THE PACT [Paperback]

Jennifer Sturman (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Unknown (2004)
• ASIN: B0028Q4QRW
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars amusing chick lit amateur sleuth tale, November 13, 2004

By 

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

This review is from: The Pact (Red Dress Ink Novels) (Paperback)

Rachel Benjamin vows with her four college girlfriends to keep each other safe from despicable males. Each member of the quintet agrees to do whatever it takes to insure none of them end up with a loser.

A decade later, the fearsome five remain close friends, but Emma is about to marry the centerfold for sleaze Richard to the chagrin of her female pals. At the Adirondacks getaway, the four buddies discuss the PACT and what they can do to save Emma from a fate worst than death, marriage to ratty Richard, but go to bed feeling depressed as they offer no solutions. However, the morning light shines bright when Rachel finds Richard dead in the pool. The local police suspect the victim's family and friends and that of his fiancée. For reasons she cannot explain to herself, Rachel begins sleuthing, but is not just an amateur, she is pathetic while also fumbling with a romance of the best man Peter, who Rachel believes is the prime suspect.

THE PACT is an amusing chick lit amateur sleuth tale that cleverly lampoons both themes for their impossible excesses. Rachel is more than the center that holds the story line together; she is the novel. All other characters including the deceased, the bride, the other girlfriends, Peter, and the cops are caricatures of one or both sub-genres. The mystery has several fine twists as Rachel leads readers down one wrong path after another. Fans of a lighthearted breezy who-done-it starring a chick lit centerfold will enjoy Jennifer Sturman's delightfully humorous spoof.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great plotting; liked the secondary romance, March 10, 2006

By 

Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Pact (Red Dress Ink Novels) (Paperback)

While in college, five lifelong gal pals make a pact to get rid of a "bad" boyfriend should any of them be foolish enough to fall for one.

While gathered for Emma's lavish wedding to sleazy Richard - definitely a Mr. Wrong - the ladies ruminate over how they can keep Emma from making such a disastrous mistake. When the groom ends up dead, the friends wonder if one of them made good on the pact.

Soon the police hold the entire bridal party while investigating the crime. Rachel, who likens herself an amateur detective (too many episodes of "Murder, She Wrote" perhaps?) decides to investigate the crime herself. Her prime suspect happens to be best man Peter, a man she is very attracted to. Is she setting herself up for heartbreak? Or is she just really inept at crime busting?

"The Pact" is a light and breezy comedy with a dash of mystery. Readers will find it a humorous escape from some of the heavy and more graphic murder mysteries.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I Realized Who Done It... and Kept Being Entertained....., December 30, 2004

By 

Julie Jordan Scott "Writer, Life Coach - Owne... (Bakersfield, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Pact (Red Dress Ink Novels) (Paperback)

This isn't high literature - it is my first experience with this "chick lit" genre.... a Christmas gift that I opened and thought, "Why on Earth would someone buy me this?"

First time novelist Jennifer Sturman does a very capable job of bringing the reader alongside Rachel Benjamin with a blend of humor, intelligence, and actually some interesting facts about her work as a VP in the world of Wall Street Finance.

Rachel's side kicks are each likeable for their own reasons... and while it is awefully "convenient" that they are so diverse, I also found myself wondering what would be next for each of them.

I brought along other books while I was on vacation - yet this is the one I finished first. I think that says quite a bit right there. I wouldn't say it will stay in my mind forever, nor will it have a life-changing impact upon me - but I do appreciate it for keeping me company as I laughed and queried right along with Rachel and her friends.