Hedging (Smith and Wetzon Mysteries) [Paperback]

Annette Meyers (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of Meyers's well-plotted eighth mystery to feature Wall Street headhunters Leslie Wetzon and Xenia Smith (after 1997's The Groaning Board), Wetzon has lost her memory and is desperately trying to escape the aftermath of the explosion of an executive jet at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport belonging to a hedge fund manager. Meyers handles the clichéd amnesia situation expertly, and Wetzon learns as much about herself from her reactions to people and situations as she does from her gradual and episodic recovery. Uncertain of her own identity and unsure of whom she can trust, Wetzon knows that two men are trying to kill her and that the FBI, a wealthy financier and a high-powered attorney she was romantically involved with are all connected somehow. The odd-couple pairing of the extravagant, exuberant Smith and the bold, hardheaded Wetzon still plays well. Wetzon's memory loss and brief disappearance underscore the genuine affection between the two friends. Despite the eight years since their last outing, Smith and Wetzon remain a formidable team. (Feb. 21)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

A woman is chased by two men intent on killing her. Running on instinct, she escapes but is later found bloodied and wandering in New York City's Central Park. Admitted to the hospital suffering from amnesia, Temporary Jane (T.J.) again escapes when she is terrified by a man who claims he can identify her. Relying on strangers, she finds a place to stay and a job. As bits of memory return, she must run again when the woman she lives with is murdered. Found at last by friends, she now knows herself to be Leslie Wetzon, co-owner of a headhunting agency. Working with her former lover, NYPD detective Silvestri, she starts to piece together what happened that night, the first step to reclaiming her life. A compelling opening sets the stage for a fast-paced thriller that will keep readers enthralled as the likable Leslie struggles to solve the mystery of her amnesia and her possible involvement with the FBI. Well--developed secondary characters and Leslie's romantic reunion with Silvestri add to the appeal of this eighth in a series. Sue O'Brien
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 346 pages
• Publisher: Five Star Trade (February 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1410402355
• ISBN-13: 978-1410402356
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #364,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

ANNETTE MEYERS


Annette Meyers was born in Manhattan, grew up on a chicken farm in Toms River, NJ, graduated from Douglass College, Rutgers University, and came running back to NYC as fast as she could. She is the author of 8 Smith and Wetzon Wall Street and Broadway mysteries, using her experience as a Wall Street headhunter and arbitrator, as well as her Broadway experience as Harold Prince's assistant. The most recent novel is Hedging. Her other works: 2 Olivia Brown 1920s Greenwich Village mysteries, Free Love and Murder Me Now; and a stand-alone psychological suspense novel: Repentances. Her noir short stories have appeared in many anthologies. One of these stories- "You Don't Know Me" - was included in James Ellroy's edited Best American Mystery Stories, 2002.
As Maan Meyers, she and her husband Martin write The Dutchman series. There are now 7 history mysteries in the series, and numerous short stories that feature characters from the novels. The setting is New York in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The 7th novel - The Organ Grinder - set in 1899, was published in October, 2008. THE DUTCHMAN, the first book in the series, is now available on Kindle
Annette was the 10th president of Sister in Crime. Website:www.meyersmysteries.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Entry in the Smith & Wetzon Series, January 22, 2006

By 

AnnH "Random Reader" (Clarklake, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hedging (Five Star First Edition Mystery) (Hardcover)

Annette Meyers knows how to spin a mystery. I've read all the Smith & Wetzon books and this one was a great "read". Even though there are recurring characters in the series, there is no reason you can't read this as a stand alone although you'll probably want to read all the titles. What makes the stories fascinating is that Ms. Meyers writes about things she knows well: New York City, Broadway and Wall Street. The urgent sense of the writing from the first page will have you hooked.

4.0 out of 5 stars Amnesia, romance, murder and finances, April 19, 2010

By 

Page Turner "Page Turner" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hedging (Five Star First Edition Mystery) (Hardcover)

A fast and interesting read. Wetzon starts with amnesia and the clues trickle in in fascinating scenarios,
including mime performances and blind detectives.
Her partner Smith is an unusual character study. I enjoyed the insider looks into high finance and hoofing it
in the theatre.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars terrific woman in peril tale, March 5, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hedging (Five Star First Edition Mystery) (Hardcover)

She escapes the thugs chasing her with assistance from a blind man and is his seeing eye dog, but the Good Samaritan took a bullet for her. Later the cops find Jane Doe suffering from hypothermia in Central park and take her for treatment at Mount Sinai. She has no idea who she is, but a trustee on a tour of the hospital sees her. Louis Gold claims Jane is his niece Mary Lou Salinger. The name does not feel right and her "Uncle" Louis strikes fear in her heart so TJ, as she calls herself Temporary Jane, flees the hospital.

At an all night diner, TJ meets Zoey Kanter. They help each other with TJ filling in at the counter when Zoey has a seizure; while afterward Zoey gives TJ a place to crash. Later Zoey takes TJ to meet her mime troupe, but the amnesiac victim wonders who she is because Mary Lou allegedly died in a plane crash. Who can she trust, and why do thugs want her silenced?

This is a terrific woman in peril tale starring a bewildered protagonist who has no idea why people are chasing her, but knows that those who help her end up hurt or dead. The tale hooks the audience from the moment that TJ uses a bus to flee Jersey for Manhattan. Fans of tense dramas will not be HEDGING their bets to read the latest Smith and Wetzon tale as this is a suspenseful winner that will send readers like this reviewer looking for the previous six Manhattan mysteries.

Harriet Klausner