Murder and the Mad Hatter (Brenda Midnight Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Barbara Jaye Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2001 | Series: Brenda Midnight Mystery

Hell Hat(H) No Fury

Slimy low-rent talent agent Lemon B. Crenshaw exceeds the bounds of friendship when he cons Greenwich Village hat designer Brenda Midnight and entangles her in a terrible legal bind. Vowing to get even, she hits Lemmy where it hurts by stealing his beloved brassiere collection right off his living room walls. While filching the bras, Brenda hears a thud, which she later learns was the sound of a dead body hitting the floor above.

An Accusation with No Foundations

Bra-napper Brenda is sure the murderer is the hurried, briefcase-toting man who slams into her as she smuggles the bras out of the building. But Briefcase Boy has an alibi -- and he tells the cops Midnight dunnit. Now Brenda needs the uplifting support of her wacky Village pals -- as she dons her sleuthing hat...and sets out to find a killer before she, herself, is busted for murder!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Absurd situations and quirky characters make Murder and the Mad Hatter a delightfully wacky read. The action never flags." -- --Romantic Times

"Wilson has the knack of creating a slew of believable, if eccentric, characters." -- -- Contra Costa Times

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Avon Books (Mm) (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380803577
• ISBN-13: 978-0380803576
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,589,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An off beat but delightful amateur sleuth tale, January 6, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder and the Mad Hatter (Brenda Midnight Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

If Brenda Midnight used her brain she would have said no when her boyfriend's sleazy agent Lemon B. Crenshaw asked her to marry him. He wins her hand in matrimony by persuading her that he illegally resides in this country, but not for long as the INS has caught up with him. If deported, Lemon explains that he will not be able to rejuvenate her boyfriend's sagging career. Unbelievably, Brenda falls for the entire sad sack story and marries Lemon even though they keep separate residences.

Brenda becomes furious when she learns she must remain married to Lemon for six months. Her ire rises to stroke levels when she finds out he actually needed to wed her to win a bet. Determined to get even with the slimy Lemon, Brenda breaks into husband's apartment and steals her husband's valuable brassiere collection. A thump in the apartment above frightens Brenda who flees Lemon's apartment. At the elevator, she runs into a rude stranger. At home Brenda learns that someone murdered the wealthy philanthropist who lived above Lemon. She knows what the thump was and tracks down her fellow elevator rider. Each accuses the other of murder to the bewildered police.

Barbara Jaye Wilson writes humorous mysteries that will appeal to fans of cozies and amateur sleuth tales. Some of the one-liners throughout MURDER AND THE AND HATTER will leave the audience deeply laughing. Whimsical characters from previous works augment a tender feeling of familiarity while propelling the complex mystery forward without giving many clues to the reader. Ms. Wilson makes reading fun.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Is this really the sixth Brenda Midnight mystery already?, March 21, 2001

By 

Brenda "MYSHELFDOTCOM" (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Murder and the Mad Hatter (Brenda Midnight Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

Wow, time flies when you enjoy a series. This sixth edition involves a pretty good mystery, a marriage of convenience, revenge, time travel, and friendship willing to go the illegal distance.

I could hardly believe the blurb that came with the book saying Brenda married her ex-boyfriend's slim ball agent Lemmy Crenshaw, but it looks like it's true, and knowing Brenda, there's one heck of a story behind it. It seems Lemmy came to Brenda with a problem. She agreed to help out under certain conditions. When off and on love interest Johnny Verlone finds out, he reveals all creating a vengeful mad hatter. Brenda's anger and frustration at being tricked is apparent in her language and demeanor, a perfect mood for revenge certain to backfire. To get back at Lemmy, Brenda becomes a bra napper, and just her luck, in mid-revenge, she becomes a possible murder witness. During the mystery, her relationship with Johnny spins like a whirling derby with so many breaks up in one storyline that it's dizzying.

The same familiar characters return with Brenda. Elizabeth, her neighbor and friend, Ralph, her doorman and protector, Chuck Rily, who has this time travel thing going on, and of course Dweena who wouldn't dare be left out of the action, illegal or otherwise. It's amazing what one will do for those one associates with, especially in acts of revenge. It certainly makes for great entertainment, and readers will be entertained with Brenda and her cohorts' revenge until about chapter eleven when the mystery begins. Brenda turns to Detective's Turner and McKinley who have to deal with a department problem named Duxman. The characters personal lives and the mystery play well simultaneously. The murder mystery, with some great light moments, is pretty impressive. The turns fooled me, and the murderer revealed took me by surprise. Ms. Wilson has a great sense of humor and it shows - even through Brenda's intense moments. It's a fun series.