Customer Reviews

Lethally Blond

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been reading Ms White's books for years, and I have enjoyed them all. But this is the best yet. Her adorable heroine, Bailey, finds herself entangled in the self-obsessed world of New York actors, investigating the sudden disappearance of one of them. Danger and mystery are around every piece of scenery. This has such a ring of reality to it, you know that White must have spent endless hours getting to know these people and the insecure, suspicious and glamorous world they inhabit. And from her position as head of Cosmo, she presumably has great access to celebs and their secrets, which must have helped. Do yourself a favor and take this one along for a fun, gripping, can't-put-it-down experience!

If you did a search on "see all reviews" by me, you could look back several years and see that I was not terribly impressed with the first Bailey Weggins novel. I wasn't sure I'd read the follow ups, but over the years, I have. I don't pick them up as soon as they're published, but I get around to them.

The writing keeps getting better. Bailey is becoming more filled out as a character. I do wish she'd get a little smarter - after nearly being killed several times, you'd think she'd let people know where she was going once in a while - but she's becoming more likeable.

The overall tone, too, is to me becoming better because we're getting more "mystery" and less angst and drama in the magazine business. I understand who Kate White is, and of course the magazine world is what she's interested in and knows well, but I prefer it when she gets away from it for a bit, as she seems to do more in this outing.

This book in particular has a nice solid mystery. It's nothing terribly surprising, but it keeps you guessing. I also appreciate that it could work as a stand alone. I normally say with series mysteries, "Don't start with this - you'll get confused or feel like you're missing out," but I don't think it holds here. If you like it, you could go backwards to "catch up" but you wouldn't be lost if you start here.

My only real complaint is that this is one of the most poorly edited books I've read in a long time - at least in the beginning. Although I know I make mistakes when writing - reviews or otherwise - I am very aware of mistakes or grammatical errors in books, newspapers, magazines - anything that should really have been read too many times by too many people to let this stuff through. Within the first few chapters I found a paragraph where Chris, Bailey's friend, TWICE referred to his missing friend by the name "Chris" in his dialogue. Um, no. Then within another page or two, someone says "ring his neck" - not the right way to spell it in that case, folks.

This just seems sloppy and turned me off a little, although it really has nothing to do with the plot.

All in all, I'll be reading the next one - though again, I probably won't race to get it on the release day. You'll enjoy it if you like the series - or if you're a fan of the "amateur woman sleuth, not too gritty" type mysteries.

Lethally Blond by Kate White was a fun audio book to listen to. It took me a little longer to finish than I anticipated, and that was because some parts dragged a bit so it took my longer to get back to it. The readers voice/voices are were not annoying which is always a plus.

In this book Bailey Weggins, celebrity crime reporter of the BUZZ is back. Bailey gets a call from an old flame saying that his friend Tom is missing. Since Bailey has solved a few cases in the past, she agrees to help try to find him, and follows a few leads. Tom turns up dead and there is long list of suspects. Now Bailey begins her search for the murderer.

Since I do enjoy some "fluff" from time to time in a novel, this one fit the bill.

OK, Renee Raudman can say her s's, she is capable, doesn't have a speech impediment. At the beginning and during the interesting parts, she speaks just like anyone else. But eventually she starts to drool her s's, an s at the front end of a syllable turns into sh, an s a the end turns into a sort of j sound. Sometimes she's apparently not sure which affectation to use and so sort of throws them both in. So either she's a slobbering drunk or just putting on an annoying affectation. Here's how it sounds (Zh is pronounced like Zha Zha as in Gabor): For shtarterzh, who wazh Tom shuppozhed to shee in the Hamptonzhe? I shaid shomething elshe to Sheshelia. Izh there anyone elshe who might know shomething? Sho shee how shilly it shoundzh. What if I had uzhshzhed shuch a schtick during thish whole review. It would almosht shertainly drive you absholutely crazhy. And it doezhshzh. When I lishened to thish audiobook I found it hard to pay attention to the plot when I'm conshtantly wondering, like the other review shaid, WHY? WHY? WHY did they shelect shomeone who shpeakshzhsh thish way?

With four mysteries under her belt, freelance writer Bailey Weggins is looking to quickly extract herself from her deadly dealings with murder, and throw herself headlong into a relationship that will make her toes curl. But with budding filmmaker Beau Regan out of the country, and basically out of the picture, Bailey has had to settle on diving headfirst into a pile of work at the illustrious BUZZ Magazine, where she's busy reporting news about celebrities who shoplift. When aspiring actor, Chris Wickersham, once again enters the picture, however, dragging along the disappearance of a close friend, Bailey knows that things are looking up: for both her love life, and her career.

Summers in New York City are known as being one of two things: sticky and unbearable. If you have the time and money to escape from the sweltering atmosphere, please do. Bailey Weggins isn't one of those people. Instead of frolicking on the beach in the Hamptons, year after year she finds herself trapped in her Village apartment, working on some crazy story. This summer, however, the story is crazier than ever. Chris Wickersham was a fling she had over six months ago, but now the hottie is back in her life. Starring in a new drama known as Morgue, Chris is set to blow up, and be the apple of every female's eye. But there's one thing weighing down his conscience - the disappearance of his pal and costar Tom Fain. Two weeks ago, Tom up and disappeared, and no one has heard from him since. Bailey just knows that something out of the ordinary is up, and agrees to do a little digging for Chris - as well as her BUZZ editor, who will certainly eat this story up with a spoon. But just as things begin to heat up in Bailey's investigation - as well as her budding relationship with Chris - Beau Regan turns up, looking to pick up where things left off all those months ago. Bailey wants nothing more than to be with one, or both, of these relationship-worthy guys; but before she can even think about settling down with the guy of her choice, she's determined to solve the case, and scoop one of the biggest Hollywood stories of the century. But first she'll have to do what she can to get the killer story to press, before she's the culprit's next victim.

So many book series fall victim to becoming stagnant and repetitive; so is not the case for Kate White. White manages to keep everything in her Bailey Weggins' mysteries fresh, clean, original, and up-to-date. Leaving behind the world of GLOSS, White has tossed Bailey into the cutthroat world of tabloid reporting, and created a new setting, along with new characters that keep the story hopping from beginning to end. As always, Bailey is absolutely perfect from her head to her toes. Her quick wit, inquisitive nature, and ability to look stylish even in the middle of a murder investigation make her appear down-to-earth and relatable; and the clever storylines White crafts work to make one thrilling tale. The male protagonists - Chris and Beau - add a little spice to the story; while Bailey's neighbor, Landon, provides a bit of girly gossip every now and then which produces quite a few laughs. Unlike so many books, White is able to concoct a mystery that is difficult even for the most seasoned amateur sleuth to solve, and keeps the reader on their toes until the very last page is turned. Fast-paced and fun!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

I've read the previous four Bailey Weggins mysteries and although you don't need to have done so to understand this one, knowing the background of Weggins does help to appreciate this one a bit more, plus she briefly gives away spoiler summaries of the incidents in those books. There's a lot of side story including Weggins jumping between the sheets of two guys and being confused about it, which isn't necessary for the plot but since Kate White is the editor of Cosmopolitan there's probably a lot of that magazine's readers who expect that.

Basic plot of Lethally Blond is one of Weggins' ex's Chris Wickersham has finally broken through as an actor on a crime scene show called Morgue, which luckily for Bailey is filmed in New York. He contacts her with a request to use her journalist detective skills to help him find Tom, his fellow cast member and friend who seems to have disappeared. Weggins pretty much drops everything (a little bit unrealistically as she seems a lot more determined to find a guy she's never met than everyone else including Chris who did) and vigorously investigates Tom's disappearance making her plenty of enemies along the way. Even when her life is obviously on the line she is determined to keep going. Other than the seemingly over the top determination to at her own expense find a guy she never knew, this is the most edge of your seat Weggins' thriller yet.

Bailey Weggins is a reporter for a local gossip magazine, BUZZ. Her former friend/lover asks her to look into the disappearance of missing actor. Her investigation places her in danger. The missing actor had a part in the series Morgue. She finds herself questioning and doubting everyone involved in the series, including her former friend/lover, the star of the series.
Lethally Blond is a good mystery. Kate White mixes the right amount of humor with mystery and suspense to give readers an entertaining read. Bailey is a well-developed character. The plot is clever. This is the fifth Bailey Weggins book, and she just keeps getting better. Kate White is a talented author. She created enough "rabbit holes" to keep the reader guessing who did it.

I love Kate White and this series, but just when I thought I had figured this one out there was a twist I did not see coming at the very end. This was a geat summer read. My only regret is that I didn't savor it more because I know it will be a while before Kate churns out another one, but I really hope she does -- the sooner, the better.

I was excited to see in Cosmo that Kate had another book coming out. I was browsing the new releases at Borders recently and was surprised to see the book. I thought it was coming out later. So of course, I snatched it right up. Like one reviewer said, I am also half way through and I am really finding it hard to put down! It's very fast paced and I'm always eager to see what will happen next. There is never a moment where I feel like it's dragging. White's writing just flows easily and Bailey Weggins is a great character. She is very real to me and seems like the ordinary 30 something woman. And I should know because I am one!

In New York City, Buzz weekly celebrity gossip magazine crime reporter Bailey Weggins has become proficient at investigating incidents mostly public temper tantrums by the rich and famous. Recently she has found celebrity crime turning deadly (see OVER HER DEAD BODY and IF LOOKS COULD KILL). Having moved on after being pinked by Gloss magazine, Bailey also moved forward accepting that her heated fling with TV star in Miami Chris Wickersham is long over.

However, when Chris calls saying he is filming in Manhattan, she immediately assumes he wants to reignite the fire. Instead he asks for her help. His friend and fellow actor on TV's hit show The Morgue, Tom Fain, has been missing for about a week and half just when his big break finally occurred; Chris feels Tom would never vanish at this moment although most of the Hollywood crowd and the cops think he bolted. Bailey agrees to investigate the disappearance, not realizing how lethal tailing Tom's trail can turn.

Though lighthearted, the fifth Weggins crime caper is a fine mystery tale starring a likable heroine who is a sort of adult Nancy Drew with hunks in her life. The story line is fun although why Chris would hire a gossip reporter whose job is to write up what she learns about celebrities instead of a professional sleuth is a bit of a mystery although it does enable a romantic subplot to happen. Fans of the series and anyone who appreciates a humorous investigative cozy will want to read Kate White's fast-paced mystery.

Harriet Klausner