WANTON'S WEB-C (Cassidy McCabe Mysteries) (Hardcover)

by Alex Matthews (Author) "A blurry twilight was softening the concrete angles along Lake Street as Cassidy McCabe and her friend Maggie Benton stepped outside the air-conditioned movie theater..." (more)
Key Phrases: cat lady, wicker couch, Oak Park, Area Four, Steve Frasier (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
A teenage boy with attitude appears on Chicago psychotherapist Cassidy McCabe's doorstep, claiming to be the son of her live-in lover, Zach. The boy's mother (a provider of high-class "escort" services) faces apparent danger, so Zach and Cassidy visit. Zach discovers the woman dead, of course, and winds up framed for murder. As the pair sleuth, Cassidy, fighting insecurity, sustains an "internal" commentary on subsequent events that gives rise to frequent wry humor. A successful mix of relationships, passion, and revengeAthe fourth in Matthews's series (Vendetta's Victim, LJ 4/1/98).
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Chicago therapist Cassidy McCabe and her live-in boyfriend, reporter Zack Moran, are going to get married. Then, on a hot summer night, Zack's ex-lover, a call-girl named Xandra, calls and asks him to watch a teenage son he never knew existed. Xandra gets murdered, Zack is the prime suspect, and Cassidy investigates to clear Zack and protect his son from danger. Despite the novel's unrealistic premise, the tough mystery and Matthews' suspenseful writing will keep readers reading. With its dark mood and violent scenes, this book will appeal to fans of such well-known hard-boiled female sleuths as Kinsey Millhone and V. I. Warshawski. John Rowen

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 254 pages
• Publisher: Intrigue Press; First Printing edition (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 189076812X
• ISBN-13: 978-1890768126
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,124,395 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I heartily recommend Wanton's Web., July 5, 2000

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Cassidy McCabe returns in Wanton's Web, amazingly confident and comfortable -- at least to begin. She's finally paid off the debts her ex left her with, Starshine the calico seems happy with monster-kittens gone, and even her relationship with Zach is on an even keel as they discuss plans to marry. Unfortunately, when Zach's past returns with a vengeance, Cassidy finds her life thrown once more into crisis as she and Zach team up to find the killer before the police arrest Zach. The first indication that Zach has a child is when he shows up, at the age of seventeen, unannounced on his and Cassidy's doorstep. Bryce presents his mother's letter by way of introduction, explaining that his mother is concerned for his safety and sent him to stay with Zach for a few days. Not surprisingly, Zach races off to the mother Xandra's apartment to confront her, but he's too late. While Cassidy waits in the car, Zach discovers the body of his former lover lying in a pool of blood. Half drunk, he convinces Cassidy to take him home, promising to call the police in the morning when he's clear headed. But someone saw Zach at Xandra's apartment and will report it to the police. In his round-about style, Zach admits his affair with Xandra seventeen years before when he was in his early twenties: "Xandra had a powerful kind of seductiveness different from anything I've ever encountered before or after. I couldn't get enough of her. Or the drugs that came with her." Zach compared her to a "sexual spiderwoman" who always got what she wanted. As Cassidy unravels the secrets of the past, drawn deeper into the web of deceit and danger, she finds herself questioning Zach's drinking, the possibility of his guilt, and her own weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Though she believes Zach, Cassidy can't help reacting to the power that Xandra wielded over every man she encountered. Even as tension mounts between Cassidy and Zach, they must work together to find the killer before two of Chicago's finest succeed in building their case against him. Alex Matthews sets the standards by which excellent mystery writing may be judged. With sassy finesse, she successfully captures the reader in her web with a catchy story and fantastic characterization, well the earning 1999 Readers Choice Award for Best Character In A Series. Indeed, Matthews lends her characters a power and depth, thereby revealing their vulnerabilities and fears right along with their strengths. I heartily recommend Wanton's Web.

Cindy Penn Reviewer

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it, January 2, 2000

By	Brenda S. Weeaks "MyShelf.Com" (United States) - See all my reviews

I became comfortable with the characters right away. Cassidy and Zach seemed very real. Her cat, although not her sleuthing partner, helps to ground the characters with actions all pet owners can identify with. I can understand why Alex Matthews won the 1999 Readers Choice Award for BEST CHARACTER IN A SERIES. The entire mystery series is worth reading.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Matthews weaves a wonderful web of an amateur sleuth tale, February 13, 1999

By A Customer

Psychotherapist Cassidy McCabe believes as life nears perfection, catastrophe strikes. Cassidy feels good about having finally paid off the debts of her former husband that were charged to her account. Even more ecstatic to her mindset is that her lover, commitment-shy Zach Moran finally proposed. However, her heavenly existence abruptly changes when teenager Bryce arrives. Unbeknownst to Zach before the lad showed up is that he sired Bryce, who carries a note from his mother, Xandra, warning that the teen needs protection from a non-described menace.

Zach hates to think back on the sordid past he shared with Xandra. She was a high priced call girl who led him around for three months before dropping him. Zach could not handle her rejection. He drank and stalked her. Once he even got rough with her. Zach visits Xandra to learn more about their son and the threat. However, he finds his ex dead. The police strongly feel he murdered Xandra. Cassidy realizes that since her lover could not have done the deed, someone is setting him up to take the fall. She and Cassidy begin their own sleuthing even knowing they could be the next victims.

The fourth installment in the McCabe mysteries is simply a winner. WANTON'S WEB contains everything amateur sleuth lovers will want in an ongoing series. Besides the duo diving headfirst into a new investigation, the novel includes a murdered ex-lover, an unknown adolescent son, and the growth of the lead protagonists' relationship. It is the last piece that makes Alex Matthews' latest entry an entertaining tale.

Harriet Klausner