Customer Reviews

Killing Bridezilla (Jaine Austen Mysteries)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jaine has a lot of high school flashbacks in the latest edition of this series. Patti Marshall was the high school bully. She hires Jaine to write her wedding vows.

It turns out that Patti stole a former classmate's husband at the class reunion. Jaine revisits many of her high school classmates while working for Patti.

This was an excellent book. They just keep getting better and better in this series. I am looking forward to the next one!

I laughed out loud while staying interested in the basic mystery.

Although some past books have overdone the email exchange with
her parents, it was just right in this one. It was funny
but the story line wasn't over-the-top and it wasn't intrusive
to the plot.

The embarrassing things that happen to Janie in this book are so
funny, you can't help but laugh and feel good about your own life.

Definitely buy this book!

Of all the people from high school Jaine never wanted to hear from again, Patti Marshall topped the list. So when Patti calls with the offer of a job, it's only the pay check that gets Jaine to agree to take it.

The job is rewriting Shakespeare, turning Romeo and Juliet into a Friends like piece with a much happier ending. Patti wants these lines as the opening act for her wedding, an event that is driving everyone crazy. Seems Patti hasn't changed her evil ways from high school and she continues to bully the caterer, florist, and even one of the bridesmaids who has unfortunately gained a few pounds (okay, lots of pounds) since high school.

So when the opening act of the wedding turns into murder, the only surprise to Jaine is how it happens. Now Jaine needs to wade into a high school reunion of sorts to find out who sent Patti on her fatal plunge. Can she find the killer before it is too late?

While I always enjoy catching Jaine's latest adventure, this has to be one of the strongest entries in the series. The mystery was confusing and had me going until the very end. Yet it all made logical sense. And the murder here is one of the most creative in a series known for unusual murders. The cast of characters are very colorful. There are plenty of laughs throughout. In fact, it contains the funniest scene in the entire series. And the sub-plot involving the e-mails from her parents is hysterical as well.

With entries this strong, this delightful series shows no signs of slowing down. If you are looking for a light, funny mystery, this is definitely the book for you.

Killing Bridezilla is definitely one of the best Jane Austen mysteries in the series. Jane is back to desperately accepting whatever writing jobs come her way, and this time it's a doozy. Wedding vows for a high school classmate (one of the "mean girls") who wants the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet rewritten... only this time with a happy ending. Oh and make it hip and modern. No surprise who ends up dead.

The story works well in Killing Bridezilla, the various suspects and Jane's involvement are believable and some of Jane's more irritating traits are less in evidence. (The whole schtick where Jane writes that she made some bright or cutting remark and then says "well, no I didn't really say it, but I wish I did" annoys me.) The best character in the book? Mamie, the victim's miniature poodle. Levine writes that dog some of the cutest and funniest stuff and makes her lovable when then spoiled pet of a spoiled socialite could be a real ankle biter. I'm sorry Jane didn't keep her because I think she is way more fun than Prozac the cat who has become a bit of a one trick pony (demand food, shred clothes).

Anyway, I was surprised by the ending, I hadn't guessed the murderer and I enjoyed the read. Well written as far as style and all the mechanics of good writing, well-edited and definitely worth selecting if you like humor mysteries. Not quite Stephanie Plum, but if the Plum series was a movie, the Jane Austen series would be a sit-com.

I had just attended my (number too large to insert!) high school reunion when I sat down with Jaine Austen's latest caper. All those high-school feelings were very fresh so it was especially fun for me to read about Jaine's reunion experience. Thankfully I had had no Bridezilla to contend with. The series just keeps getting better and funnier! The characters are interesting and the mystery here is very well done. I suspected absolutely everyone except the killer! Also, there are a couple of lovely conversations Laura Levine has directly with the reader. Those little asides made me feel as if we were really going through this all together. And the emails from Jaine's parents are a warm, funny, exasperating touch. Laura Levine has done it again, a laugh-out-loud mystery with a heroine I can relate to. I always recommend this series to my friends and this one is no different.

It was fun watching Jaine solve another case. I didn't want to put this book down. I'm always impressed with Prozac's thoughts! I'm looking forward to another exciting time with Jaine (and of course, Prozac).

Jody C.

Patti Marshall made Jaine's life hell in high school. Now she's hired Jaine to rewrite Shakespeare for her upcoming wedding. The only reason Jaine agreed was the high salary.

Patti stole Dickie from his wife at a high school reunion. She soon sees that Patti much since high school. She's still a cruel selfish individual, and Jaine can't figure out what Dickie sees in her. The caterer is another high school classmate who loathes Patti but also only took the job due to the salary. The former bridesmaid, one of Patti's inner circle friends from high school, detests Patti.

Dickie's ex-wife, Normalynne, shows up at the wedding and threatens to kill Patti. So when Patti plunges off the balcony to her death, Normalynne is the prime suspect.

Jaine doesn't believe she did it, so she begins to investigate all the other people who hated Patti. But did they hate her enough to killer and have the opportunity and motive?

I really like this series. Jaine is such a likeable character who is very down to earth. In this book her interactions with her former classmates is so real. I think most people can relate to it. I especially found the scenes with Walter realistic. There always seems to be one geek in the class pining after a girl that keeps turning him down.

This series is so much fun I find myself laughing out loud while reading it. I highly recommend this book and the whole series. Try it. I think you'll like it.

Killing Bridezilla is the 7th book in Levine's Jane Austen Mysteries. Not having read any of her previous work I was worried that I would be lost without any character back stories however, this was not the case with Killing Bridezilla.

The story kicks off with writer-for-hire Jaine Austen lamenting her dwindling bank account and growing credit card bills when she accepts a new gig writing wedding vows for her one-time high school enemy, the ultra-rich and spoiled Patti Devane. Patti's three thousand dollar offer has Jaine thinking this job will be easy money but she quickly learns it's hard to please Patti who asks Jaine to re-write her vows several times with themes ranging from Shakespeare to Seinfeld, Friends and Grey's Anatomy back to Shakespeare.

Finally satisfied with the vows the wedding celebration is set to begin. While waiting for the ceremony to start we're entertained by Jaine setting the best man's toupee on fire, Jaine finding the bridesmaid who was dumped from the wedding for not losing enough weight drunk and almost passed out in the library and the groom's ex-wife who causes a ruckus when she crashes the wedding to threaten Patti for stealing her man. Just when the dust seems to settle the bride plunges to her death from her balcony onto the arrow of a cupid statue.

When the police look to the groom's ex-wife as their main suspect Jaine decides she need to help and does a little investigating on her own. Her own list of suspects includes the groom's Mom who hated Patti for many reasons including Patti asking her to have a mole removed because it would ruin her wedding photos, the caterer who was told her lamb was too "lamby", her shrimp to "fishy" and her quiche to "eggy" and Patti's high-school BFF who Jaine thinks was being blackmailed by Patti.

Adventures abound as the sassy and sarcastic on the inside, pushover on the outside, Jaine, follows the clues and solves the murder while almost being done in herself. Killing Bridezilla is a fun and quick read for fans of the cozy mystery.

Let me start by saying that I fully agree with the previous reviewers who think that "Killing Bridezilla" may be the best yet in the Jaine Austen series. Levine's novels have always been a welcome variation from the usual murder mystery, and her latest is no exception. The wildly original situations, clever plot twists, heroically dizzy characters (for those who have been following the series, Jaine's disaster-prone father now aims to become a lawyer in order to do battle over his overdue library book,) and genuinely surprising ending all serve to create the perfect summer read. "Bridezilla" gives the reader the pleasure of a great mystery story without the dark, depressing elements traditionally found in the genre. Check it out!

I love Laura Levine's books. This series is so funny, you should start at the beginning and read them all. Jaine is hilarious and I love the side bits about her parents. Great light hearted mysteries that are easy to ready and enjoy.