Death By Sarcasm (The First Mary Cooper Mystery) [Kindle Edition]

Dani Amore (Author)

Book Description

"Dani Amore is a sensation among Kindle owners who love fast-paced thrillers."
--Mystery Tribune

Winner of the 2011 Independent Book Award for Crime fiction, DEATH BY SARCASM introduces mystery readers to Mary Cooper, a Los Angeles area private detective who masks her true, caring nature with a razor-sharp, heavily sarcastic sense of humor.

In DEATH BY SARCASM, Mary learns that her uncle, a former stand-up comedian, has been murdered. She is asked to assist in finding the killer by both the police and family members. Mary quickly discovers that her uncle's death was just the opening act for a bloody rampage. As Mary investigates, she exposes a dark and deadly legacy with mysterious links to her own past.

DEATH BY SARCASM careens through Hollywood, Catalina Island and the posh mansions of Malibu, with nonstop action and unforgettable characters.

"DEATH BY SARCASM cuts like a knife."
-Savannah Morning News

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Mary Cooper is tougher than Stephanie Plum, smarter, and would reduce her to tears in under 30 seconds with her sharp tongue."
--St. Augustine Record

"A welcome shot of estrogen into the private eye genre."
Bluffton Today

"For those who like a mystery with twists and turns, Death By Sarcasm is a breath of fresh air."
--author Jerry Gentry

"Packed to the gills with hard-hitting action and a non-stop plot." --Jacksonville News

"Dani Amore writes fast-paced, gripping tales that capture you from Page One.  This lady is one hell of a storyteller. Watch for her." --J.D. Rhoades, best-selling author of Gallows Pole
 
"Amore is definitely one to watch."
--Edgar-nominated author Craig McDonald

"Dani Amore's writing reminds me of the great thriller writers -- lean, mean, no nonsense prose that gets straight to the point and keeps you turning those pages."
--author Robert Gregory Browne

"Death By Sarcasm cuts like a knife."
--Savannah Morning News

From the Author

#1 HARDBOILED MYSTERY ON AMAZON US
#1 POLICE PROCEDURAL ON AMAZON US
TOP 20 KINDLE STORE
TOP 100 CRIME NOVEL ON AMAZON UK

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 290 KB
• Print Length: 170 pages
• Publisher: Slogan Books (May 10, 2013)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004PYDESM
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,122 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

113 of 121 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Bullets and Biting Wit April 6, 2011

By Chris La Tray

Format:Kindle Edition

I enjoyed the hell out of this book. A nearly perfect blend of humor, sleuthing, action and violence. One thing I particularly enjoyed was the LA setting; I've been there enough that I could relate to the places and neighborhoods visited by the characters, as well as the nods to the foibles of that bizarre city, to really get some extra grins from the circumstances that result. I also enjoyed the look at the underbelly of the LA comedy circuit, the seedy clubs, promoters, comics and groupies. Those details are the elements that can make or break a story like this, and the extra effort was definitely successful this time around.

The personality of Mary, our hero, was equal parts grating and endearing. Dani Amore did a fine job of portraying her as a person who struggles to connect with people outside of her armor of sarcastic retorts and one-liners. Seeing other members of her family and their own similar foibles made it all the more believable. At times it teeters on the brink of being a little too much, but not to the extent that it took me out of the story.

As an eBook release, I'd put this up against any of the traditional releases I've read in the last year within the genre. ANY of them. If you're not a fan of mysteries, this one won't change your mind. But if you like a whodunnit that leans more towards criminal mayhem than little old ladies solving puzzles over tea between cat feedings, then you'll dig this one. Frankly, I wouldn't even say I'm a fan of this branch of the crime genre . . . but I'm a fan of this book. Hey, a good story is a good story, and this one kept my attention from beginning to end.

I'll be looking forward to Dani's next book.

52 of 59 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Nasty, nasty heroine November 23, 2011

By A. A. Katz

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm not sure I read the same book that many readers reviewed here.

But I'm with the one reviewer who found the heroine unsympathetic, at best.

Unfortunately, this book is all about comedy and jokes. Sadly, there's little comedy, lots of nasty sarcasm and the jokes are decidedly unfunny. It was all I could do to get through the book - with its acres of dead bodies and the unceasing, witless, nasty commentary by the protagonist, both in conversation with other characters and in her own thoughts.

There's no way I could empathize with this mean-spirited, nasty woman. I kept hoping that the next dead body would be hers. I think the worst moment was when she was near-raped by a half-dozen octogenarians, witnesses a shooting right in front of her and then shoots one of the rapists with a shotgun - and then refuses to tell the police anything except for an obnoxious stream of vicious put-downs of the officers investigating.

The problem is not the character, it is the author. I strongly suggest she stops writing "humor" since she doesn't seem to have a sense of humor herself.

41 of 47 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Mystery with a bite! March 7, 2011

By Carol A. Fuhr

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Mary Cooper is a P.I. blessed (cursed?) with a bitingly sarcastic wit. In fact, it's a family trait, which makes for some really great conversations when she is with relatives.

The mystery is convoluted, but not bad, but what really made the book for me was Mary's peppery sense of humor.

If you think you can take the heat, definitely check out Death by Sarcasm!

More About the Author

"Original...fast-paced...engaging..."
-New York Times bestselling author Thomas Perry on Dani Amore

WINNER OF THE INDEPENDENT BOOK AWARD FOR CRIME FICTION

My name is Dani Amore, and I'm a crime novelist living in Los Angeles. I currently have nine novels for sale on Amazon. They are KILLING THE RAT (A Thriller) THE RECRUITER (A Thriller), THE CIRCUIT RIDER (A Kindle Serial) BEER MONEY (The First Burr Ashland Mystery) MURDER WITH SARCASTIC INTENT (The 2nd Mary Cooper Mystery) THE KILLING LEAGUE (A Thriller), DEATH BY SARCASM (The First Mary Cooper Mystery), DEAD WOOD (The First John Rockne Mystery), and TO FIND A MOUNTAIN.

I love to hear from my readers and I answer all emails. Stop by my site, www.daniamore.com or email me at dani (at) daniamore (dot) com.

Thank you for your support, I hope you enjoy my books.

Dani

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#32 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Police Procedurals

#49 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals

#32 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Police Procedurals

#49 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals