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94th out of 183 books
—
119 voters
Death of a Neighborhood Witch (A Jaine Austen Mystery #11)
by
Laura Levine (Goodreads Author)
When her faithful feline Prozac unwittingly scares to death a parakeet belonging to the neighborhood's resident curmudgeon, Jaine finds herself knee-deep in toil and trouble. The cantankerous Hollywood has-been once played the part of Cryptessa Muldoon, television's fourth most famous monster mom. Now a bitter, paranoid old dame, Cryptessa spends her days making enemies wi...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
September 1st 2012
by Kensington Books
(first published August 26th 2012)
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This was another hilarious addition to the Jaine Austen series (and I just love the cover!). Jaine is always a magnet for trouble, but this time she doesn't have to go far for a murder to occur. There were plenty of suspects, but Jaine manages to figure it out just in time. One of the things I like about this series is the entertaining emails from Jaine's parents - you never know what eye-rolling antics her father is going to get up to! This was a fun read, and I look forward to more crazy adven...more
“Masquerade, Mayhem and Murder”
The haunted hallows of the season are right around the corner and Jaine Austen swears she will stay on her diet—no matter how much the Halloween candy in the supermarket beckons to her. Faithful feline, Prozac, battles a toothy, carved pumpkin, then creates havoc and chaos for Jaine by making his escape and whisks around the neighborhood like a banshee with his mistress in hot pursuit. Of all the local places for the feisty fur ball to decide to venture into, he pi...more
The haunted hallows of the season are right around the corner and Jaine Austen swears she will stay on her diet—no matter how much the Halloween candy in the supermarket beckons to her. Faithful feline, Prozac, battles a toothy, carved pumpkin, then creates havoc and chaos for Jaine by making his escape and whisks around the neighborhood like a banshee with his mistress in hot pursuit. Of all the local places for the feisty fur ball to decide to venture into, he pi...more
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Prozac the cat is up to mischief which leads long suffering, Jaine Austen, her owner into a murder case no one could see coming.
I have not read all the books in this series, so I came to this book without a particular background of knowing what happened prior. However, once I began reading the book, I completely remembered the character.
This story has Prozac aiding in Jaine's meeting a neighbor who is known as the neighborhood's witch. The lady in question was a short-lived television actress,...more
I have not read all the books in this series, so I came to this book without a particular background of knowing what happened prior. However, once I began reading the book, I completely remembered the character.
This story has Prozac aiding in Jaine's meeting a neighbor who is known as the neighborhood's witch. The lady in question was a short-lived television actress,...more
A day without laughter is a day wasted.- Charlie Chaplin
Don't waste another day - Jaine Austen awaits you for another comedic adventure from Laura Levine. For those new to Jaine, she is a free lance author, living "la vida loca" in LA. No, no, she is not dancing to Ricky Martin. Instead, Jaine plays amateur sleuth when dead bodies appear around her. She is abetted in these cozy mysteries by her outlandish neighbor (and shoe salesman) Lance; her faithful friend (and successful writer) Kandi; and...more
Don't waste another day - Jaine Austen awaits you for another comedic adventure from Laura Levine. For those new to Jaine, she is a free lance author, living "la vida loca" in LA. No, no, she is not dancing to Ricky Martin. Instead, Jaine plays amateur sleuth when dead bodies appear around her. She is abetted in these cozy mysteries by her outlandish neighbor (and shoe salesman) Lance; her faithful friend (and successful writer) Kandi; and...more
I got this as an ARC lucky me. This is my first foray into the world of Laura Levine.I laughed I cried, I laughed hysterically. It's a running commentary of what ever is going on in the head of our intrepid heroine Janie, as she unintentionally let's her cat "Prozac" into the yard of her looney neighbor, resulting in the death of her beloved
Pet bird! Most of the internal dialoge deals with food, it as funny at first, but it started making me hungry.
The woman was a " star" on a TV show ala "The...more
Pet bird! Most of the internal dialoge deals with food, it as funny at first, but it started making me hungry.
The woman was a " star" on a TV show ala "The...more
If you enjoy laugh out loud mysteries with zany characters you'll love Death of a Neighborhood Witch, the latest Jaine Austen Mystery by Laura Levine. Jaine Austen is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles with her cat, Prozac. In this, the 11th book of the series, we get to meet more of Jaine's neighbors, including Eleanor Jenkins, better known as Cryptessa, the character she played in the one season sit-com I Married a Zombie. Cryptessa is the scourge of the neighborhood so it's little wonde...more
I loved this book! It should have it's own genre- Chick-lit cozy mystery. All of the characters were well written. It was definitely funny and I could relate to Jaine Austen and her cat, Prozac (reminds me of my kitty). I couldn't put it down and finished it within 2 days.
There were a few things that bothered me: The ending was a little weird. Sure, we found out who the murderer was but it just seemed rushed. Okay, we found out who did it- what next? Books have characters who are annoying, but I...more
There were a few things that bothered me: The ending was a little weird. Sure, we found out who the murderer was but it just seemed rushed. Okay, we found out who did it- what next? Books have characters who are annoying, but I...more
This edition in the Jaine Austen Mystery series is truly Laura Levine's finest. Jaine gets to meet her neighbors and the laughs never stop.
You won't stop laughing when Jaine gets into a competition with Lance her next door neighbor over the new resident heartthrob. This is only the beginning.
Laura Levine has found her "niche" in cozy mysteries. She is one of my favorite authors. I read everything she writes because she has my same sense of humor. You can tell she has had many of the same real li...more
You won't stop laughing when Jaine gets into a competition with Lance her next door neighbor over the new resident heartthrob. This is only the beginning.
Laura Levine has found her "niche" in cozy mysteries. She is one of my favorite authors. I read everything she writes because she has my same sense of humor. You can tell she has had many of the same real li...more
The Jaine Austen series is one of the few series that I have to get the next book when it is released.
I like the sleuth in this series, Jaine is funny. She has a beautiful cat named Prozac (who reminds me of my own kitties) and Jaine's love of ice cream and chocolate rivals my own.
This time Jaine is the prime suspect when a local witch, oddly named Cryptessa, turns up dead!
The mystery itself was quite good, and I liked the character of Cryptessa, especially with her stuffed bat (who she thought...more
I like the sleuth in this series, Jaine is funny. She has a beautiful cat named Prozac (who reminds me of my own kitties) and Jaine's love of ice cream and chocolate rivals my own.
This time Jaine is the prime suspect when a local witch, oddly named Cryptessa, turns up dead!
The mystery itself was quite good, and I liked the character of Cryptessa, especially with her stuffed bat (who she thought...more
It takes me forever to read a Laura Levine book. I love them so much that, like a rich and delicious bar of chocolate, I dole it out one sumptuous piece at a time. If not, I'd voraciously gobble it all up in one sitting and then it would be gone. In the case of Levine's books, I limit myself to three chapters a day to make it last as long as possible.
This book, the 13th in the Jaine Austen series is, appropriately set during the Halloween season. When Jaine's cat Prozac inadvertently frightens...more
This book, the 13th in the Jaine Austen series is, appropriately set during the Halloween season. When Jaine's cat Prozac inadvertently frightens...more
I'd rate this one higher only I think it's time for a Lance-intervention. Given how obnoxiously he's behaved in this and the previous book, why-oh-why would you stay "friends" let alone actually friends with this guy? Prozac needs to smack some sense into him. You're allowed to be flighty and vain and a tad self-centered so long as you temper it with something lovable.
The lovable has seriously been missing lately, Lance. Boo. Hiss.
And yes. My irritation with Lance docked the entire book a whole...more
The lovable has seriously been missing lately, Lance. Boo. Hiss.
And yes. My irritation with Lance docked the entire book a whole...more
What a charming and delightful light mystery for reading in between the heavier tomes. Our heroine is awkward and a slightly overweight sleuth. I found myself smiling as she got into more scrapes than one deserves. There's an interesting mixed L.A. neighborhood of renters and owners in the book and everyone has a motive for murdering the starlet has-been. On the surface, the story may seem "fluffy" but Laura Levine cleverly works three mysteries simultaneously: who murdered Cryptessa?; is he or...more
My favorite mind candy (and this one is obviously candy corn!), I read this in one sitting, as I've done all of Levine's mysteries. Nice for a lazy vacation day!
The latest of Levine's light, pleasant mysteries, sparked as usual by e-mails from Jaine Austen's (yes, sorry) eccentric retired parents with news of their own activities. One of Jaine's neighbors is killed right after threatening to sue Jaine, so she's one of the police suspects. In fact, she is the police suspect. She and her gay pal Lance also have a bet on the interest of the handsome new neighbor Peter, and Lance keeps sabotaging her attempts spend time with Peter, that is when Jaine doesn'...more
Extended review available on Mina's Bookshelf http://minadecaro.blogspot.com/2012/1...
I voraciously devoured this cozy mystery novel by comedy writer Laura Levine! I absolutely loved it, consumed it in just a couple of sittings, and wholeheartedly recommend it not only as a seasonal reading, but also as an excellent starting point to experience Levine's witty and humorous writing style. This is, in fact, the book number eleven in The Jaine Austen Mystery series, each installment a charming vign...more
I voraciously devoured this cozy mystery novel by comedy writer Laura Levine! I absolutely loved it, consumed it in just a couple of sittings, and wholeheartedly recommend it not only as a seasonal reading, but also as an excellent starting point to experience Levine's witty and humorous writing style. This is, in fact, the book number eleven in The Jaine Austen Mystery series, each installment a charming vign...more
It's Halloween time of year and Jaine is working hard (mostly) on new concepts for her Mattress King account, when her cat, Prozac, escapes to the nighbors where he scares the woman's cat to death. Cryptessa (a former sitcom store that was a poor version of the Munsters) proceeds to make Jaine bury said parakeet and plant petunias for her. Meanwhile, Jaine and her neighbor Lance are competing for the attention of new-to-the neighborhood, Peter. When Cryptessa is murdered and Jaine goes sleuthing...more
Another fun book by Levine.
Jaine has a mean old retired TV star, Cryptessa (who did one season in a Zombie series) who has accused Jaine of killing her bird Van Helsing. She is suing Jaine for killing him and has made enemies of quite a few of the other neighbors on the block. While at a Halloween party at a cute new neighbor, Jaine ditches her Gorilla costume because it's too hot.
Later, one of the neighbors who wasn't at the party says that Cryptessa is dead and she saw someone in a Gorilla cos...more
Jaine has a mean old retired TV star, Cryptessa (who did one season in a Zombie series) who has accused Jaine of killing her bird Van Helsing. She is suing Jaine for killing him and has made enemies of quite a few of the other neighbors on the block. While at a Halloween party at a cute new neighbor, Jaine ditches her Gorilla costume because it's too hot.
Later, one of the neighbors who wasn't at the party says that Cryptessa is dead and she saw someone in a Gorilla cos...more
The first few books were laugh out loud funny at times; even if a bit predictable, they were fun to read. But by now the author has reused the same jokes over and over again to a frustratingly boring degree. The jokes are recycled - often with little, if any, variance - so often that each book is almost exactly the same as this one before. I would like to see some new material come from these stories, because the old stuff has been way overused.
It's also a bit tiring reading about a main charact...more
It's also a bit tiring reading about a main charact...more
What an utterly annoying leading female!!! I was willing to give her the reason of doubt but I have never come across a more spineless woman in a novel than her. It took away everything from the murder mystery and her relationships to her best(?) friend and neighbour were frightening. You don't need enemies when you have friends like this. She and he can bribe her with almost any unhealthy food to do their bidding and are neither helpful nor supportive.
The heroine doesn't cook but loves to eat...more
The heroine doesn't cook but loves to eat...more
Jaine's awful diet and general ineptitude made me cringe a few times, but she's a fun narrator, and I like her little conversations with her cat, Prozac. Every character is a major pain in the neck at least once in the story, but most of them make up for it on other occasions. The only thing that was too over-the-top for me was Jaine's parents' emails, which contain a story within a story that's totally insane. The book is full of energy and fun, but all of the snacks and snappy one-liners quick...more
Another OK but very predictable cozy. Jaine Austen is a single, middle aged woman who has very annoying neighbors. Cryptessa Muldoon, an aged ex-television monster isn't loved by anyone in the neighborhood. When she is found murdered, Jaine is the first person they look to since she was being sued by the woman for killing her pet bird. She has to find the murderer and find romance. It is a predictable mystery but the story has its moments. The characters are whimsical but the gay neighbor was to...more
Jaine is living on the block with a neighborhood witch named Cryptessa Muldoon. Only kidding, Cryptessa was an actress in a sitcom called I Married a Zombie, not a very popular series but she keeps acting as if she is royalty. Leave it to Proazac to run past the Do Not Trespass sign on her property and lets just say within a few moments Van Hesling her pet parakeet is dead. Of course Cyptessa is furious and starts yelling at Janie and telling her she is going to be sorry for what she has done wh...more
This was my first Jaine Austen mystery, but surely not the last. When her cat Prozac causes the death of the local witch's (or rather the actress who played one on tv) parrot, Jaine finds herself in a lot of troubles. Troubles that get even bigger when the witch is found dead. And, since it seems that it is not enough problems, she enters into a bet with her neighbor Lance to find out which of them will get a date with the new beau of the neighborhood. Throughout the books, there are funny "comm...more
Jayne Austen is supposed to be funny and quirky, but instead we are supposed to laugh at her because she repeatedly humiliates herself. The mystery was totally meh, the harping on the heroines flaws and bad behavior is over the top - fast food trash filled car, bad eating habits which are a staple in this genre come across as just obnoxious instead of sympathetic, her good friend and neighbor treats her like dirt and purposely humiliates her and she is just fine with it. Just not funny.
Jaine once again triumph in the face of danger in the delightfully entertaining whodunit. This is such a great story with Jaine trying to find a killer, go on on date with the hunky new neighbor, and read the email interplay between her parents. This is a laugh out loud riot from the beginning to an ending befitting Jaine. As always I can't wait to read the next adventures with Jaine and see what she gets into next.
Jaine usually gets along well with her neighbors, but no one gets along well with Cryptessa Muldoon the star of an old one season sitcom. But when someone kills Cryptessa during a Halloween party while wearing Jaine's costume, she leaps to the top of the suspect list. Can she clear her name? As always, this is a fun and funny mystery. I was laughing at some of the sub-plots while wondering what secret and twist Jaine would uncover next.
My full review at Epinions.
My full review at Epinions.
I always look forward to the latest installment in the Jaine Austen mystery books. They never let me down, always give me a laugh-out-loudmoment!
The characters are kooky fun and Jaine continues to strive to better herself. (not too much)
A very nice cozy read, enjoyable, quick, easy and fun.
I recommend the whole series to anyone looking for a bit of humor in their murder mysteries!
First, you just can't go wrong with Jaine Austen book. Jaine is delightful, if a bit put-upon by life, and the situations she gets into might be predictable but the way out never is. Another top knotch mystery with enough characters to keep you guessing. And just fun!
Love Laura Levine and glad she turned her talents to funny, cozy mysteries!
Love Laura Levine and glad she turned her talents to funny, cozy mysteries!
The neighborhood "witch", a former TV star, is murdered during a community Halloween party. Everyone seems to have a reason to kill the old hag but only one person came dress as an ape and that was what the murderer was wearing according to the witness. It is a light hearted sometimes funny look a one person trying to be the Sherlock Holmes of the neighborhood and clear their good name.
I juar finished this book, and thought it was one of Laura Levine's best yet. I love the e-mails from Jaine's mom and dad, and the book kept me interested from beginning to end. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop until I finished. Her secondary characters, including Prozac, Jaine's cat, are always a hoot, and they were in this book, too. I loved Jaine having to change her client's ad copy three times, only to find out he'd decided to go back to being "Mattress King." Read this book--you'll...more
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Grew up in Brooklyn, New York, back when mastodons (and Edsels) still roamed the earth.
Education: Barnard College
First job: Reporter/photographer at a newspaper so small, we had our photos developed in the local camera shop.
Advertising claim to fame: I created Count Chocula and Frankenberry cereals for General Mills.
TV gets invented, and I get a job as a sitcom writer, turning out scripts for show...more
More about Laura Levine...
Education: Barnard College
First job: Reporter/photographer at a newspaper so small, we had our photos developed in the local camera shop.
Advertising claim to fame: I created Count Chocula and Frankenberry cereals for General Mills.
TV gets invented, and I get a job as a sitcom writer, turning out scripts for show...more
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