Customer Reviews

You Only Die Twice (Britt Montero)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Being a southern California based mystery writer, I am constantly amazed by the output of those mystery writers based in southern Florida. They deal with a territory similar to ours in many ways, yet their works have twists that distinguish the Florida works from our California mysteries.

Edna Buchanan is among the best of the southern Florida mystery writers, and YOU ONLY DIE TWICE is among her best works. I love this book. The body of a woman washes up dead, and Britt Montero, ace crime reporter, is off on her latest adventure. The woman was supposedly murdered ten years before by her wealthy husband. That man was convicted of the crime and is awaiting execution when his supposed victim rides the tide ashore.

All of the usual atypical elements of Buchanan's works are featured here. The plot moves swiftly and veers in odd directions. The dialog is crisp, and Miami continues in its spectacular supporting role. New light is cast on Britt's romantic and family relationships. This book is perfect! Bring on the next!

Rejoice thriller fans, Britt's back - ace crime reporter Britt Montero, that is, creation of Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter/author Edna Buchanan. The scene is, of course, Miami, where the sun always shines and crime stats. pile high.

Britt hears that the body of a once beautiful young woman has just washed up on the beach. Through fingerprints the woman is identified as Kaithlin Jordan, a member of an important department store family. Evidently, Kaithlin once held sway at the family's flagship store, calling the shots and rasing the revenue.

There are conundrums, as always - a major one being that Kaithlin has been dead for ten years. In fact, her killer is scheduled to be executed for her murder in one week. Where has the woman been for a decade, what has she been doing and who killed her - twice?

Britt needs all her resources to solves this crime that has more twists than a corkscrew.

Edna Buchanan is a pro at devising plots that reel readers in. With "You Only Die Twice" she's hooked us once again.

The death warrant has been signed and R. J. Jordan is days away from execution by the State of Florida for the 10-year-old murder of his beautiful young wife, Kaithlin. Kaithlin's body was never found, but the circumstantial evidence of her demise was so overwhelming that R. J.'s protestations of innocence fell on deaf ears.

Miami crime reporter Britt Montero is on the beach when the freshly murdered body of a young woman washes ashore. Imagine the chagrin of law enforcement officials when the body is finally identified as that of ... Kaithlin Jordan. After an emergency hearing, an understandably surly R. J. Jordan is released from prison and Britt begins her investigation into where Kaithlin Jordan has been for the past ten years and why she suddenly showed up dead in Miami, to say nothing of who killed her.

The answers to these questions and more will shock you and, chillingly, this scenario could so easily actually happen. The pace of this absolutely fabulous thriller is so frantic that I finished it in one evening. Nobody writes 'em like Edna Buchanan, who's been there and done that.

Having been fortunate to have read over the years Edna Buchanan's books, I can say "You Only Die Twice" was as good as "Contents Under Pressure" and "Miami, It's Murder." That the latest installment in the Britt Montero mystery series was as exciting as those first only showed that Ms. Buchanan had created a formidable character in Britt. Strong dialogue propelled the plot forward. Indeed, through exchanges between Lottie and Britt, it was shown that Britt was becoming insensitive in regards to people, most noticeably in her attitude toward Angel. Ms. Buchanan achieved an impressive balance between the high-octane action in her novel and the deliberately paced development of Britt. Only after Britt finally became enthralled at Angel's child birth did Britt reaffirm her faith in "happy endings." This metaphor for redemption was essential, because there has been implied a nobility in Britt's constitution. After wavering, it was reassuring to see that authenticity we have come to expect. By the end of "You Only Die Twice," Ms. Buchanan had instilled a new hope in Britt. I zipped through this book, and I hadn't been able to finish a book in over a year.

I just finished reading this book and it was great. It starts out with a body found on the beach. Britt Montero decides to check this out and finds out the women was reported dead 10 years ago and the man who was found guilty of killing her is to die in a few days. As she gets involved she puts her life in total danger. The ending is edge of the seat reading. Edna Buchanan's book's are all great but this is one of her best.

Miami News police beat reporter Britt Montero is at the scene of the floater when Detective Emery Rychek arrives to take charge of the investigation into the death of Jane Doe. Normally, the local police ignore floaters, but this is not the usual drowning victim so the brass decides to make some discreet inquiries among missing persons, etc. However, bets are off when the Medical Examiner informs Rychek that someone killed the victim.

At first, Rychek failed to come up with an identity, but the fingerprints ultimately led to the body being Kaithlin Jordan. The only problem with her being the corpse is that her husbamd Robert, heir to the Department Store, sits on death row for murdering her ten years ago. Though drowned and her corpse impacted by water and sand, the deceased has the look of someone who lived a very good lifestyle. Britt begins investigating more than just who killed Kaithlin and why, but where has she been for a decade while her spouse lingered on death row?

YOU ONLY DIE TWICE is a thrilling investigative tale that uses legitimate twists and turns from the onset to keep the audience off balance. The story line hooks the reader early as everyone wants to learn where Kaithlin has been for ten years. As with her previous starring roles Britt remains a fabulous character and the support cast brings Miami to life as only Edna Buchanan can do.

Harriet Klausner

I can't believe that I have been reading as often and as many books that I have and never ran across her books before. I just finished "You Only Die Twice" in one day's time. I had purchased "Act Of Betrayal" from a library closeout and I liked it enough to buy this book. Now, I am searching for any and all of her books. I realize that there are a lot of Britt Montero, the reporter and that I will now be out of sequence, but that will not deter me. I intend to find them all.

This is my first Britt Montero Mystery by Edna Buchanan, and I'm hooked! The story involves a beautiful woman (naked at that) who washes onto a Miami beach, and for a while can't be identified. The police, and resourceful and beautiful reporter Britt Montero, know from the expensive jewelry, and finely tanned skin, and perfect nails this is no regular Jane Doe. Turns out she has already been reported murdered ten years ago, by her rich playboy husband who now sits on death row, and is two weeks away from the needle. Twists and turns in every chapter keep you turning the pages, and I couldn't help but be drawn in by Britt's first person narrative. I found myself finishing this book in two days, and staying awake late into the night to get to the final startling chapter! If you like fast reads, fun characters, and lots of twists this book is for you. I've already bought two more Britt Montero mysteries, and can't wait to read them!

Just when you think what is going on in this novel, something changes. I have never read one of Ms. Buchanan's novels before, but the title grabbed me. I will admit that it was a fast read and I was hooked almost from the beginning of the novel.

The story is the murder of Kaitlin Jordan, who is found washed up on a Miami beach, 10 years after she is supposed to have been murdered by her husband. The list of suspects changes throughout the novel. There are many questions--where has she been? who is she now? why did she come back? Through all the twists and turns, Britt Montero becomes not only involved deeply in the mystery, but also in figuring out what she wants out of her life at this point.

Author Buchanan returns to Miami where a blonde bombshell has washed up on the beach. Newswoman Britt Montero tries to help the police identify the beautiful blonde. Britt discovers that the dead woman was murdered by her wealthy husband 10-years ago--now she's dead again, springing her death-row hubby from prison, just weeks before his scheduled execution. This is a well-crafted caper and a great summer read.