Double Cross: A Bert and Nan Tatum Mystery [Paperback]

Kensington (Producer)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2000

The irrepressible twins are back, as Bert and Nan find a dark double meaning in "a killer day at work". The intrepid pair are tracking a culprit who killed Bert's boss. Redoubling their efforts, they find themselves face to face with a murderer who won't think twice about killing again--and again.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Twin authors McCafferty and Taylor are clearly not worried that the well of their well-worn trick will run dry. The third installment in their breezy series (after Double Exposure and Double Murder) featuring the twin amateur detecting duo of Nan and Bert Tatum leaves no opportunity for doubletalk unexploited. Named for the Bobbsey twins, the Tatum sisters once again use their identical looks to solve murder. Bert, secretary to overbearing attorney Stephanie Whitman, asks Nan, a radio deejay, to fill in so she can attend a job interview. The reluctant Nan literally runs into a man fleeing after he has apparently broken into the law office. When Stephanie is later found murdered, police suspect the two incidents are related. Knowing that Stephanie had been a successful divorce attorney who extracted huge settlements from adulterous husbands, Nan and Bert are surprised to discover taped conversations in which Stephanie propositions these same men, clearly a set-up that provides an apparent motive for murder. McCafferty and Herald alternate using Nan and Bert as first-person narrators, which can be a bit confusing, but the prose is airy and entertaining. A subplot in which Bert agonizes over her relationship with Detective Hank Goetzmann, formerly Nan's boyfriend, further tightens the sisters' bonds of intimacy and heaps on another helping of cuteness.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Identical twins Bertrice "Bert" and Nan find double trouble when Nan "fills in" for Bert at work on Saturday. Nan glimpses an apparent robber, but police naturally ask Bert to identify the man in a line-up. When both twins investigate the subsequent murder of Bert's duplicitous boss, a successful female divorce attorney, they receive vicious threats. The use of twins as alternating narrators, the humorous differences in their attitudes, and the police detective boyfriend they seem to have in common should keep reader interest high. From the twin authors of Double Exposure (Kensington, 1997).
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575665115
• ISBN-13: 978-1575665115
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,807,114 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Froth for a Spring Afternoon, March 8, 2000

By 

Judith Lindenau "dulcie22" (Traverse City, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Double Cross (Bert & Nan Tatum Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Some books are right for reading in front of a fire on a rainy day, some for under the covers on a winter night. And some are indulgences, made for the day you played hooky from work because it was the first spring day of the year and you wanted an afternoon on the deck in the sunshine. "Double Cross" is just such a book: it's light, funny, and well-plotted. It features identical twins who are opposites, mothers who are all too believable, a witchy murder victim who deserves what she got, a hint of feminism, and some decent writing--not the least of which is the technique of using a twin to tell the story in alternating voices. I got just what I wanted from this book: amusement, entertainment, and escape.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nan and Bert are at it again., May 17, 2001

By 

Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Double Cross: A Bert and Nan Tatum Mystery (Paperback)

Bert is still trying to get back on her feet after her divorce. Living next door to her identical twin, Nan, she's currently working as a secretary for a nasty divorce lawyer, Stephanie. The only reason she hasn't quit in search of a better boss is that her Mom and Stephanie's Mom are good friends. But one morning, she goes into work to find that her boss has been shot. Having solved two previous murders (DOUBLE MURDER and DOUBLE EXPOSURE), Bert and Nan try to sift through the many people with grudges against Stephanie to find the killer. Meanwhile, Bert is feeling insecure about her relationship with her boyfriend, homicide detective Hank Goetzmann.

It's great to see the twins back in action. As always, they tackle their latest case with humor. However, this book was a bit slow compared to the others, which is why I'm only giving it four stars. It's enjoyable, but just not quite as good as the first two.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YOU MUST PURCHASE THIS GREAT BOOK!, November 30, 1998

By 

Andrea Kianes - See all my reviews

This review is from: Double Cross (Bert & Nan Tatum Mysteries) (Hardcover)

The writing style of these authors is fast paced, humorous and keeps you interested to the last page! Such is the humor that I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions, needless to say my fellow commuters gave me strange looks. After completing this story I instantly went out and purchased their prior books, "Double Exposure" and "Double Murder", which turned out to be great stories as well. A NEW FAN IS BORN, BUY THIS BOOK AND YOU WILL BE ONE TOO!!!!