Customer Reviews

Crystal Clear

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

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I love this author. I love her humor and light hearted ways.

This was a sort of cute story. I kind of got lost in the vortex's and crystals and stuff like that. It did not have very much humor in it. I also got lost alittle toward the end, about 3/4 into the story.

Like I said I loved all her other books, I guess everyone is entitled to have a bad day!, Right?

Hushpup

I was in love with Ms. Heller's books after first reading "Sis Boom Bah" and "Cha Cha Cha". I also loved "The Club" and "Princess Charming". I love her sense of humor and writing style. However, with "Infernal Affairs" she started going downhill and continues on that same slide with "Crystal Clear". IA was way out of the mainstream and CC is just too way out for me. Way more than I ever wanted to know about New Age.

What a fun book! Some of the characters or should I say caractures are a riot, like "Amanda", a wealthy, arrogant and-incredibly "stupid" woman who just doesn't "get it."
If you love "Sedona, Arizona"-or would like to fall in love read this book. You will get a sense of how beautiful and "far-out" it is-A really unique place to visit!

I love Jane Heller's books! Although I didn't laugh out loud as much with this one as I did with Name Dropping, it was still a fun romance. I don't think it's meant to be a big mystery or believable. So, if you're looking for a fun book that's not heavy, this one's for you!

Crystal is one of the most refreshing characters to hit the "funky woman detective" arena in recent years. This tongue-in-cheek poke at metaphysical Sedona, Arizona made me laugh so hard I could barely breathe! Whether you need or want your aura cleansed or not, this book is a real treat for your neo-vortex (or is that neo-cortex)?

This book was about as predictable as romances go. The professional business woman, Crystal, goes out to the dessert to think about her job, which is in crisis, her lame boyfriend, and to try to relieve herself from the stress which is caused by her lifestyle. While out there she goes on a jeep tour and the driver just happens to be her ex-husband. Then one of the passengers on the jeep disappears, so Crystal has to team up with her ex. They solve the mystery and fall back in love. Each page is more predictable than the rest, and I suggest not reading this book, because of that. Unless, of course, you like boring, predictable, romances.

CRYSTAL CLEAR by Jane Heller
June 11, 2008

Rating 3.5/5 stars

Crystal Goldstein is an accountant living in Manhattan. Her life is very orderly and quiet. She's been seeing a boyfriend for a number of years but realizes it's going nowhere. She had been content, but now feels that she's wasting her time with him. When she discovers he's been cheating on her with his ex-wife, she's just about had it. Her best friend, Rona, coaxes Crystal to make a visit to Sedona for a vacation and also to help find some direction in her life.

So, Crystal makes the trip to Sedona, checks into a very posh resort, and signs up for a 5 day "Sacred Earth" jeep tour, something she would never have done before this idea of even GOING to Sedona came up. This could be a sign, but the leader of the tour was none other than Crystal's ex-husband from years ago, a man she never thought she'd set eyes on again. Terry looked even better than when she last saw him, but as she got to watch him in action, she realized he'd also grown up. He was no longer that immature young man she had been married to, a man that was like a boy who had no real direction in life. Crystal had always had more discipline, knew how she wanted to lead her life, and Terry was holding her back. She couldn't stay with a husband who had no goals.

But now here they were, together again on a jeep tour. Terry was actually the owner of the company who ran the tour, and he looked happy. The two still felt sparks, but Crystal learns that he's got a woman in his life, not really sure if it is his wife or girlfriend, but she is disappointed that he's not free to carry on where they had left off.

It is during this jeep tour that one of the customers of the tour disappears. Amanda Wells Reid, an international jet setter who for some reason or another was on this tour (along with her entourage), has been kidnapped and now the company and the town of Sedona are the hot spot for the media. This is big news. Suspects include Amanda's husband, all of her entourage, as well as Terry's business partner and friend Will Singleton, a Lakota Sioux who was the last person to be seen with Amanda.

In the meantime, Crystal's boyfriend (ex-boyfriend?) wants to see her, and now she's not so sure she wants him back in her life. She's rediscovered Terry, and likes what she sees.

I've read a few books by Jane Heller, and this one is probably the oldest of them all. I didn't quite like it as much as the others; the humor seemed a bit forced and the characters were all rather stereotypical on top of that. The story was enjoyable however, and I had fun trying to figure out who actually was guilty of kidnapping Amanda.

Crystal was the main character, but I think her romance story between Terry and her troubles with the boyfriend back home for me held the same interest as the story of Amanda's kidnapping. I didn't like nor dislike Crystal's character; I just didn't really care about her. It wasn't a bad book, but I think if I hadn't read this book at all, it wouldn't have been a missed opportunity. This is the type of book one would take on an airplane to read - light humor, a beach read. I give it a mild recommendation.