Crystal Clear [Paperback]

Jane Heller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1999

No one is more surprised than pragmatic New York accountant Crystal Goldstein when at the urging of her best friend Rona, a New Age junkie, she suddenly finds herself on a long-overdue vacation in mystic, metaphysical Sedona, Arizona. After checking into the posh Tranquility resort, Crystal signs up for a five-day "Sacred Earth Jeep Tour" and settles back, a total skeptic, waiting to be enlightened--and enlightened she will be.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

More frivolous, flaky fun (Princess Charming, p. 160, etc.) from Heller, who's quickly becoming the master of the slick urban modern woman's getaway romance . Crystal Goldstein is a Manhattan stereotype: a working woman (in this case, a CPA) of a certain age (about 40) who has no time for anything resembling a life. Her first marriage--to the charming but lazy Terry Hollenbeck--lasted only a matter of months. Now, when she learns that the man she's been dating for years, an unbelievably boring and uptight attorney, has been cheating on her with the ex-wife he's married and divorced twice, Crystal takes the news as a wake-up call. With the help of her New Age-y but loving friend and secretary Rona Wishnick, Crystal (who, in spite of her name, is as pragmatic as you can get) decides to take a vacation at a resort called Tranquility in Sedona, Arizona. Once there, she signs up for the apparently obligatory (according to Rona) Sacred Earth Jeep Tour, a weeklong drive through Sedona's spiritual sites that turns out to offer plenty of forced interaction with the driver/tour guide and the other six tour groupies. To Crystal's shock, she immediately recognizes the driver she's been assigned to--it's Terry, of course, looking better than ever at 43. Worse yet, several calls from Rona reveal that attorney Steven is hot on her trail, vowing to give up his ex-ex-wife forever if Crystal will marry him. Crystal's touring companions, meanwhile, aren't much help: Amanda Reid is a socialite with an attitude as big as her bank account, and the rest of the group includes her entourage (cook, p.r. agent, physical therapist, personal assistant) and a reporter doing a story on Amanda's writer husband, who's penned his first book in decades. What ultimately happens in the desert comes as a surprise only to Crystal. A modern spin on a good old-fashioned Cinderella story. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (February 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575663880
• ISBN-13: 978-1575663883
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,586,895 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 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, charming book!, June 9, 2001

By 

Chel Micheline "Chel Micheline" (Southwest Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crystal Clear (Paperback)

This is one of the few books I've read that I have laughed out loud to. It's really a fun book and it introduced me to Jane Heller. I've since read all her books, and this remains my favorite.

It's a great summer read, combining mystery, humor, and romance. It's such an easy book to get into- you just immediately connect with the characters (as wacky as they are). If you are new to Jane Heller, or just looking for a mystery, check out this book. It won't keep you guessing, but it will make you laugh.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good, August 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Crystal Clear (Hardcover)

I have skimmed the other reviews and feel that people are being a little harsh. I liked this book. It may be predictable, but I didn't pick this up for any other reason than 'light reading'. I find Ms. Heller's writing to be very witty and humorous. Her writing just flows with the help of witty dialogue and not-too-thick descriptions. I have also read Sis Boom Bah and love it just the same. I am looking forward to reading more.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A talented writer churns out a formula puff-piece, July 3, 1999

By 

Douglas A. Greenberg (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crystal Clear (Paperback)

I found this book entertaining for most of its length, but ultimately, I was disappointed. Jane Heller clearly has some writing talent and an acerbic sense of humor. The humor in the book is, in fact, its strongest quality. But the trajectory of the basic story line in *Crystal Clear* is indeed crystal clear from about page fifty or so, so there is little real suspense the rest of the way through. There's a "whodunit" aspect to the story, but who the "culprit" is just doesn't seem particularly important, actually. The inevitable resolution of the protagonist's emotional inner conflicts is the actual center of Heller's narrative, and how things will turn out is abundantly clear almost from the beginning. The final portion of the book is very much in the vein of Danielle Steele, and that is NOT a compliment, folks. I would recommend the book to someone looking for a fluffy summer-by-the-pool read that includes some gentle but competently executed satire on the New Age movement. But what frustrates me is that it is very clear that Jane Heller could write something a lot more memorable than this.