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Jane Stuart and Winky #1
Missing Marlene (Jane Stuart and Winky Mystery) by Evan Marshall
“Devilishly well-paced, a cozy with a satisfying bite.”—Candace Robb, author of Owen Archer Mysteries SeriesThe last thing literary agent and widowed single mom Jane Stuart needs on a busy day is a call from her son Nick’s school saying his nanny Marlene never showed up at the end of the day to pick him up. That's odd, thinks Jane. The pretty blonde, daughter of an old friend of Jane’s, had always been reliable before and a great nanny to boot. Jane feels a sense of obligation to her old friend and calls Ivy. Truth be told, Ivy was the reason she hired Marlene in the first place.But Ivy has no idea where Marlene is. Jane wonders. If something’s happened to Marlene, she should notify the police. But when she does, the police figure Marlene has run away. No one else cares.What happened to Marlene?Never one to settle, Jane starts to snoop.SLEUTH FOR THE TRUTH Juggling book deals, rival agents, and a rocky romance with an author too handsome for his own good, Jane uncovers that Marlene had a secret life—including some erotic videos, a boyfriend with violent tendencies (as well as a police record), and an off-again, on-again flirtation with a mystery man. Jane finds out nothing about him, which makes her want to track him even more.But it’s Jane’s trusted tortie Winky who uncovers the critical clue. It is the last key which makes all the puzzle pieces fit. As Jane and Winky get to the bottom of who the real killer is, they try desperately to get the police to make their move before the killer strikes again—this time, with Jane as the next victim. This edition contains an excerpt from HANGING HANNAH by Evan Marshall. REVIEWS OF MISSING MARLENE 3.46 average rating, 123 ratings, 8 reviews, added by 239 people, 73 to-reads, 86% of people like it—Goodreads3.9 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)—Amazon***** Five Stars “The nanny is missing and hardly no one cares. Starting reading this last night and couldn't put it down. It is one of the best mystery books that I have ever read. The book started out nice, put picked up steam. This story has everything. A missing nanny, murder, sex, friends, lovers and family. It is hard to tell too much about the story without giving away the twist of the ending that I never saw coming.”—T Toms, Amazon customer“A very fast and fun read.” Lennie Alickman“The Jane and Winky series is as cozy as a kitten – with tiny sharp claws.”—Jill Churchill"MISSING MARLENE is fast-paced fun. The characters are engaging and the twist at the end took me by surprise."—Laurien Berenson"Jane Stuart, the heroine, is a Miss Marple for the millennium!"—Kensington Publishing”Miss Marple Lite!”--Kirkus ReviewsABOUT THE AUTHOR Evan Marshall is owner of The Evan Marshall Agency an independent literary agency specializing in fiction and author of The Marshall Plan For Novel Writing, the international bestseller on novel writing technique now in its 20th anniversary edition. He is the author of 10 commercially published mysteries including the series Manhattan Mysteries and Jane and Winky Suburban Sleuths, named “Miss Marple Lite” by Kirkus Reviews. His books appeal to fans of Janet Evanovich, Lilian Jackson Braun, Agatha Christie and Alexander McCall Smith. You can reach him at evan@evanmarshallagency.com.
Hardcover
Published January 1, 1893
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105 people want to read
About the author
Evan Marshall
31 books44 followersEvan Marshall is president of The Evan Marshall Agency and author of The Marshall Plan For Novel Writing (Writer’s Digest, 1998), an international bestseller on novel writing now in its 20th anniversary edition. He is the author of 10 commercially published mysteries, Manhattan Mysteries Series and Jane & Winky Series which was named “Miss Marple Lite” by Kirkus Reviews. His books appeal to fans of Janet Evanovich, Lilian Jackson Braun, Agatha Christie and Alexander McCall Smith. You can reach him at evan@evanmarshallagency.com.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 6, 2018
Excellent, I honestly wasn't expecting much, but this was excellent.
March 5, 2019
Very light, very enjoyable read. I liked the protagonist Jane Stuart, and the success of the author in maintaining interest of the reader. The twist at the end was for me unexpected, so it was overall a satisfying read.
August 18, 2022
Unlikeable main character, unbelievable ending.
May 18, 2022
Jane Stuart is a struggling literary agent -- ever since her husband Kenneth died, most of his clients have gone elsewhere. Still, it's what she knows, and she has a nine-year-old son to support. With the help of her assistant Daniel Willoughby, she plans to keep her agency running. She also has a nanny for her son Nick, but when she receives a call from his school that Marlene hasn't picked him up, she's at first angry.
When she gets Nick and goes home, she finds that all Marlene's belongings are gone. Now she wants to know why Marlene just left without notice, and calls Ivy, Marlene's mother. The two of them have no idea where she went, and Jane feels it's her duty to locate the young woman. But it isn't going to be easy, since Marlene is nineteen and a legal adult, and no one is giving her definite answers.
Still, Jane keeps on digging, and what she finds greatly disturbs her. Was Marlene ever what she claimed to be? And how far does Jane have to go to find out what happened to her?...
This is an older book, and the first in the series. I believe I read this years ago, but sometimes it's nice to go back to the past and give these books a second go-round. This time I am glad that I did. The book was written well, and even though I thought that Jane had gone above and beyond looking for Marlene and answers, I understand that she has an innate curiosity about her and wanted to know the truth.
I did feel that Ivy blaming Jane for her daughter's disappearance was over the top. Ivy should have kept track of her own child and not expected Jane to be a babysitter. After all, wasn't that what Jane hired Marlene for? You'd think a nanny would be responsible, but oh, well.
I didn't care for some of the secondary characters, not even Laura, whom I felt should have allowed Daniel to find his own path and be supportive of his choices; I didn't care for Roger (who would?); but I did sort of like Detective Greenberg, and of course Jane, Nick, and Florence. These are characters I won't mind revisiting in future books.
When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, it is more complicated than anyone could have imagined, and well worth waiting for. It comes together nicely in a believable package, and leaves us wanting to read the next in the series. Recommended.
When she gets Nick and goes home, she finds that all Marlene's belongings are gone. Now she wants to know why Marlene just left without notice, and calls Ivy, Marlene's mother. The two of them have no idea where she went, and Jane feels it's her duty to locate the young woman. But it isn't going to be easy, since Marlene is nineteen and a legal adult, and no one is giving her definite answers.
Still, Jane keeps on digging, and what she finds greatly disturbs her. Was Marlene ever what she claimed to be? And how far does Jane have to go to find out what happened to her?...
This is an older book, and the first in the series. I believe I read this years ago, but sometimes it's nice to go back to the past and give these books a second go-round. This time I am glad that I did. The book was written well, and even though I thought that Jane had gone above and beyond looking for Marlene and answers, I understand that she has an innate curiosity about her and wanted to know the truth.
I did feel that Ivy blaming Jane for her daughter's disappearance was over the top. Ivy should have kept track of her own child and not expected Jane to be a babysitter. After all, wasn't that what Jane hired Marlene for? You'd think a nanny would be responsible, but oh, well.
I didn't care for some of the secondary characters, not even Laura, whom I felt should have allowed Daniel to find his own path and be supportive of his choices; I didn't care for Roger (who would?); but I did sort of like Detective Greenberg, and of course Jane, Nick, and Florence. These are characters I won't mind revisiting in future books.
When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, it is more complicated than anyone could have imagined, and well worth waiting for. It comes together nicely in a believable package, and leaves us wanting to read the next in the series. Recommended.
September 24, 2018
This book was good when it could have been great. It was a bit predictable, it barely has anything to do with the cat--the reason I bought the book--(although to be fair, the cat does provide a key moment in figuring out the mystery), and it is obviously a first try.
However, I still really enjoyed the book. It had enough twists to keep me interested, characters that were relatable and quirky, and a very odd but satisfying ending. I was not too thrilled with the publishing world part of things--sometimes it made me so angry I would put the book down for a while and then come back later--but I understand that this is the world the author comes from so it is dear to his heart. I loved the assistant and how he tamed our main protagonist when she got a little too-too and was so versatile and good at his job. I also loved the description of the quaint little town and could envision things so well, growing up in a similar small-town.
However, I still really enjoyed the book. It had enough twists to keep me interested, characters that were relatable and quirky, and a very odd but satisfying ending. I was not too thrilled with the publishing world part of things--sometimes it made me so angry I would put the book down for a while and then come back later--but I understand that this is the world the author comes from so it is dear to his heart. I loved the assistant and how he tamed our main protagonist when she got a little too-too and was so versatile and good at his job. I also loved the description of the quaint little town and could envision things so well, growing up in a similar small-town.
March 3, 2021
This was my fourth book by Marshall and the best so far. Jane should have asked Florence if it was okay to search her room for anything that Marlene may have left. Didn't like her snooping through Florence's things. A real twist of an ending. Didn't see it coming.
May 23, 2024
The main character is so unlikable, irresponsible, immature. Her empathy & thought process is also questionable. Not a single thing about her is likable. Otherwise, the main plot is ok. The mystery is good. I wish the MC was a worthy character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2019
Wit and charm and dark
March 26, 2023
Great book
July 25, 2025
A decent read though why Jane was so determined to find Marlene, who she disliked, was puzzling.
October 18, 2012
BOTTOM LINE: #1 Jane Stuart, literary agent, Shady Hill, NJ; cosy amateur sleuth. When her sullen-but-beautiful nanny goes missing, a busy single mom feels responsible for finding out what happened to the girl. This first mystery by a famous literary agent didn’t make me want to read another. Not bad over all, but far too bland, and only recommended to die-hard cosy fans who need a “Moms-in-peril” fix.
Specious premise, adequate setting, decent (but easy to guess) plot, and the character of Jane is likable. Cliches abound though (i.e., walking into the woods at night all alone after having nearly been strangled...), practically everything that could ever show up in a traditional cosy is here, all done very “by-the-numbers”. The pacing was good, but his Jane is only a dull reflection of Churchill’s “Jane Jeffrey”, and without her sort of humor and zest the story simply wilts. Some of the “inside-the-book-business” bits are wryly funny, but there’s too few of them.
[NOTE: I can’t shake the feeling that he sat down one day, thought “cosies are really popular now and, heck, ANYbody can write a cosy, all you need is....”, proceeded to make a list of expected bits, and...]
May 2007
Specious premise, adequate setting, decent (but easy to guess) plot, and the character of Jane is likable. Cliches abound though (i.e., walking into the woods at night all alone after having nearly been strangled...), practically everything that could ever show up in a traditional cosy is here, all done very “by-the-numbers”. The pacing was good, but his Jane is only a dull reflection of Churchill’s “Jane Jeffrey”, and without her sort of humor and zest the story simply wilts. Some of the “inside-the-book-business” bits are wryly funny, but there’s too few of them.
[NOTE: I can’t shake the feeling that he sat down one day, thought “cosies are really popular now and, heck, ANYbody can write a cosy, all you need is....”, proceeded to make a list of expected bits, and...]
May 2007
March 21, 2008
This is the first in the series so it was nice to see the early development. I think the author has gotten better since this first one. I'm not sure I would have continued the series if this was the first book I'd read.
April 1, 2011
fast,easy read.1st in the series.fun book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews