Customer Reviews

The Good Girl's Guide to Murder (Debutante Dropout Mysteries, No. 2)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I really love murder mysteries although they do mostly follow the same structure ( sometimes this is nessecary) where by; a murder is commited (stage one) the detective interviews all the suspects/ follows leads (stage two) and (finally)reveals who the murder is, possibly whilst in danger.

In a good girl's guide to murder, Susan Mcbride instead starts by indicating who is going to be murdered (stage one) and what movives other people might have to do this (stage two) then (finally) 3/4 of the way through the book she stages the murder. This alternative structure allows Mcbride to show a more rounded charecter regarding the murder victim (including why she is so dissliked yet also the charecter's reasons for being so disslikable in more depth than is usually used).

Overall this book has engaging charecters and is easy get into but i did find the actual mystery easy to solve as the clues were not very well hiden and some vital motives were aluded to repeatedly .

This book good for someone looking to try something different but not radically different. It is not as suspenceful as works by other mystery writes (i.e. jerrilyn farmer and joanne fluke) but a reasonable addition to the genre.

Although this novel falls short in the mystery category, its characters and pace kept me interested until the end. I really didn't want it to stop. I knew many solutions to the twists long before they were revealed in the text, but there were still enough mystery elements left to surprise me. If you enjoy delightful characters, Texas-sized humor, and a lively story, you should enjoy this book!

This book was a pleasure to read. Andy Kendricks, the "detective" of the series, is thoroughly likeable, not to mention smart, funny, well-grounded in her values, and gutsy. She grew up with Texas wealth and social credentials but shocked everyone by refusing to go through with the expected debut -- hence she is debutante drop-out. Her society mother is trying to marry her off to an eligible man and doesn't like the fact that Andy's boyfriend spends the night (why buy the cow etc.)

The plot involves a Martha-Stewart like character -- Marilu -- who alienates everyone -- except Andy's mother Cissy, who is a Marilu's friend (quite possibly her only friend). Marilu's daughter is an emotional mess and Marilu's employees are treated like dirt (but paid very well).

Cissy strong-arms her daughter into doing some web design for Marilu (she is the 7th in a series of web-masters). The actual murder in this book doesn't take place for quite a while, but you don't mind because you know that you're being introduced to the characters for a reason and it's all done with such wit and panache (the scene of Andy with the fireman is very funny).

I highly recommend this book, and if you haven't read Blue Blood, the first book in the series, you'll probably want to go back and read that too, although you don't have to read them in order.

Andy Kendricks, the daughter of Dallas socialite Cissy Blevins Kendricks, wants to do anything but dress up and please her mother. As a matter of fact, she skipped her own debutante coming out and went to art school instead. Back in Dallas again, she manages websites, mostly for non-profit organizations. After all, she does have a trust fund.

Cissy comes to Andy and begs her to help her dear friend Marilee Mabry, a home guru of the Martha Stewart type, whose show is hitting the TV waves, and she wants the first episode to be shown on a live web cast. She's already been through six webmasters and is desperate along with bossy and conceited and well, let's say hard to work with. Andy doesn't want to do it until her mother bribes her with an Escada dress to die for.

Andy arrives early at Marilee's studio/offices to be sure all is set up. As the show gets underway, a cat fight between women erupts setting one woman's hair on fire prompting the sprinklers to go off and the sirens to blare. The lights go out and pandemonium breaks loose. Andy has her wits about her and stumbles back to the office to turn off that live feed so viewers aren't watching the debacle and stumbles across Marilee's daughter Kendall passed out in the bathroom. Andy must figure a way to get help for Kendall in the dark, wet recesses of the office, and pronto.

Later we find out that Marilee's personal trainer gave Kendall some herbs. Kendall leaned on Justin as much as her mother did. He actually checks her out of the hospital against medical advice. What agenda does he have with Kendall. Or Marilee? Is he for real, or is he just after Marilee's fortune?

You'll have to read this funny, witty, and intriguing mystery to find out for yourself!

Much to her dismay, Andrea "Andy" Kendricks just can't say no to her mother. That's how she finds herself redesigning the website for Marilee Mabry, a local celebrity. Andy is working hard to get the website ready for Marilee's nationwide debut. She's just sold the syndication rights to her TV show, "The Sweet Life," and is hoping to give Martha Stewart a run for her money.

However, trouble is lurking in the Dallas, Texas studio. A poisonous spider has found in Marilee's desk. A studio light came crashing down, just missing the star.

This doesn't slow Marilee down in the least, and she charges full speed ahead with a web cast party to celebrate the new deal. Against her will, Andy finds herself attending the party only to witness in horror as the night takes several turns for the worse. There's an unhappy chef and an egotistical star. And that's before the fire starts. Andy knows Marilee is not a pleasant person to work for. Andy is the fourth web designer Marilee has had in six weeks, and she is more then ready to quit herself. But who could have it in for the woman?

After a short first chapter told in third person, the novel picks up with Andy's first person narration. It has a nice, breezy style that pulls the reader in, and Andy's asides on the action add to the enjoyment.

This is important because the first quarter of the book is pretty slow. Andy starts delving into memories of her relationship with her parents and worrying about accepting a gift from her mother. I was beginning to get a little bored when the action started.

Once the story moves to the party, it picked up speed quickly. I easily got engrossed in the events happening and had a hard time putting the book down. I saw a couple twists coming and should have seen more, but I was surprised by the events of the climax.

Adding to this are the characters. Not only are Andy and the other returning characters fully developed, but so are the slate of new characters. I found myself getting emotionally involved in the story, so when I reached the climax, it really hit me hard.

It's worth the time getting past the beginning to find the heart of the story. I am glad I persisted. I've already bought the next in the series and plan to read it soon.

Ever feel like murdering Martha Stewart? Okay, someone like Martha Stewart, only Marth-ier? Yeah, me too. But no way I'm doing time for the crime, so The Good Girl's Guide to Murder is a good way to get to rub her out and solve the Marthacide too. (Okay, her name is "Marilee Mabry" here, but she's the Marth-iest of them all.) And I loved the wacky Texas high society setting and the character sparks between Andy, the rebel "debutante dropout" sleuth, and her socialite diva mom, Cissy. Lots of plot twists and wit and great characters. A Texan I'm not, but McBride's pithy observations of human nature, the good, the bad and the funny, ring true. The Good Girl's Guide is a good thing. (Unless you're poor doomed Martha/Marilee...)

In Dallas, Martha Stewart clone Marilee Mabry, about to be launched on an unsuspecting American public, reflects how she now knows how her idol felt when she rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Andrea Kendricks knows she has one more reason to strangle her elitist mother, Cissy, who insisted her daughter attend her friend Marilee's celebratory party. Andrea wants no part of her mother's scene and would prefer to avoid this bow to the domestic queen event; she would prefer rush-hour on the LBJ

At the gala at the Sweet Life's Studio, a fire breaks out. During the chaos, Andy finds a seemingly comatose Kendall, Marilee's daughter, lying on the floor. When the studio cools down, a body is found. Other incidents follow. While Mother has no room on her social calendar for Marilee's troubles, Andy investigates into who wants to destroy their family friend.

THE GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER is a terrific satirical investigative tale that readers will fully enjoy due to the relationship between Mother and Debutante Dropout daughter as Andy is anything but a chip off the old block. Andy is a wonderful protagonist still struggling to cope with a perfectionist mother, who feels her only child is a let down as women should not be sleuthing when they need to insure their nails, hair, and pumps are correct. Marilee is a trip as her pompous attitude comes across that her coronation should have happened already. Though the culprit and the motive seem obvious, fans will still not be sure who the perpetrator is until the very end. What makes this novel and its predecessor so good is the BLUE BLOOD detective Andy.

Harriet Klausner

In the 2nd Debutante Dropout mystery, Andy Kendricks finds herself in a difficult situation. She is designing a website for Marilee Mabry's new TV show, The Sweet Life. Normally, Andy prefers to work for non-profit groups, and tends to shy away from the elite crowd to which she was born. Andy is talked into the job by her mother, Cissy Kendricks, the only close friend of the diva talk show host.

And things have been going a little awry for Marilee lately. Nobody seems to like the tantrum prone star, and incidents are happening with increasing frequently on set. A brown recluse spider bites a staff member, a microphone falls on another, and her daughter is poisoned. Is someone trying to kill Marilee or trying to ruin her new show? Could it be the boy toy that both Marilee and her daughter, Kendall, are involved with? Or is it the ex-husband who left Marilee before she became rich and famous? Or is it one of the numerous staff members that Marilee has run off or ticked off?

Once again Andy jumps into the mystery and tries to help. When a murder occurs, Andy feels she knows exactly who is to blame. But finding the suspect becomes a bit trickier. Does she have the right person in mind? Will she help the police locate the correct suspect before anyone else becomes a victim?

This series is one of my current favorites. I think Andy is a highly entertaining character. Not having endless amounts of money myself, it is sometimes difficult for me to relate to her chosen lifestyle of living way below her means. I do admire it, however, and feel that it makes the character much more believable. (I would, however, suggest that she get a vehicle with good air conditioning. Why suffer?)

Just a note on this series. The murder does not happen right away in the book. The author spends time developing the characters before killing them off. So, if you like a mystery that has the death occur quickly, you may be a little disappointed. However, the mysteries are good, and the characters strong. This book is a great addition to the series, and I look forward to upcoming books.

The first book in the series is called "Blue Blood". Enjoy!

Andrea Blevins Kendricks, the debutante dropout daughter of Cissy Blevins Kendricks, has just found herself in the middle of another mystery. This one involves Marilee Mabry, a nasty Martha Stewart type, who makes everyone stand on end with just the sound of her voice.

Now that Marilee's show is going national, everyone seems to be in her line of fire. But when things start going array, Andy's mind starts racing. Will she be able to figure out who is behind the disasters before the next one gets someone killed?

***** Absolutely wonderful! Andy is so witty and charming. You cannot help but fall in love with her and her eccentric mother. Way to go Susan McBride! Highly recommended! *****

Andy Kendricks is a debutant dropout. She missed her own coming out party and went to art school. Now Andy manages websites for non-profit organizations. It's not like she needs money. And she believes in their causes.

But Cissy, her mother, talks her into working for her dear friend Marilee Mabry. It's supposed to be a short-term job. Marilee has gone through six webmasters already. Marilee is a Martha Stewart type and has a home show coming to TV. Marilee invites her ex-husband and his wife to the party celebrating her new show. A cat fight ensues between the two women in which one woman's hair is set on fire. Then the sprinklers go off. Andy heads to Marilee's office to turn off the live feeds she'd set up for the website. On her way the lights go off. She finally stumbles into the office and stumbles across Marilee's daughter, Kendall, on the floor of the bathroom. Andy knows she must get help. She hears sirens with help arriving, but can she get back out to them in the dark in time?

Marilee's personal trainer and boy toy, Justin, finally admits to the dr. that he had been giving Kendall herbs. Kendall and Justin have a past as well. It is determined that the herbs were harmful to Kendall.

When a murder is discovered, Andy investigates to find the killer to protect Kendall whom she has befriended. Andy finds many skeletons in the closet, but can she figure out who the real killer is and the motive in time?

I always enjoy books in this series. Andy is so down to earth, and her mother is such high society. Yet, they go well together in this book. In this book Marilee is so well crafted, she's a trip. She is your typical A type personality and feels everyone must do what she says. Andy is always the calming factor, but she has many wild adventures as well. I highly recommend this book.