Dating is Murder: A Novel (Wollie Shelley Mystery) [Kindle Edition]

Harley Jane Kozak (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Having survived serial dating in Dating Dead Men (2004), Kozak's Wollie (short for Wollstonecraft) Shelley takes on a new challenge by participating in Biological Clock, a reality show featuring women "d'un âge certain," in her stellar second adventure, set against the L.A. backdrop her actor-creator knows so well. The goofy TV production is yet another means to help Wollie save her greeting card line (Good Golly Miss Wollies) and care for her mentally ill brother, P.B. In the midst of all the wicked dating fun, Wollie finds herself looking into the disappearance of Annika, a German production assistant who also works as an au pair for Maizie Quinn, a glossy Encino supermom. The hunt for Annika, who's also Wollie's math tutor, proves to be far more intriguing than being one of three women dating three men while waiting for the audience's verdict "on which combination of genes should produce a child." Wollie's investigation soon brings her onto the radar of a sexy pseudo-stalker federal agent, who keeps warning her off the case, to no avail. As witty as early Evanovich and as irresistible as current Crusie, Kozak establishes her unique voice in Wollie's wistful, self-deprecating but stubborn working-class persona that fans of diva lit (chick lit that's grown up and added a body count) will love. The pace of this quirky cool mystery never falters, and the breezy characterizations will inspire more than a few to ask the author, "So, you gonna play Wollie in the film or what?"
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Wollie Shelley, the appealingly quirky heroine of Kozak's first mystery, Dating Dead Men [BKL N 15 03], has just had her heart broken by her fiance, Doc, who has left L.A. to be with his daughter in Japan. Wollie has been persuaded by her friends to take part in a reality dating show, Biological Clock, where the audience chooses the best potential parents among three couples. But Wollie is distracted by the disappearance of Annika, an au pair who was serving as Wollie's math tutor. A frantic call from Annika's mother worries Wollie, but when she goes to the police, they are completely uninterested, so Wollie takes it upon herself to search for the girl. Her quest to find the supposedly clean-cut au pair leads Wollie to a possible drug connection and some questionable men, including a handsome thug who starts tailing Wollie. This delightful follow-up to Kozak's first outing surpasses its predecessor and will have readers anticipating Wollie's third adventure. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 310 KB
• Print Length: 364 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0385510349
• Publisher: Broadway (March 15, 2005)
• Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000FCK0ZS
• Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #289,225 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Viva Wollie!, March 21, 2005

By 

Joy Johannessen (Durham, CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dating Is Murder: A Novel (Hardcover)

I read Harley Jane Kozak's first book, DATING DEAD MEN, on a plane flight that my fellow passengers probably thought was a little turbulent, when really it was only me shaking the whole damn plane because I was laughing so hard. Kozak's writing is much smarter and funnier than most work in the female sleuth genre, and DATING IS MURDER is fully the equal of its predecessor in humor and depth of characterization. Kozak brings back old friends from DATING DEAD MEN-the inimitable Fredreeq, the redoubtable Joey, the astutely deranged P.B., the singular Uncle Theo, the offstage drawling Rex Stetson-and introduces an array of beguiling new characters. No detail goes astray in the consistently engaging plot, not Richard Feynman or the goose or the cat or the meat mallet, and especially not Conraua (Gigantorana) goliath. The world of the novel is beautifully realized, Wollie's wryly observant voice is a joy, the attraction Kozak conjures between Wollie and Simon is palpable, and the pace never falters. Viva Wollie and her witty, gifted creator!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Second in the Series is Better Than The First!!, October 13, 2005

By 

Bonny Kirby "Freakish Reader" (Texas) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dating Is Murder: A Novel (Hardcover)

This is the second in the series by Harley Jane Kozak, with Wollie Shelley at it's center. Wollie is a 6' blond with an almost endless string of things going on in her life.

In this book, she is taking part in a low budget reality show, while trying to paint a mural, design greeting cards, and find a missing friend. During her almost obsessive search for her missing friend, she encounters more trouble than she could have ever imagined.

Her friend happens to be a German Au Pair who works for a wealthy family. When she suddenly turns up missing, the story quickly becomes more than a story of a missing friend. There a re plently of twists and turns, and much more at the core of the mystery than I had truly expected. With her first book, I had figured out the who, what, where and how much more quickly than I did with this book.

I really look forward to Installment #3. They can only get better! This is a fun, awkward and totally likeable character that I won't tire of easily.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wollie is Wonderful, April 15, 2005

By 

Angela M. Gwinner "Angie in St. Louis" (St. Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dating Is Murder: A Novel (Hardcover)

I always wonder if the second book in a series will be as good as the first. So often, they are not. In this case, it is better. Dating is Murder is clever, fun and entertaining as heck. I couldn't put it down. And, the ending sequence was the best I've read all year. Just when you think it can't get better, it does. Kudos, Ms. Kozak.