, an architectural photographer and Alison's new love. Although readers will figure out whodunit long before Alison does, this sexy and humorous first novel will be enjoyed by fans of Susan Isaacs's After All These Years (HarperCollins, 1993) and Judith Viorst's Murdering Mr. Monti (LJ 12/93). [Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternate selection.]-Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr. for the Book, Seattl.
--Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr. for the Book, Seattle
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Kensington Books (August 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758203055
• ISBN-13: 978-0758203052
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,214,561 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I hope those who've enjoyed my novels of romantic comedy will try my first nonfiction book, "Confessions of a She-Fan," about my passion for the NY Yankees. Yes, it's about baseball, but it's also about marriage (mine) and what it really means to be a fan. If you aren't into baseball, maybe you know someone who is and you'll tell them about it.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most delightful book!, May 25, 2000

By 

Nancy R. Katz "NancyK18" (NJ) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cha Cha Cha (Mass Market Paperback)

This is Jane Heller's first book and while she has written several others, this is the one that I always recommend when somebody asks for a funny book.

And what could be funnier than a recently divorced princess type turning to cleaning other people's houses. And then what could be even funnier then when the main character becomes involved in a murder and has to solve the crime to exonerate herself.

Don't miss this quick read. Jane Heller's writing and characters are witty and had me laughing out loud as I turned the pages. Now I can't wait for any new book from this author.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars like her stories, one weakness, June 5, 2003

By 

lisatheratgirl "lisatheratgirl" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Cha Cha Cha (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the third Jane Heller book I've read. As usual, I found her story and her heroine entertaining, and if you're in the mood for something light and enjoyable, this may do it. I'm starting to have problems with her characterization. While her heroines are funny, witty, smart, believable, the men they inevitably end up with (and they do always seem to end up with someone) are way too perfect. On the other side, most of the rest of the characters in each story, friends, coworkers, neighbors, bosses, relatives, whatever, are awful, evil, obnoxious and destructive. I know this is mass market fiction, but Heller's books are good enough that I wish she'd try for a little more balance. It would also help keep up the suspense of what will happen.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars cha cha cha, September 29, 2002

By 

karyn schiff venezia (fort lee, new jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cha Cha Cha (Mass Market Paperback)

I found this book to be hysterical, wit fty, exciting and interesting. the entire book held my attention. This was the first book by Jane Heller that I read, and then bought Female Intelligence and The Club. They all have the same wit, fast paced subjects. I normally never read these type of books, but I think I found myself a new favorite author. I will recommend her books to all my friends and family, even strangers.