Fleeced (Regan Reilly Mysteries, No. 5) [Hardcover]

Carol Higgins Clark (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2007

Regan Reilly is back. The smart, saucy sleuth featured in all of Carol Higgins Clark's bestselling novels was last seen in "Deck the Halls," the holiday thriller Carol wrote with her mother, Mary Higgins Clark.

Now Regan is in New York to attend a crime conference organized by her celebrity-author mother. A friend, Thomas Pilsner -- the frenetic president of the Settlers' Club on Gramercy Park -- calls Regan, desperately pleading for help. Thomas is distraught over the sudden suspicious deaths of two members of the Settlers' Club. The men had promised to donate a cache of valuable diamonds to save the Club. But now the diamonds are gone, the men are dead, and Thomas is a mess. He fears the police will suspect he is at the heart of both mysteries, and worse yet, he'll lose his job.

Enter Regan. Who better than the star of Decked, Snagged, Iced, and Twanged to solve the mystery of the missing diamonds and suspicious deaths? Who better to contend with the quirky characters around the Club, such as Lydia Sevatura, the self-styled "Princess of Love," who operates a dating service, and her butler, Maldwin Feckles, who has just opened the first school of butlering in New York City? And who better than Carol Higgins Clark, with her sparkling, canny prose, to keep the readers guessing to the end "who done it"?

Published to coincide with the paperback of "Deck the Halls, Fleeced" is a witty portrait of modern urban life. This fifth Regan Reilly mystery proves once again that Carol Higgins Clark is a uniquely talented writer.

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

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Los Angeles PI Regan Reilly crosses the continent to visit Manhattan, her parents, and lover (New York cop Jack "no relation" Reilly), but ends up with almost all of her time consumed by a murder mystery. Clark's breezy, choppy style she crams 81 chapters into a page count achieved with generous amounts of white space and cavalcade of eccentric characters are the sum of the book. Dithering friend Thomas Pilsner, president of the Settlers' Club in Gramercy Park, calls Regan when two of the club's oldest and wealthiest members die just before they were to give the club four diamonds valued at more than $4 million. The money would have allowed Pilsner to save the venerable but deteriorating club but, alas, the diamonds have disappeared. Convinced that the "accidental" deaths were nothing of the sort, Pilsner wants Regan to prove it and recover the missing diamonds. A nascent butlering school, a dating service, a histrionic movie director, a pair of grasping con men and a couple of stuffed sheep figure prominently in the cast. A strange collection of oddballs and schemers have made the Settlers' Club the focus of their attentions, and the author rapidly switches her attentions from one to another till they collide in a climactic scene in which the killer stands revealed. Clark's light touch can be entertaining, but those expecting a real solution to the murder might be disappointed. (Oct. 23)Forecast: With a nine-city author tour and foreign rights already sold in France and Germany, plus the high name recognition, this title seems destined for generous sales.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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

From School Library Journal

Backed by a big promotional effort, this first novel features an "ordinary white boy," still living at home after college and aware that his family and friends are disappointed in him, who has a chance to redeem himself by challenging the forces of hate in his little town.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Severn House Publishing (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0727865080
• ISBN-13: 978-0727865083
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,572,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Carol Higgins Clark is the author of nine previous bestselling Regan Reilly mysteries. She is coauthor, along with her mother, Mary Higgins Clark, of a bestselling holiday mystery series. Also an actress, Carol Higgins Clark studied at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and has recorded several of her mother's works as well as her own novels. She received AudioFile's Earphones Award of Excellence for her reading of Jinxed. She lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Regan Reilly's long-awaited return engagement, January 3, 2002

By 

Lady Blakeney "bookworm221" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fleeced (Regan Reilly Mysteries, No. 5) (Hardcover)

Finally, a new Regan Reilly mystery has hit bookstore shelves. Carol Higgins Clark never fails to please, and she has done just that in her newest release, FLEECED. In keeping with the lighthearted yet literate tone of her previous novels, Carol has set Regan on the trail of a cold-blooded killer, this time on the streets of New York City. She has also included a great new character, Jack Reilly, now Regan's boyfriend, previously introduced in last year's holiday collaboration with her mother (Mary Higgins Clark), DECK THE HALLS.
Again filled with colorful characters and even more colorful names, FLEECED is one mystery faithful followers as well as mystery lovers should be sure not to miss.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars AN INTERESTING READ!, November 8, 2001

By 

Eva Rhee "Amazon Shopper since 2002" (USA FOREVER) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fleeced (Regan Reilly Mysteries, No. 5) (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed reading Fleeced by Carol Higgins Clark. It has enough romance, mystery and intrigue to hold the reader's attention throughout the entire book.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining story by Carol Higgins Clark, November 3, 2001

By 

Randy James (Airline Pilot from Los Angles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fleeced (Regan Reilly Mysteries, No. 5) (Hardcover)

Ms. Clark is a writer that my wife and I enjoy. This story is well written and was a joy to read. You will enjoy reading it too.