Insatiable [Hardcover]

Marne Davis Kellogg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 16, 2001

A sweeping novel of suspense and intrigue-played out against the glamorous playgrounds of the rich; starring a beautiful and mysterious woman who leaves a path of death and destruction in her wake.

Jacqueline du Fidelio is a portrait painter with an international reputation and a dark secret in her past. Loyal only to her butler, closest friend, and confidant, the snobbish, neurotic, and completely amoral Nigel Weatherby-Smith, Jacqueline is fiercely independent--until it comes to affairs of the heart. Her penchant for toxic romantic involvements draws her to the worst kinds of men-from the rakishly unreliable and very married Ryder McCormick, her mother's former lover who has enthralled her since childhood, to Armand Weil, a debonair, fabulously wealthy art dealer who sweeps her off her feet, promises to take care of her forever, and deserts her at the worst possible moment. Junior Hammond, the sybaritic, obese, and uncultured heir to the Hammond oil fortune, finally succeeds in winning her hand in marriage. But like Jacqueline's other liaisons, the romance is soon wrapped in deadly shadows as members of the Hammond family begin to die in mysterious ways whenever Jacqueline is on the scene.

Is Jacqueline the innocent victim of careless, uncaring men and circumstances beyond her control, or is she a dangerous manipulator, ruthlessly using her lovers to ensure her own survival? Does her apparent fragility actually mask a cold, lethal core, an insatiable need to prove her invulnerability?

Taking readers from the lush hunt country of Virginia to New York City's glamorous art world, from the winter wonderland of Aspen, Colorado to the treacherous mountains of Nepal, Insatiable builds to almost unbearable suspense. It is only in the stunning final pages that we discover the terrible secret that haunts Jacqueline-and may have turned her into a killer.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Unbelievable and Unlikable might serve as alternate titles for Kellogg's latest, billed as the start of a new series from the author of the popular Lilly Bennett books (1998's Bad Manners, etc.). But American Jacqueline di Fidelio, a society portrait painter, and her British butler, Nigel Weatherby-Smythe, a former safecracker and convict, would not, from the evidence presented here, appear to have any of the qualities that give series characters longevity: some degree of credulity and at least a bare minimum of empathy. Nigel, a bitchy bisexual who serves as unreliable narrator ("Basically, I'm sexless... I'm truly very happy living vicariously"), is at first amusing as he flaunts his snobbery and hypochondria, but both attitudes quickly grow stale. As for Jackie (or "Madam," as Nigel calls her), she is never convincing in any of her roles: abused daughter of a mad painter; glamorously enigmatic lover of the rich and famous; and finally the accused murderer of rivals, husbands and potential clients. Kellogg's descriptions of the lush life in contemporary Virginia, Paris, Nepal and other haunts of the privileged do have a certain fascination; would that she had spent as much time coloring in her human landscapes. Agent, Nick Ellison. (Jan. 16) Forecast: Readers of Kellogg's Lilly Bennett books might grab enough early copies of this to cause a stir, but disappointment and bad word-of-mouth are almost certain to limit its sales.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Kellogg gives her Marshall Lilly Bennett series a breather to introduce something quite different: the adventures of portrait painter and scam artist Jacqueline du Fidelio, as told by her adoring butler, the amoral Nigel Weatherby-Smythe. As the tale begins, Nigel is visiting Jackie in prison, shortly before her scheduled execution. The rest of the book is Nigel's account of how Jackie wound^B up in jail for murder. Kellogg offers readers a double dish of pleasure here: seeing the world through Nigel's neurotic, hysterically funny eyes, on the one hand, and getting to know Jackie, on the other. Readers follow the pair through various adventures, most involving Jackie's ill-chosen lovers. When various members of her latest paramour's family begin to drop dead, suspicion lands squarely on Jackie. Only Nigel remains convinced of her innocence, steadfastly blaming all their troubles on "Madam's unsuitable men." A funny, clever, and original story and the beginning of what may well become a superb series. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1st edition (January 16, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385495781
• ISBN-13: 978-0385495783
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,532,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's no Lily Bennett mystery, but still good!, January 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Insatiable (Hardcover)

I must say that I was disappointed when I first learned that Kellogg's newest book, "Instatiable" would not be another in the Marshall Lily Bennett series; I debated for quite a while about whether or not I would read it, and obviously I gave in.

There are some similarities in this new book, for instance, the focus on the lifestyles of the rich, both the nice guys and the bad. The characters are all quite colorful and interesting. The two main characters, Jackie and Nigel, are not your normal heroine and hero, but they are still very likeable.

The plot is pretty interesting, it's nice to have a little peek into the art world after life at Bennett's Fort, and I found that all in all, it was an addictive and very enjoyable read.

It will be interesting see see if Kellogg decides (and I wonder how she would do this) to make this into a series as well.

So, if you are an avid fan, definitely give it a chance, and if you are a new Kellogg reader, please check out her other books!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Wild Read, April 12, 2001

By 

Auntie Babs (Martin, TN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Insatiable (Hardcover)

What a ride of a read! INSATIABLE was quite a reading change from one of my favorite mystery series, the Lilly Bennett series and the author Marne Davis Kellogg. Ms. Kellogg had written an entertaining novel with all the quirks of mystery, suspense, romance, exoctic locales, and a wide range of characters. How could anyone not laugh with Nigel as he very seriously studies his medical journal for symptoms of his latest "fatal disease". His devotion to Madam and the situations they join or face leads to a breathless finale. I thought I had figured out the ending but mercy was I wrong - and a little bit right! Try this title, I believe you will enjoy the story. This loyal Lilly Bennett fan applauds Ms. Kellogg for a writing job well done. I await the next installment in her writing career.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another masterpiece from Kellogg, January 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Insatiable (Mass Market Paperback)

Ms. Kellogg wows her readers again with her latest. As a long-time fan of her Lily Bennett series, Insatiable was quite a change. But, Kellogg pulled it off very well--like all her other books, it reads quickly and keeps your attention throughout. Kellogg has an unusual knack for writing novels about the rich that are classy and elegant--not gaudy and overbearingly romantic. I look forward to her next bestseller!