Customer Reviews

Murder Can Kill Your Social Life

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

 

 

Dez Shapiro made a hit with me. She was funny and didn't let her size or age intimiate her in any way. The mind of a detective was clearly used here as she processed the multiple murders into a solution of why and who done it. She was a delight to read and plan to add the following books to my reading list.

Desiree Shapiro is a fun, enjoyable and interesting character. This book is a well thought out enjoyable read with only a few minor draw backs. First, the fat humor borders on excess. Second, the niece's relationships and the additional girlfriend plot were distracting. Overall, however, I enjoyed it as fluff reading. It was pleasant to have mind candy with a female heroine that wasn't of the trashy romance variety. I plan to read the rest of the series as I feel the need to let the stresses of my life disappear for awhile.

This first book in the Private Eye "Desiree Shapiro" mysteries was pretty good. But advertised as a "Queen-Size Manhattan PI", which is why I bought the book thinking 'here's something different', there wasn't much reference to her being fat. The author could have done a lot more with that angle and should have since that is the series' signature mark. Still, the plot was fine; characters pretty good; and it was a fairly fast read. It was easy to keep track of what was happening. I found the writing to be charming, with a good sense of humor. I'll read another.

Desiree Shapiro is a New York City Private Investigator. In this book, she is investigating murder(s) that happen in the apartment building where her niece Ellen live. She is determined to find out who and why.

Throughout this book, there is lots of good food. Desiree has a witty writing style. This book was so fun to read. I enjoyed the adventures and Desiree's fun, cool life.

I thought this book was really good, fun, and clever. The final solving of the murder(s) was cleverly done by Desiree. The final murder-solving was fun and clever. I really enjoyed that part of the book (as I did the entire book).

The book is the first book of the series. (But it is the second book of the series that I've read.)

After enjoying this book so much, I was really surprised at the mediocre reviews.

There was only one thing I wasn't happy about. I considered lowering the rating to 4-stars, but after careful evaluation, I decided that it wasn't enough to lower it to 4-stars. Here is what it was: At the very end of the book, there was something that wasn't totally answered (I guess you have to use your imagination). I can't tell you what it was, because I don't want to ruin the book. But it had something to do with the murder suspect(s). I just wish it had of come out in black and white and told us, instead of making us guess. But other than that, this book, to me, was just about perfect. (The book was too good and the mystery was too clever to lower the rating to 4 stars. The mystery cleverness alone is a hundred or more stars.)

I still remember seeing this series in the bookstore and being totally infatuated with finding out what it was all about. Having first read one of the latter books in the line up ( #11 to be exact) I just knew that there was no other choice but to start with book # 1 to see what sparked it all. Desiree Shapiro is truly an interesting character, her passion for sleuthing only matches her enthusiasm for good food. It's hard to trust a character that never eats, I mean come on; if they are meant to appear real they better involve some tasty meals here and there or else they are nothing more than machines running on the writers ink.

The first book in the series gives the reader a broad glimpse into the life of the Manhattan private investigator that is probably a bigger hoot than all the wacky characters she interacts with. I know this book got many lukewarm reviews but I just adored it and even before I was done my thoughts were all ready swarming with thoughts of what other delights would the next book contain. This story had many characters, suspects and faces but I found myself totally enchanted and had a blast reading a good, cozy mystery.

When Desiree visits her niece Ellen in her new Manhattan apartment she is unaware that the day holds the power to transform her entire life. Little after she leaves there is a murder and Desiree has no other choice but to get involved in her first such case to clear the name of a young delivery boy who seems to be the prime suspect. When a second murder strikes with odd similarities she knows there is nothing else to do but for her to get lost in the case to avenge a man and woman who were somehow connected in their own deaths. When families, lovers, and friends of the second suspect start crossing paths on her line of suspects Desiree is faced with an intricate and fun mystery that really makes for an addicting read. There were a lot of paths but in the end the answer was worth waiting for.

- Kasia S.

Desiree Shapiro, plus-size private eye extraordinaire, is visiting her niece, when a murder takes place in the building. Desiree is immediatley called on to protect a young grocery delivery boy from being charged with the murder. Soon on there's another murder in the same building, and Desiree feels her detective work is getting her nowhere. Until she finally gets what she thinks is a lead, and turns out to be wrong.

Overall, this book was somewhat of a disappointment. Desiree is a likeable character, but the amount of relationships, characters, and situations, went a little overboard. I recommend this book to someone who is looking for a light mystery.

The Desiree Shapiro mysteries at first glance seemed to have a lot of promise, but I found the characters to be one dimensional and the mysteries to be just plain boring. I gave up on this book half way through, not caring "who done it".

Desiree Shapiro is a full figured private eye living and working in New York City who usually handles fraud and domestic cases. One day, there in a murder in her niece's apartment building. She is asked to clear the grocery boy accused of the murder, but then another murder takes place. Are the two connected? And what can she do about her attraction to one of the suspects?

I started out liking the book. I found the humor fun and the character likable. But the plot was boring. I figured out a key plot point chapters before Desiree did. There is a subplot concerning a friend's husband that adds nothing but pages to the story. The plot advances very little until the climax is reached.

I was disappointed I wasted my time with this book. It is a great character destroyed by a weak plot.

I'm a fan of mysteries with women heroines and I was excited when I discovered one to be a bit overwieght. I was highly disappointed with the writing and the plot was predicatble. Also, you felt cheated with the "spin" the author tried to put on it. It was one of those books where the main character seems to draw her conclusions out of no where and solve the mystery. Also, the fact that she wrote out the accents extremely heavy annoyed me. It's okay to imply that there's a heavy accent, but to write it out so unclear that you have to go back and reread to get the gist of what the person is saying is annoying. We get the point, the character has an strong accent.

Murder Can Kill Your social Life by Selma Eichler (a Desiree Shapiro Mystery).

Desireee shapiro is our sleuth in this book and this series. She's not what you'd expect for a city P.I. Desiree is "pleasingly plumb" with a fun attitude on life especially her own.

The story begins with Desiree going to visit her niece, Ellen, at her new apartment on the 14th floor. That's when the confusion also begins. Desiree discovers that the elevator is out of order and she has to climb up 14 flights of stairs...or is it 14 flights?
I caught on to this clue immediately-can you?
Desiree searches for the key Ellen left under the mat and it's no where to be found. finally she realizes she may be on the wrong floor and backtracks. A neighbor informs Desiree that she's on the 15th floor and not the 14th floor. So down a flight she goes to spend the night at her niece's apartment.
The next morning Sergeant Tim Fielding and Detective Walter Corcoran of the 14 Precinct homicide Dept. were sitting in Ellen's living room. (Desiree has a long standing relationship with Tim fielding from other cases she's worked with him on.) They inform both of them that there was a murder committed in apt. 15 D last night. An elderly woman, Mrs. Agnes Garrity, was found murdered.
An innocent grocery errand kid, Jerry Costello, was their prime suspect.Desiree is asked by the kids employer,Mr. Martinez, to do some sleuthing of her own in proving his innocence.
Desiree agrees to take on the case and then...another murder takes place in that same building in 14 D.
Desiree investigates all the usual suspects in her own Q & A routine sometimes getting under the nerves of Sergeant Tim, but that doesn't stop her. The plot thickens as relationships develop during this mystery. In the end they have their suspect dead to rights...or do they? Is that the real killer or are there two?

I enjoyed this book because I like the main character and found her to be believable and likeable. The other characters also are believeable with all their qwirks.
This is the 2nd Desiree Shapiro mystery I've read and would highly recommend it to cozy readers.

Characters: Desiree Shapiro-P.I.
Ellen Kravitz-Desiree's niece through marriage
Sergeant Tim Fielding-homicide 14 Precinct
Sal Martinez-owner of the grocery store where Jerry Costello works.
Jerry Costello-prime suspect in the murder of Mrs. Garrity
Selena Warren-mistress of Neil Constantine
Neil Constantine-2nd victim
Louise Constantine-scorned former wife of Neil Constantine.
Alma Constantine-hostile daughter of Neil Constantine
Jack Warren-estranged husband of Selena Warren.
Bill Murphy-former business partner of Neil Constantine
Sean Clory-superindentent of the apartment building where murders
took place.