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64th out of 425 books
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120 voters
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Agnes and the Hitman
by
Jennifer Crusie (Goodreads Author),
Bob Mayer (Goodreads Author)
Agnes Crandall’s problems are rolling to a boil. First, a dog-napper invades her kitchen, seriously hampering her attempts to put on a wedding that she’s staked her entire net worth on. Then a man climbs through her bedroom window to save her. “Shane” (no last name) may be Agnes’s hero, but he’s also a professional hitman—so he’s no stranger to trouble himself…
Between
...moreMass Market Paperback, 421 pages
Published
August 26th 2008
by St. Martin's Paperbacks
(first published August 2007)
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"... your ass is grass and I am a John Deere super-classic riding lawn mower with a V6 engine and a double cutting blade, do I make myself clear?" - Agnes Crandall a/k/a Cranky Agnes
Don't you just love Jennifer Crusie's dry sense of humor?
Things turn south for Agnes Crandall's wedding catering business when a dognapper invades her kitchen holding a gun. Agnes whallops him upside the head with a castiron skillet, knocking him thru a hidden door in her kitchen and...more
Don't you just love Jennifer Crusie's dry sense of humor?
Things turn south for Agnes Crandall's wedding catering business when a dognapper invades her kitchen holding a gun. Agnes whallops him upside the head with a castiron skillet, knocking him thru a hidden door in her kitchen and...more
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"Okay, Shane," Agnes said as Brenda's clock gonged midnight. "I got Joey in the kitchen, a cop in the front hall, a dead body in the basement, and you in my bedroom. Where do you want to start?"
-- Agnes and the Hitman, page 23
What happens when you take a cranky, homicidal cook with anger issues who loves to swing cast iron skillets, a hitman with family issues, an unsolved murder and a crazy ex-mobster’s wife and put them all together at a mob princess’ we...more
Action/Romance. Agnes is very busy trying to plan her god-daughter's wedding, make cupcakes, and meet her article deadline when some pipsqueak with a gun busts into her house and demands her dog. Agnes doesn't take well to this and cracks him on the head with a frying pan. Suddenly she's got a hot new bodyguard and each day brings at least two attempts on her life. Agnes is tough, but it doesn't hurt that Shane is really good at his job.
I liked this book a lot better than their first...more
I liked this book a lot better than their first...more
LibraryLass Fraser
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone with a sense of the ridiculous
Shelves:
2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! I enjoyed Crusie/Mayer's first book Don't look back as well but this was better.
Agnes and Shane were wonderful. Just enough baggage and angst to keep the chemistry lively. I thought the supporting cast of characters was awesome. My favourites being LL and Garth.
I wouldn't class this as a mystery or romance but there is enough of both to satisfy readers of both genres. I would call this a 'fun' read. It was great. Can't wait for ...more
Agnes and Shane were wonderful. Just enough baggage and angst to keep the chemistry lively. I thought the supporting cast of characters was awesome. My favourites being LL and Garth.
I wouldn't class this as a mystery or romance but there is enough of both to satisfy readers of both genres. I would call this a 'fun' read. It was great. Can't wait for ...more
it's to be expected that something changes when a writer you're used to pairs up with someone from an entirely different genre. some of the old pop and sizzle disappears to make room for the new writer's style and strengths. ok. but i have to say that this was a miss for me.
crusie's novels strengths aren't in elaborate plots but in outlining the relationships between her very un-neurotic hero/heroine in ways that don't seem forced or unreal. her characters are snappy, funny, cran...more
crusie's novels strengths aren't in elaborate plots but in outlining the relationships between her very un-neurotic hero/heroine in ways that don't seem forced or unreal. her characters are snappy, funny, cran...more
This book was awesome. I loved the minor characters, especially Garth, and heroines with anger management issues are right up there with geeky heroes and galley slaves in my Top Ten Romance Turn-Ons, and believe me, there are NOT ENOUGH heroines with anger management issues. So love, love, love, also I am DYING for the apron now (http://www.cafepress.com/shopcherry.1445...). It was a pretty good mix of romance and action, the action plot was exciting, and the plot twist made me VERY happy.
...more
I think I might have given this 3.5 stars, if that were an option, because I'm somewhere between liking it and really liking it. One problem was I got really REALLY sick of Crusie's use of italics to show how passionate and fiery her characters were. (And I know it's Crusie, not Mayer, doing that, because she's always used lots of italics in dialogue. She went way overboard in this book, though.) I was surprised by the amount of killing and violent sex in this book, but not dismayed by it. Hey, ...more
Jennifer
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone curious to see what the lovechild of Elmore Leonard and Janet Evanovich might read like
Recommended to Jennifer by:
Entertainment Weekly (I think)
Silly fun! Take one cranky food writer, Agnes, and one cool hitman, Shane, and mix in a crazy plot involving a wedding, a missing mafioso and his money, a grandmother-of-the-bride from hell, a lot of transplanted New Jerseyians in South Carolina, and an aging but beautiful house in need of repair. Add a sprinkling of crazy side characters and you get a funhouse ride of a book that makes you chuckle out loud now and then. I would have liked to see a little more strife in Agnes and Shane's relat...more
Podem ler a opinião completa no Floresta de Livros.
This book was even crazier than I expect and I loved every bit of it.
The plot is complete nonsense. Everythiing the reader imagines could happen, actually happens, and then the authors add a few more twists to it, making it a crazy-fest.
The characters are mazing. Love them to bits, even if they are all a bit ... wrong in the head.
Even if Brenda's case was pretty straightforward, after the middle of the book, things...more
This book was even crazier than I expect and I loved every bit of it.
The plot is complete nonsense. Everythiing the reader imagines could happen, actually happens, and then the authors add a few more twists to it, making it a crazy-fest.
The characters are mazing. Love them to bits, even if they are all a bit ... wrong in the head.
Even if Brenda's case was pretty straightforward, after the middle of the book, things...more
Marie
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Chick-Lit Lovers, Chick-Lit Mystery, Funny, People who love Frying Pan's
Recommended to Marie by:
Carrie
**5++++ stars**
Have you ever read a book that you finish but within 2-4 days you are ready to read it again? This is that book for me. I have loved several books in my lifetime. This book was easily one of my favorite books ever.
I think between the humor, violence, humor again, romance, friendships, minor characters, and even the dog, between it all I fell in love with this book.
Agnes is a cookbook author. She also has a column about cooking titled Cranky Agn...more
Have you ever read a book that you finish but within 2-4 days you are ready to read it again? This is that book for me. I have loved several books in my lifetime. This book was easily one of my favorite books ever.
I think between the humor, violence, humor again, romance, friendships, minor characters, and even the dog, between it all I fell in love with this book.
Agnes is a cookbook author. She also has a column about cooking titled Cranky Agn...more
Mobsters, bridesmaids, and frying pans, oh my! Agnes and the Hitman pairs romance writer Jennifer Cruise with action writer Bob Mayer in a whirlwind of murder, cooking, laughter, and-of course-love.
Agnes, or "Cranky Agnes" as she is known to the readers of her cooking column in the local paper, is an independent, stubborn woman with bad taste in men and an even worse temper. When her last fiance turned out to be a worthless waste of time, she hit him with a frying pan. And f...more
Agnes, or "Cranky Agnes" as she is known to the readers of her cooking column in the local paper, is an independent, stubborn woman with bad taste in men and an even worse temper. When her last fiance turned out to be a worthless waste of time, she hit him with a frying pan. And f...more
This was cute and entertaining... would have given it 2 and a half stars if possible. The style reminds me of Evanovich's numbered series... which I adore! Some how the silliness just plays off better in the world of Plumb.
I did like the characters but there are all of these over the top things happening that you can't really take seriously because of the tone. It would be really upsetting to have to plan a wedding and have people dropping in to kill you... bashing people's heads in w...more
I did like the characters but there are all of these over the top things happening that you can't really take seriously because of the tone. It would be really upsetting to have to plan a wedding and have people dropping in to kill you... bashing people's heads in w...more
It is kind of hard to categorize this book by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer. It's more a sassy-chick-lit meets hardboiled adventure novel meets screwball comedy. I read their first book Don't Look Down and just about laughed my butt off. This one is even better, the action and narrative are tighter and more continuous. These two very divergent writers are on to something.
Agnes is "Cranky Agnes" the nationally syndicated food columnist and cook book author, living in Sou...more
Agnes is "Cranky Agnes" the nationally syndicated food columnist and cook book author, living in Sou...more
My head hurts from trying to explain any aspect of this story without giving something away, but it's not so complicated when you read it, honest (okay, it's a little bit complicated, but, like Janet Evanovich's books, if you don't struggle to place everyone and just let it all wash over you instead, it all becomes clear in the end). Plus - and you'll know this if you read Crusie's blog - there are flamingoes.
I liked Agnes & the Hitman even better than Don't Look Down (and I liked Don'...more
I liked Agnes & the Hitman even better than Don't Look Down (and I liked Don'...more
I just finished this one last night. I started it yesterday morning and stayed up late to finish it. Generally I really enjoy Jennifer Crusie's books and this one was no exception. She and Bob Mayer do an excellent job working the "he said, she said" formula.
A lot of killing goes on, but essentially it's a mob book so what do you expect? I loved Cranky Agnes right off the bat and Shane is a fun character to watch develop. Their chemistry truly jumps off the page and th...more
A lot of killing goes on, but essentially it's a mob book so what do you expect? I loved Cranky Agnes right off the bat and Shane is a fun character to watch develop. Their chemistry truly jumps off the page and th...more
Agnes reminds me a bit of Goldy (of Diane Mott Davidson's mysteries) involved in Stephanie Plum (Janet Evanovich's mysteries) action.
Agnes is an amazing cook who has agreed to take care of the wedding of a Mob daughter. In return for hosting, and caring for this weeding, she will receive three months of house payments from the person selling her the house she is living in.
The mystery begins when people start showing up at Agnes' door with guns, asking for her dog.
...more
Agnes is an amazing cook who has agreed to take care of the wedding of a Mob daughter. In return for hosting, and caring for this weeding, she will receive three months of house payments from the person selling her the house she is living in.
The mystery begins when people start showing up at Agnes' door with guns, asking for her dog.
...more
I was all set to only sort of enjoy this book. By the end of the first chapter, I was already writing my review in my head. It went something like, "Crusie's stuff is way better solo. This is like a girl's fantasy, invaded by a teenage boy." Only it was more eloquent than that, because all of the reviews that I write in my head are more eloquent than the things that end up on the site. This is still marginally true - I think Crusie's greatest potential lies in her solo work (where aga...more
This was an enjoyable enough book - that is, I got through it and I found the ride fun. It wasn't really what I was envisioning it to be, though, probably because of the influence of Bob Mayer. I had thought it was going to be a romance, but it turned out to be much more a humorous Mafia caper.
Perhaps because the characters are, quite frankly, unbelievable, I didn't manage to get terribly involved in their lives. Part of it may be the fact that I've never been to the South, never liv...more
Perhaps because the characters are, quite frankly, unbelievable, I didn't manage to get terribly involved in their lives. Part of it may be the fact that I've never been to the South, never liv...more
Books that I've read more than once are difficult for me to review. Agnes and the Hitman is one of my all time favorite books. Ever. But I also just reread it, and that's the review rule for the new blog, so here goes.
The cover art of this book is what first grabbed my attention a few years ago at our public library when my husband was an RI (Ranger Instructor) in a small town in North Georgia.
I like the bullet holes and I like the chick with the glasses. It sort of ...more
The cover art of this book is what first grabbed my attention a few years ago at our public library when my husband was an RI (Ranger Instructor) in a small town in North Georgia.
I like the bullet holes and I like the chick with the glasses. It sort of ...more
If you like murder, mobsters, meat forks and mayhem you will LOVE this book as much as I did. Agnes and the Hitman is a roller coaster ride from start to finish. This book in one word is hilarious and it will be one book that I will soon not forget. So much stuff goes on in this book that it’s hard to cover it all without spoiling it. If you are a fan of the Stephanie Plum books this is like a steak to Stephanie’s olive and peanut butter sandwich. The writing is superb and the action is non...more
The dialogue is trite. The sex is bland. The characters are cardboard cutouts. The plot is inane and unbelievable. It seems that the author(s) can’t figure out what kind of book this is. Is it a comic crime caper? A mystery? A romance? A mafia thriller? A cooking cozy? Bodies pile up left and right, plot lines disintegrate or appear from thin air. Even the editing is bad … the electricity goes out, thanks to a bad guy who “did something” to the power, but early the next morning Agnes is in t...more
I read this a while back, not sure why I never added my review anyhow... just ran across it on a top 100 list and thought well, I would have to agree.
First, Jennifer Crusie holds a very special place in my little ol southern heart as she was my first romantic suspense author. She introduced me to a whole little world that I never knew I needed when I read Don't Look Down (highly, highly recommend you devour that book as soon as possible).
Second, I think I've read every...more
First, Jennifer Crusie holds a very special place in my little ol southern heart as she was my first romantic suspense author. She introduced me to a whole little world that I never knew I needed when I read Don't Look Down (highly, highly recommend you devour that book as soon as possible).
Second, I think I've read every...more
Warning: written as a reader not as an author.
Agnes is a cranky southern lady, who cooks - mostly Italian, go figure - and writes a cooking column for a local newspaper. Despite the fact that the best way to the man's heart is through his stomach, Agnes has been unlucky in love. Her current beau is no exception - from the get go, her fiance is pretty much a douchebag. While some people might have a problem with a heroine holding on to a man like that, I've seen plenty of real wome...more
Agnes is a cranky southern lady, who cooks - mostly Italian, go figure - and writes a cooking column for a local newspaper. Despite the fact that the best way to the man's heart is through his stomach, Agnes has been unlucky in love. Her current beau is no exception - from the get go, her fiance is pretty much a douchebag. While some people might have a problem with a heroine holding on to a man like that, I've seen plenty of real wome...more
I love Jennifer Crusie's books. I read this one in a few hours last night, finishing it after midnight. Not only are her books fast reads, but they're also engrossing enough to distract me from my own life whil I read. Last night, that was a blessing.
Agnes is a lifestyles columnist in the newspaper, writing about food. She's also the author of a popular cookbook called Mob Food. Her friend Joey "the Gent" posed on the cover for her. Her life is going well right now. ...more
Agnes is a lifestyles columnist in the newspaper, writing about food. She's also the author of a popular cookbook called Mob Food. Her friend Joey "the Gent" posed on the cover for her. Her life is going well right now. ...more
Agnes is a food writer struggling with her latest article, hosting a wedding, renovating her beloved new home, having doubts about her chronically absent fiance, when someone breaks into her house to steal her dog. Her good friend, and retired mobster, calls in his (maybe shady) nephew Shane to help protect Agnes. And then the plot goes out of control. I liked the characters of Agnes and Shane, but how could they possibly keep up with a story that kept bigger and weirder?
Agnes and her fianc...more
Agnes and her fianc...more
I know, I don't read a lot of chick-lit, but this is chick-lit with crime and adventure thrown in.
...more
Grandson: Has it got any sports in it?
Grandfather: Are you kidding? Fencing, fighting, torture,
revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles!
Grandson: Doesn't sound too bad. I'll try and stay awake.
Grandfather: Oh, well, thank you. That's very kind of you.
Your vote of confidence is overwhelming. ~The Princess Bride
...more
Agnes and the Hitman is a chick-lit comedy with a dash of death, mystery, mayhem, and anger management issues. Of course, having the mob show up at your doorstep probably ups the probability of all of the above.
Agnes is a chef who's writing another best-selling cookbook with fiance Taylor Beaufort. She buys a house from her friend Lisa's mom, with the condition that Lisa's daughter's wedding takes place on the grounds. Lisa's mom then goes all out to sabotage the possibility of that oc...more
Agnes is a chef who's writing another best-selling cookbook with fiance Taylor Beaufort. She buys a house from her friend Lisa's mom, with the condition that Lisa's daughter's wedding takes place on the grounds. Lisa's mom then goes all out to sabotage the possibility of that oc...more
I’m still working my way through Crusie’s novels, and while I have a couple at home yet to finish, I had heard good things about “Agnes and the Hitman,” so I decided to spend an evening at Hastings just to read it. Mission accomplished.
Agnes has a lot going on in her life. She’s trying to write a column to follow up her cookbook success, she’s trying to get her fiancé to move into the house they just bought, and she’s trying to put on a wedding for her best friend’s daughter in orde...more
Agnes has a lot going on in her life. She’s trying to write a column to follow up her cookbook success, she’s trying to get her fiancé to move into the house they just bought, and she’s trying to put on a wedding for her best friend’s daughter in orde...more
I thought it was sweet, funny, and sassy.
Agnes has a panache for cooking and hitting men with her frying pan. One night a boy breaks into her house to steal her dog she defends herself with her weapon of choice, the frying pan, but the boy falls through a hidden door leading to a basement. The boy unfortunately does not survive the fall, and this leads to all sorts of trouble starting with the hitman who is sent to protect her.
I don't normally read romance, but it was tr...more
Agnes has a panache for cooking and hitting men with her frying pan. One night a boy breaks into her house to steal her dog she defends herself with her weapon of choice, the frying pan, but the boy falls through a hidden door leading to a basement. The boy unfortunately does not survive the fall, and this leads to all sorts of trouble starting with the hitman who is sent to protect her.
I don't normally read romance, but it was tr...more
This is going to have to have full blog treatment over at www.biblioblatherblog.blogspot.com. I think it will be epistle form, but not sure. For now, let's saw I went in with low expectations, but ended up marking every few pages with a post-it, not something I usually do with leisure reading. I laughed out, which I really needed and which irritated the chihuahua. I really am going to try to memorize some of Doyle's curses on Brenda. I do not need a spoiler alert on that one!
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| Cafe Libri: February's Secondary Read: "Agnes and the Hitman" by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer | 1 | 2 | Dec 22, 2011 10:54pm |
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Jenny Crusie is the NYT bestselling author of twenty some novels and lots of other stuff. Her latest novel, Maybe This Time, hit shelves in August, 2010.
Jenny lives on the Ohio River where she often stares at the ceiling and counts her blessings.
More about Jennifer Crusie...
Jenny lives on the Ohio River where she often stares at the ceiling and counts her blessings.
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“Any instructions?” Carpenter said.
“Yeah,” Shane said. “Shoot anybody who looks at Agnes funny. And anybody else you don’t like. I’m getting tired of this shi*.”
“Somebody needs a hug,” Carpenter said.
“Humor,” Shane said. “Har.”
—
15 people liked it
“Yeah,” Shane said. “Shoot anybody who looks at Agnes funny. And anybody else you don’t like. I’m getting tired of this shi*.”
“Somebody needs a hug,” Carpenter said.
“Humor,” Shane said. “Har.”
“You have to open up to the world and learn optimism...Contentment with the past, happiness with the present, and hope for the future. Learned optimisim.”
—
12 people liked it
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