Sis Boom Bah [Mass Market Paperback]

Jane Heller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2000

Having a sister means always having to say you're sorry.

What can make sisters stop talking to each other for years? If it's the Peltz sisters, just about anything can touch off an estrangement! In fact, the latest spat between Deborah, a soap opera writer in New York, and Sharon, a wedding planner in Boca Raton, has lasted two years. But when their mother has a heart attack, the sisters rally around her and promise to behave themselves. The only glitch in their peace pact is Mom's doctor. He's single, good-looking, wealthy...and coming on to both sisters. And when someone bumps off this cad of a cardiologist, Deborah and Sharon are prime suspects. Deborah thinks her soap opera savvy can help the police find the killer, but a second murder brings the siblings even closer to danger. Now, joining forces may be their one chance to stay alive. And in the process, they may just learn to love and accept each other, not to mention find men of their own to love.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With the snappy style her readers have come to expect, Heller (Princess Charming; Crystal Clear) presents another breezy tale of modern women; this one explores the bitterly antagonistic relationship between two sisters, and the murder mystery they become embroiled in. Deborah Peltz, 43, a soap-opera writer living in New York, gets fed up with big city life and moves to Stuart, Fla., where her mother lives. Unfortunately for Deborah, older sister Sharon, a fortune-hunting, desperate three-time divorc?e, also lives there. Sharon has always resented Deborah, both for being born and for making the high school cheerleading squad. Their feud is petty and regenerative, and neither sister is willing to let it go, but when the two women aim to seduce the same man only to find him murdered, a new alliance must be forged. The situation turns Deborah into an amateur sleuth and puts Sharon in the hands of a murderer, but the mystery here is not particularly complex or suspenseful. Heller focuses instead on the bickering between the sisters, continuously driving home the maxim that "having a sister means always having to say you're sorry." Heller's female characters suffer a particularly harsh comic treatment, most of them obsessed with money, men, shoes or social position. One only hopes that Heller's humor is tongue-in-cheek when the supposedly worldly Deborah is forced to say things like "the Big Apple had its share of Bad Apples." Heller writes briskly and cheerfully, and readers looking for light fiction with a decidedly contemporary theme probably won't be disappointed at the simplicity of her unfettered characters and implausible plot. Agent, Ellen Levine.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Soap opera writer and New Yorker Deborah Peltz doesn't hesitate to quit her job and move to Florida when her mother has a heart attack. If only supporting mom didn't mean having to get along with her thrice-divorced sister, Sharon. But Deborah and Sharon do find it a bit easier to act like devoted siblings when they are discovered standing over the body of their mother's caddish cardiologist and realize that they are one another's alibis for murder. Fans of Heller's comic novels (Infernal Affairs, LJ 2/1/96; Princess Charming, Kensington, 1997) will be delighted with her latest. This is an entertaining and amusing story, and if the identity of the murderer is a bit obvious, readers will be smiling so broadly they'll be able to ignore this flaw in an otherwise enjoyable tale. Highly recommended for public libraries.AElizabeth Mary Mellett, Brookline P.L., MA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; First St. Martin's Paperback Edition May 2000 (Full Number Line) edition (May 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312971362
• ISBN-13: 978-0312971366
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,751,463 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I hope those who've enjoyed my novels of romantic comedy will try my first nonfiction book, "Confessions of a She-Fan," about my passion for the NY Yankees. Yes, it's about baseball, but it's also about marriage (mine) and what it really means to be a fan. If you aren't into baseball, maybe you know someone who is and you'll tell them about it.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quick, Funny, Entertaining, I loved it!!, September 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sis Boom Bah (Hardcover)

I finished this book in two days, which is rare for me, but I couldn't put it down. It was just so entertaining! I have loved all of Jane Heller's books, and this book really makes me want to visit Stuart, Florida! The only thing that didn't make sense was why would a highly paid daytime TV writer buy a used 1982 Pontiac?? Other than that, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish. Please write another one soon.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensational!, July 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sis Boom Bah (Hardcover)

What a fun book about sibling rivalry! I loved that the sisters had to 'play nice' for their mother's sake...this book was very cleverly written, good characters, good plot and a good mystery. I had no idea what to expect when I picked this up--but I read it in one night and am ready to read more of Heller's books!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable book to cool off with on hot summer's day!, July 5, 2006

By 

Donna K. "bookcrosser" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sis Boom Bah (Mass Market Paperback)

Although marketed as a sibling rivalry story, that plot seemed secondary to the hilarious amateur detective storyline, as Deborah uses her skills as a soap-opera writer to solve the homicide investigation rocking this sleepy Florida beach community. Very witty, with snappy dialogue, I breezed through this fast-paced story in one day!