Mood to Murder (Betty Trenka Series, 4) [Mass Market Paperback]

Joyce Christmas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 29, 1999 | Series: Betty Trenka Series, 4

DANCE TILL YOU DROP . . . DEAD!

It's spring, the daffodils are blooming, and the kids at East Moulton High are all revving up for their May Day prom. But Betty Trenka, temping in the principal's office, feels uneasy.

If only the other kids didn't pick so often on fourteen-year-old Tommy Rockwell, who already takes too much grief from his divorced parents. If only Tommy wasn't so friendly with sinister odd-job man Brad Melville and Brad's witchy soulmate, Raven. As hidden forces gather strength around her, Betty's uneasiness turns to dread--and the horror looming over the May Day festivities in the high school gym begins its inexorable unfolding. . . .

Editorial Reviews

Review

Mood to Murder is Joyce Christmas's fourth novel in the Betty Trenka series, following This Business Is Murder, Death at Face Value, and Downsized to Death. She is also the author of the Lady Margaret Priam mystery series, of which a quarter million copies have been sold. Ms. Christmas lives in New York City.

From the Inside Flap

DANCE TILL YOU DROP . . . DEAD!

It's spring, the daffodils are blooming, and the kids at East Moulton High are all revving up for their May Day prom. But Betty Trenka, temping in the principal's office, feels uneasy.

If only the other kids didn't pick so often on fourteen-year-old Tommy Rockwell, who already takes too much grief from his divorced parents. If only Tommy wasn't so friendly with sinister odd-job man Brad Melville and Brad's witchy soulmate, Raven. As hidden forces gather strength around her, Betty's uneasiness turns to dread--and the horror looming over the May Day festivities in the high school gym begins its inexorable unfolding. . . .

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 179 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (May 29, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449150127
• ISBN-13: 978-0449150122
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,440,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Write-By-Numbers, January 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Mood to Murder (Betty Trenka Series, 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

I enjoyed the three earlier Betty Trenka mysteries, but this one was plodding, uninspired. A big problem is that of the Obvious Villain. Where, exactly, is the mystery? Moreover, it struck me as implausible that parents allowed their children to hang out with that very odd couple 15 years older. Not one parent put a foot down? The really interesting twist was in the development of a neighbor's personality--one who turns out to be a lot less insightful than he's been portrayed to date.

2.0 out of 5 stars One Word: Blah, June 2, 2003

By 

Kathe Romano "Kathe" (Las Vegas, NV United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mood to Murder (Betty Trenka Series, 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

A very bland tale. Where is the mystery? I am afraid that Joyce Christmas has lost her touch. This tale about pseudo-satanists and angst-ridden teenagers is obvious and totally charmless, most unlike the three previous Betty Trenka mysteries. Has Joyce lost her touch?

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great cozy, April 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mood to Murder (Betty Trenka Series, 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

Forced into retirement after three decades as an office manager, Betty Trenka moves to East Moulton, Connecticut where she still seeks to find something productive to do with her time. While visiting her neighbor Ted Kelso, Betty meets Brad Melville, who has a nefarious reputation amidst parents of teenagers throughout the town. However, teens think so highly of Brad, he has become a cult-like figure to them. Betty also meets Brad's girl friend, Raven, who gives the appearance of being a witch. Brad and Raven frighten Betty.

When the school secretary becomes ill, the principal temporarily hires Betty to take over the job. Betty also hires troubled fourteen-year-old Tommy Rockwell to mow her lawn. Betty becomes concerned with Tommy's quest for power and vengeance against his peers who seem to always pick on him. Even more worrisome to Betty is the influence of Brad on Tommy. She thinks something deadly is coming and there is little she can do to stop it.

The fourth Betty Trenka cozy is a warm New England tale that fans of the Jessica Fletcher series will enjoy. Like the previous three tales, MOOD TO MURDER, is a character-driven story. Betty remains an intriguing individual whose philosophy on the whims of life is the key to her essence and the overall plot of the novel. The secondary characters add a husky New England flavor to the mix. Though the story line is entertaining, there is little action until the climax. As with her Lady Priam mysteries, Joyce Christmas provides a gift to those readers who enjoyable a serene cozy.

Harriet Klausner