Customer Reviews

See Isabelle Run

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

've said it before, I'll say it again! I enjoy a good mystery but I love a good mystery that has some humor in it. And I also enjoy discovering new authors. The upside of finding new talent is the joy of reading what they've written. The downside is that I have to wait and pray that there will be more books to follow. Elizabeth Bloom, author of See Isabelle Run is an author to watch for.

Isabelle Leonard was left at the altar just moments before her wedding. But that didn't prevent her from going dateless to her reception, dancing on a table and ending up a New York news story. Then reality smacks her in the pocketbook. Without a husband and a job, she can't afford the apartment she's living in on the upper east side and doesn't know where her next meal is coming from.

Isabelle takes a job at Becky Belden Multimedia where the corporate culture is perky and creepy at the same time. Becky Belden, the creator and head of BBM is a Martha Stewart-like clone. Soon after joining the BBM family, Isabelle discovers that employees are dropping dead like flies. See Isabelle run as she becomes the next target for the killer.

This is a witty, well-written read. I must admit that I stayed up far too late finishing it. But that's a good thing. Elizabeth Bloom should only get better with subsequent books. If you want a fast, fun read, See Isabelle Run might just be what you're looking for.

Elizabeth Bloom is the married name of the author Beth Saulnier. I enjoyed all of Beth Saulnier "Alex Bernier" mystery books ... but See Isabelle Run was just not the best I've ever read. It seemed so fake and so predictable. I like it when I can't figure out who's done it ... with this book, I could figure it out all along. The plot and dialogue is reminiscent of a movie you might see on the Lifetime Network. Isabelle and Mac seemed exactly like the couple in the Alex Bernier books.

Elizabeth Bloom should have stayed single in Ithaca! Getting married and moving to NYC are not boding well for her writing. Bring back Beth Saulnier and the Alex Bernier stories!

I don't know what the reviewer for Publisher's Weekly could have been thinking when he/she so thoroughly trashed this novel. It is delightful! Isabelle is a great heroine that most young, working women can identify with and the Becky Beldon Multimedia spoof of Martha Stewart Omnimedia is hilarious. The suspense portion of the plot is well done and a genuine puzzle, unlike so many other books in this category. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that the romance portion of the book is written somewhat oddly/awkwardly but still, this is a great book when you are looking for something fun to read.

It's a bad thing when your fiancé dumps you for your maid of honor. It gets worse when it happens twenty-two minutes before your wedding is supposed to happen. It gets even worse when you decide to party at the reception anyway and become a media sensation when a picture of you dancing on tables is splashed across every media outlet.

In the aftermath, that media frenzy gets Isabelle Leonard an administrative assistant position in the empire known as Becky Belden Multimedia. BBM is a design and lifestyle empire run and owned by Becky who is everyone's favorite homemaking expert. And while BBM through Becky and her many shows and publications tells everyone how to live their lives perfectly with great taste, no one has addressed the fact that at least some of the over 3000 employees are dying in strange ways. Isabelle replaced someone who died and as the accidental deaths continue to happen, Isabelle wonders if she might have heard the wrong thing and could be next.

This cozy style mystery written entirely from Isabelle's point of view works slowly forward with Isabelle dealing not only with work issues but a complicated and chaotic personal life. Isabelle is not a take-charge kind of character and as such, she reacts to various events around her and does very little actual investigative type work until the second half of the novel. One is constantly reminded not just of thinly veiled allusions to public figures and various media events, but also of aspects of a Stephanie Plum type character that bumbles around quite a bit at times. In this case, instead of blowing up cars, Isabelle does not have a car, she spills a lot of things and bad things seem to keep happening to her. The result is an enjoyable, occasionally funny book that moves very slowly along until the final fifty pages, which makes the read all very much worthwhile.

This entire review previously appeared online at OnceWritten.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2005

I've said it before, I enjoy a good mystery but I love a good mystery that has some humor in it. And I also enjoy discovering new authors. The upside of finding new talent is the joy of reading what they've written. The downside is that I have to wait and pray that there will be more books to follow. Elizabeth Bloom, author of See Isabelle Run is just such an author.

Isabelle Leonard was left at the altar moments before her wedding. But that didn't prevent her from going dateless to her reception, dancing on a table and ending up a New York news story. Then reality, like a brick wall, smacks her in the pocketbook. Without a husband and a job, she can't afford the apartment she's living in and doesn't know where her next meal is coming from.

Isabelle takes a job at Becky Belden Multimedia where the corporate culture is perky and creepy at the same time. Becky Belden, the creator and head of BBM is a Martha Stewart-like clone. Soon after joining the BBM family, Isabelle discovers that employees are dropping dead like flies. See Isabelle run as she becomes the next target for the killer.

This is a witty, well-written. If you want a fast, fun read, See Isabelle Run might just be what you're looking for.

I liked this girl Isabelle, and I was rooting for her all the way through this entertaining read. I liked her self-deprecating humor mixed with some determination and backbone. I enjoyed the premise of the book, however unrealistic (being dumped by her fiance leads to a pity job offer that goes bad, big-time). I was entertained by the picture of corporate America that emerges, a bit skewed, and I especially liked Isabelle's enjoyment of life (loved her choices of activities for her dates). As a whodunit, it's not too complex, and yet the story was interesting enough to keep me reading and trying to work out Isabelle's next move, and how she'd react to things. I found this book an enjoyable, entertaining read, and came away hoping for more like it.

I picked this book up on a fluke at the thrift store and started reading it just before a trip, I ended up finishing it on the airplane. The book is good reading especially due to the ease of picking back up where you left off.

Isabelle is the main character of the story and the author creates her persona as a bit quirky, still finding her way through life. Isabelle goes from being dumped at the altar of her wedding, to landing a job as an assistant at Becky Belden Media. She isn't entirely sure how she lands this job but she is trying to do her best. While at her new job she begins to notice a trend of people being killed or dying. She thinks is a bit unusual for a company to have so many people all working at the same place die so closely together. So she starts to do some investigative work on her own and because she begins to look into things and her insight, the pieces begin to come together. The part that I found most intriguing was her strong insight into some people but her lack of understanding of other people. If you are looking for a fun light read at the beach or on a trip this is the book for you.

Overall it was a very enjoyable read and I would read another book by the same author anytime.

This book consists of 47 chapters and doesn't start picking up until chapter 29! It really lacks action. It also tries to end the same way it begins, reminiscent of 'The Outsiders'. I would really like to recommend that the author read the 'The Outsiders' to find out how to write some really good action.

This was my first read by this author. I wanted an easy, no-thought book for the beach and that is just what I got. While I usually enjoy a more thought-provoking mystery, this book was just under that. It did provide some humor and was very light. For those that want a mystery that keeps you guessing until the end, look elsewhere. Overall, a great book for lazing by the pool or taking to the beach.

I have always enjoyed the mysteries from Beth Saulnier, and I am thrilled that she is now writing outside her 'Alex Bernier' series under the name Elizabeth Bloom. This book moves along nicely and is quite engaging, especially for the 20ish-40ish woman mystery lover. The tone, pace, and hijinks of the protagonist remind me of Janet Evanovich books.