Murdering Mr. Monti [Mass Market Paperback]

Judith Viorst (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 1994

"HIGHLY ENTERTAINING...SIT BACK IN THE BUBBLES AND ENJOY."
--The Philadelphia Inquirer
Brenda Kovner, a Washington columnist, advice dispenser, and amateur psychologist, doesn't consider herself intrusive, just extremely interested in helping. If she knows the answer, she can't shut up--even if no one's listening.
Since Brenda knows what's best--for everyone--she secretly decides she must murder her son Wally's prospective father-in-law, before he can get to Wally. She has a foolproof plan. In fact, she has a million of them. But first she's got a few kinky desires of her own to satisfy (.
"Viorst keeps us laughing....A serious look at family and cultural issues while still a farce, narrated by a needling Machiavellian who keeps winning us over."
--San Francisco Chronicle
"A wry look at the follies of superficial urbanites...Enjoy."
--The Washington Post Book World
"Acerbic and extremely funny...Done with the arch, sardonic flavor familiar to readers of Ms. Viorst."
--The Baltimore Sun

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Barbing her trademark insight with humor, the multi-talented Viorst, known for her verse ( It's Hard to Be Hip Over Thirty and Other Atrocities of Married Life ), children's books ( Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day ) and nonfiction ( Necessary Losses ), hits another bull's-eye with this mystery, subtitled "A Merry Little Tale of Sex and Violence." Syndicated advice columnist Brenda Kovner, recently turned 46, is also a wife (of pediatric surgeon Jake), mother (of entrepreneur Jeff and social worker Wally) and sister (of many-careered Rosalie), who lives in a suburb of Washington, D.C. Optimistic, positive and with a characteristic "can-do" attitude that she applies to all problems--not just her own--Brenda decides that only murder will end the dangers imposed on her family by Joseph Monti in his zeal to break the engagement between his daughter and her son Wally. Though not the "murdering kind," Brenda decides that homicide is possible for her, a woman who, in an effort to learn what sex would be like with someone other than her husband, recently executed a plan to sleep with three different men in 24 hours. More compelling than the details of Brenda's murder arrangements are the gradually, and expertly, revealed circumstances surrounding her liaisons and their repercussions. Brenda's determined cheerfulness and constant interference may bring murder to the minds of many in Viorst's sharply limned cast, but readers, laughing their way to the last page, will be glad to have made this Mom's acquaintance. Author tour.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Viorst has done it again. The author of such gems as How Did I Get To Be Forty and Other Atrocities ( LJ 11/15/76) and Yes, Married (S. & S., 1972) has created a funny, adult novel about murder and motherhood. Our heroine is Brenda Kovner, a middle-aged advice columnist whose overwhelming desire for control drives her family crazy. Her dedicated mothering leads her to plot the death of Mr. Monti, her son's future father-in-law--and, by the way, one of the three men Brenda slept with in a 24-hour quest to broaden her horizons. Her attempts at murder are hilarious, and readers may actually root for her to succeed. Highly recommended; demand should be intensified by a national ad campaign and author publicity tour.-- Kathy Ingels Helmond, formerly with Indiana Univ.
Purdue Univ. at Indianapolis Lib.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 343 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (November 30, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449223558
• ISBN-13: 978-0449223550
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,910,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Judith Viorst has written many books for children, including the classics Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and its sequels, and If I Were in Charge of the World and Other Stories. She is also the author of Just in Case, illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal. She lives with her husband, Milton, in Washington D.C.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What fun!, June 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Murdering Mr. Monti (Mass Market Paperback)

Brenda Kovner prides herself on being a "Can-Do" person who is in control of every aspect of her (and everyone else's) life. Her cheerful optimism as she blunders along making everything worse is absolutely hilarious. The chapter dealing with her assignation with a William F. Buckley-type who's into Japanese erotica is possibly the funniest sex scene ever written

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Morally bankrupt but intriguing, July 22, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Murdering Mr. Monti (Mass Market Paperback)

"Murdering Mr.Monti was at once a morally bankrupt but intriguing glimpse of middle age crisis for a woman. Brenda Kovner puts into action most women's curiosities about sex and most women's desire to make things right.

Because of these, the character also becomes unbelievable. Lacking credibility, is Brenda's meeting of Mr. Monti in her home and realizing he was one of her one night stands. Neither skips a beat. Surely, realizing that Mr. Monti would be her son's father-in-law and vice versa needed some delineation of guilt, consternation, or something to punctuate the moment.

Likewise, her intent to engage in extra-marital affairs, manage her adult childrens' lives, and to dispose of Mr. Monti, although charmingly written and accurate in their insights, make Brenda seem too obsessive even for her age and cultural stereotype.

Morally, she is bankrupt. Even the excuse that she is doing this for her family doesn't help--no one in her family asks for her interference. Quite the opposite exists, her family knows she is a busybody and prefers for her to stay out of their lives.

I give this novel a four rating because of the unbelievability of the Brenda Kovner character and because of the weak joke it makes out of fidelity and honesty

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, September 5, 1998

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murdering Mr. Monti (Mass Market Paperback)

It's been a while since I've laughed out loud while reading a book. It just gets better and better. What insights! My only question is..when will Brenda Kovner be back???