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75th out of 657 books
—
632 voters
How to Murder a Millionaire (Blackbird Sisters Mystery #1)
by
Nancy Martin (Goodreads Author)
Nora Blackbird, society columnist and down-and-almost-out former debutante, reclaims her place within Philadelphia's elite when she stumbles upon the murdered body of a millionaire art collector.
Paperback, 272 pages
Published
October 1st 2002
by Signet
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I decided to read this book since it's set in Philadelphia & Bucks County (where I now live), though I'm picky about books set in high society. It definitely was enjoyable reading about places that I've seen and been, but the characters didn't really resonate with me.
The main character's parents flee the county to avoid paying their taxes, giving her the family farm in Bucks County - with 2 million in back taxes due. She gets a job writing a society column, so to find clothes to wear she ra...more
The main character's parents flee the county to avoid paying their taxes, giving her the family farm in Bucks County - with 2 million in back taxes due. She gets a job writing a society column, so to find clothes to wear she ra...more
I wanted to like this story more than I did. I enjoyed the insider's view of Philadelphia society, which seemed authentic enough to me. I liked the main character, Nora, and her spunky determination to survive her family's financial troubles. And I liked the way the author established the mystery and drew me in. But as the story went on, I found myself losing patience with the book. Nora began to seem a little smug and judgmental to me (congratulating herself on preferring a wheelchair racing fu...more
Nora Blackbird comes from old, Philadelphia money. The problem is that her parents have blown through the family fortune and then promptly skipped the country to escape tax evasion charges. That leaves Nora, her older sister, Libby, and her younger sister, Emma, to put on brave faces back home. Faced with having to pay the back taxes on the 100 acre family homestead, Nora gets a job writing for the society pages at the local newspaper only to run head first into murder on her very first assignme...more
Three sisters all with financial woes, Philadelphia society with more than a few eccentric characters, a budding romance for Nora (the sister with whom we become the most familiar), and a murder mystery centered around lots of money and erotic art. Mix all these elements together, and you've got the beginning of the Blackbird Sisters series that promises to be very entertaining. I've read a number of cozy mysteries lately, and "How To Murder A Millionaire" has been the best of the bunch. Each of...more
This was a nice beginning to a cozy mystery series. The prestigious Blackbird family of Philadelphia has fallen on hard times. Mom and Dad have fled the country, leaving what remains of the family's fortune to the three daughters. Emma got the family art collection and Libby received the furniture. Nora was given the farmland -- but it comes with a bill for $2 million in past due property taxes. Since she has no money to pay the tax bill and not wanting to have the property confiscated, Nora put...more
The cover of this book was misleading... in a good way. The title and cover image give the impression that this is going to be another cozy mystery following in the vein of Janet Evanovich or some other ditzy, fashion-obsessed heroine. On the contrary, I found that the characters were more well-rounded and the story grew steadily with more complex details. The author is good with a phrase as well!
It takes place among the Philadelphia upper-crust and features a smart, thoughtful heroine. Her occa...more
It takes place among the Philadelphia upper-crust and features a smart, thoughtful heroine. Her occa...more
Nora Blackbird is a down on luck socialite, who just inherited 2 million dollar tax bill on her family's farmhouse. For the first time in her life Nora has to get a job, but she never expected it would be this exciting. Rory Pendergast a dear family friend, offers Nora a job writing for his newspaper The Intelligencer. It is at the party for the paper that Nora discovers Rory sprawled out on the floor of his bedroom dead; What's a girl to do?
This is was a very good start the series, I accidently...more
This is was a very good start the series, I accidently...more
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Nora Blackbird's parents have run off with her (and her sisters) trust fund and left her with a falling down mansion, a huge tax bill and the immediate need for a job. A well connected friend gets her a job with his newspaper as a society columnist, a job which allows her to use her contacts in Philadelphia's high society.
When a murder occurs within her social circle, Nora decides to investigate, with the help of her goofy sisters and her new love interest (who has mob connections).
I like this...more
When a murder occurs within her social circle, Nora decides to investigate, with the help of her goofy sisters and her new love interest (who has mob connections).
I like this...more
Enjoyed this new series book about the Blackbird sisters. They are Philadelphia Main Liners whose parents have burned through all of the money and absconded to a sunny, tax-evader, friendly locale, leaving the house to Nora, along with an enormous tax bill. The paintings go to another sister and the furniture to the third sister. Nora takes a job as a society columnist for a Philly paper and the murder and mayhem begins. As Nora struggles to keep the property, she falls in with the scion of a no...more
The reason for the 4 stars is NOT because this is an extremely well-written book with a nice complex plot. Rather, it is a light mystery with surprisingly complex characters who are funny and tragic all at once. The plot is interesting, but I really read it for the characters. PERFECT book for a quick, light read that will make you laugh out loud at times. The next book in the series obviously involves another mystery, but also further expands on the characters which was very interesting (and fu...more
First in the series of mysteries involving the Blackbird sisters.
Nora's parents left the USA and moved to a tax evaders' resort. Sister Emma has the art collection. Sister Libby has the furniture collection. Nora has the property that has been in the family for generations. She also has a two million dollar tax bill and for the first time in her life, she is forced to WORK!
This series is more of a cross between a romance novel and a cozy mystery. It's a quick read if you're in the mood for somet...more
Nora's parents left the USA and moved to a tax evaders' resort. Sister Emma has the art collection. Sister Libby has the furniture collection. Nora has the property that has been in the family for generations. She also has a two million dollar tax bill and for the first time in her life, she is forced to WORK!
This series is more of a cross between a romance novel and a cozy mystery. It's a quick read if you're in the mood for somet...more
One of my friends recommended this series, and being a fan of murder mysteries in general I decided to give it a try. I found the main character, Nora, to be likeable and interesting. The location of the novel is also very fun to read about. I agree with other posters that it seems strange that there would be enough money in a print newspaper to send two writers to lavish parties all the time, but maybe that's just how they do things in upper-crust society. I guess I wouldn't know. Overall it wa...more
I really wish we could give more than just whole star ratings because this was really like 2.75*. The only thing keeping it from being 3 was that the ending felt too forced. I just did not buy the relationship that the end insinuates. There was not enough build up. Otherwise, I really enjoyed parts of this book (and had parts that I just could not stand). I was laughing out loud at the phone conversation she had with her Mom! I will probably give this series another shot before I completely make...more
Hilarious! If you can't tell from the cover, this book was just plain fun. Nora, a thirty something socialite, has been forced by her parent's tax evasion to get a job. Writing articles for the local newspaper's society page should have been a piece of cake for an ex-socialite. But add to the mix a wrathful senior writer, a murder, and an intriguing new bad boy of a neighbor. Did I mention that Nora doesn't drive because she has a bad habit of fainting frequently with the least bit of provocatio...more
Philadelphia Main Line sisters Libby, Nora and Emma Blackbird find themselves in the midst of high society with nothing but their storied name after Mom and Dad high-tail it to the Caribbean. Libby gets the furniture, Emma the artwork and Nora, the family estate...and a two million dollar tax bill.
Forced to find ways to save the family Farm (with a capital F), Nora appeals to old friend Rory Pendergast, owner of the local paper, for a job. As a new society reporter, Nora is attending a party cel...more
Forced to find ways to save the family Farm (with a capital F), Nora appeals to old friend Rory Pendergast, owner of the local paper, for a job. As a new society reporter, Nora is attending a party cel...more
Nora Blackbird was living the good life among the posh blue bloods of Philadelphia’s Main Line.How to Murder a Millionaire cover True, she and her two sisters were widows, likely as a result of the Blackbird curse, but time heals all wounds–even the unexpected ones.
Unfortunately, as any good reader will know, the sins of the parents are always visited upon the children. In How to Murder a Millionaire, Nancy Martin’s first Blackbird Sisters mystery, those sins come in the form of tax evasion.
“To...more
Nov 01, 2011
Cathy DuPont
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
friend who likes much of what I like.
Recommended to Cathy by:
Sandy M.
This was a fun read, introduction of Blackbird sisters. Great 'whodunit' until the end when it got kind of messy for me. She wrapped things up, I believe, but need to re-read the ending because it was, for me, somewhat confusing. OK, why did they do that, and why the he do that...that kind of stuff. But good enough to pick up another, no doubt. Love her clothes; lucky her for her grandmother's good taste and dollars to buy the best. First Nancy Martin for me and certainly someone I would read ag...more
In this book Rory Pendergast, a rich older man who owns a local paper, is murdered. Nora Blackbird is the one who found the body and tries to help the police because of her connections within Philadelphia society. Eventually, Nora’s home is ransacked and her sisters are missing. Who killed Rory and where are her sisters? I like mysteries like this. Even though there is murder it is not too heavy or disturbing. I have added the rest of the series to my wishlist.
This is a witty and enjoyable series set in modern day Philadelphia. Our plucky heroine is Nora Blackbird who solves murders among the upper class that she inhabits as a birthright. Unfortunately her parents have spilt the country, leaving her in debt and causing her to take a job as a society columnist. The set up manages to walk the fine line of giving us a peek into a lifestyle most of us can only dream about, and yet giving her money concerns that resonate with the reader. The secondary char...more
Part of the Blackbird Sisters Mystery series a friend recommended to me. Read it on a long car ride, good beach read book that was entertaining. Doesn't need a lot of effort. Nora comes from a Philadelphia family who is part of elite society until the parents run them into financial ruin and escape out of the country. A dear family friend is murdered and Nora and her sisters find themselves connected to characters and some even become suspects.
I haven't read a mystery in ages. I only read this one because, stupidly, I only brought one book on our week long visit to Phoenix for Christmas. That one book was Hunger Games and I finished it within 2-3 days and had nothing else to read. My mother-in-law suggested a quick little mystery might be nice, which she happened to have in a box ready for Goodwill.
This was a very quick read with amusing characters. It was a great in-between-read.
This was a very quick read with amusing characters. It was a great in-between-read.
WELL, AS YOU CAN SEE ,I HAD TO GIVE THE PITTSBURGH WRITER ANOTHER CHANCE. THIS TIME IT IS THE BLACKBIRD SISTERS MYSTERY OUT OF PHILLY. MUCH BETTER THAN THE OTHER SERIES. BETTER CHARACTERS,ETC. EASY READ- A LITTLE MYSTERY, A LITTLE ROMANCE AND A PLETHORA OF KOOKY CHARACTERS. CAN READ IN A SITTING AND DO NOT NEED TO THINK=PERFECT DURING MUSIC LESSONS. AGAIN, IF YOU LIKE EVANOVICH'S WRITING ,YOU WILL PROBABLY ENJOY MARTIN'S.
Nora Blackbird, is a widow at the age of 31. Not only that but her parents fled the States because of tax fraud. She inherited the family estate and $2 million dollars in back taxes. She needs money now. She goes to work as a society columnist and attending the same parties that she went to as a debutante. When her boss turns up dead at his own party, she is determined to help find the killer.
Why I started this book: I saw No Way to Kill a Lady at the library and thought that this was a series...more
Why I started this book: I saw No Way to Kill a Lady at the library and thought that this was a series...more
I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did! The title makes it sound like pure fluff, but it was a fun mystery. The Blackbird sisters are high society 30 somethings who have been left holding the bag when their parents skip the country to avoid the IRS. The characters are interesting and nicely developed, especially Michael Abruzzo, who is ever bit as mysterious and appealing as Evanovich's sexy Ranger character. I will be reading more of this series.
This kooky family is hilarious from the parents who have fled to avoid jail to the sister who has some weird kids and job after job. Nora, the sanest one in the bunch, is our crime solving heroine who is helping out the police and dating the son of a mob king at the same time. It is always interesting to see how she solves these mysteries and characters are all a little crazy in their own way.
The plot is set in different world than most of us live, so it was interesting to read about it. The main character Nora is very likeable and all the characters are well written, but I wish there was more of investigating the murder. I felt the story was focused on Nora's life and the solving of the murder was rushed.
If you enjoy murder mysteries without a lot of bloodshed, but full of zany characters, then this book is for you. As the tale weaves between East Coast high society types, the settings come to life and the people inhabiting them are fun to read about. The plot kept me guessing until the second last chapter.
I bought this book at Big Lots for $3. The books that I find there are like Petit Fours, little self-contained stories that are pleasant and interesting--slices of life that keep me thinking, and that I normally probably wouldn't have chosen otherwise.
Fun for what it is.
Fun for what it is.
Jan 12, 2012
Bird
marked it as didnt-finish
Ugh, overly annoying, whiny family. Couldn't get past the first few chapters.
Side note: The sisters apparently each "inherited" something from their parents...parents who are still alive and well, just living out of the country due to tax evasion. Can you inherit from someone still living? I was fairly certain that could only happen after someone's death.
Side note: The sisters apparently each "inherited" something from their parents...parents who are still alive and well, just living out of the country due to tax evasion. Can you inherit from someone still living? I was fairly certain that could only happen after someone's death.
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Winner of the 2009 Lifetime Achievement award for mystery writing from Romantic Times magazine, Nancy Martin announces the release of the 8th book in her popular Blackbird Sisters mystery series, NO WAY TO KILL A LADY. Set in Philadelphia, the story features three heiresses whose parents have run off with their trust funds. Now thay have a chance to regain their wealth when their aunt, "Madcap Mad...more
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May 03, 2013 12:18pm