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Jack MacTaggart #2
Green-Eyed Lady: A Mystery
"Take John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee, Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware, and the best of John Grisham's protagonists, shake and serve, and you'll have Jack MacTaggart." —Chelsea CainAward-winning author Chuck Greaves returns with the rollicking sequel to his acclaimed debut novel, Hush Money.U.S. Senate candidate Warren Burkett has a history of marital infidelity. Three weeks before Election Day, Burkett comes to the aid of a beautiful green-eyed lady, only to find himself alone and naked in a stranger's home from which a priceless painting is missing. As the resulting scandal threatens to tilt the election, the painting turns up in a most unexpected place . . . and so does a dead body.Hired to defend Burkett and unravel the deepening mystery, Jack MacTaggart must traverse a minefield of ruthless politicians, felonious art dealers, swarming paparazzi, the amorous wife of Burkett's billionaire opponent, her mobbed-up brother, and a district attorney with an old score to settle.With the electoral clock ticking and the press following his every move, Jack's investigation leads him on a roller-coaster ride through the lofty heights and gritty depths of Los Angeles and Southern California, lending new meaning to the adage that all's fair in love and politics.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 25, 2013
1 person is currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Greaves
11 books29 followersaka C. Joseph Greaves
Chuck Greaves spent 25 years as a trial lawyer in Los Angeles before turning his talents to fiction. He has been a finalist for most of the major awards in crime writing, including the Lefty, Shamus, Macavity, and Audie Awards, as well as the New Mexico-Arizona, Oklahoma, and Colorado Book Awards, the CAL Award in Fiction, and the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction.
Chuck's Jack MacTaggart series of legal mysteries include the titles HUSH MONEY, GREEN-EYED LADY, THE LAST HEIR, and THE CHIMERA CLUB. In addition, Chuck publishes general/literary fiction as C. Joseph Greaves, including TOM & LUCKY (Bloomsbury), a Wall Street Journal "Best Books of 2015" selection.
For more information, please visit him at his website: www.chuckgreaves.com.
Chuck Greaves spent 25 years as a trial lawyer in Los Angeles before turning his talents to fiction. He has been a finalist for most of the major awards in crime writing, including the Lefty, Shamus, Macavity, and Audie Awards, as well as the New Mexico-Arizona, Oklahoma, and Colorado Book Awards, the CAL Award in Fiction, and the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction.
Chuck's Jack MacTaggart series of legal mysteries include the titles HUSH MONEY, GREEN-EYED LADY, THE LAST HEIR, and THE CHIMERA CLUB. In addition, Chuck publishes general/literary fiction as C. Joseph Greaves, including TOM & LUCKY (Bloomsbury), a Wall Street Journal "Best Books of 2015" selection.
For more information, please visit him at his website: www.chuckgreaves.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 24, 2020
PROTAGONIST: Jack MacTaggart, lawyer
SETTING: Southern California
SERIES: #2
RATING: 37.5
WHY: Politics can be murder. Monogamously challenged candidate for the US Senate Warren Burkett messes around with a green-eyed lady and then is accused of burglary when a famous painting in the house where they dallied goes missing. He’s really in the soup when the mysterious woman is found dead after being thrown off a bridge. Lawyer Jack MacTaggart is hired to help him out; but things just get more complicated (too much so) with Burkett’s opponent, Larry Archer, coming under suspicion himself. And then there’s all the bit players, political advisers, protectors, family, who try to protect their men at all costs. Although the plot got rather tangled, Jack showed his mettle all the way through. Cracking wise, but not obnoxiously so, he comes up with creative solutions. And he’s a likeable guy, so that’s a bonus.
SETTING: Southern California
SERIES: #2
RATING: 37.5
WHY: Politics can be murder. Monogamously challenged candidate for the US Senate Warren Burkett messes around with a green-eyed lady and then is accused of burglary when a famous painting in the house where they dallied goes missing. He’s really in the soup when the mysterious woman is found dead after being thrown off a bridge. Lawyer Jack MacTaggart is hired to help him out; but things just get more complicated (too much so) with Burkett’s opponent, Larry Archer, coming under suspicion himself. And then there’s all the bit players, political advisers, protectors, family, who try to protect their men at all costs. Although the plot got rather tangled, Jack showed his mettle all the way through. Cracking wise, but not obnoxiously so, he comes up with creative solutions. And he’s a likeable guy, so that’s a bonus.
July 17, 2019
This portrays an election as voters' choice of what they believe to be the lesser of two evils. Sadly, we already know how badly that works out!
July 14, 2013
Jack MacTaggart, attorney, is hired to defend Senatorial candidate Warren Burkett when he is accused of stealing a valuable piece of art, under bizarre circumstances. The ultimate goal is to get the election back on track. Marta "Mayday" Suarez is his law partner; Bernadette Catalano is their secretary. They hook up with Officer Regan Fife of the Sierra Madre Police Department, and she unofficially helps them out.
Warren Burkett and his opponent in the Senatorial campaign, Larry Archer are polar opposites. Archer's politics are anti-tax, anti-union, and anti-regulation. Burkett's leanings are much more to the left. To make it more complicated, Archer's wife has ties to the art world and her brother is connected to the mafia.
From the start, I enjoyed the story. I am not sure how realistic it is. But fiction is not always supposed to mirror the real world, and in this case, any niggles I had were minor. I enjoyed being along for the ride. I liked the ending, especially some of the surprises along the way.
The story is told in the first person by a very likeable narrator. There was just enough tension between the people MacTaggart works with to make it believable; they are all sterling individuals, but not too goody goody.
Plus he has a nice dog.
The action in this book goes back and forth between Sierra Madre and Santa Barbara, California. Which was a bonus for me. If Greaves got Sierra Madre and other L.A. County locations down as well as he did Santa Barbara and surrounding areas, he did a really good job with the setting and atmosphere. The author practiced law in the L.A. area for many years.
I liked this book well enough to seek out the first in the series, Hush Money. That book has been nominated for the Private Eye Writers of America’s Shamus Award for Best First P.I. Novel, which is quite an honor.
Warren Burkett and his opponent in the Senatorial campaign, Larry Archer are polar opposites. Archer's politics are anti-tax, anti-union, and anti-regulation. Burkett's leanings are much more to the left. To make it more complicated, Archer's wife has ties to the art world and her brother is connected to the mafia.
From the start, I enjoyed the story. I am not sure how realistic it is. But fiction is not always supposed to mirror the real world, and in this case, any niggles I had were minor. I enjoyed being along for the ride. I liked the ending, especially some of the surprises along the way.
The story is told in the first person by a very likeable narrator. There was just enough tension between the people MacTaggart works with to make it believable; they are all sterling individuals, but not too goody goody.
Plus he has a nice dog.
The action in this book goes back and forth between Sierra Madre and Santa Barbara, California. Which was a bonus for me. If Greaves got Sierra Madre and other L.A. County locations down as well as he did Santa Barbara and surrounding areas, he did a really good job with the setting and atmosphere. The author practiced law in the L.A. area for many years.
I liked this book well enough to seek out the first in the series, Hush Money. That book has been nominated for the Private Eye Writers of America’s Shamus Award for Best First P.I. Novel, which is quite an honor.
January 17, 2022
In this second Jack McTaggart mystery, Jack has formed a new law firm with his partner Marta "Mayday" Suarez, and his client is the mayor of Los Angeles, who's running for a Senate seat and has been caught naked in someone else's bed, in a house where an expensive Impressionist painting is missing. He says that a woman with green eyes led him to that house and then disappeared, and Jack's job is to find her.
From there it's all twists and turns. I don't try to unravel puzzles when I read a mystery, because I never can. I therefore don't try to analyze the plot, but read for the writing and the characters, which in this series are always good. I can say that while this isn't a profound philosophical book, it is entertaining, which indeed is the primary criterion by which I judge a book - any book. If I don't enjoy reading it, I put it down.
And I enjoyed reading this one. :)
From there it's all twists and turns. I don't try to unravel puzzles when I read a mystery, because I never can. I therefore don't try to analyze the plot, but read for the writing and the characters, which in this series are always good. I can say that while this isn't a profound philosophical book, it is entertaining, which indeed is the primary criterion by which I judge a book - any book. If I don't enjoy reading it, I put it down.
And I enjoyed reading this one. :)
January 13, 2021
Modern day hard-boiled detective/attorney w/ 2 women aiding & abetting him.
A set-up sex-scandal w/ a candidate for senate, a stolen Morisot painting, a murdered former prostitute turned art dealer & her partner dead as well...
Both candidates are assholes, one more than the other, dirty politic, nutcase wives & relatives...
The book held my interest, even if the political aspect bored me.
A set-up sex-scandal w/ a candidate for senate, a stolen Morisot painting, a murdered former prostitute turned art dealer & her partner dead as well...
Both candidates are assholes, one more than the other, dirty politic, nutcase wives & relatives...
The book held my interest, even if the political aspect bored me.
September 25, 2019
I've had this book sitting on my shelf for a long time. I don't remember where I got it or when, but after reading the first few pages...I wonder how I missed it! Greaves is an excellent writer. His character, Jack MacTaggart, is witty and sharp. I can't wait to read Book 1!
September 2, 2021
This was one of those books where the journey was more fun than the destination. I liked the fact that McTaggert was not quite as snarky as he was in previous books and the supporting cast was interesting if somewhat of a caricature.
May 27, 2017
worth the US$1.00 I paid for it
December 30, 2018
Noirish fun, but unending twists and turns take us into fabulist territory that proves Jack a mythological creature rather than a reincarnation of Sam Spade.
August 31, 2013
The second in Greaves' Jack MacTaggert mystery series, following Hush Money. MacTaggert is now running a small legal firm that becomes entangled in the dirty tricks of a California senatorial campaign.
No sophomore slump here. Again, Greaves has a knack for creating settings that live and breathe the Golden State, and yet again, he couples it with a snappy narrative voice. Jack offers tart commentary on virtually everyone and everything that crosses his path, but his wry self-deprecation also prevents him from becoming just another unbearably competent hero. The mystery is good (although I had figured out the perp roughly 150 pages before Jack did), but I wouldn't have missed the storytelling for anything. Greaves peoples his novel with memorable, believable characters. There are nods to Raymond Chandler and some of the films produced from his works, like The Big Sleep, and Jack remains a character with whom Archie Goodwin would cheerfully share a beer. Are there higher compliments? But Greaves has his own voice in this genre, and if a fast-paced mystery with excellent characterization appeals to you, I'm not sure you can find anything better this year than Green-Eyed Lady. Here's to the next installment in the series!
No sophomore slump here. Again, Greaves has a knack for creating settings that live and breathe the Golden State, and yet again, he couples it with a snappy narrative voice. Jack offers tart commentary on virtually everyone and everything that crosses his path, but his wry self-deprecation also prevents him from becoming just another unbearably competent hero. The mystery is good (although I had figured out the perp roughly 150 pages before Jack did), but I wouldn't have missed the storytelling for anything. Greaves peoples his novel with memorable, believable characters. There are nods to Raymond Chandler and some of the films produced from his works, like The Big Sleep, and Jack remains a character with whom Archie Goodwin would cheerfully share a beer. Are there higher compliments? But Greaves has his own voice in this genre, and if a fast-paced mystery with excellent characterization appeals to you, I'm not sure you can find anything better this year than Green-Eyed Lady. Here's to the next installment in the series!
October 9, 2013
I hadn't read the first book, but didn't have a problem with the character set up after I understood there was a character switch between the first and second chapters. The book starts off with a man helping a woman, I initially thought this was MacTaggart too, but it was his client. After I got that straight, I was good to go. Lots of twists and turns that I didn't see coming.
While there were light points, I didn't really find the book humorous at all.
I give this a 2 star rating (maybe 2.5) because I liked the story and not being able to tell whodunnit, but the characters weren't that engaging for me and I don't want to rush out and get the first book which is more indicative of a 3 to 5 star review.
While there were light points, I didn't really find the book humorous at all.
I give this a 2 star rating (maybe 2.5) because I liked the story and not being able to tell whodunnit, but the characters weren't that engaging for me and I don't want to rush out and get the first book which is more indicative of a 3 to 5 star review.
July 28, 2013
Greaves...has the uncanny ability to lay down layer upon layer of color for your minds canvas, much like an artist creates from his palette, keeping the reader vibrating to turn the next page to reveal the next twist. In contrast he will also just shoot from the hip and give you a vivid image point blank with a healthy dollup of wry humor.... "Stunning, in a Eurasian Russian-vodka-model sort of way". I would highly suggest that you finish all of your to do list, cancel some appointments, turn your phone off, feed the dog, make a pot of tea, get comfortable and dive into Chucks latest MacTaggart Mystery....ohh and "trust me" on this one I'm not a lawyer.
February 16, 2016
This is #2 Jack McTaggart series. In the first few pages a mysterious woman with green eyes sets up a politician in the middle of a campaign to be accused of theft. Naturally he calls his attorney, McTaggart. Mix a political scandal with two politicians willing to do anything to get elected, add a confusing side plot involving graffiti artists, and an attorney described as “Jim Rockford with a law degree,” and you get this. It’s a pretty good lawyer-detective story, and the author kept me guessing about who was guilty.
April 16, 2016
[library audiobook]
I liked the idea of defending a liberal politician who has been set up during an election campaign against a right wing jerk with gangster connections. I liked the idea of a smarmy DA who is sucking up to the right wing jerk being defeated. Nothing like a beautiful lesbian cop or a brilliant lesbian law partner to spice up the scenery. But there were scenes which made no sense, and the conclusion pulled a rabbit out of a hat.
I'll think twice about reading another Greaves novel.
I liked the idea of defending a liberal politician who has been set up during an election campaign against a right wing jerk with gangster connections. I liked the idea of a smarmy DA who is sucking up to the right wing jerk being defeated. Nothing like a beautiful lesbian cop or a brilliant lesbian law partner to spice up the scenery. But there were scenes which made no sense, and the conclusion pulled a rabbit out of a hat.
I'll think twice about reading another Greaves novel.
October 1, 2014
This was OK. I really enjoyed the first book of the series. Probably would have enjoyed this one, but it had a lot of politicians running around, and they just aren't as interesting to me, even if it involves 'murder' as other settings. The writing was still good, and I like the main and recurring characters. I have hopes for the next in the series, and will be waiting.
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May 5, 2015Green eyed lady Jack MacTaggart Mystery
Great follow-up to Chuck Greaves first Jack MacTaggart book Hush Money.
This 2nd book in the series is also a winner.
You have blackmail,politics,murder and a rivalry in the mix.
Now I can't wait to read book 3,Lost Heir.
I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves mysteries.
Great follow-up to Chuck Greaves first Jack MacTaggart book Hush Money.
This 2nd book in the series is also a winner.
You have blackmail,politics,murder and a rivalry in the mix.
Now I can't wait to read book 3,Lost Heir.
I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves mysteries.
January 4, 2016
I really liked this one. Jack MacTaggart takes on a legal case wrapped in political machinations that soon has him dealing with murder, mob threats, and a biased district attorney. Greaves’ ability to describe the legal ins and outs so I could understand made for a feeling of realism, and the twists and turns kept me guessing to the very end.
July 18, 2013
What a crazy trip this book was!! I really enjoyed being taken on a ride with some amazing characters, in some crazy circumstances that contained twists and turns wrapped in a mystery ! Fun stuff!!! 4 stars!
September 9, 2013
An entertaining legal thriller with added humor as attorney Jack MacTaggart works to unravel a mystery governed by an election timeline. This is a sequel, but I will definitely read the prequel, as as the action rises so does the author's use of humor like, "Trust me, I'am a lawyer."
April 6, 2015
Green-Eyed Lady is a solid mystery with an appealing protagonist, attorney Jack MacTaggart. I'm eager to read Greaves next book. The Last Heir, which is a finalist in the mystery category for the 2015 Colorado Book Awards.
January 28, 2015
The book purports to be a mystery involving lawyers and politicians in LA. Three strokes against it in my estimation. Never-the-less, I plowed through it. The first half was OK, but it got worse towards the end and was really bad at the finish. My recommendation in a nut-shell is "don't bother!"
February 20, 2015
My first Chuck Greaves book, it was good but I did find the plot maybe a little too complex, although that could have been my often troubling focus issues. I did like the characters and the protagonist' s sense of humor .
March 4, 2015
I'm in love with this author. Lots of twists and turns and political intrigue with Jack Taggert the main character and his band of cronies. I've become an audio book queen. It's like watching the book. His first book Hush Money is not in audio.
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July 15, 2013so far, good book. Has a way with words.
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July 20, 2013Attorney Jack MacTaggert picks up the pieces when local pol is set up for art theft.
March 5, 2016
GREAT mystery -- love Chuck Greaves. Will read his other books ASAP.
March 8, 2014
Lots of great one-liners.
May 18, 2014
Kind of fun but lacked something............... Maybe, a little humor?
October 29, 2014
A solid followup to Greaves' first Jack MacTaggart mystery.
February 6, 2016
Another fun mystery set (partly) in Pasadena. Onto the third in the series…
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews