Customer Reviews

Infernal Affairs

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is my first Jane Heller book and being a fan of Olivia Goldsmith, I was tempted to try something from JH. Well, I was certainly not disappointed! This is a very 'light' read but it is laugh-out-loud hilarious and exactly what I was looking for after a few heavy crime novels, that I had been reading.

This is a great story about a very depressed woman who basically makes a deal with the devil to get everything she wants out of life. But of course this is a dangerous pact and she learns to deal with it as best as she can throughout the rest of the book.

If you are looking for something to keep you laughing and very entertained for a few hrs, then pick this up, you will not be disappointed!!

I was looking for a light read, and voila! INFERNAL AFFAIRS was the answer. This is great fantasy. In the hands of another author, it could have become really "cutesy," but Ms. Heller's sense of humor, along with her light-hearted approach, made this a delightful romp. I guess this book is geared toward a female readership, but I, a guy, had a lot of fun with it and appreciate the author's keeping the romantic aspects from becoming maudlin. I recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for an escape from more serious reading and just wants one "helluva" good laugh!

Let me begin by saying that I like to read books whose storylines are unusual. Infernal Affairs is one of them.

Jane Heller has written a very funny and captivating story about how Barbara's life was changed (for the better?) overnight when she accidentally made a pact with the devil.

I enjoyed the story every step of the way. It kept me thinking and guessing who the characters in Barbara's life really were and I fell in love with the dog who appeared on her doorstep - Pete. It made me wish I had a dog like him.

A lovely read that made me laugh out loud many times. Very original, very addictive. Go get it!

Jane Heller rights about women not quite a certain age. Luckily these women are successful, witty, intelligent, and capable. I find this very refreshing, as I am hard pressed to find novels where the heroines have these characteristics.

The story here however is a little thin. I did not enjoy this as much as I enjoyed some of her other novels. The male characters are a little one dimensional, and I feel I've seen them a thousand times before. And for a fresh approach to the "husband leaving wife for a younger woman" scenario, I found the ending too predictable.

I read this book a few years ago and it was my first for this author. After reading this I went out and grabbed all of her backlist. This was one of the first books that I had read in the first person, I tend to steer clear from them but I'm glad I didn't with this one.

This was one of those books that I couldn't stop laughing about, in the rest room at work, in the Cafeteria at lunch, anywhere I was you could hear me just cracking up over the dialogue and the things Barbara did! I don't recommend this book for anyone looking for a piece of literary genious. I do recommend it if you are in a reading slump and you have had enough of historical sap, graphic murder mysteries or time-travel overload. It was a light read and a unexpected Pleasure.

I am currently reading "Name Dropping" and one of the reasons I like it so far is it reminds me of "Infernal Affairs" I'm thoroughly enjoying it. As with all authors I do recommend that you read their backlist first and then work your way up to their current writing style it is important to see the Author's progression some time they get better and then there are times when they get stuck in a rut.

If you like Janet Evanovich, Rachel Gibson or Jennifer Cruise I would give Jane a try.

Heroine: Frump-turned-babe

Frizzy, frazzled, and frayed by a boring marriage, a year-long slump in the Florida real-estate biz, and nightly rounds with a wine bottle, Barbara Chessner has truly hit the skids. Upon being told that her hubby is dumping her for a younger-albeit-toothier gal, introverted Barbara washes down her rage with still more elixir of the vine. Unable to speak her mind until her husband is well out of earshot, she turns to the stormy night and wishes she was free of her old rundown life. And in the wink of an eye, her wish is granted.

Barbara wakes the next morning as a blonde bombshell who can suddenly sing on-key, wrap handsome men around her little finger, and sell a house just by looking at a prospective buyer. So what if this instant makeover has some drawbacks, such as explaining her new appearance to folks who have known her forever, or the fact that her breath inexplicably reeks of Brussels sprouts? Who in their right mind would want their old life back?

Barbara would! It soon becomes apparent that her prayers weren't answered by the celestial being she had thought, and new bouncier breasts or no, she doesn't want to be signing on for eternity with Satan. All Barbara has to do now is figure out where in Banyan Beach the devil is hiding and send him back where he belongs before he turns her beloved hometown into a recruiting ground for the Army of Hades. Can Barbara save her soul and her city before it's too late?

What worked for me:

    I genuinely liked Barbara and enjoyed her transformation from doormat to independent woman. This book had some very funny lines and scenes to savor, and I had a great time watching Barbara try to figure out what had happened to her.
What didn't work for me:    

    I get so tired of the notion that being any size in double digits necessarily equates with "frumpiness". Barbara lost 20 pounds overnight and woke up a size 8, so she must have been merely average-sized to begin with. The mixed message in this book really put my teeth on edge: bigger women are ok as long as they aren't too much bigger. And don't get me started on the fact that at the end of the story the (anti?) hero got to keep his paunch, but the heroine was on a diet to lose the double chin.

How could a book that was so well-written for the first three quarters go so far astray at the end? The climax and resolution of this story just fell so flat for me. The first attempt to rid this little corner of Florida of its supernatural visitor came off as ridiculous (not in a good way), and the final solution to the town's troubles came off as trite. The confrontation between good and evil left me thinking, "That's IT?!? What was that all about?"

Overall:

    Most of the book was so well-written that I still recommend it as a pretty good read, but only if you are willing to overlook a fat-phobic passage here and there and the disappointing ending. I sincerely hope that rumors of a possible movie based on this story are true. It has the potential to be a really cute flick if the right person develops the screenplay.

Warning: there's a bit of coarse language and a brief strange (but funny) sexual scenario.

If you liked "Infernal Affairs" you might also enjoy "Princess Charming", "Plum Girl", The Stephanie Plum mystery series, and "Fast Women".

Unbelievably funny, completely illogical, well written... what more can you ask for when you want an easy read that will entertain you. Heller is a great entertainer!

I really enjoyed "Name Dropping" by Jane Heller so I went looking for more of her novels. Do not waste your time on this one. I could barely get through it. The plot sounded clever enough-wishing for a better life the main charcter gets caught up in a deal with the devil she does not want; but it just did not work. The characters are annoying and the story not only is unbelieveable it is boring. Skip this one and go for "Name Dropping."

Infernal Affairs is another of Jane Heller's fast reads. It is really entertaining and perfect for the beach or train. I love an author who doesn't take herself and her characters too seriously.

This book definitely makes you think before you wish. Heller's discussion of the reprecussions of selling one's soul to the Devil is uproarious and amusing, making this novel worthy of a read.

I recommend this novel to anyone who has ever entertained the thought, "I'd be willing to do anything if only..."