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Desiree Shapiro Mystery #4
Murder Can Wreck Your Reunion
Private investigator Desiree Shapiro receives a frantic call from her niece, who's suspected of murdering an old friend while at her reunion. But Desiree doesn't believe the death was a homicide--and once again she finds herself involved in another wildly hilarious mystery.
- GenresMysteryCozy MysteryCozy
265 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
3 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
About the author
Selma Eichler
22 books63 followersSelma Eichler is a freelance writer who lives in New York with her husband. She is the creator of 'Desiree Shapiro', private eye in New York City.
Series:
* Desiree Shapiro Mystery
Series:
* Desiree Shapiro Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 19, 2010
The moment I was done with book three ( Murder can stunt your growth) I simply had to get my hands on the next one and this was even more fun than the previous adventure! Desiree unearths a major discovery; the new case that centers around Raven, a dead sorority sister shockingly displays the discord between old college friends, one of them being her own niece, Ellen. When the ladies meet up after a long break to catch up and see what they are up to, one of the sisters shows up uninvited and ends up dead, having jumped from her balcony into an empty pool in the middle of the night. Raven had the audacity to show up after years of fighting with the girls but no one is more perplexed than her own brother, who hires Desiree to shine some light on an investigation that seems to point to Ellen being the guilty one. Desiree of course doubts that Ellen could have done something so horrible and sets out to interview all the sisters, to see which one liked Raven the least, trouble is once the old college stories start coming out, everyone is guilty, Raven was a corrupted, self centered person who's success centered around destroying other people's lives, and everyone who has death with her doesn't seem too saddened for hear untimely death. More shocking secrets reveal some answers for her behavior but in the end it's not enough to have kept her safe, someone has managed to have Raven jump, how and why is another question, but between old friends and dark secrets a murdered sits and waits for the wrong person to be accused so that they can get on with their life with some smug satisfaction of having gotten rid of an old enemy.
Gossip and good food permeates the whole novel, making the list of suspects long and complex, and reasons for committing the crime increase as Raven's nasty little antics come out into the open. The mystery was a fun and enjoyable one, and so good that I have all ready started reading the next one, sometimes it's hard to stop when the writing is so good, interesting and intriguing to the point where it lives beyond the pages. Both Desiree and Ellen have men in their lives that provide some comic relief, especially when it comes to Desiree and the trusty tub of ice cream is never far away. This was a real joy to read, I wish more books were this fun and cunning. And I really liked the ending, it was kind of wild, not the typical finish I'd expect, but good and punchy.
Gossip and good food permeates the whole novel, making the list of suspects long and complex, and reasons for committing the crime increase as Raven's nasty little antics come out into the open. The mystery was a fun and enjoyable one, and so good that I have all ready started reading the next one, sometimes it's hard to stop when the writing is so good, interesting and intriguing to the point where it lives beyond the pages. Both Desiree and Ellen have men in their lives that provide some comic relief, especially when it comes to Desiree and the trusty tub of ice cream is never far away. This was a real joy to read, I wish more books were this fun and cunning. And I really liked the ending, it was kind of wild, not the typical finish I'd expect, but good and punchy.
July 17, 2014
A Twist of Fate, January 5, 2013
By Ellen Rappaport (Florida)
This review is from: Murder Can Wreck Your Reunion (Desiree Shapiro Mystery #4) (Mass Market Paperback)
This was the only Desiree Shapiro book that I hadn't read. Needless to say this is (or should I say was)my favorite cozy series. I write my last review for Desiree Shapiro since the author has decided (against my better judgment or my own selfishness) to end this wonderful series.
"Murder Can Wreck Your Reunion" has Ellen, Desiree's niece by marriage, in a frenzy. One of her sorority sisters has died during their reunion. Raven appears to have fallen to her death while diving into a pool. A swimming pool...with no water. apparently Raven was the only sorority sister not told about the repairs being made at that time to the pool. But why should Ellen be in such a frenzy about this mishap? Perhaps the chief of police has other ideas such as the possibility of a murder taking place and not just an accident.
Desiree goes into her investigation mode with the pretense of proving that Raven died by accident and that no murder ever happened. That's when she begins interviewing each sorority sister who was present at the time of the reunion. The facts reveal that each and every sorority sister didn't just dislike Raven...they despised her and not without cause. Raven is seemed was a diabolical, scheming witch on wheels.
This book must be read to the end to be appreciated. In my opinion, it was a slow starter but once it took off ...it had a life of its' own.
Enjoyed this book and love this series.
For all the fans of the Desiree Shapiro mystery series take heart. I can highly also recommend the Mary Jane Maffini- Camilla MacPhee mystery series:
Speak Ill of the Dead
The Icing on the Corpse
Little Boy Blue
The Devils in the Details
The Dead don't Get Out Much
And there is a new book being released shortly.
By Ellen Rappaport (Florida)
This review is from: Murder Can Wreck Your Reunion (Desiree Shapiro Mystery #4) (Mass Market Paperback)
This was the only Desiree Shapiro book that I hadn't read. Needless to say this is (or should I say was)my favorite cozy series. I write my last review for Desiree Shapiro since the author has decided (against my better judgment or my own selfishness) to end this wonderful series.
"Murder Can Wreck Your Reunion" has Ellen, Desiree's niece by marriage, in a frenzy. One of her sorority sisters has died during their reunion. Raven appears to have fallen to her death while diving into a pool. A swimming pool...with no water. apparently Raven was the only sorority sister not told about the repairs being made at that time to the pool. But why should Ellen be in such a frenzy about this mishap? Perhaps the chief of police has other ideas such as the possibility of a murder taking place and not just an accident.
Desiree goes into her investigation mode with the pretense of proving that Raven died by accident and that no murder ever happened. That's when she begins interviewing each sorority sister who was present at the time of the reunion. The facts reveal that each and every sorority sister didn't just dislike Raven...they despised her and not without cause. Raven is seemed was a diabolical, scheming witch on wheels.
This book must be read to the end to be appreciated. In my opinion, it was a slow starter but once it took off ...it had a life of its' own.
Enjoyed this book and love this series.
For all the fans of the Desiree Shapiro mystery series take heart. I can highly also recommend the Mary Jane Maffini- Camilla MacPhee mystery series:
Speak Ill of the Dead
The Icing on the Corpse
Little Boy Blue
The Devils in the Details
The Dead don't Get Out Much
And there is a new book being released shortly.
April 12, 2011
I have a ton of books in storage and i havnt read them in over 5 years. so i went an got them out and this one of the many that i got out of there. I know i am not reading them in order but that is ok, becuse i didnt read them in order in the first place.
So now on to the review.
I love the PI in the book Desiree Shapiro, Dez for short. She isnt what most people would think of when they think of a femal PI. She is not tall and blonde and skinny. She is a short women with red hair, a little on the heavy side and not in her early 20's. And that is why i like her.
In this book her neice ellen went to a Divorce party of her freind from college and one of the girls ends up dead. Everyone thinks its an acident but it turns out the be murder. Dez talks to all the girls at the party and finds out many reasons why people would whant Raven dead. And there are some very good reasons. And as always she figures out who did it after going over all her notes. And it was one of the last people you would think it would have been.
So now on to the review.
I love the PI in the book Desiree Shapiro, Dez for short. She isnt what most people would think of when they think of a femal PI. She is not tall and blonde and skinny. She is a short women with red hair, a little on the heavy side and not in her early 20's. And that is why i like her.
In this book her neice ellen went to a Divorce party of her freind from college and one of the girls ends up dead. Everyone thinks its an acident but it turns out the be murder. Dez talks to all the girls at the party and finds out many reasons why people would whant Raven dead. And there are some very good reasons. And as always she figures out who did it after going over all her notes. And it was one of the last people you would think it would have been.
April 18, 2010
I thought the premise had promise, but it wasn't as engaging as I'd hoped. Protagonist P.I. Desiree Shapiro didn't seem to be very motivated to work her business, but waited for work to fall into her lap, while investigating her niece's case for free. She was also a little wimpy about the men in her life in this installment of the series. Other than her persistance in updating the sheriff on her investigation, Desiree wasn't the strong character I'd hoped she'd be.
April 20, 2019
Desiree helps her niece out of a mess. As always, a good story!!!
April 2, 2023
Loving this series. Glad I stumbled upon a couple of the "middle" books at a thrift store. Since I prefer reading a series as it's published, I've been checking these early ones out from our library system. Next read is one of my own. Wonder if I'll be able to figure out the culprit in it. These cozies do have different endings from a lot of the series I read. Love that difference. Desiree is not your typical PI either, but she still gets the crimes solved! Read and enjoy!
September 11, 2025
I couldn't get into this book. I didn't find the plot or the storyline all that interesting. It seemed to much like the other two books I read. There was just nothing that kept my attention. Petty girls in college are just annoying. Not recommend.
June 8, 2019
Desiree needs to clear her niece as a murder suspect. This was not one of Selma Eichlers books that was fun to read this one is more along the serious lines.
August 31, 2019
When her niece, Ellen is accused of murder PI Desiree Shapiro drops everything to prove her innocence. Cleverly plotted
October 10, 2024
3 Stars
April 27, 2016
This book had a more complete ending than the previous two.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
November 24, 2010
I enjoy Shapiro mysteries. I did find this one a bit dry and didn't really care which one of the sorority sisters did the murdering. It had an odd ending too.
February 28, 2012
Love this series & I have to read them cover to cover because Des is so cute. She is not a typical PI but cares so she gets the job done. Loved it!
January 29, 2016
Let's spend 3/4 of the book pretending this isn't a murder when we all clearly know we're ready a murder mystery...
June 15, 2016
Did not like the ending!!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews