Customer Reviews

Dating Can Be Deadly (Red Dress Ink Novels)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Tabitha is a clairvoyant receptionist at a Seattle law firm. Just a simple touch or feeling can invoke premonitions. When her purse is snatched, and she pursues the 50 year old smoker who outruns her, she gets that feeling, and comes across a mutilated cat in a pentagram. A few nights later, while leaving the theater (her second job), she gets that same feeling, and finds a dumpster with the same pentagram. Her friend calls 911, the cops come and determine that it is human blood.

When she is visited by a detective, Clay Sanderson, the lawyer she has a crush on is there to provide counsel. The cynical detective thinks that Tabitha may be involved, especially since he thinks psychics are phony (and there is no body). Clay gets frustrated with Tabitha, because she keeps talking to the cops without him to provide counsel, and investigates the crime, despite his requests no to.

She soon hooks up with Lucien Roskell, the owner of a paranormal shop who wants to help her with her "gift." He sends her a gift of a scrying mirror, which is supposed to help her with her psychic visions. He also is attracted to Tabitha, much to her gay friend Jeff's delight. When it appears that she is now a target of violence, both men in her life become concerned, and she is forced to move in with a friend temporarily.

"Dating Can Be Deadly" is cleverly written, and is suspenseful - you never really know who the bad guy is until the end. Roberts also does a good job presenting two totally opposite but wonderful men that have feelings for Tabitha. Who she ultimately chooses is also a mystery until the end.

I enjoyed this book, and read it in one sitting. It kept me up late, and kept me from falling asleep easily. The storyline with clairvoyance and satanism is a little creepy, but the author manages to find a happy balance between the fluffy chick lit issues of what to wear and the fear of a local murderer who worships Satan, and haunts her dreams. Add two hot men, one blonde and an attorney, and the other, wickedly hot, and dark, and with the name Lucien, perfectly suited to run an occult shop. But what else does he dabble in? The author has written a lively, fast-paced fun story. My only quibble, that keeps me from giving 5 stars, is that I didn't get into it right away, because of the somewhat young tone. But, overall, this one is a winner.

I used to be a big fan of Red Dress Ink books before I realized that all of the stories were too similar and felt like I was experiencing a literary deja vu. But when I read the back cover blurb of Wendy Roberts's Dating Can Be Deadly I knew I had to give it a whirl. The idea of an RDI paranormal whodunit fascinated me. Tabitha Emery is the typical twenty-something chick with job problems, dating woes and a circle of friends she can rant and rave with during drinking excursions. So far this all sounds like a typical chick-lit novel, but Tabitha has a rather unique gift: she is a clairvoyant. She is able to perceive things and events unlike any other human can. She has never liked having a second sight that can often see unpleasant things, and things only get worse when she becomes a suspect of an investigation centered on the murder of a woman who appears to have been killed during a satanic ritual sacrifice. She is able to gather clues by way of nightmares and visions -- and the only way to make things better is either using a scrying mirror or getting involved in various forms of magic. There are various twists throughout the novel.

The paranormal aspect of the novel drew me in as much as the whodunit part did. This novel is a great departure from the same old single-girl-with-job-and-dating-troubles-meets-with-friends-in-the-city books. Not only was the mystery part of it fun to follow, but I also had a great time trying to guess which hunkster would end up with Tabitha -- gorgeous lawyer Clay or darkly sexy Lucien, a magic practitioner and owner of the Scrying Room. The author kept me guessing on both accounts. The subject matter of this book may seem dark and creepy, but it is also quite clever and, like I said before, a great departure from traditional chick-lit. The characters are great. I loved Tabitha's friends and thought both Clay and Lucien sounded delicious. The heroine got on my nerves every now and then because she comes across as whiny and petty at times. All in all, Dating Can Be Deadly is a great, unique chick-lit novel with a clever mix of mystery, romance and paranormal and you should give it a whirl. I hope Red Dress Ink continues to release oddballs like this one.

Meet Tabitha. After having her purse snatched while waiting for the bus with her friend Jenny one evening, she comes across something very disturbing in a graveyard. Blessed (or is it cursed?) with the gift of clairvoyance, it's not the first time Tabitha has been able to see visions of horrible things to come. Sure enough, she is soon thrown headlong into a mystery involving a woman's death, two handsome men, an old abandoned building, disgusting beetle bugs, and frightening nightmars and visions. Somehow she must get to the bottom of the mystery because it seems whoever is responsible has chosen her for his next victim...

With a plethora of intriguing details about witchcraft and clairvoyance mixed in with drinks with the girls, dates with handsome unobtainable men, and Tabitha's mounting frustration, "Dating Can Be Deadly" was a very satisfying read. The author does an amazing job of capturing the reader's attention and holding it until the end. No predictability about the plot whatsover - I was hooked until the very last page because of the suspense. This book could easily fall into the Paranormal chick lit category because of Tabitha's gift, but is also quite at home in the mystery category.

"Dating Can Be Deadly" has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and a frothy concoction of drinks, dates and dead bodies. I simply loved this book!

Overall I highly recommend this book to all Mystery and chick lit fans alike. There is something for everyone in this hilarious and suspenseful novel - don't miss it!

At first glance Tabitha Emery seems like a normal gal. She is somewhat less than ambivalent about her office job, cares enough about her health to quit smoking but not enough to work out, frets over money, enjoys hanging out with her girlfriends-perfectly normal. But at closer inspection Tabitha has one very prominent and abnormal characteristic-she's a clairvoyant and no amount of denial on her part will make this unwanted gift go away. But as much as she hates her psychic abilities they never actually put her life at risk-that is they didn't until she starts to have vivid visions of a gruesome ritualistic murder that the police are investigating. Of course when Tabitha tells the police what she knows they immediately put her on the top of their suspect list and it isn't long before she realizes that the only way she is going to be able to get on with her life is if she uses her visions to solve the crime herself. In the process of her investigation her life begins to unravel, she finds herself on the brink of losing her apartment, her job-not to mention her sanity. The only thing that is working out for her is her social life-for the first time in what seems like forever not one but two attractive men are vying for her attention. Of course there's always the chance that they are not so much interested in being part of her life as they are in ending it.

You don't have to be a fan of the paranormal to enjoy this book. Tabitha has all the characteristics of a great Chick Lit protagonist; she's flawed yet endearing, insecure, but not annoyingly so and she's often quite funny. What's amazing is how Roberts is able to stay true to the irreverent tone of the Chick Lit genre while simultaneously weaving a suspenseful and often frightening-to-the-point-of-being-creepy mystery. This book is definitely worth your while.

Wendy Robert's debut novel is incredibly funny, fast paced, interesting and suspenseful. This is Chick Lit at its best. The main character, Tabitha Emery's clairvoyancy gets her wrapped up in a murder mystery of the occult. While she balances solving this murder amature style, she also deals with her almost-going-nowhere job, crazy neighbor, lust inducing boss, wild and funny friends, and lack of funds -- not to mention Lucien, the hot owner of an occult shop who doesn't hide his sexual attraction to her. Funny from start to finish, but also gets a bit scary.

I enjoyed it because of its fast pace and realness. Tabitha loses her job, she worries about money, she frets over her social life and lack of sex life, and she prefers Archie and Veronica over Nancy Drew. Bonus for me! Its relatable, and very well written. I'm giving it five stars, but the one problem I had was the murder was solved 1-2-3, way too fast, like 'here's the muderer! he's in jail, now, lets finish up the story.' However, a great debut novel. I reccomend!

In Seattle, legal receptionist Tabitha Emery is with her friend Jenny Alton when someone snatches her purse. They give chase, but fail to catch the thief. Tabitha begins blinking and soon she has a vision that leads the twosome to a mutilated cat inside a pentagram. Not long afterward, another "vision" takes Tabitha and Jenny to a dumpster filled with blood. Jenny calls the police and cynical Detective Jackson handles the case once the blood is identified as human.

Through friends Tabitha meets Lucien Roskell, owner of the Scrying Room and very understanding of her gift-curse. Lucien wants Tabitha, but she craves friendly attorney Clay Sanderson even though two years without a pass and his fiancée is beautiful and pregnant. As the clairvoyance continues to follow a cult death march, the killer begins to target the only person who might eventually identify him or her, Tabitha, who Jackson suspects is more intimately involved in the ritual serial killings than she tells the cops.

DATING CAN BE DEADLY is a divine paranormal chick lit who-done-it that grips the audience from the first blood to the last blood and a "pity" F coda. The story line is action-packed but driven clearly by the delightful in denial Tabitha who insists she has no talent although her blinking says otherwise. The support cast fuels the tale with excitement as each key ensemble member adds depth to the heroine or the mystery. Fans will demand Wendy Roberts bring back Tabitha, her friends and lover for another clairvoyant amateur sleuth mystery.

Harriet Klausner

Wendy Roberts shines in her debut book that has just enough creepiness for the mystery angle, a fun story with an interesting cast of characters and a cute and endearing heroine (and a cat that sometimes steals the show) that you can't help but root for. It's a quick read and a must get. Kudos to Roberts!

I love romance and I love paranormal so I thought this would be the perfect book. It was entertaining enough, but i thought the main character and her life was a bit too shallow. I mean, is it too much to ask the main character be charming with half a thought in her head? I guess so. Overall, check it out of the library but don't buy it.

I have tried to submit a review several times, however, it has always come back. The provider was good, book arrived in good contition. I think it is a little young for me, but then I was taking a chance on ordering it.

Mary Anna