Customer Reviews

Revenge of the Cootie Girls: A Robin Hudson Mystery

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Very funny, very unusual, very entertaining! The mystery is secondary to the plot but I did not mind one bit. Refreshing wit and lively characters make this a book you should pick up and read.

Books like this are hard to rate. While it wasn't bad, it wasn't as good as Ms. Hayter's first Robin Hudson mystery, "What's a Girl Gotta Do?" Yes, there were moments of humor, some really good, but all too often I found myself wondering just what in the world was going on. The first part of the story moved right along and was on par with Janet Evanovich's "Stephanie Plum" series. But then I found myself distracted by lengthy narrations into the history of the Cootie Girls and I lost the train of the plot.

Although the story line was one of revenge, I wasn't quite sure against whom. Was Robin the target, or just a pawn in a bigger plot? And, why? By the time I reached the end, my head was spinning and I was worn out from the convolutions the story took to try and figure it all out. I didn't feel the secondary characters added enough substance to the story, none of them evoked much sympathy from me, and seemed to be included just so Robin would have someone to talk to.

While "Revenge of the Cootie Girls" didn't entertain me as did "What's a Girl Gotta Do?" it wasn't a bad book and did provide a couple night's worth of nice reading. I just hope that Ms.Hayter's other Robin Hudson stories will provide me with greater reading delights.

Crazy hijinks galore. Sparkle really knows how to create some wacky characters. This book wasn't as light as the first two and seemed somewhat dark as you began to see that what had happened with her good friend in the past had a totally different meaning when viewed now. You get to see how she developed her strong personality and have a better understanding of who she is and why. I look forward to the next Robin Hudson mystery.

I found Sparkle's third novel less entertaining than her first two, but "Cootie Girls" certainly generated much more thought provoking introspection. Being of the same generation as Ms. Hayter, I often found myself going back along with Robin Hudson to those earlier days that so strongly forge our adulthood. I particularly enjoyed the word tour of New York on Robin's Halloween excursion, a city the author clearly loves, and the vivid background color she adds through-out. Dust off those Yma Sumac records!

Back to some amateur female detective genre... This time it's Revenge Of The Cootie Girls by Sparkle Hayter. I picked up some of her work earlier and liked it, so I thought I'd keep reading. In this case, it's a good thing this wasn't the first book of hers that I read. It might have been the last. This one just didn't click for me.

Robin Hudson, now an executive producer for the studio she works at, is ready for a Girls Night Out event on Halloween. She invites her best friends as well as an intern who works for her. When the intern doesn't show up at the appointed meeting place, Hudson gets a little concerned. She ends up stumbling onto what appears to be some sort of charity event where her intern is going from place to place, and is then given a clue for the next location. Since the questions are about Hudson, she thinks it's some sort of benefit. But the clues get more bizarre, the locations more risky, and additional people start showing up who don't quite look like they're into "charitable events". Hudson thinks it's all part of something put on by an old school chum (a fellow "cootie girl"), but even that gets complicated. The story works up to a life or death showdown at the end.

I'll give the book an average rating as I like Hayter's writing style and imagery. For story and plot, it'd be a lot lower. The story line is muddled and doesn't move much, and far too much time is spent reexaming Hudson's years as a school outcast. At the end, I'm not quite sure who was doing what, much less why. I sincerely hope for better stuff to come, as I still have a couple more of her books to get to...

This book was one of the best I've read. The main character, Robin Hudson, is suddenly thrust from her normal routine when an intern turns up missing. Following the trail to find her intern, Robin is forced to recall her past, and one of her oldest girlfriends, who shared her life as a "cootie girl." During her quest she comes across women in green wigs, policeman, strippers, and even gangsters!

However, as she remarks, "hindsight isn't 20/20," and she is forced to re-examine her life as a cootie girl, and how her alienation as a child has made her into the strong woman she is today.

Sparkle Hayter creates fabulously funny and alive characters. She has also created a book that I couldn't put down. I would recommend it to everyone, especially if you want to have a good laugh, and a good thrill all in one book.

After reading other reviews, I'm anxious to get my hands on more of Hayter's work. I thought this was great, especially the last 30 pages or so. The granny bit is hilarious. So, if this is everyone's least favorite? I can hardly wait to read what the others rave about.

Yes, it's introspective. No, it's not so much about the mystery. But those of us who've recovered from a bout of the cooties (and have a bit of a Julie in their lives) understand.

Very disappointed in this book...

It really started off well... But then the mystery part of it completely dropped off and turned into a life story about Robin Hudson rather then a Robin Hudson Mystery...

It's a good read, but definitally not a very good mystery...

No where near as good as her first two books. Still an entertaining way to spend an afternoon though.

Start with one of the other Robin Hudson books if you've never read her before - you'll be a little more patient with this one if you are familiar with the character. Overall it's an entertaining read - won't change your life - but not all books will.