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66th out of 136 books
—
112 voters
Liar, Liar (Cat DeLuca Mysteries #1)
by
K.J. Larsen
Liar, Liar, the first book in the Cat DeLuca Mysteries, has it all: a strong plot, memorable characters, and an astonishing finish.
Cat DeLuca’s short, stormy marriage to run-around Johnnie Ricco was a crash course in infidelity. It taught her everything she needed to launch the Pants On Fire Detective Agency. Now armed with spy glasses, camera and chocolate, Private Invest...more
Cat DeLuca’s short, stormy marriage to run-around Johnnie Ricco was a crash course in infidelity. It taught her everything she needed to launch the Pants On Fire Detective Agency. Now armed with spy glasses, camera and chocolate, Private Invest...more
Hardcover, 250 pages
Published
September 7th 2010
by Poisoned Pen Press
(first published May 27th 2010)
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673)
Oct 03, 2010
Sarah
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
all-time-favs,
books-i-read-at-least-7
Okay cooler authors? I think not. (met them at Borders yeaterday! They were sooo funny plus supper like, suportive.) They're sisters for one, and they were really sweet to their fans.
Better characters? I'm gonna go with a no again. I loved the huge italian family and crazy "dead men". Cat's just hallarious in genral, running a detective angency for women that want to find out if their husbands are cheaters, and Chance the dead man that she keeps runnining into, with such pretty eyes. She had cra...more
Better characters? I'm gonna go with a no again. I loved the huge italian family and crazy "dead men". Cat's just hallarious in genral, running a detective angency for women that want to find out if their husbands are cheaters, and Chance the dead man that she keeps runnining into, with such pretty eyes. She had cra...more
Liar Liar is a fast, fun read - as noted on the jacket cover, if you enjoy Janet Evanovich (or Carl Hiaasen, Lisa Lutz) you should love this new series created by KJ Larsen (who are three sister authors writing under one name). As you might guess, it's not the mystery that's the heart of the book, but the people who inhabit it. Cat DeLuca is the owner of a detective agency that specializes in getting the goods on cheating spouses. Things get crazier than usual when a house she's watching is blow...more
This was an amazing read. Very humorous of a stereotyped Chicago Italian family. It is a family filled with law enforcement members, a couple of daughters, one of which owns her own private investigative agency. This book features Caterina (Cat) Deluca.
Cat owns the "Pants on Fire Detective Agency" that specializes on getting the goods on cheating, naughty spouses. Cat was inspired by her ex...a cheating spouse. While she is on surveillance, she follows a suspect to an abandoned building. Expecti...more
Cat owns the "Pants on Fire Detective Agency" that specializes on getting the goods on cheating, naughty spouses. Cat was inspired by her ex...a cheating spouse. While she is on surveillance, she follows a suspect to an abandoned building. Expecti...more
Unintentionally funny. At the end Cat DeLuca’s self-introduction that leads off the book, you know things are not going to go well. It ends with the phase: ”my life brook into a thousand Monopoly pieces”. Um, a thousand ”Monopoly” pieces? Does that make sense to anyone else? These little bits of weirdness, reminiscent of talking to an Indian call center employee pretending to be ”George from the Midwest” permeate the book. Cat goes out for dinner and has an ”Italian salad” - maybe the author mea...more
Sep 08, 2011
Lucinda
added it
Liar, Liar (Poisoned Pen 2010) introduces Cat DeLuca, a private investigator operating the Pants On Fire Detective Agency, specializing in cheating spouses, in Chicago. Cat is tailing Chance Savino, a suspected cheating spouse, when she sees him entering a building, which explodes and injures Cat. The body found inside the building is identified as Chance, and Cat breaks the news to her client. But things aren’t quite so simple: the FBI says the building exploded because of a gas leak instead of...more
In case you find the title of this book oddly familiar it’s because it was modeled from a popular childhood rhyme “Liar Liar, pants on fire”. The rhyme serves as the title of Cat DeLuna’s Private Investigation firm where she catches lying and cheating husbands. The nature of Cat’s job, her crazy family and K.J’s writing makes this story a really funny and whimsical read.
Some of the more outstanding themes in the book were arguably sexism in the police and investigative fields and also the relev...more
Some of the more outstanding themes in the book were arguably sexism in the police and investigative fields and also the relev...more
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I had a great deal of fun reading this book. Cat and her family were hilarious. I loved all of her brothers. The twins were instigators and continuously cracked me up. Her sister could use a good smack on the head. Her dad, well, he and his scar are just in a class of their own. Her mother, well, she's like the pot calling the kettle, etc.
The story had an interesting mystery and I have to say that one of the bad guys was unexpected. There was also a fair amount of action and I loved that Cat co...more
The story had an interesting mystery and I have to say that one of the bad guys was unexpected. There was also a fair amount of action and I loved that Cat co...more
This was a fun book to listen to - with everyone from her trusty sidekick and protection dog - Ingle, a beagle who can be bribed easily with sausages to her wacky family you will enjoy this book.
Cat DeLuca runs a private eye business focused on getting the dirt on cheating spouses. But she somehow ends up at the right place at the wrong time and gets hit in the head by a flying "For Lease" sign when the bomb goes off. Her family and the police are convinced she needs mental help when she keeps...more
Cat DeLuca runs a private eye business focused on getting the dirt on cheating spouses. But she somehow ends up at the right place at the wrong time and gets hit in the head by a flying "For Lease" sign when the bomb goes off. Her family and the police are convinced she needs mental help when she keeps...more
My impression so far of this book is that it tries too hard to be a Stephanie Plum knock-off.
The overbearing family, the sidekick pet, the mafioso family connections.
I am going to give this a few more chapters to see if she ever gets into solving the case of who is Chase Santro-whatsisface and who is the blue eyeliner lady passing herself off as his wife?
I stuck with this book and still feel it is a Stephanie Plum knock-off. Although instead of forgetting to pack a gun as Stephanie always does,...more
The overbearing family, the sidekick pet, the mafioso family connections.
I am going to give this a few more chapters to see if she ever gets into solving the case of who is Chase Santro-whatsisface and who is the blue eyeliner lady passing herself off as his wife?
I stuck with this book and still feel it is a Stephanie Plum knock-off. Although instead of forgetting to pack a gun as Stephanie always does,...more
Set in Chicago, "Liar, Liar" is a funny, action-packed mystery at high speed. If it took itself seriously, then...but it doesn't. Cat DeLuca, the protagonist owner of a detective agency, is a fully realized character with lots of attitude and a crazy family.
A completely fun ride.
A completely fun ride.
Look out Stephanie Plum, here comes Caterina (Cat) DeLuca (wasn't that the name of Pretty Woman's hooker roomate?). This is the first book in what I hope will become a series about a private detective, the two hunky guys in her life, her crazy Italian family (most of which are cops...the rest are in the mob), and her dog named Inga. And, you just gotta love the name of her company -- Pants On Fire Detective Agency (get it...Liar, Liar???) Very similar to the formula that has served Janet Evanovi...more
I picked this up because it was part of my library's "Reader's Choice" promotion and I was pleasantly surprised. The book was really fast paced, so much that sometimes I had to re-read the conversations to figure out what was going on, but I appreciated the reliance on conversations and things happening instead of internal monologues. I loved the setting and all of it's Chicago Catholic big family-ness, interesting and very real. The details were great, the immersion was instant, and the plot re...more
This was a cute first mystery in the series. Cat DeLuca is the owner of the Pants on Fire Detective Agency - they catch liars and cheats. She's from a large Italian family where all the men are Chicago cops and the women cook huge Italian meals. The story was funny and interesting with lots of "characters" to love (like Uncle Joey who always "knows a guy" for any situation). I was a little confused who we were supposed to like as the love interest - she didn't end up with the guy I liked better,...more
It was a Fun, quick, silly and easy read. I liked the characters very much all though it didn't give you much on the bad guy to really build a hate for him. I couldn't believe all the printing mistakes in this book. I don't think it was proof read very well which is really strange because this is such a short book that I wonder if people were getting lazy. I know that might be a petty thing to mark down a book, but it really bugged me. Plus the story wasn't new, the characters were and I really...more
Cat DeLuca is the sole proprietor of the Pants on Fire Detective Agency, which specializes in catching cheating spouses. As Cat investigates a man who has never heard of the woman who is supposed to be his wife, he gets blown up in a warehouse explosion - except he keeps reappearing and everyone things the concussion Cat got is making her see things. Throw in her large family of cops, her friends and family who all seem to "know a guy" and things get crazy. Great fun, for fans of Stephanie Plum....more
Jun 05, 2010
SenoraG
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of evanovice, lutz
Recommended to SenoraG by:
advance copy from publisher
There were places where I found the writing to be a bit scattered and hard to follow. The charactors are great and easy to identify with. There were times I laughed out loud at Cat and her gangs high jinx.
My favorite charactor would have to be Mama DeLuca with her quick wit and undying love for her family. Anyone coming from an Italian family can relate to Cat's family and laugh along at her frustration.
I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to any readers who like Janet Evanovich an...more
My favorite charactor would have to be Mama DeLuca with her quick wit and undying love for her family. Anyone coming from an Italian family can relate to Cat's family and laugh along at her frustration.
I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to any readers who like Janet Evanovich an...more
Jun 25, 2012
Leila
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone
Recommended to Leila by:
Mary Conrad
Such a fun and clever book, Liar, Liar was an easy, enjoyable read. Caterina DeLuca is an entrepreneur whose cheating husband leads her to a new career in catching cheating spouses in the act and providing juicy photographs to use in divorce court. However, her most recent job goes south when the target she is following explodes in a warehouse bomb and her client ends up dead of knife wounds. Now Cat must uncover the secrets at the base of this "marriage" and expose the criminals who will stop a...more
If you like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books, you will love this series.
Cat DeLuca runs the Pants on Fire agency...she goes out and catches the adulterers. She has a brother Rocco that is a cop, Uncle Joey (who may not really be her uncle) who "takes care" of people (can we say mob?) and a Catholic mother who likes to use the guilt card. Her family is a blue collar Italian family in Chicago to set more of the picture.
I will say I haven't laughed as much as I did with this book. Definitely...more
Cat DeLuca runs the Pants on Fire agency...she goes out and catches the adulterers. She has a brother Rocco that is a cop, Uncle Joey (who may not really be her uncle) who "takes care" of people (can we say mob?) and a Catholic mother who likes to use the guilt card. Her family is a blue collar Italian family in Chicago to set more of the picture.
I will say I haven't laughed as much as I did with this book. Definitely...more
I'm not even sure what to say. This book is funny and along the lines of the Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich. It's easy to see that comparison, so I won't do it for you. However, I thought this was a little convoluted.
Cat DeLuca owns the Pants On Fire Private Detective Agency. While spying for a woman named Rita who claims her husband is cheating, she runs right smack into the guy (Chance). He says this woman is not his wife, but an explosion stops him from explaining more. The FBI say...more
Cat DeLuca owns the Pants On Fire Private Detective Agency. While spying for a woman named Rita who claims her husband is cheating, she runs right smack into the guy (Chance). He says this woman is not his wife, but an explosion stops him from explaining more. The FBI say...more
Watch out, Janet Evanovich ! A new player(s) is here. K.J. Larsen the pseudonym of three sisters, has written Liar, Liar, the first in the Cat DeLuca series. Caterina DeLuca, daughter and niece of countless Chicago cops and one cannoli-slinging Mama is a perfect Midwestern successor to Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum. The sexy, plucky, owner of the “Pants on Fire Detective Agency: We Catch Liars and Cheats” based in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago, finds herself in the middle of a bomb explosi...more
FANTASTIC!
I loved this mystery and I loved it so much, I read it twice within 24 hours!
Three sisters have blended their creative talents to write Liar Liar and they have done a spectacular job!
Cat DeLuca investigates liars and cheats for her "company", Pants on Fire. She figures she has the experience after being married for 2 years (they're now divorced) to her no-good two-timing (really 6 timing) cheating scumbag of a husband.
While on her latest case, she almost gets taken out by a "For Lease...more
I loved this mystery and I loved it so much, I read it twice within 24 hours!
Three sisters have blended their creative talents to write Liar Liar and they have done a spectacular job!
Cat DeLuca investigates liars and cheats for her "company", Pants on Fire. She figures she has the experience after being married for 2 years (they're now divorced) to her no-good two-timing (really 6 timing) cheating scumbag of a husband.
While on her latest case, she almost gets taken out by a "For Lease...more
Just finished today. A fun read. It captures the feeling that large cities are really a bunch of villages (neighborhoods) joined together with distinct differences. Cat is fun, stylish, kick-ass heroine. She makes decisions and takes action without all the handwringing of other heroines. Attractive men, crazy family, and EVUUUUL villains make for an enjoyable time. Life changing? No. But, it doesn't pretend to be more.
Freaking hilarious - reminded me of the Stephanie Plum books before the author had to force evolution of the characters and search for stories.
An agency to find cheating men, run by someone with cop brothers, from old time Italian family and her hi-jinks.
Yes, it is not for the elite literary snob, but if you are looking for a good, funny, make you laugh "mystery", this ranks high on the list, Very high on the list!
An agency to find cheating men, run by someone with cop brothers, from old time Italian family and her hi-jinks.
Yes, it is not for the elite literary snob, but if you are looking for a good, funny, make you laugh "mystery", this ranks high on the list, Very high on the list!
Fun first novel co-written by three sisters and published by our very own Poisoned Pen Press.
Cat DeLuca is a PI specializing in cheating spouses when she gets dragged into a mystery involving the FBI, stolen diamonds, gun running and multiple murders. She's helped and hindered along the way by her big, Italian, Chicago cop filled family and flirts with some hunks.
Very Evanovich in style and a nice, escapist read.
Cat DeLuca is a PI specializing in cheating spouses when she gets dragged into a mystery involving the FBI, stolen diamonds, gun running and multiple murders. She's helped and hindered along the way by her big, Italian, Chicago cop filled family and flirts with some hunks.
Very Evanovich in style and a nice, escapist read.
This is a 2.5 star book, but I'm rounding up to three because part of what bothered me was the five million typos, so it's not quite fair to the authors to round down. But yeah. It was kind of a crazy book. I probably wouldn't read the sequel. I did have a soft spot for Uncle Joey, but there wasn't anything especially memorable about this book. The humour started to wear thin towards the end, especially the comments about Cat hitting her head.
4.5 Stars
I actually really enjoyed this book! It was a fast paced, funny, "who-done-it" with lots of loveable Italian characters and LOTS of yummy food references. It felt A LOT like Stephanie Plum (just replace doughnuts with canolies and you've basically got a handle on this series), but hey, who cares? I love the Plum Series and have been begging for new material from Evanovich for years...so maybe this is my answer!
I actually really enjoyed this book! It was a fast paced, funny, "who-done-it" with lots of loveable Italian characters and LOTS of yummy food references. It felt A LOT like Stephanie Plum (just replace doughnuts with canolies and you've basically got a handle on this series), but hey, who cares? I love the Plum Series and have been begging for new material from Evanovich for years...so maybe this is my answer!
I just couldn't get into it. The plot was weak, the dialogue ok--with lots of funny one-liners, but the characters are not particularly interesting. I'm sure the publisher took the book because of the similarities to the highly successful Janet Evanovich series with Stephanie Plum. Unfortunately K. J. Larsen doesn't reach the same level of interest with her Cat DeLuca's Pants on Fire detective agency.
Liar, Liar is an entertaining, funny mystery very much akin to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. The story is fast-paced and has some interesting characters. The only weaknesses I could find are 1) that it is perhaps too much like the Stephanie Plum series and 2) the storyline was occasionally hard to follow in that details sometimes seemed unclear. But still, I love Janet's books and therefore found it very easy to enjoy Liar, Liar.
A really good first novel by 3 sisters who have always loved mysteries and decided to write their own. If future books in this proposed series are as good as this one, they have a hit on their collective hand. There is a great deal of wit and humor in the book, so if you are looking for something really serious, look elsewhere. At times I laughed out loud at what I was reading, and that I do not do easily.
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Sisters Kari, Julianne, and Kristen write under the pen name, K.J. Larsen.
Writing a novel together was second nature for the three sisters who created their own Nancy Drew mysteries as kids. “We live very different lives,” Kari says. “What brings us together is a voracious love of mystery, a wicked sense of humor, and the thrill of victory.”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kari Larsen lives at the...more
More about K.J. Larsen...
Writing a novel together was second nature for the three sisters who created their own Nancy Drew mysteries as kids. “We live very different lives,” Kari says. “What brings us together is a voracious love of mystery, a wicked sense of humor, and the thrill of victory.”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kari Larsen lives at the...more
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Jul 04, 2012 12:56pm