Looks to Die For

Lacy Fields #1

by Janice Kaplan

As the wife of a prominent Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, a dedicated mother of three, and an absolutely fabulous decorator to the stars, Lacy Fields is stunned to the tips of her Chanel-manicured toenails the night the police barge into her house and haul her husband off in handcuffs. With her handsome Dan accused of murdering a young wannabe actress named Tasha Barlow, Lacy turns her talent from tracking down priceless antique furniture to chasing a clever killer.Lacy is sure her husband has been wrongly accused -- but how to explain his mysterious behavior? Known as the Saint of Hollywood for his skill with a scalpel, Dan seems to be keeping a secret or two. Still Lacy won't lose her faith or her determination to find the real murderer.

With her best friend Molly Archer, a hot L.A. casting agent, at her side, Lacy tracks suspects ranging from a sleazy network TV star to an advertising exec who shoots Super Bowl commercials set on the moon. Is Tasha's loyal hometown friend really an enemy? Did an ex-con from her past return to destroy Tasha's new life? Lacy Fields will stop at nothing to protect her family -- whether it's searching for the person who framed her husband or keeping the black hair dye away from her fourteen-year-old daughter.

Cleverly pairing the day-to-day details of suburban life with delicious insider glamour, "Looks to Die For" marks the debut of a savvy and stylish new voice in suspense fiction.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Chick Lit, Audiobook

304 pages, Hardcover

First published February 13, 2007

About the author

Janice Kaplan is the author of many popular books, including the New York Times bestseller THE GRATITUDE DIARIES and her most recent book, THE GENIUS OF WOMEN. Widely known as a journalist, television producer and magazine editor, she has also written or co-written bestselling novels including THE BOTOX DIARIES, THE MEN I DIDN'T MARRY and MINE ARE SPECTACULAR! as well as the mysteries LOOKS TO DIE FOR and A JOB TO KILL FOR.

Janice was the Editor-in-Chief of Parade Magazine and executive producer of the TV Guide Television Group, where she created and produced television specials that aired primetime on all the major networks. She co-authored the bestseller I'LL SEE YOU AGAIN and the non-fiction HOW LUCK HAPPENS. She began her career as an on-air sports reporter for CBS Radio and went on to be a producer at ABC-TV’s Good Morning America, where she won awards for investigative reporting.

She graduated magna cum laude from Yale University and won Yale's Murray Fellowship for her writing.

Reviews

[Love Fool · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the wife of a prominent Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, a dedicated mother of three, and an absolutely fabulous decorator to the stars, Lacy Fields is stunned to the tips of her Chanel-manicured toenails the night the police barge into her house and haul her husband off in handcuffs. With her handsome Dan accused of murdering a young wannabe actress named Tasha Barlow, Lacy turns her talent from tracking down priceless antique furniture to chasing a clever killer.Lacy is sure her husband has been wrongly accused -- but how to explain his mysterious behavior? Known as the Saint of Hollywood for his skill with a scalpel, Dan seems to be keeping a secret or two. Still Lacy won't lose her faith or her determination to find the real murderer.

I kinda felt like this was the first draft of the book. It was a little childish with all the label naming. Plus, Lacy annoyed me. She was dumb but somehow solved the big mystery that cops or that expensive lawyer couldn't solve.

[Julian · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was very unrealistic - I honestly could not believe some of the situations that happened in this book and also some of the dialogue was just ridiculous. I doubt if I would read another book by this author because of the reasons that I just listed.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Guess I just wasn't in the mood. I don't like books that start off with fear and frustration...

[Lexi Angemi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. MFC was kinda meh so it turned me off along with the unrealistic events

[Jey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm wondering if this was a debut.

*checks* Yup. Why am I not surprised?

Honestly, I cut debutant authors some slack, because even as a reader, and avid journal writer, I know that it takes time to get comfortable with your writing. And that's why most authors first few books are disappointing, to say the least.

However, I wasn't expecting much from this book. How can it still disappoint me? Hmm. Maybe I deceived myself.

The things that annoyed me about this book (Yup, you can check, it's on my 'Abandoned' shelf- I read more than half of it then skipped to the end)

Forgot-her-name's husband has been arrested for murder, yet all she can talk about is the colour of her clothes and her nail polish. There is tooo much nail dropping, and I can understand that the author's background makes it impossible to avoid- but seriously? Which person would consider if she should stop at Neiman Marcus to buy a lace camisole to look sexy while interviewing a pervert suspect?

Well, even with her 'professional' silk pantsuit, she ends up with a dog collar around her neck

Man, the depths that this lady provoked me to. And her daughter is a brat. Honestly. If my kid was telling me 'I hate you' when her father had been arrested, I would certainly do something other than blame myself for it. I mean, how does that even make sense?

We seriously need books where heroines are NOT the only ones expected to be a fucking doormat. Nurturers or not.

The family in this book reminded me of a very artificial family, where everything is perfect on the outside, but all kinds of fucked up inside. Coming from a loving family, it irritated me to see *forgot-her-name* commenting that her kissing her son goodnight on the forehead didn't embarrass him. Seriously?

Woah. Writing and characters could do with a LOT of improvement. Still, debut book gets a pass. Her next one better be jolly better than this, is all I'm saying. Or else?

'Abandoned'. Without a qualm.

[Ksafford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never read anything by this author, so will see how it goes. Just on page 5.

Well, I finished. It was okay for a very, very, light read. I don't know that I would read another by this author. It did not "grab" me and really hold my attention.

[Sam Colloff · Rating 1 out of 5]

this is awful. thought it might be one of those light fun reads, but...no. in the interest of my not wasting any more of my life I am quitting before even halfway.

[Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book caught me on the first sentence. Ok, this is a mystery book, we meet Lucy Fields a very rich house wife / home interior designer her husband the famous plastic surgeon the bratty daughter and smart son. Lucy’s husband Dan has been arrested for murder. Honestly I did not just give the plot away that is the first sentence. Lucy decides since she is a wiz at picking our the right Persian rug she can solve the murder case and clear her husbands name The book does have death scenes, fights and dry humor. So much is happening in this book there is not a lull in the story, of course half the stuff going on would never fall into place in real life just remember it’s a book and a book can do what it wants. It’s just a story so enjoy it for what it is a made up bit of fiction. I enjoyed this book it left me smiling.

[Micheal · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

I started reading this book right after Social Crimes by Jane Hitchock, and this one seems like a watered-down version for the majority of the book.

The first 3 chapters and the last 5 chapters are really good. It's just everything in between that was hard o digest. The middle chapters were long and drawn out making it seem like the chapters don't end. Some of the details seem forced while others seem to distract. I had plans to DNF this book but I kept thinking that the end was going to be better. That turned out to be true but only slightly. The ending was nice but seemed kind-of rushed.

Overall, the book could've been better but I finished it and the ending wasn't so bad. However, I don't think I will be continuing in the Lacy Fields story.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lacy Fields

Lacy Fields is the wife of a prominent Beverly Hills plastic surgeon and an absolutely fabulous decorator to the stars. When Lacy’s husband is arrested for murder and the police don’t seem to be looking for anyone else Lacy starts looking for clues to prove her husband’s innocence. Lacy finds herself in several binds as she tries to figure out what happened. Lacy is a good character who doesn’t believe her husband could murder someone. She is a good Mom to her 3 children. She’s a strong business woman and problem solver. This is a good book that reads fast.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every review has the summary, so I am not going to repeat it.
What I like in this book is the sense of humor it is written, and I will advise not take it that seriously, it is not real mystery, it is more romantic novel of supportive wife who does not ask questions (is there a woman like that? not me:) ) but decides to go and solve the mystery by herself (here I can relate, I am a doer too)
Great summer reading

[Khanson919 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like every decision Lacy Fields made in the course of investigating Tasha and Nora's murders, it was the wrong one. She blames herself for things that are not her fault, she let's her husband keep secrets from her when she needs to push him to tell her everything, and her dealings with the police made me want to bang my head against a wall. I did like the ending of the story but I do not know if I would want to read another book with this character.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This domestic thriller hooked me from the start and moved at a really fast pace. It starts with a man being arrested for the murder of a woman he claims he has never met. His wife gets involved in the investigation to try to prove his innocence. The characters are interesting, even the unlikeable ones, and there is a good combination of humor and frustration. There are all the usual problems of the rich and privileged, giving this a beach read vibe. Quick, enjoyable read. 4/5 stars.

[Julie C · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the second book I’ve read by Janice Kaplan. I thought the first one was bad because she co-wrote it, and put part of the blame on the other author. But, oh my GOSH. This book was just as bad, if not worse. She desperately NEEDS you to know that Lacy is rich, and only wears expensive brands. Chanel, and Gucci and Prada and expensive louboutins etc etc. It was an unrealistic, annoying read from start to finish.

[Leo · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was very far from good, it had potential to be an good cozy mystery but needed more work done on it, really felt like a first draft to me. With more attention put on the text it could have been a good story

[Jjean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read several "low" reviews about her Debut book but I found it interesting, cozy mystery, written with a sense of humor - great family togetherness - good information how Los Angeles "works" - a plot that I did not guess - may read some of her other books.....

[Louise F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast moving plot, but the constant references to name brand items of clothing seem silly. I don't get them. Are they ironic?? Are they consumer porn? It doesn't seem like good writing to me.

[Rachelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

We meet Lacy, a designer turned detective as she tries to clear her husband's name. Light read although I didn't realize it was published in 2007 so some of the context/references will feel dated.

[Julie Kleckner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light mystery to finish off my day. There was a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. Nice quick read, more of a cozy mystery but enjoyable.

[Deborah Feltz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much keeping track of characters.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't believe the author wrote it (it to be defined) and I can't believe there is no comment on it. Am I missing something??
I haven't even finished the book, but from what I just read, the main character, Lacy, wife of the accused, just went into the apartment of the murdered woman, talked with the roommate, found out her accused husband--who has never varied from the claim he never met the victim/doesn't know her name--was there the evening of the murder and the roommate states he was identified beyond a doubt by his car license plate (which Lacy recognizes) AS WELL AS fingerprints and DNA from the police investigation. None of which Lacy knew. From the apartment, Lacy goes to the lawyer, then home, and later her husband is furious with HER (with her!) b/c she went to the lawyer (what he is told about that meeting we never know). And Lacy feels so strongly that she must support him that she accepts his anger and "makes love" with him. NEVER mentioning that she knows he was there the night of the murder, had been there before, etc, and he's never told her??
Say what????
I mean SAY WHAT???
Is there a missing section in my book where the two of them talk about this? I mean seriously.
Unless I overlooked some startling fact or every reader out there has the self esteem of a twig, is this is even remotely possible? And how is it that no other review mentions this fact? Your husband is pinned to being at the house of a murdered woman the night of the murder and you don't even ask him about it? Instead you keep silent, determine you'll continue to support him, and then "make love" with him?
Even if you DID still believe him after all of the circumstantial evidence, wouldn't you at least put the issue on the table? Is it even humanly possible not to? I don't think so.
It honestly makes me shudder to think no one else has thought this is strange. On a serious note for a novel not in the least intended to be serious, that's exactly how murder/abuse victims are created. Abject acceptance. Brains in your heart. Loyalty above intelligence.
It's obvious he didn't do it (that's the type of book it is) and this little evidence ploy is intended to stack the deck--I don't have a problem with that.
But. Come on people......

[P.J. Coldren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lacy Fields is your average Beverly Hills housewife: married to a famous plastic surgeon, three kids, a nice life. Until the police come to her door early one morning and arrest her husband for murder. Lacy is devastated, at least for a little while. Then she kicks it into gear and decides that nobody can clear her husband’s name as well as she can, because nobody WANTS to as much as she does. This cloud is ruining her family. Her son is distracted, which means he isn’t studying the way he should be. Her daughter is an adolescent female, with all the angst and agida that comes with that territory. Her youngest boy is just afraid.

Lacy ropes her best friend Molly Archer into helping her. Molly is a casting agent, so she has all kinds of connections. This comes in handy, since the woman Dan Fields is accused of killing is a young actress. His reputation is built on, among other things, the fact that he doesn’t do boob jobs and such on actresses, so how is he connected to Tasha Barlow, a woman he claims never to have heard of. It doesn’t help that the attorney they hire doesn’t seem interested in clearing Dan, just keeping the sentence to a minimum. The police claim to have eye-witnesses and other incriminating evidence. Lacy refuses to concede that Dan had any part in Tasha’s death.

Kaplan writes very well. I believed in the characters, even Dan, who isn’t the most likeable husband you’ll ever want to meet. Ashley, the daughter, is really wonderful, in that god-awful teenage girl kind of way. The only gripe I had, and it was on-going, was Lacy’s continual designer name-dropping. OK, it is Beverly Hills. But I really don’t care what kind of shoes she’s wearing, or where she got her sweatshirt, or which purse she carried to which store. Really, I don’t. It doesn’t further the plot, and after a while, it really doesn’t even develop the character. This would be just as good a mystery if it were set in the middle of any big city with connections to the movie industry. And it is a good mystery. I’m looking forward to the next Lacy Fields adventure.

[Kaylen Lanius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would make a good movie. Got a little boring in patches and figured it out about 2/3rds in but still enough to be entertaining.

[Stefanie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

""

[Ramona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lacy Fields is the wife of a prominent Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, a dedicated mother of three, and an absolutely fabulous decorator to the stars. But when her husband is accused of murdering a young wannabe actress, Lacy finds out she has a killer instinct for hunting down murderers as well as antique furniture. With her best friend Molly Archer, a successful L.A. casting agent, Lacy tracks suspects from a sleazy network TV star to an advertising exec busy shooting Super Bowl commercials set on the moon. Her detecting leads Lacy into some startlingly funny situations, like stumbling onto a George Clooney movie set, clad only in La Perla lace underwear.

It took almost half the book to really get going for me but then I couldn't put it down. And I never guessed who the real killer(s) were. I love that! :)
posted by Mo at 5:30 AM 0 comments

[Shaha · Rating 3 out of 5]

SYN: Lacy's husband, a doctor is accused of murdering a small time actress and Lacy goes through her list of suspects almost getting killed twice and fighting a collapsing family to prove her husband's innocence.

I absolutely loved it. The attention to detail was great, and there were moments of shock and excitement. Each chapter brought new surprises and it was beautifully written. I loved how cheeky and fun it was.
Lacy is the modern day Nancy Drew and she's out there sleuthing in her Louboutins. The character development was incredible. If you're looking for a fun read, this book will not disappoint you.

My review: http://shahadaahmed.blogspot.com/2013...

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ha, I liked this book. Funny insider look at a famous plastic surgeon's family who also happens to be accused to murder. What I liked about it was the fact that it was quite clean and reminded me of my own situation...talking about making it through med school with young kids and trying to raise them now normally, even with all the money and fame that her husband has accrued. I also liked how down to earth the main character was, despite being surrounded by high-powered persons who were all about fame and fortune. Fun little book, my normal book du jour!

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed this book but the main character was so stupid -- she would walk right into dangerous situations as if she was clueless when you could see the mistake coming from miles away. The same with the killer -- I had figured it out way before the author let the main character figure it out which again, made her look like an idiot. And the LA police should sue, they look so incompetent. Very difficult story to swallow but generally light and easy reading.

[Phyllis · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a Mystery Book Club pick, so I had to read it. If you are a Kardashian and into fashion, you may like it. The entire descriptive prose was devoted to what the protaganist wore. The fashions were labeled, designer named, and purported to be very expensive clothing, accessories and underwear. This was so tedious to read.
The plot was simplistic, and the characters stereotyped and predictable.
Sigh. A waste of a few hours...and it is a very fast, comic book style read.

[Beckie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose this book for its "brain-candy" potential--and it did not disappoint in that regard. It was a good story, but the brand-name dropping was quite tedious--as were the abundant, detailed clothing descriptions. Less is more. It would make a good Lifetime TV movie :).