Customer Reviews

Murder is a Girl's Best Friend (Paige Turner Mystery)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Twenty-eight-year-old Paige Turner just wants to make it through the Christmas season alive. After all, with all of the crime on the streets in New York City, and the hustle and bustle of Christmas shoppers, the holidays can really take a toll on your health. Especially if it's the year 1954, and you're a woman working at a pulp mystery magazine known as DARING DETECTIVE, and all you want is for your Detective boyfriend, Dan Street, to be supportive of your chosen career. But suddenly the Christmas holidays take a turn for the worst, when an old army buddy, known as Terry, of Paige's now-deceased husband shows up, asking for her help in solving the crime of his little sister's murder. Terry knows that his sister wasn't the victim of a simple robbery, she was murdered, and he knows why, for he found a stash of diamonds hidden in a box of oatmeal. Obviously it's exactly what the murderer was looking for. Now the killer is watching Paige's every move, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

Amanda Matetsky has created on of the most interesting, and intriguing mystery characters ever. Paige is an enjoyable new character, whose crazy quirks will have all readers laughing out loud, while at the same time itching to find out who the killer is. Paige's fantastic friends, and snoopy personality will keep the pages of this book turning until the very end. A must-read mystery, even for those who don't normally read books from the mystery genre.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Paige Turner is a spit fire young woman living in the 50's and working as a writer for a detective magazine. She gets a lot of grief about her name, especially where she works. She works with all men who expect her to wait on them and do most of the work while they laugh and slack off. The thoughts she thinks about them inside her head are funny! She gets caught up in a murder mystery and goes out to try to solve it herself and you can't put the book down! There's swearing which was disappointing. Otherwise, great book!

I was actually reading another novel when the second book in the "Paige Turner Mystery Series" arrived from Amazon. I soon just gave up trying to get involved in the other book as "Murder Is a Girl's Best Friend" beckoned me.

The saga continues when her late husband's army buddy appears and asks her to help him investigate his kid sister's murder. A lot of thoughts come to the surface for Paige as she was deeply in love with her husband when he was killed in the Korean War. Yes - they were only married for 3 months, but Paige was devastated. Amanda Matetsky very ACCURATELY depicts Paige as a woman of the 50's. Paige doesn't NEED a man; rather she is portrayed as a loving, caring woman. Actually, Paige is quite a lot more independent than most women of the 1950's, most whose identities were very closely formed to the men in their lives.

Matetsky also very accurately has researched the jargon and headlines of the detective magazines of that period, who were a little more "scandalous" in their use of words such as "rape" than most of the newspapers of that period.

This series transports the reader back to New York in the 1950's in a charming manner, that is not ridiculous or silly in the least. Paige Turner is a character that you will LIKE. Abby is great as the uninhibited close friend and neighbor as well.
I really look forward to the next Paige Turner mystery!

When I was just a girl I read Brighton Beach Memoirs and was ready to pack my bags. Matetsky brings fifties Manhattan to life in the same way.

Murder is a Girl's Best Friend is a charming second novel and illustrates a growing depth to Paige and Matetsky's writing.

I gave this book a four instead of a five because it still feels too formulaic and similar to the first book. Paige seems a little too similar to Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone. Although the character description is strong, the relationships seem slightly forced.

Read in one sitting is best, because this is a page-turner.

No pun intended, because the "detective" in this book is named Paige Turner, a name that never fails to prompt a reaction, usually laughter.

This mystery is set in December, 1954 in Manhattan. Paige is an aspiring mystery writer working in an under-appreciated and underpaid job in a sexist (this is the 50s, after all) detective magazine office. Her boyfriend is a homicide detective who would like her to not investigate any murders, but when a friend of her late husband's approaches her about investigating his sister's murder, she can't resist. The big clue he has brought her is a fortune in diamonds he found hidden in an outmeal container -- clearly the motive for her shooting death, which the police put down to an interrupted random burglary.

The plot moves right along and the reader is soon feeling like she's right there with them, in an over-the-fish-shop apartment in the Village in 1954 with Paige, following up on every clue. Although the mystery plotting was well done, the real pleasure in this book for me was the characters and setting. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

I read this book & fell in love with an era, a place, & so much more! With it being set in the 1950s & in New York, I was in heaven & very much so wished that I could be right there in the middle of this mystery. The author did a fantastic job with her imagery; I felt that all I needed was my own detective kit & Frank Sinatra singing "New York New York" & could (somehow) magically be right there with Paige.

The story had twists, kept me guessing (which I love!), & was very witty & smart. I often find that with a book in a series such as this one (Paige Turner Mysteries), I easily get tired of the main character. This novel was not that way for me at all. I could see growth in Paige & I found myself wishing that I was her best friend. Also, in reading this second book, I saw change & growth in the author's writing- it became more refreshed, more exhilarating, & even more smart! It was a very enjoyable read!

This is such a wonderful book. I love how the author describes everything so vividly that you think you really are in New York in 1954. Paige Turner is such a great character, along with her best friend Abby, and all the other crazy characters in the story. I loved how it was full of twists and turns and right when you think Paige is going to finally have a nice relaxing night, something always happens. This was a fantatstic book and I hope to see more Paige Turner mysteries coming out soon!

MURDER IS A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND, but only when it is in a book written by Amanda Matetsky.
I am not ordinarily a reader of fiction, and rarely a reader of mysteries. I prefer to read biographies of people who are accomplished and productive, which makes me feel accomplished and productive since I am astute enough to read about them.
However, when I heard that Amanda had written a sequal to MURDERERS PREFER BLONDES, I found myself anxious to see it. Ms. Matetsky writes so well that it seems like I am reading Paige Turner's bio. I can easily picture her, due to the wonderfully descriptive nature of the writing (just as I can do in good bios), I can follow her thoughts, see exactly what she is wearing (and why), picture her office and both her friendly and "unfriendly" colleagues and boss. And as a child of the fifties, she brings it all back, including the authenticity of all the streets, restaurants, "colloquialisms", etc.
Because I am not a professional reviewer, you have no reason to trust me. However, BECAUSE I AM NOT a professional reviewer, and have no stake in the selling of the book, newspaper, magazine, TV station, etc., well, you figure it out.
I enjoyed the book. And...you will too.

I loved the book, in that how it was set in the 50's, and was actually a funny, and mostly an unpredictable mystery. The characters are really interesting, and it was one of those books that you get into and can't put down. I loved how Paige Turner was brave in the face of danger, and used her wit, common sense, and friends to help her solve the mystery. I read this one first, then bought "Murder's Prefer Blonds" a week later. This series is great, and I can't wait for the next one to be released this summer!

I have always loved a good mystery and have read many. "Murder Is a Girl's Best Friend" satisfies all of my mystery cravings, but also give so much more. It's just plain fun to read! Very well written, the characters are fully portrayed and the humor of the main character and some of the other characters is woven throughout the entire manuscript. For entertainment value, you can't beat this book. It's also great for an ex-New Yorker (me) to read about NYC in the 50's. Lots of old memories came flooding back. I highly recommend this book. Great value for the price!