Customer Reviews

How to Succeed in Murder

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Margaret Dumas has given us an unlikely sleuth in Charley, the ultra-rich, ultra-bright and ultra-funny repertory theater madam whose adventures and line-up of delectable characters start with her sexy, if mysterious, husband, Jack. When murder strikes, then again and yet again, among the characters who comprise ZAKDAN, a high-tech company, Jack and his "firm" are hired to investigate. Enter Charley and her unlikely cohorts who must join in; they go undercover, bluffing their way into the organization as "experts." After all, some of them are actors or wanna-be's. Romping over the San Francisco landscape, drinking lots and eating California-style as SF demands, our heroine and her trusty team eventually find enlightenment in the midst of car crashes, death in the steam room and consults in the empty-except-for-the-bed mansion that Charley and Jack have bought. Roller blading throughout is a techie wizard of a 10 year old who helps to tie it all up.
The second in what is to be a long series, HOW TO SUCCEED IN MURDER amounts to a fun read of the nicest order.

This book continues the adventures of Charley and her friends on a fun mission that is a great addition to "Speak Now." Readers new to Charley need not worry, you can jump right in with this one; but it will be more fun if you have read the first book. Guys, don't be afraid of the mention of "chick-lit" - this is just a great read! I hear there are plans for more books in this series - I can't wait!

I stayed up late reading this book--I really enjoyed reading this mystery set in San Francisco, the second in the series. It's funny, especially the Flank character, and makes you wish you had such a cool and close-knit group of friends as Charley does. While you're reading it, you feel part of that fun group.

This book is a sequel that doesn't require you to have read the first book. Just really good fun to read.

In San Francisco, theatre producer Charley Fairfax and her spouse private investigator Jack meet Morgan Stokes, CEO of Zadkan, for lunch. Before the meal Charley pleads with Jack not to take a case involving computer geeks like Stokes. Ignoring his beloved Jack agrees to investigate who murdered his fiancée Clara Chen the firm's brilliant Vice President of Client Knowledge (a more interactive technical support cell).

Charley persuades Jack to let her go undercover as an employee at Zadkan though his heiress wife cannot use a computer beyond turning on the CPU and monitor. However, even though she does speak the vernacular of the office, everyone assumes she is a genius though no one knows at what. When someone tries to kill her, Jack panics; when their families talk about infants Jack goes into cardiac arrest, but never loses sight of keeping Charley safe while uncovering a killer who has murdered again.

Mindful of a modern day Thin Man due to the interplay between high society Charley and cynical Jack, HOW TO SUCCEED IN MURDER is a fine investigative tale. The whodunit is cleverly devised as the audience will wonder who the culprit and why. However, this fun mystery belongs to the newlyweds and the eccentric theatrical cast who turns Jack upside down and flattens Nob Hill.

Harriet Klausner

I very much enjoyed this second outing by Margaret Dumas. All the gang is back and having even more fun than the last time.