Customer Reviews

The Pact (Red Dress Ink Novels)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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

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.

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.

This is a fun new mystery from Red Dress Ink! Rachel Benjamin isn't too thrilled about her friend's choice of groom, but she's going to be in the wedding anyway. But how happy can she be when he ends up dead the night before the wedding? In this mystery/romance, Jennifer Sturman proves that she is the modern girl's answer to Agatha Christie.

Rachel attempts to investigate the crime, mostly for her own purposes, but also because she cares for her friend, too. The result is a funny and ultimately satisfying mystery! This is a nice change of pace from the usual RDI novel. You'll like it!

The Pact is the perfect read for a kick back day. I loved the twists and turns, plus the characters were delightful. It is the perfect weekend getaway for when you can't physically get away. Slip it into a beach bag, suitcase or carry on and you're all set. Can't wait for sequels. (Would love to see it on screen/tv someday.) Definately great light reading. Kudos for a wonderful first novel.

I love fluff mysteries. They are fun, no brainer reads that are a great detour from the heavier stuff I usually enjoy. Sometimes though, it seems the "chic detective" stories get a little redundant and even tend to insult your intelligence with death defying rescues and impossibly obvious suspects. The Pact is one of the best light mysteries I have come across so far. The Pact is fun, suspenseful, sweet, and completely entertaining. If you are a fan of the "easy" read mystery, this one will thrill you without insulting your intelligence. Plus, if you have ever thought you might be the worst judge of character when it comes to men, you owe it to yourself to meet Rachel Benjamin! I can't wait to read more from Jennifer Sturman!

The best book i've read this yaer so far. Rachel Benjamin Is great,always having problems with guys and when she finally fines Mr. Right she is in a middle of a murder investigation. Way to go. She has to disover who killed Rchard, her best friends soon to be husband, before the police does because she thinks that one of her friends could have done it. Everyone is a suspect but the number 1 suspect turns out to be her Mr. Right. Will she be able to prove her self wrong or will she have to turn in the future father of her babys.the twist and turns you will not belive the end. a book that you will not dare put down.

When I first began reading this novel I was a little nervous. Not only was it the first mystery that Red Dress has released, but it started out with more description that dialogue (a point that ALWAYS scares me). But, as I read on I realized that the description had a very easy flow as it was written in a fairly conversational tone.

By the 3rd chapter I was hooked and I succeeded in reading all 300 plus pages of this novel in about 4 hours. I enjoyed trying to come up with my own assumptions about where the mystery was going and I like that there was still a healthy amount of dry wit, character banter and romance that is requisite for any Red Dress novel.

Warning: Some of the language does seem a bit lofty at times. But keep this in mind, these people are Harvard gradates who (for the most part) have been raised by the nannies who were employed by rich families. You wouldn't expect them to speak in slang!

I was OVERLY impressed with Ms. Sturman's first novel and I can't wait to get my hands on more!!!

Jennifer Sturman captures the reader right off the bat with her flowing prose and easy-to-recognize characters. So many mysteries fall flat in the end - but this one keeps getting better and delivers a satisfying ending. I loved it and can't wait for her next book !

Well, I've read worse, that's for sure. But this book never grabbed me. I found the characters frankly unappealing and entirely one-dimensional. The writing seemed to be intentionally flowery -- based on the theory that the more syllables a word has, the better, and that using the same verb more than once is a crime. The pacing was tedious and self-absorbed. We get to read Rachel's thought processes again and again, with little new development. The immense amount of Harvard detail feels like a memoir. The male characters exist only in relation to their potential as dates/sex objects -- an unappealing writing trick whether it's done with women (as usual) or men. The huge coincidence regarding Rachel's work is too implausible to ignore. The who-done-it kept me guessing, so I'll give the book some credit there. However, in general, the whole book felt like a condescension to the reader. If you are a mystery fan like me, you might notice that the narrator is careful to point out not once but *twice* that she only reads popular mystery novels because there's no other choice at the airport bookshop.