Customer Reviews

It Happened in South Beach

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

 

 

`It Happened In South Beach' by Jennie Klassel is a mystery with a splash of romance. Tilly goes to Florida to settle her eccentric aunt's estate only to find that she was murdered. Tilly becomes a `person of interest' with tall dark and handsome Special Agent Will Maitland of Interpol. Her aunt owned an antique sex shop, which adds so some interesting storylines. The author has Tilly talking to her alter egos and bizarre erotic dreams, which is an interesting idea but it was not effective. This was not my favorite book of the year but I think this author has potential.

The story itself was ok. It turned out to be a little more mystery than romance. I did a search of erotic romance and this book came up. Since I was going to read it on the beach I thought it sounded good. But where was the erotic part? The only thing erotic was the fact that her aunt, then she owned a sex shop.

This book was great fun to read! Nice writing style, very humorous, good characters. I'm hoping a sequel is in the works, because I'd love to read more!

IT HAPPENED IN SOUTH BEACH truly is a hoot. It's a pleasure to read an unknown paperback--picked up in a supermarket, as opposed to an "important" novel purchased in a bookstore--that is better written and more cleverly plotted than many bigger and more eagerly anticipated books.

Author Jennie Klassel has written a an intricate mystery, with a detailed and complicated plot. Most importantly, she is a humorous author, giving her characters funny dialogue and hilarious situations with which to cope.

This book is not for the faint-hearted, however. It is hot and sexy and explicit as to language, and much of the story is set in a shop that sells sex toys.

This fictional shop purportedly is in the super-trendy "South Beach" section of Miami Beach. I have logged many hours in South Beach myself, and I can say that Klassel offers a wonderful sense of place about this special community.

Jennie Klassel is an author to be watched.

I really enjoyed She Who Laughs Last, Girl on the Run and Lady Doth Protest and being an avid historical romance reader found them refreshing to the genre. I don't read many contemporaries but I liked Jennie Klassel's style so much I picked up It Happened in South Beach. It was incredibly funny and witty--a definite page-turner. I highly recommend it and hope that Klassel continues to lend her voice to the world. Kudos Ms. Klassel. What's next???

Reliable, sensible, and logical Bostonian Tilly Snapp is a fish out of water as she first gets her Aunt Ginger Snapp's ashes in Montego Bay and takes the cremated remains of her "ant" back to Miami's super-chic South Beach. There she seeks the killer who murdered her beloved eccentric Aunt Ginger and stole the valuable Pillow Box of Win Win Poo, an odd collection of antique erotic garnishes.

INTERPOL Special Agent Will Maitland wants Tilly to stay out of his investigation into the Win Win Poo, but wants her to stay in his bed so that he can teach her sex tricks. The boudoir part turns Tilly on, but removing herself from the case is unacceptable. Instead she, the boring Bostonian, tries to seduce the sexy super agent into revealing what he knows and partnering with her. To his surprise he is ready to tell her all he knows.

Jennie Klassel provides an irreverent witty romantic murder mystery starring a delightful female amateur sleuth in and out of the bedroom though a widow. Her hilarious sidebars and commentaries such as her comparative analysis of male organs (her deceased spouse vs. Will) will have the audience in stitches. Though the relationship between Will and Tilly never comes across beyond bedroom efforts as they spend little time together because they work separately on the case, fans of amusing satirical romantic mysteries will want to laugh about the heroine's antics.

Harriet Klausner