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Jacqueline Kirby #4
Naked Once More
She may be a bestselling author, but ex-librarian Jacqueline Kirby's views on the publishing biz aren't fit to print. In fact, she's thinking of trading celebrity for serenity and a house far away from fiendish editors and demented fans when her agent whispers the only words that could ever make her stay: Naked in the Ice.
Seven years ago, this blockbuster skyrocketed Kathleen Darcy to instant fame. Now the author's heirs are looking for a writer to pen the sequel. It's an opportunity no novelist in her right mind would pass up, and there's no doubting Jacqueline's sanity...until she starts digging through the missing woman's papers—and her past. Until she gets mixed up with Kathleen's enigmatic lover. Until a series of nasty accidents convince her much too late that someone wants to bring Jacqueline's story—and her life—to a premature end.
Seven years ago, this blockbuster skyrocketed Kathleen Darcy to instant fame. Now the author's heirs are looking for a writer to pen the sequel. It's an opportunity no novelist in her right mind would pass up, and there's no doubting Jacqueline's sanity...until she starts digging through the missing woman's papers—and her past. Until she gets mixed up with Kathleen's enigmatic lover. Until a series of nasty accidents convince her much too late that someone wants to bring Jacqueline's story—and her life—to a premature end.
360 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
253 people are currently reading
1333 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Peters
181 books3,285 followersElizabeth Peters is a pen name of Barbara Mertz. She also wrote as Barbara Michaels as well as her own name. Born and brought up in Illinois, she earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. Mertz was named Grand Master at the inaugural Anthony Awards in 1986 and Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America at the Edgar Awards in 1998. She lived in a historic farmhouse in Frederick, western Maryland until her death.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
April 20, 2025
I know I'm in a minority but, for me, there is only one Elizabeth Peters mystery series and it's not Amelia Peabody.
Jacqueline Kirby is the woman I want to be when I grow up. Former librarian turned world famous romance writer who has a quick quip for every situation. A little brash yet able to charm. Maybe without so many dead bodies though...
I read the Kirby books about ten years ago and enjoyed them immensely. When I saw this book on NetGalley, I immediately hit 'request' to see if they were as good as I remembered.
Oh, they are. Or, at least this one is. Yes, it's a bit dated (word processors anyone?) but most of it holds up amazingly well.
Jacqueline jumps at the chance to finish the last two books in a trilogy. The author wrote one fabulously received book and then, one rainy night, vanished. Seven years later, she's now officially been declared dead and authors are vying to be the one chosen to finish out the series. Some are in deadly earnest, though that doesn't throw Jacqueline off her stride. She tries to finish the next book but is distracted by what happened to the original author. Okay, and a little distracted by the increasingly dangerous "accidents" that seem to be occurring to her.
Jacqueline Kirby is the woman I want to be when I grow up. Former librarian turned world famous romance writer who has a quick quip for every situation. A little brash yet able to charm. Maybe without so many dead bodies though...
I read the Kirby books about ten years ago and enjoyed them immensely. When I saw this book on NetGalley, I immediately hit 'request' to see if they were as good as I remembered.
Oh, they are. Or, at least this one is. Yes, it's a bit dated (word processors anyone?) but most of it holds up amazingly well.
Jacqueline jumps at the chance to finish the last two books in a trilogy. The author wrote one fabulously received book and then, one rainy night, vanished. Seven years later, she's now officially been declared dead and authors are vying to be the one chosen to finish out the series. Some are in deadly earnest, though that doesn't throw Jacqueline off her stride. She tries to finish the next book but is distracted by what happened to the original author. Okay, and a little distracted by the increasingly dangerous "accidents" that seem to be occurring to her.
December 27, 2016
Did not finish.
I've read and enjoyed seven or eight of the Amelia Peabody series, but unfortunately, Peters' writing style doesn't translate well to this character.
Kirby's character is supposed to be brash, bossy, and over-the-top (because really, doesn't that describe every librarian you know?). But to me, it comes across as pompous, self-satisfied, and arrogant. Further, it feels to me more like that's the tone of the book itself more than just the main character. For instance...
I hope never to read another book that uses the word 'effusions' twice in the same chapter. Too many 50 cent words where simpler ones would fit better. And they're not just in the dialog - they're in the narrative, too.
Jacqueline's trip to a local bar is apparently supposed to have some sort of shock value, like seeing your grandma on a Harley. You can practically see the author's self-satisfied smirk as we humble readers gawp at this dignified lady's descent into humanity.
Which reminds me of my confusion over Jacqueline herself. I can't figure out who she's supposed to be. In one scene, she's a hot mamma turning heads and sleeping with a 30-something detective. In another, she's got grandchildren and is giving some poor clerk a two paragraph rant about how she should be called "Mrs. Kirby" instead of Jacqueline. I mean, I know it's not mutually exclusive, you can be sexy AND yell at a clerk, it makes her seem kind of schizophrenic to me.
Usually, I'm pretty tenacious when I start a book - it takes a lot for me to put it aside. But all that, coupled with a mystery that seems wafer thin, made me look for greener pastures.
I've read and enjoyed seven or eight of the Amelia Peabody series, but unfortunately, Peters' writing style doesn't translate well to this character.
Kirby's character is supposed to be brash, bossy, and over-the-top (because really, doesn't that describe every librarian you know?). But to me, it comes across as pompous, self-satisfied, and arrogant. Further, it feels to me more like that's the tone of the book itself more than just the main character. For instance...
I hope never to read another book that uses the word 'effusions' twice in the same chapter. Too many 50 cent words where simpler ones would fit better. And they're not just in the dialog - they're in the narrative, too.
Jacqueline's trip to a local bar is apparently supposed to have some sort of shock value, like seeing your grandma on a Harley. You can practically see the author's self-satisfied smirk as we humble readers gawp at this dignified lady's descent into humanity.
Which reminds me of my confusion over Jacqueline herself. I can't figure out who she's supposed to be. In one scene, she's a hot mamma turning heads and sleeping with a 30-something detective. In another, she's got grandchildren and is giving some poor clerk a two paragraph rant about how she should be called "Mrs. Kirby" instead of Jacqueline. I mean, I know it's not mutually exclusive, you can be sexy AND yell at a clerk, it makes her seem kind of schizophrenic to me.
Usually, I'm pretty tenacious when I start a book - it takes a lot for me to put it aside. But all that, coupled with a mystery that seems wafer thin, made me look for greener pastures.
September 2, 2023
I read the late, great Elizabeth Peters’ Naked Once More some 20 years ago or more — so long ago that the only thing I remembered about this fourth entry in the fabulous Jacqueline Kirby series was the dreadful secondary character, Brunnhilde Karlsdottir, who adds so much comedy to the story. How glad I am that I re-read this hilarious gem!
Jacqueline Kirby, a librarian-turned-romance writer, gets the opportunity to write the sequel to a hit romance book by an author tragically gone in her prime. Think Margaret Mitchell if she had written The Clan of the Cave Bear and then disappeared. Seven years later, she’s been declared dead, and her froggy and self-centered half-brother sees a chance to make a killing (again, think of the hullabaloo with Scarlett: The Sequel to Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind Part 2) with a sequel to his sister Kathleen Darcy’s own international best-seller Naked in the Ice. But as Jacqueline learns more about the circumstances around what happened to Kathleen Darcy, the more she suspects that someone wanted Kathleen dead.
I adored this novel anew. While it’s the fourth in the series, readers new to Elizabeth Peters (and her many, many, many fabulous mysteries and paranormal novels) won’t be lost at all. But a warning: If you start with this novel, you won’t be able to stop from reading more. I only wish I could give it six stars!
Jacqueline Kirby, a librarian-turned-romance writer, gets the opportunity to write the sequel to a hit romance book by an author tragically gone in her prime. Think Margaret Mitchell if she had written The Clan of the Cave Bear and then disappeared. Seven years later, she’s been declared dead, and her froggy and self-centered half-brother sees a chance to make a killing (again, think of the hullabaloo with Scarlett: The Sequel to Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind Part 2) with a sequel to his sister Kathleen Darcy’s own international best-seller Naked in the Ice. But as Jacqueline learns more about the circumstances around what happened to Kathleen Darcy, the more she suspects that someone wanted Kathleen dead.
I adored this novel anew. While it’s the fourth in the series, readers new to Elizabeth Peters (and her many, many, many fabulous mysteries and paranormal novels) won’t be lost at all. But a warning: If you start with this novel, you won’t be able to stop from reading more. I only wish I could give it six stars!
September 19, 2020
Jacqueline Kirby isn't a universal favorite amongst Elizabeth Peters readers but I absolutely adore her, especially now that she is firmly in the driver's seat as the main character.
Having published her tongue-in-cheek romance novel to rave reviews, the ex-librarian now gets the chance to complete the sequel for a wildly popular novel whose author disappeared 7 years earlier. Except the more she looks into it, the more suspicious the disappearance appears...
While I personally enjoyed Die for Love more, this was a better mystery. Jacqueline spends less time protesting that she doesn't know why people confide their life stories to her and more time sleuthing. At least one of the twists is fairly obvious, but it is fun seeing everything come together.
I'd definitely recommend this series to mystery lovers with a taste for '80s throwback, the use of a word processor alone should leave you grinning.
You can skip the first two books in the series without much loss but this one won't make as much sense if you don't read Die for Love first. Well, you can probably get away without reading Die for Love first, because honestly this book rehashes the important bits, but you'll have missed out.
Having published her tongue-in-cheek romance novel to rave reviews, the ex-librarian now gets the chance to complete the sequel for a wildly popular novel whose author disappeared 7 years earlier. Except the more she looks into it, the more suspicious the disappearance appears...
While I personally enjoyed Die for Love more, this was a better mystery. Jacqueline spends less time protesting that she doesn't know why people confide their life stories to her and more time sleuthing. At least one of the twists is fairly obvious, but it is fun seeing everything come together.
I'd definitely recommend this series to mystery lovers with a taste for '80s throwback, the use of a word processor alone should leave you grinning.
You can skip the first two books in the series without much loss but this one won't make as much sense if you don't read Die for Love first. Well, you can probably get away without reading Die for Love first, because honestly this book rehashes the important bits, but you'll have missed out.
October 22, 2018
October, 2018: This time on audio, my new favorite of the Jacqueline Kirby mysteries because of all the publishers/authors fun that Peters put in, and her capitulation to her desire to depict Jacqueline Kirby as a sassier alter-ego for herself. There are some dropped threads here and the solution is not entirely fair but JK is much kinder than she has been in previous books so I liked it better. Read by Grace Conlin on Hoopla audio accessed through my public library.
2013: Jacqueline Kirby has become a best-selling author and she hopes to write a sequel to a missing author's big hit. This is very funny, although not as entertaining as Die for Love.
I am trying to decide if the reason I like JK least of Elizabeth Peters's series heroines is that Jake is so self-assured as to be annoying to me (I suspect anyone who is so sure of herself to be a bully, which may not be fair) or because the characterization is so much thinner than in the Amelia books. I liked JK better as a librarian than as an author.
Missing Elizabeth Peters already. Also worth noting: JK does the Kindly Brontosaurus so recently promoted in Slate! Naturally it gets her what she wants. Kirby always wins.
2013: Jacqueline Kirby has become a best-selling author and she hopes to write a sequel to a missing author's big hit. This is very funny, although not as entertaining as Die for Love.
I am trying to decide if the reason I like JK least of Elizabeth Peters's series heroines is that Jake is so self-assured as to be annoying to me (I suspect anyone who is so sure of herself to be a bully, which may not be fair) or because the characterization is so much thinner than in the Amelia books. I liked JK better as a librarian than as an author.
Missing Elizabeth Peters already. Also worth noting: JK does the Kindly Brontosaurus so recently promoted in Slate! Naturally it gets her what she wants. Kirby always wins.
December 10, 2021
Ex-librarian Jacqueline Kirby is an underrated amateur sleuth. While Elizabeth Peters' mystery novels featuring Amelia Peabody and Vicky Bliss are more popular, the Jacqueline Kirby mysteries are also a delight. Naked Once More and The Murders of Richard III are the best in the series, and I was happy to discover that they hold up beautifully to rereading.
January 8, 2010
I downloaded this as an audiobook when I had an Audible.com subscription because...well, I don't remember why I chose it, exactly. Mystery novels are absolutely my personal guilty bookish pleasure, so it's not a stretch to imagine that someone recommended it to me and I picked it up for that reason. Regardless, I greatly enjoyed it. Plot summary: Jacqueline Kirby, loud-mouthed, brash, fearless, hilarious, best-selling romance author, needs a vacation from the publishing biz. Unfortunately, she's also out of money. So when she hears about the opportunity to write a sequel to one of the best-selling books of all time, which also happens to be one of her favorite books ever written, she jumps at it. The book's author, Kathleen Darcy, disappeared in the middle of nowhere seven years ago, and she's now presumed dead. Her family is interviewing candidates to write the sequel, and Jacqueline very much wants to get the job. The more she pokes around in their family business, however, the more certain she is that one of them wanted Kathleen dead - and she's determined to get to the bottom of that particular mystery.
This was a fun, fast, entertaining story. The actor who reads the book captures Jacqueline Kirby PERFECTLY, which made the audiobook that much more enjoyable. I believe that this is the second or third Jacqueline Kirby book, and I definitely want to read the others in the series after experiencing this one. When I mentioned on Facebook that I'd read it, one of my friends said she liked to describe Elizabeth Peters's books as a peanut M&M - candy-coated chocolate with a nugget of protein in the center. I think that's a dead-on description. It is a fun, fluffy, cozy mystery story, but there's something weighty about it. It's well-written, and I can tell Peters is a smart woman.
This was a fun, fast, entertaining story. The actor who reads the book captures Jacqueline Kirby PERFECTLY, which made the audiobook that much more enjoyable. I believe that this is the second or third Jacqueline Kirby book, and I definitely want to read the others in the series after experiencing this one. When I mentioned on Facebook that I'd read it, one of my friends said she liked to describe Elizabeth Peters's books as a peanut M&M - candy-coated chocolate with a nugget of protein in the center. I think that's a dead-on description. It is a fun, fluffy, cozy mystery story, but there's something weighty about it. It's well-written, and I can tell Peters is a smart woman.
September 7, 2017
Arghh. I really like this author, and not just her Amelia Peabody books. Vickie Bliss, for instance, can be quite fun. I know I've read this one several times in the distant past, so when I decided to listen to this audiobook I expected a pretty good story. I didn't get it.
Some of the fault might lie with the narrator, Grace Conlin, whose voice seemed a little depressed and fell at the end of every sentence. Also I remembered that I never liked Jacqueline, the ex-librarian now romance novelist, as much as I wanted to. She feels too detached to me, sarcastic and critical and overreacting to things, and I never warm up to her. Also there's a fair amount of profanity, which feels out of place here. But I think the real problem is probably the plot. There just isn't enough going on to support the story, and the atmosphere isn't strong enough to feel like a thriller.
I was so relieved when this book finally ended. :(
Some of the fault might lie with the narrator, Grace Conlin, whose voice seemed a little depressed and fell at the end of every sentence. Also I remembered that I never liked Jacqueline, the ex-librarian now romance novelist, as much as I wanted to. She feels too detached to me, sarcastic and critical and overreacting to things, and I never warm up to her. Also there's a fair amount of profanity, which feels out of place here. But I think the real problem is probably the plot. There just isn't enough going on to support the story, and the atmosphere isn't strong enough to feel like a thriller.
I was so relieved when this book finally ended. :(
January 10, 2011
I love Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series--fun mysteries steeped in the the minutiae of archeology and Egyptian history. This is the first book of a different series, featuring former librarian turned novelist Jacqueline Kirby, and it's just not as good. The mystery is entirely reliant on the arcane feuds of authors and agents, and is set in a rather loosely sketched contemporary "small Southern town" it lacks the exoticism of location and time that Amelia Peabody books have going for them.
The plot starts with the discovery of a car accident crime scene in this small Southern town, and the missing body of an author who sold millions of copies of her book "Naked on the Ice"--a sort of "Clan of the Cave Bear." After seven years, the author is declared legally dead and a sequel is being authorized by her heirs. Jacqueline Kirby is chosen over several other authors considered for the job, and she moves to Pine Ridge (or whatever it's called) to research the remaining papers of the dead author and to start the writing process.
Things start to go badly very quickly: anonymous threatening letters, break-ins, clumsy attempts on Jacqueline's life. When a book shop owner is found dead under a toppled bookcase, Jacqueline Kirby decides she has to solve the crime--as well as the mystery of what happened seven years ago.
Competently written, with some interesting insights into the workings of literary business, the book suffers from an abrasive main character, few memorable characters, and a meandering plot where pages go by but little seems to happen. Not Peters' best work.
I wouldn't endorse this book, but I can endorse another Jacqueline Kirby book: The Murders of Richard III. That one was fun.
The plot starts with the discovery of a car accident crime scene in this small Southern town, and the missing body of an author who sold millions of copies of her book "Naked on the Ice"--a sort of "Clan of the Cave Bear." After seven years, the author is declared legally dead and a sequel is being authorized by her heirs. Jacqueline Kirby is chosen over several other authors considered for the job, and she moves to Pine Ridge (or whatever it's called) to research the remaining papers of the dead author and to start the writing process.
Things start to go badly very quickly: anonymous threatening letters, break-ins, clumsy attempts on Jacqueline's life. When a book shop owner is found dead under a toppled bookcase, Jacqueline Kirby decides she has to solve the crime--as well as the mystery of what happened seven years ago.
Competently written, with some interesting insights into the workings of literary business, the book suffers from an abrasive main character, few memorable characters, and a meandering plot where pages go by but little seems to happen. Not Peters' best work.
I wouldn't endorse this book, but I can endorse another Jacqueline Kirby book: The Murders of Richard III. That one was fun.
February 4, 2023
Audiobook. Book 5 stars, narration by Grace Conlin 3 stars.
Fun romp through literary suspense and murder.
Fun romp through literary suspense and murder.
September 25, 2025
The final book in the series catches Jacqueline caught in a bid to write the sequel to a dead author’s fabulous bestseller, fending off rivals, and slowly coming to the conclusion that the author’s death was no suicide. A little darker, a little more atmospheric, and Elizabeth Peters’ ends the series strong.
Naked Once More is the fourth and final standalone Jacqueline Kirby mystery.
Following on the heels of Die for Love in which Jacqueline, at the very end of that one, wrote a satirical historical romance and she was as shocked as anyone else when it hit the bestsellers. Her second book was nearly as popular making her a name in the romance world.
After a few rounds with all the TV, radio, and newspaper interviews and guest speaking, she’s not so enamored with fame and the romance book world. When her agent talks of retiring, he dangles a different writing project under her nose- finish the story of the hottest book to hit the market in ages.
So, Naked Once More trails Jacqueline as she tosses her hat into the ring and does her level best to stir up the writer’s heirs, lawyers, the competition, and half the small town in rural Virginia. Jacqueline becomes the confidante of a few and studies the author and all the past documentation on her and her books so she can do her best by the sequel. In doing so, she spots some chilling hints that Kathleen Darcy might not have taken her own life in that clearing in the woods. Plenty of people had motive starting with her dependent relations, rival love interests, and others in the book industry.
Naked Once More was slow build and had some delicious atmospheric moments, twists, and suspense married with Jacqueline’s snappy dialogue and clever way of doing circles around those who were out to get her or bully those she saw in need of protection. This was definitely my favorite of the series and reminded me a lot of the author’s darker more suspenseful stories written under her Barbara Michaels’ name.
All in all, this was a fabulous revisit and my first time on audio. I was glad Grace Conlin was the series’ narrator and I look forward to more of her work and more of Elizabeth Peters’ books.
My full review will post at The Reading Frenzy 9.17.25 .
Naked Once More is the fourth and final standalone Jacqueline Kirby mystery.
Following on the heels of Die for Love in which Jacqueline, at the very end of that one, wrote a satirical historical romance and she was as shocked as anyone else when it hit the bestsellers. Her second book was nearly as popular making her a name in the romance world.
After a few rounds with all the TV, radio, and newspaper interviews and guest speaking, she’s not so enamored with fame and the romance book world. When her agent talks of retiring, he dangles a different writing project under her nose- finish the story of the hottest book to hit the market in ages.
So, Naked Once More trails Jacqueline as she tosses her hat into the ring and does her level best to stir up the writer’s heirs, lawyers, the competition, and half the small town in rural Virginia. Jacqueline becomes the confidante of a few and studies the author and all the past documentation on her and her books so she can do her best by the sequel. In doing so, she spots some chilling hints that Kathleen Darcy might not have taken her own life in that clearing in the woods. Plenty of people had motive starting with her dependent relations, rival love interests, and others in the book industry.
Naked Once More was slow build and had some delicious atmospheric moments, twists, and suspense married with Jacqueline’s snappy dialogue and clever way of doing circles around those who were out to get her or bully those she saw in need of protection. This was definitely my favorite of the series and reminded me a lot of the author’s darker more suspenseful stories written under her Barbara Michaels’ name.
All in all, this was a fabulous revisit and my first time on audio. I was glad Grace Conlin was the series’ narrator and I look forward to more of her work and more of Elizabeth Peters’ books.
My full review will post at The Reading Frenzy 9.17.25 .
July 30, 2013
At one time, I really enjoyed Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series featuring the spirited, adventurous Amelia, and as the series continued, her expanding family. The series is light and funny, an Egyptologist's cozy.
When Naked Once More was offered by NetGalley featuring Jaqueline Kirby, a former librarian turned Romance Writer, I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did! I found this novel much more textured than the Peabody series. Not simply a different sub-genre, but a novel with less black and white and many more shades of grey.
Jacqueline Kirby has been chosen to write the sequel to a book by Kathleen Darcy, who wrote Naked on the Ice, a book that sold millions and gained her many devoted fans among both readers and writers. (Thus the title Naked Once More). The book has become a cult classic. Fervent fans were devastated when Kathleen disappeared into the Appalachian wilderness and her body never recovered.
What happened to Kathleen? Did she commit suicide, and if so why? The questions again surface when, after seven years, Darcy is declared legally dead, and the publishing world is able to pursue a sequel.
I really liked Jacqueline Kirby, an audacious character who also has an instinctive insight, and I liked her even better as the novel advanced. Kirby is a performer, a wit, an egotist, but one who understands herself and her own flaws. Not that she doesn't justify her flaws or dismiss them as suits her....
As Jacqueline (call her Jacqueline, Jake, or Kirby--never Jackie) was a staunch fan of Kathleen Darcy's work, she is already deeply familiar with the novel and many details of Kathleen's life, but her research takes her much deeper. And makes her more and more curious.
I found the novel involving, amusing, and highly entertaining! Barbara Mertz writes nonfiction under her own name and mysteries under the pseudonyms of Elizabeth Peters and Barbara Michaels. The novel was originally published in 1990, but doesn't feel dated.
NetGalley/Grand Central Publishing.
Mystery. 1990; 2013. Print version: 368 pages.
ISBN-10: 0061999407
When Naked Once More was offered by NetGalley featuring Jaqueline Kirby, a former librarian turned Romance Writer, I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did! I found this novel much more textured than the Peabody series. Not simply a different sub-genre, but a novel with less black and white and many more shades of grey.
Jacqueline Kirby has been chosen to write the sequel to a book by Kathleen Darcy, who wrote Naked on the Ice, a book that sold millions and gained her many devoted fans among both readers and writers. (Thus the title Naked Once More). The book has become a cult classic. Fervent fans were devastated when Kathleen disappeared into the Appalachian wilderness and her body never recovered.
What happened to Kathleen? Did she commit suicide, and if so why? The questions again surface when, after seven years, Darcy is declared legally dead, and the publishing world is able to pursue a sequel.
I really liked Jacqueline Kirby, an audacious character who also has an instinctive insight, and I liked her even better as the novel advanced. Kirby is a performer, a wit, an egotist, but one who understands herself and her own flaws. Not that she doesn't justify her flaws or dismiss them as suits her....
As Jacqueline (call her Jacqueline, Jake, or Kirby--never Jackie) was a staunch fan of Kathleen Darcy's work, she is already deeply familiar with the novel and many details of Kathleen's life, but her research takes her much deeper. And makes her more and more curious.
I found the novel involving, amusing, and highly entertaining! Barbara Mertz writes nonfiction under her own name and mysteries under the pseudonyms of Elizabeth Peters and Barbara Michaels. The novel was originally published in 1990, but doesn't feel dated.
NetGalley/Grand Central Publishing.
Mystery. 1990; 2013. Print version: 368 pages.
ISBN-10: 0061999407
August 21, 2014
MPM is one of my take-to-a-desert-island authors whether she’s writing as Elizabeth Peters or Barbara Michaels. Her books never fail to entertain and intrigue. Naked Once More is one of the best as is evidenced by it’s winning the Agatha Award in 1989. It comes as close to pure mystery as anything she writes and it’s wildly entertaining.
Jacqueline Kirby is in her fourth outing in this book. She’s become a famous writer of romance novels which she feels are complete rubbish but pay the bills. She’s flamboyant, extravagant, stubborn and has a great sense of humor. In Naked Once More, her manager takes her to lunch to tell her that he is retiring and also that a sequel is being planned to one of the most famous books published in recent history. It was a book called Naked in the Ice and the author, Kathleen Darcy, disappeared mysteriously 7 years ago. The courts have finally declared her dead and her family is looking for someone to write the sequel. It’s all about money.
Though there are a number of authors vying for the job, Jacquelyn does get it and moves to the small town where Darcy lived and where her family still lives. Mysterious events begin which make her and the readers realize that all is not as it seems.
A lot of time is spent dealing with the difficulties of being an author and the oddities of the publishing industry. I did wonder if the issues surrounding the problems of writers were autobiographical. That writers are compelled to write, no matter what the circumstances, certainly is a theme of this book.
Through the entire book, homage is paid to many other mystery writers. That’s always fun to see. It has great pacing, the story keeps moving forward and you are drawn along through the mystery with never a dull moment. The characters are interesting and distinctive. Her descriptions bring everything to life. There is a feel to an MPM novel that is distinctive and you would know you were reading one even if you didn’t see the name on the cover. Elizabeth Peters just knows how to make a book fun to read.
I received this copy through Netgalley and I appreciated the opportunity to give it an honest review.
Jacqueline Kirby is in her fourth outing in this book. She’s become a famous writer of romance novels which she feels are complete rubbish but pay the bills. She’s flamboyant, extravagant, stubborn and has a great sense of humor. In Naked Once More, her manager takes her to lunch to tell her that he is retiring and also that a sequel is being planned to one of the most famous books published in recent history. It was a book called Naked in the Ice and the author, Kathleen Darcy, disappeared mysteriously 7 years ago. The courts have finally declared her dead and her family is looking for someone to write the sequel. It’s all about money.
Though there are a number of authors vying for the job, Jacquelyn does get it and moves to the small town where Darcy lived and where her family still lives. Mysterious events begin which make her and the readers realize that all is not as it seems.
A lot of time is spent dealing with the difficulties of being an author and the oddities of the publishing industry. I did wonder if the issues surrounding the problems of writers were autobiographical. That writers are compelled to write, no matter what the circumstances, certainly is a theme of this book.
Through the entire book, homage is paid to many other mystery writers. That’s always fun to see. It has great pacing, the story keeps moving forward and you are drawn along through the mystery with never a dull moment. The characters are interesting and distinctive. Her descriptions bring everything to life. There is a feel to an MPM novel that is distinctive and you would know you were reading one even if you didn’t see the name on the cover. Elizabeth Peters just knows how to make a book fun to read.
I received this copy through Netgalley and I appreciated the opportunity to give it an honest review.
December 31, 2011
"She may be a bestselling author, but ex-librarian Jacqueline Kirby's views on the publishing biz aren't fit to print. In fact, she's thinking of trading celebrity for serenity and a house far away from fiendish editors and demented fans when her agent whispers the only words that could ever make her stay: Naked in the Ice.
"Seven years ago, this blockbuster skyrocketed Kathleen Darcy to instant fame. Now the author's heirs are looking for a writer to pen the sequel. It's an opportunity no novelist in her right mind would pass up, and there's no doubting Jacqueline's sanity ... until she starts digging through the missing woman's papers -- and her past. Until she gets mixed up with Kathleen's enigmatic lover. Until a series of nasty accidents convince her much too late that someone wants to bring Jacqueline's story -- and her life -- to a premature end."
I quite liked this book. The heroine is a no-nonsense, competent, intelligent, curious woman who makes her own way in the world and isn't frightened by very much. But the main reason I liked her so much: "The bird-brained heroine of a certain type of romance novel would go, blithely disregarding the possibility that the man awaiting her might be the villain instead of the hero. Of course heroines of that ilk could count on being rescued -- though Jacqueline had always wondered why a hero who hoped for mentally competent progeny would bother saving a woman so feeble-witted."
The plot is just convoluted enough to keep you guessing -- I guess part of the solution but certainly not all of it. It's entertaining reading, with a cast of enough odd-ball characters & their nefarious subplots to make it really fun. I can't remember when I've enjoyed a book this much!
"Seven years ago, this blockbuster skyrocketed Kathleen Darcy to instant fame. Now the author's heirs are looking for a writer to pen the sequel. It's an opportunity no novelist in her right mind would pass up, and there's no doubting Jacqueline's sanity ... until she starts digging through the missing woman's papers -- and her past. Until she gets mixed up with Kathleen's enigmatic lover. Until a series of nasty accidents convince her much too late that someone wants to bring Jacqueline's story -- and her life -- to a premature end."
I quite liked this book. The heroine is a no-nonsense, competent, intelligent, curious woman who makes her own way in the world and isn't frightened by very much. But the main reason I liked her so much: "The bird-brained heroine of a certain type of romance novel would go, blithely disregarding the possibility that the man awaiting her might be the villain instead of the hero. Of course heroines of that ilk could count on being rescued -- though Jacqueline had always wondered why a hero who hoped for mentally competent progeny would bother saving a woman so feeble-witted."
The plot is just convoluted enough to keep you guessing -- I guess part of the solution but certainly not all of it. It's entertaining reading, with a cast of enough odd-ball characters & their nefarious subplots to make it really fun. I can't remember when I've enjoyed a book this much!
July 26, 2009
This book is the sequel to "Die For Love," starring the incomparable Jacqueline Kirby (first seen in "Seventh Sinner") who is now a bestselling author who previously did two historical romances (which she can't stand). Now she is being approached for one of the biggest book deals in history: Write a sequel to the historical/romance/fantasy epic "Naked on the Ice"--and yes, that is the real title. The author of "Naked," the cult figure Kathleen Darcy, is supposedly dead by suicide, having vanished into the wilderness seven years back, despite being a bestselling millionaire.
Jacqueline gains the book deal, but must now deal with the rising specter of murder. She suspects strongly that Kathleen Darcy was being targeted for death via "accidents." Among her suspects are Kathleen's toad-like half-brother, St. John Darcy; Kathleen's ex-lover; the hack historical-romance writer Brunnhilde; the violent male rival; the married hunk whom "Naked"'s hero was physically based on; the deformed woman who has an almost obsessive fascination with Kathleen; and a sprinkling of other former friends, enemies, and relations...
What happened to Kathleen? Did she really commit suicide, or was she murdered? Is she alive, possibly? And what possible reason would anyone have to want her dead--money, love, revenge? Jacqueline intends to find the truth -- but what if she gets in the murderer's way?
Jacqueline gains the book deal, but must now deal with the rising specter of murder. She suspects strongly that Kathleen Darcy was being targeted for death via "accidents." Among her suspects are Kathleen's toad-like half-brother, St. John Darcy; Kathleen's ex-lover; the hack historical-romance writer Brunnhilde; the violent male rival; the married hunk whom "Naked"'s hero was physically based on; the deformed woman who has an almost obsessive fascination with Kathleen; and a sprinkling of other former friends, enemies, and relations...
What happened to Kathleen? Did she really commit suicide, or was she murdered? Is she alive, possibly? And what possible reason would anyone have to want her dead--money, love, revenge? Jacqueline intends to find the truth -- but what if she gets in the murderer's way?
January 3, 2021
The longest book in the Jacqueline Kirby series by far, we find Jacqueline at her most caustic and tired.
There was something very darkly funny about this book revolving around the main character finishing a sequel for an author who has died, considering that someone finished an Amelia Peabody book that Elizabeth Peters left unfinished and that was one of the worst reading experiences of my life. (So tragic.)
The writing bits were probably my favorite — this addition to the series mostly felt long and bitter (and, you're right folks, there was more hate for fat people. I'm a little nervous to reread the books that I love most by Elizabeth Peters! Is this in all her books and I just never noticed it?!) It's still a fitting end for the series and overall the series was diverting, which is what I needed.
There was something very darkly funny about this book revolving around the main character finishing a sequel for an author who has died, considering that someone finished an Amelia Peabody book that Elizabeth Peters left unfinished and that was one of the worst reading experiences of my life. (So tragic.)
The writing bits were probably my favorite — this addition to the series mostly felt long and bitter (and, you're right folks, there was more hate for fat people. I'm a little nervous to reread the books that I love most by Elizabeth Peters! Is this in all her books and I just never noticed it?!) It's still a fitting end for the series and overall the series was diverting, which is what I needed.
May 2, 2021
Enjoyable silliness and mystery. Peters read by Barbara Rosenblat is pretty much always a good escapist combo for me.
November 18, 2021
The ending took quite the journey to get there. I enjoyed the story and the twisted way we got there, I just felt like there was a little too much back and forth with the investigation in the book.
November 20, 2022
3.5 stars
September 15, 2020
"There is a level of lousiness above which you cannot rise if you hope to make the best-seller lists."
2.5 stars.
I love how Kirby/Peters unfolds the "whodunnit" at the end, revealing small things at a time so the tension increases. BUT. I don't think that makes up for the slow and frankly boring first half of the book. I like Jacqueline enough, she's stubborn and intelligent and doesn't suffer fools, but we spend a lot of time with her by herself, trying to write a follow-up to a book we don't know much about or care about. The original author, Kathleen Darcy, has been officially declared dead after disappearing 7 years ago. (That was another weird thing about the set-up- the first chapter is how the cops find Kathleen's car in the clearing, but it's not clear that that didn't JUST happen.)
There are a lot of extraneous characters, and I agree with another reviewer that the ending isn't totally fair
Oh - and there's a reference to Barbara Michaels in this, too, which is funny since that's simply another pen name by the same author. I did enjoy all the tongue-in-cheek.
2.5 stars.
I love how Kirby/Peters unfolds the "whodunnit" at the end, revealing small things at a time so the tension increases. BUT. I don't think that makes up for the slow and frankly boring first half of the book. I like Jacqueline enough, she's stubborn and intelligent and doesn't suffer fools, but we spend a lot of time with her by herself, trying to write a follow-up to a book we don't know much about or care about. The original author, Kathleen Darcy, has been officially declared dead after disappearing 7 years ago. (That was another weird thing about the set-up- the first chapter is how the cops find Kathleen's car in the clearing, but it's not clear that that didn't JUST happen.)
There are a lot of extraneous characters, and I agree with another reviewer that the ending isn't totally fair
Oh - and there's a reference to Barbara Michaels in this, too, which is funny since that's simply another pen name by the same author. I did enjoy all the tongue-in-cheek.
August 13, 2013
I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley from Grand Central Publishing.
Jacqueline (don’t you dare call her Jackie) Kirby is a librarian-turned-novelist with a jaded view of the publishing industry and an insatiable sense of curiosity. She is bored with writing mediocre “potboilers” and longs for a steady paycheck. Her trusted agent Chris is retiring, and she is seriously considering finding a new job, but Chris has a parting gift for her: the opportunity to write the sequel to the international bestseller Naked in the Ice. The author of Naked, Kathleen Darcy, has finally been declared dead seven years after her presumed suicide. The Darcy family is holding a contest to select the author of a sequel to Naked, and Jacqueline can’t resist the pull of the potential millions this novel would earn her or the mystery that still surrounds Kathleen’s death. When the Darcy heirs pick Jacqueline as the winner, she travels to Pine Grove to immerse herself in Kathleen’s hometown in hopes of finding inspiration for her writing. Instead, she discovers a house full of discontented Darcys, a handful of potential ex-boyfriends, and several Naked fans who all remember Kathleen with varying degrees of obsession, jealousy, and resentment. Rather than working on the sequel to Naked, Jacqueline starts searching for answers about what really happened to Kathleen seven years ago. And while Jacqueline searches, someone is watching her who is desperate to make sure the truth stays hidden.
I haven’t read any of the three previous books in this series, but I didn’t have any trouble getting into this story. I found myself laughing at loud at several points, especially when Jacqueline tries to fend off attackers with her enormous purse. Jacqueline’s style of interacting with other characters can be a bit abrasive at times, and I find it slightly annoying when Peters writes things like, “Jacqueline had a hunch, but she would pursue it later,” and then doesn't explain herself. I preferred Peters’ Amelia Peabody series to this one, but this was a quick, fun read.
Jacqueline (don’t you dare call her Jackie) Kirby is a librarian-turned-novelist with a jaded view of the publishing industry and an insatiable sense of curiosity. She is bored with writing mediocre “potboilers” and longs for a steady paycheck. Her trusted agent Chris is retiring, and she is seriously considering finding a new job, but Chris has a parting gift for her: the opportunity to write the sequel to the international bestseller Naked in the Ice. The author of Naked, Kathleen Darcy, has finally been declared dead seven years after her presumed suicide. The Darcy family is holding a contest to select the author of a sequel to Naked, and Jacqueline can’t resist the pull of the potential millions this novel would earn her or the mystery that still surrounds Kathleen’s death. When the Darcy heirs pick Jacqueline as the winner, she travels to Pine Grove to immerse herself in Kathleen’s hometown in hopes of finding inspiration for her writing. Instead, she discovers a house full of discontented Darcys, a handful of potential ex-boyfriends, and several Naked fans who all remember Kathleen with varying degrees of obsession, jealousy, and resentment. Rather than working on the sequel to Naked, Jacqueline starts searching for answers about what really happened to Kathleen seven years ago. And while Jacqueline searches, someone is watching her who is desperate to make sure the truth stays hidden.
I haven’t read any of the three previous books in this series, but I didn’t have any trouble getting into this story. I found myself laughing at loud at several points, especially when Jacqueline tries to fend off attackers with her enormous purse. Jacqueline’s style of interacting with other characters can be a bit abrasive at times, and I find it slightly annoying when Peters writes things like, “Jacqueline had a hunch, but she would pursue it later,” and then doesn't explain herself. I preferred Peters’ Amelia Peabody series to this one, but this was a quick, fun read.
May 28, 2013
Inadvertent romance author and former librarian Jacqueline Kirby never thought she would get the honor of writing the sequel to one of her favorite books, 'Naked in the Ice.' The author, Kathleen Darcy, disappeared seven years previously, and with her declared legally dead, the family is now seeking to capitalize on the popularity of the first book. But when Jacqueline gets to Pine Grove, she smells something rotten. What really happened to Kathleen? What are these strange notes she's getting? Why do accidents keep happening to her? Why does every man in the place seem to want into her pants? (Well, okay, that's not such a big mystery.) Things go from bad to worse when someone gets murdered, and Jacqueline decides it's time to find out the truth.
I love Peters' Amelia Peabody series, and I do like how Jacqueline's attitude and self-confidence mirror the strong women in those books. I don't know why I didn't love this one more. It's got a lot of humor, and a lot of truth about the publishing industry, but I thought it was just okay--diverting, but the Amelia Peabodys are just better.
I love Peters' Amelia Peabody series, and I do like how Jacqueline's attitude and self-confidence mirror the strong women in those books. I don't know why I didn't love this one more. It's got a lot of humor, and a lot of truth about the publishing industry, but I thought it was just okay--diverting, but the Amelia Peabodys are just better.
December 6, 2013
Uncomfortable rant against repetitive questions "Where do you get your ideas?", draining relatives, demanding lovers, greedy managers, jealous competitors, guaranteed extra for "Naked" in title. Flamboyant author Jacqueline - Jake, never Jackie - Kirby writes closest outline to win sequel for best-seller Naked on the Ice from Kathleen Darcy, investigates her disappearance seven years ago, also suffers risky accidents. Kathleen's lover Paul cries her name when they find the body of bookseller Jan - obsessively imitative, same cottage, dark eyes, big black cat Lucifer.
January 5, 2013
I said I would give the last book of the 'Jacqueline Kirby' series a chance...sometime. So in order to have closure, I went for it last night. I usually give a book 50 pages. Then, if I don't get into the book, I give myself permission to stop reading it. I gave this book only three pages. It was not any more interesting to me than the first three books. It seemed to document Ms. Peters' journey to become a well-known, well-read author in the Mystery genre. I am not a writer and not interested in becoming one; therefore, I have no interest in the details of how one goes about becoming one. If you are an aspiring author, you may love this book. I didn't.
April 13, 2016
Clearly Elizabeth Peters was a great story teller. I've never ready anything by her that wasn't a great yarn. This particular story is about a writer, Kathleen Darcy, who disappeared and was declared dead. Another writer, Jacqueline Kirby, was chosen to write the sequel to Darcy's hit first novel. Kirby soon finds herself in a small southern town surrounded by a variety of characters who were friends and family members of Darcy.
The writing of the sequel takes a back seat to the mystery of what exactly happened to Darcy. Various "accidents", a murder and a large, black cat only adds to the mystery.
Great characters, great plot, great conclusion....Great Yarn!
The writing of the sequel takes a back seat to the mystery of what exactly happened to Darcy. Various "accidents", a murder and a large, black cat only adds to the mystery.
Great characters, great plot, great conclusion....Great Yarn!
February 1, 2021
I loved the Jacqueline Kirby books when I first read them in my 20s. Jake is erudite, sassy, and full of confidence—everything I wanted to be.
But re-reading them 20 years on has been a disappointment. The self-confidence no longer seems entirely warranted given the plots.
There is also an unsettling thread of fatphobia that runs throughout the series. Each of the books has a character whose obesity is shorthand for unlikeability or moral failing. While it perhaps reflects the sentiment of the time it was written, it’s jarring today and feels like a lazy shorthand.
But re-reading them 20 years on has been a disappointment. The self-confidence no longer seems entirely warranted given the plots.
There is also an unsettling thread of fatphobia that runs throughout the series. Each of the books has a character whose obesity is shorthand for unlikeability or moral failing. While it perhaps reflects the sentiment of the time it was written, it’s jarring today and feels like a lazy shorthand.
October 4, 2016
The main character is grating, self satisfied, pompous and occasionally completely obnoxious, but she has moments of kindness and sharp insight. The book is well paced and never drags. However, Peters commits the one sin I HATE above all, the "detective" has information that the reader is not privy to until the final climax. Also none of the extra characers were well fleshed out other than the main character herself.
February 2, 2012
This was my first reading of an Elizabeth Peters book. I detested the first part of the book, and if I had not trusted the person that suggested this author, I would not have continued. But I am glad that I did, because she weaves a delightful mystery and presents very believable characters, who are easy to care about.
May 21, 2016
I love the J.K. series. Naked once more was a fun read with an intriguing mystery.
The Vicky Bliss books are fantastic except for the last one. (I'm not into snark)
Amelia Peabody gives me a headache. I dislike most of the characters. Too many pretentious asshats. They do have some great adventures though. Egyptology is fascinating.
The Vicky Bliss books are fantastic except for the last one. (I'm not into snark)
Amelia Peabody gives me a headache. I dislike most of the characters. Too many pretentious asshats. They do have some great adventures though. Egyptology is fascinating.
November 16, 2011
This book started slowly but got increasingly better as I made my way through it. Loved the ending and grew to really like the main character.
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