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Jenna Scali Mystery #1
e-Murderer: A Jenna Scali Mystery
E-MURDERER is a race to find a psychotic killer before he kills again. On this anything but typical Monday morning Jenna Scali, who works part-time for a shrink, opens an email that depicts the brutal death of a young girl. On that same day the police uncover a dead coed two blocks from Jenna's house. The e-murderer's description creepily echos the death described in the newspapers. When Jenna receives other emails, she takes what she knows to the police and thus begins her journey in the path of the e-murderer. Her curious nature impels her from e-messages to dead coeds to a ring of prostitutes. With the help of her quirky friends, Jenna learns that she's more than a conduit for the killer. She's his target. New secrets unfold, and finally her love life takes a tumble when the true killer emerges.
- GenresMystery
254 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
4 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Joan C. Curtis
13 books190 followersJoan is an award winning writer who has published 7 books and numerous stories. THE CLOCK STRIKES MIDNIGHT won FIRST PLACE Royal Palm Literary Award, e-Murderer won the GOLD in the Global e-Book Awards for 2016. Murder on Moonshine Hill won the BRONZE for Reader's Favorite and the SILVER in the Global e-book Awards 2017.
Joan has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. She reads all kinds of books, including women’s fiction, mysteries, biography, and nonfiction related to her work. She does not read fantasy, horror or romance. Her passion as a reader lies closer to literary writing with a commercial bent. Her debut novel, The Clock Strikes Midnight, is scheduled for release in the Fall 2014. This mystery/suspense book is exactly the kind of book Joan loves to read.
“I write about characters who remind me of myself at times and my sister at times, but never fully so. My stories are told from a woman’s point of view. Characters drive my writing and my reading.”
Having grown up in the South with a mother from Westchester County New York, Joan has a unique take on blending the southern traditions with the eye of a northerner. She spent most of her childhood in North Carolina and now resides in Georgia.
Joan has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. She reads all kinds of books, including women’s fiction, mysteries, biography, and nonfiction related to her work. She does not read fantasy, horror or romance. Her passion as a reader lies closer to literary writing with a commercial bent. Her debut novel, The Clock Strikes Midnight, is scheduled for release in the Fall 2014. This mystery/suspense book is exactly the kind of book Joan loves to read.
“I write about characters who remind me of myself at times and my sister at times, but never fully so. My stories are told from a woman’s point of view. Characters drive my writing and my reading.”
Having grown up in the South with a mother from Westchester County New York, Joan has a unique take on blending the southern traditions with the eye of a northerner. She spent most of her childhood in North Carolina and now resides in Georgia.
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August 23, 2022
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The author was obviously very earnest in her desire to write this story. I can feel that, but I can't rate based on intention. I can only judge based on what I read.
e-Murderer introduces us to Psych student Jenna Scali who interns part-time at a psychiatrist's office. One morning she comes to work to find someone has emailed her disturbing information about the murder of a young college coed. Soon Jenna finds herself pulled into a serial killer's game as she and a handsome detective race to catch the killer before he strikes again.
Sounds, okay. I mean maybe a little done-to-fucking-death in terms of concept, but lots of things in the world of creativity are.
This reads like fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants plotting. Every time I had to read about Jenna playing voicemail tag with someone or thinking in the bathroom, thinking in her bedroom, thinking with her cats... I started to skip chunks of paragraphs in order to get to something that mattered. There was so much pointless filler.
And dark material that is written like a damn episode of Saved by the Bell? Spare me, I beg of you! People are being murdered and raped and you're really going to stand there and say "gosh" or "what the blazes" or "what the devil"? You're going to call someone a jerk when you should really be calling them a fucking asshole or a piece of shit?
Listen, I get that some people don't like certain noises that we can make with our mouths because they are "offensive" and that's totally whatever. But if you're going to write a book about mature subject matter, the characters can't sound like they're 12. If I had to read "you weasel" or "you buzzard" one more time... ugh. Guaranteed you don't find too many homicide detectives calling murders jerk and buttface in real life. Or too many twenty-somethings that want to vomit just because a guy happens to be seeking the company of an escort. Jenna is in for a rude awakening about the kind of filth that flows through the head of every man on the face of the planet. ALL OF THEM. Literally. Just accept it. You're kidding yourself if you think, Well, Not MY Joe. Oh yes, your Joe. All Joes.
Maybe I've just read too many books in this genre, but the research for this was bad. It reads like regurgitated talking points and assumptions. Nothing about the killer was believable in terms of psychology. And given that Jenna is a psychology student (!!!) I would have thought more attention would have been paid to this aspect of the plot.
"I'd read that many killers, particularly serial killers, took trophies. But underwear? That was a new one!"
Um, what?? No, it definitely isn't.
"It looks as if he took your cat to get at you somehow, and when that failed, he freaked out and killed again."
That's as sinister as it gets, people!
"Dr. B said the killer had a healthy dose of anger towards women."
Oh, you don't say? What a genius observation!
The e-Murderer hates women and thinks they're all sluts and steals their underwear because "my mother had only white delicates and none of these disgusting bikini things."
Just stop.
The cops are bumbling idiots. There's a sting operation that involves people hiding behind a couch hoping the suspect won't see them. The cops bring their fast-food lunch to the house where someone was murdered and eat it in the living room beside a blood stain.
And that brings me to the general sense through of just not knowing when something is inappropriate. Like Jenna has two cats. One is named Churchill. And the other is named Stalin. As in Joseph Stalin. As in the tyrant communist dictator whose regime murdered literally millions of people. That Stalin. Just a quick question though, did she also have a hamster named Hitler?
"Yeah, but I'm a strong-natured Italian woman, remember?" Not a weak-kneed Irish girl. ...Later she apologized and said she was having PMS.
About a distressed white man...
"He swayed and moaned. He'd be great at an African American funeral."
Also, the killer makes a point of telling Jenna his mother's vajayjay smelled "clean and fresh." Listen, I don't know what vaginas the author has experienced, but there is not a vagina out there that smells clean and fresh. Vaginas smell like vaginas. Can we please stop with this insane idea that vaginas are supposed to smell like flowers and laundry detergent? Damn.
So, anyway, the cops are stupid. The killer's pathology is thoughtless. Jenna is super annoying and the plot is meandering and lacks any suspense or climax unless you count a cat disappearing or a bump on the head. And the general vibe was just kind of dated and cringe.
⭐ | 1 star
book source: Netgalley in exchange for a review
The author was obviously very earnest in her desire to write this story. I can feel that, but I can't rate based on intention. I can only judge based on what I read.
e-Murderer introduces us to Psych student Jenna Scali who interns part-time at a psychiatrist's office. One morning she comes to work to find someone has emailed her disturbing information about the murder of a young college coed. Soon Jenna finds herself pulled into a serial killer's game as she and a handsome detective race to catch the killer before he strikes again.
Sounds, okay. I mean maybe a little done-to-fucking-death in terms of concept, but lots of things in the world of creativity are.
This reads like fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants plotting. Every time I had to read about Jenna playing voicemail tag with someone or thinking in the bathroom, thinking in her bedroom, thinking with her cats... I started to skip chunks of paragraphs in order to get to something that mattered. There was so much pointless filler.
And dark material that is written like a damn episode of Saved by the Bell? Spare me, I beg of you! People are being murdered and raped and you're really going to stand there and say "gosh" or "what the blazes" or "what the devil"? You're going to call someone a jerk when you should really be calling them a fucking asshole or a piece of shit?
Listen, I get that some people don't like certain noises that we can make with our mouths because they are "offensive" and that's totally whatever. But if you're going to write a book about mature subject matter, the characters can't sound like they're 12. If I had to read "you weasel" or "you buzzard" one more time... ugh. Guaranteed you don't find too many homicide detectives calling murders jerk and buttface in real life. Or too many twenty-somethings that want to vomit just because a guy happens to be seeking the company of an escort. Jenna is in for a rude awakening about the kind of filth that flows through the head of every man on the face of the planet. ALL OF THEM. Literally. Just accept it. You're kidding yourself if you think, Well, Not MY Joe. Oh yes, your Joe. All Joes.
Maybe I've just read too many books in this genre, but the research for this was bad. It reads like regurgitated talking points and assumptions. Nothing about the killer was believable in terms of psychology. And given that Jenna is a psychology student (!!!) I would have thought more attention would have been paid to this aspect of the plot.
"I'd read that many killers, particularly serial killers, took trophies. But underwear? That was a new one!"
Um, what?? No, it definitely isn't.
"It looks as if he took your cat to get at you somehow, and when that failed, he freaked out and killed again."
That's as sinister as it gets, people!
"Dr. B said the killer had a healthy dose of anger towards women."
Oh, you don't say? What a genius observation!
The e-Murderer hates women and thinks they're all sluts and steals their underwear because "my mother had only white delicates and none of these disgusting bikini things."
Just stop.
The cops are bumbling idiots. There's a sting operation that involves people hiding behind a couch hoping the suspect won't see them. The cops bring their fast-food lunch to the house where someone was murdered and eat it in the living room beside a blood stain.
And that brings me to the general sense through of just not knowing when something is inappropriate. Like Jenna has two cats. One is named Churchill. And the other is named Stalin. As in Joseph Stalin. As in the tyrant communist dictator whose regime murdered literally millions of people. That Stalin. Just a quick question though, did she also have a hamster named Hitler?
"Yeah, but I'm a strong-natured Italian woman, remember?" Not a weak-kneed Irish girl. ...Later she apologized and said she was having PMS.
About a distressed white man...
"He swayed and moaned. He'd be great at an African American funeral."
Also, the killer makes a point of telling Jenna his mother's vajayjay smelled "clean and fresh." Listen, I don't know what vaginas the author has experienced, but there is not a vagina out there that smells clean and fresh. Vaginas smell like vaginas. Can we please stop with this insane idea that vaginas are supposed to smell like flowers and laundry detergent? Damn.
So, anyway, the cops are stupid. The killer's pathology is thoughtless. Jenna is super annoying and the plot is meandering and lacks any suspense or climax unless you count a cat disappearing or a bump on the head. And the general vibe was just kind of dated and cringe.
⭐ | 1 star
book source: Netgalley in exchange for a review
June 13, 2016
While clearing out emails at the psychiatrists office that she works in, Jenna Scali comes across a few that are a bit disturbing. Someone has sent emails describing murdering someone but trying to reply only bounces back. Jenna tells her boss what has happened worrying that it may have something to do with him or the office.
Finding out that a young woman has actually been murdered and Jenna coming to realize that the killer is actually sending to her she finally breaks down and contacts the police. Another body turns up and Jenna decides to begin doing some investigating on her own into these horrible crimes.
e-Murderer is one of those books that sounds great and I thought I'd be completely hooked but unfortunately this one only ended up being just OK to me. The biggest problem being I'm not even sure if I was even 20-25% into the book when I had the actual killer picked out.
Otherwise with this one the writing was good and the idea behind the story interesting. Also enjoyed the characters in the story. Jenna was and independent female with an ex that had done her wrong so was casually seeing a few people and not wanting to settle down. She had some interesting friends as supporting characters in the book that I also enjoyed.
Overall, 3.5 stars due to being too easy to figure out but otherwise an enjoyable cozy mystery.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
Finding out that a young woman has actually been murdered and Jenna coming to realize that the killer is actually sending to her she finally breaks down and contacts the police. Another body turns up and Jenna decides to begin doing some investigating on her own into these horrible crimes.
e-Murderer is one of those books that sounds great and I thought I'd be completely hooked but unfortunately this one only ended up being just OK to me. The biggest problem being I'm not even sure if I was even 20-25% into the book when I had the actual killer picked out.
Otherwise with this one the writing was good and the idea behind the story interesting. Also enjoyed the characters in the story. Jenna was and independent female with an ex that had done her wrong so was casually seeing a few people and not wanting to settle down. She had some interesting friends as supporting characters in the book that I also enjoyed.
Overall, 3.5 stars due to being too easy to figure out but otherwise an enjoyable cozy mystery.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
December 20, 2015
New author to me ... new series ... new female sleuth... and an interesting title ... all guaranteed to draw me in.
Jenna Scali is a wonderful character. She's smart, strong, and stubborn with a capital S. Working part-time for a psychiatrist and attending school part-time, one would think she had enough on her plate. But when she starts receiving emails at work describing a murder that took place the night before, she just can't help but get involved.
Her investigative techniques are quite unique ... she just barges in and starts asking questions that eventually lead up to her being physically threatened.
There are so many great personalities running through the pages. There's the controlling sort-of-boyfriend, her best friend who is gay, her best female friend whose husband is always trying to hit on her, he kind and loving boss with a witchy wife, the hunky cop in charge of the murder case, and of course, Stalin and Churchill, Jenna's well loved cats, who have a major role.
While not highly suspenseful, there is enough to keep the reader easily entertained and wondering who and why. There's just a touch of romance ..or what might become a romance keeps it from being labeled a Romantic Suspense. There are multiple bodies, but nothing graphic.
A nice, easy read which I really enjoyed. I look forward to seeing more of Jenna's adventures in the future.
My thanks to the author / MuseItUp Publishing / NetGalley who furnished a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
January 23, 2016
4 and half stars.
Let me begin by saying this: I loved this book! I'm a very character-oriented reader, so one way to win my heart and attention is by writing relatable characters. Jenna Scali, the main character on e-Murderer: A Jenna Scali Mystery definitely is one. She feels like someone I could know and even be friends with. She's no super woman, no brilliant mind, but she is smart, and caring, and sometimes she acts before thinking things through. Oh and she is a cat lover. She is human.
Jenna is also an office manager for a psychiatrist and a part time student. She is fun and have great friends, especially a great BFF named Quentin who is a college professor and belly dance instructor. He's funny and loyal and has a great taste in men.
This is a mystery, a murder mystery to be exact, so it has to have a crime, right? Coeds are being murdered, and the killer apparently is sending anonymous emails to Jenna. She's flabbergasted. She has no obvious link to the murdered girls aside from studying at the same university.
Eventually, Jenna contacts the police and we're introduced to Detective Watring who quickly became my brand new crush.
More mysteries and discoveries surface until the truth comes to light, and it's a fun ride to try to figure everything out.
I gotta say a few clues were pretty obvious, others, however, only came to mind after a few important questions were answered.
I figured who the killer was long before the ending, but it didn't make enjoy this any less. Every singe character Joan C. Curtis created rang true and was worth the ride.
***
Review also posted on my blog. You can read it here.
I'd like to thank NetGalley, MuseItUp Publishing and author Joan C. Curtis for providing me with a copy of e-Murderer: A Jenna Scali Mystery in exchange for an honest review.
***
Let me begin by saying this: I loved this book! I'm a very character-oriented reader, so one way to win my heart and attention is by writing relatable characters. Jenna Scali, the main character on e-Murderer: A Jenna Scali Mystery definitely is one. She feels like someone I could know and even be friends with. She's no super woman, no brilliant mind, but she is smart, and caring, and sometimes she acts before thinking things through. Oh and she is a cat lover. She is human.
Jenna is also an office manager for a psychiatrist and a part time student. She is fun and have great friends, especially a great BFF named Quentin who is a college professor and belly dance instructor. He's funny and loyal and has a great taste in men.
This is a mystery, a murder mystery to be exact, so it has to have a crime, right? Coeds are being murdered, and the killer apparently is sending anonymous emails to Jenna. She's flabbergasted. She has no obvious link to the murdered girls aside from studying at the same university.
Eventually, Jenna contacts the police and we're introduced to Detective Watring who quickly became my brand new crush.
More mysteries and discoveries surface until the truth comes to light, and it's a fun ride to try to figure everything out.
I gotta say a few clues were pretty obvious, others, however, only came to mind after a few important questions were answered.
I figured who the killer was long before the ending, but it didn't make enjoy this any less. Every singe character Joan C. Curtis created rang true and was worth the ride.
***
Review also posted on my blog. You can read it here.
I'd like to thank NetGalley, MuseItUp Publishing and author Joan C. Curtis for providing me with a copy of e-Murderer: A Jenna Scali Mystery in exchange for an honest review.
***
May 2, 2016
2.5 stars from me for this slightly drawn out story of a murderer who taunts Jenna Scali by e-mail.
Jenna Scali, who works part-time for a psychiatrist, opens an email that describes the brutal death of a young girl. On that same day the police uncover a dead co-ed two blocks from Jenna's house. But that death doesn't stop the tirade of untraceable emails and more deaths follow.
I found it all a bit too predictable and had the killer sussed by half way through this book. There is no depth to the characters, and they are largely stereotypes.
E-Murderer is in parts entertaining and amusing; but at other times is repetitive and drawn out. A few things irritated me - e.g.
If you are looking for an easy read of an almost cosy murder mystery, and you don't mind a scatty protagonist who runs two boyfriends at a time despite hating being cheated on, then you will probably enjoy this.
Thank you to NetGalley and Museitup Publishing for an ARC of E-Murderer in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Jenna Scali, who works part-time for a psychiatrist, opens an email that describes the brutal death of a young girl. On that same day the police uncover a dead co-ed two blocks from Jenna's house. But that death doesn't stop the tirade of untraceable emails and more deaths follow.
I found it all a bit too predictable and had the killer sussed by half way through this book. There is no depth to the characters, and they are largely stereotypes.
E-Murderer is in parts entertaining and amusing; but at other times is repetitive and drawn out. A few things irritated me - e.g.
If you are looking for an easy read of an almost cosy murder mystery, and you don't mind a scatty protagonist who runs two boyfriends at a time despite hating being cheated on, then you will probably enjoy this.
Thank you to NetGalley and Museitup Publishing for an ARC of E-Murderer in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
January 6, 2016
Female students are being murdered in Athens, Georgia, and Jenna is receiving threatening e-mails with details of the crimes. Are they from the killer? Why is she the recipient? As Jenna is pretty headstrong and inquisitive, she sets out to find some answers for herself.
E-Murderer was a charming - what I would call - cozy mystery. There was nothing really gruesome as far as the murders were concerned, and it was pretty clean language wise. There was even a hint of romance, but it wasn't quite a romantic suspense novel. Although the identity of the murderer was pretty easy to solve, it was nevertheless a fun and entertaining story. The writing was very good. The book's strength was the group of colorful and very likable characters and their interactions. Jenna and her best friend Quentin, her work colleague, the detectives involved and even Jenna's two cats were all great characters with interesting traits. I would definitely like to read more about them in future installments of this new series.
Thanks to MuseItUp Publishing and to the author for my free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
E-Murderer was a charming - what I would call - cozy mystery. There was nothing really gruesome as far as the murders were concerned, and it was pretty clean language wise. There was even a hint of romance, but it wasn't quite a romantic suspense novel. Although the identity of the murderer was pretty easy to solve, it was nevertheless a fun and entertaining story. The writing was very good. The book's strength was the group of colorful and very likable characters and their interactions. Jenna and her best friend Quentin, her work colleague, the detectives involved and even Jenna's two cats were all great characters with interesting traits. I would definitely like to read more about them in future installments of this new series.
Thanks to MuseItUp Publishing and to the author for my free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
January 2, 2016
*I was provided a copy of this book from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review*
BLUF: Very cute, but predictable read.
Plot: When Jenna Scali, a psychologist's assistant, begins receiving emails at work detailing the emailer’s murderous fantasies, she isn’t sure what to make of it. Are these emails from a disgruntled patient? a prank? sincere? A coed is murdered close to Jenna’s apartment and Jenna realizes that her emailer is legitimate. Curious in nature, Jenna is driven to find the connection between her and the dead girl. As bodies begin to pile up, Jenna finds herself in a race to unmask the killer before he kills his next intended target: her.
Story: This story is very cute, what I would consider cozy (almost, the way the killer attacked the coeds may be a bit too much for cozy). It's a palate cleanser - a good read when you want to unwind and relax.
Characters: Our main players are Jenna and her gay friend Quentin. Jenna is a little headstrong - wanting to solve the case by herself and refusing protection or someone nearby even when she feels she needs it. Quentin is her bff. He's always around and available and happens to be her belly dance teacher. He's a good sidekick, really. I haven't read many books with such a good friendship. (It's a nice change from hard-headed, loner detectives.)
Um... Really? Moments: After learning that somebody delivered a message to Jenna at home, her boss suggests that "Maybe someone heard about these anonymous e-mails and is trying to scare you" and advises her not to go to the police. Um... Really? I get that he's trying to protect his business, but a psychologist (of all people) should have concerns over these types of threats. Tsk Tsk...
BLUF: Very cute, but predictable read.
Plot: When Jenna Scali, a psychologist's assistant, begins receiving emails at work detailing the emailer’s murderous fantasies, she isn’t sure what to make of it. Are these emails from a disgruntled patient? a prank? sincere? A coed is murdered close to Jenna’s apartment and Jenna realizes that her emailer is legitimate. Curious in nature, Jenna is driven to find the connection between her and the dead girl. As bodies begin to pile up, Jenna finds herself in a race to unmask the killer before he kills his next intended target: her.
Story: This story is very cute, what I would consider cozy (almost, the way the killer attacked the coeds may be a bit too much for cozy). It's a palate cleanser - a good read when you want to unwind and relax.
Characters: Our main players are Jenna and her gay friend Quentin. Jenna is a little headstrong - wanting to solve the case by herself and refusing protection or someone nearby even when she feels she needs it. Quentin is her bff. He's always around and available and happens to be her belly dance teacher. He's a good sidekick, really. I haven't read many books with such a good friendship. (It's a nice change from hard-headed, loner detectives.)
Um... Really? Moments: After learning that somebody delivered a message to Jenna at home, her boss suggests that "Maybe someone heard about these anonymous e-mails and is trying to scare you" and advises her not to go to the police. Um... Really? I get that he's trying to protect his business, but a psychologist (of all people) should have concerns over these types of threats. Tsk Tsk...
September 9, 2015
It was a bad idea to read this book three nights in a row before trying to go to bed. I *might* have stayed up way too late because I couldn’t put it down, which coming from me (I like my sleep) is a huge endorsement of any book.
Jenna is a wonderful heroine – strong, smart, flawed, with just enough stubbornness to get into situations she knows she shouldn’t be in. Of course you want to yell “GO TO THE POLICE” multiple times, but why she chooses not to is always understandable, and it helps that her friends yell at her for you.
The wide cast of characters all are well-written with developed, full personas. This works really well in a murder mystery because it gives you a wide range of possible answers for the staple “whodunnit?” question. In the use of characters alone, this book is smart. Although I had my guess about the murderer’s identity pretty early, there are so many nuances and twists thrown in that you have to question and re-question the possibilities.
I won’t give any of the plot away. But, the author does a great job of building and building the tension as the danger gets closer and closer to home for Jenna. I thought the use of emails from the killer from the very beginning gave this story a very unique, modern feel. The writing itself is smart, funny when appropriate, and doesn’t draw attention to itself but keeps you reading. While the subject matter – murdering young women – could be a little too much for some readers, it’s certainly never overly gory or violent.
Having now read two works by this author, I can honestly say I’ll read every book she writes from now on. So, if you like murder mysteries, you definitely want to check this one out.
Jenna is a wonderful heroine – strong, smart, flawed, with just enough stubbornness to get into situations she knows she shouldn’t be in. Of course you want to yell “GO TO THE POLICE” multiple times, but why she chooses not to is always understandable, and it helps that her friends yell at her for you.
The wide cast of characters all are well-written with developed, full personas. This works really well in a murder mystery because it gives you a wide range of possible answers for the staple “whodunnit?” question. In the use of characters alone, this book is smart. Although I had my guess about the murderer’s identity pretty early, there are so many nuances and twists thrown in that you have to question and re-question the possibilities.
I won’t give any of the plot away. But, the author does a great job of building and building the tension as the danger gets closer and closer to home for Jenna. I thought the use of emails from the killer from the very beginning gave this story a very unique, modern feel. The writing itself is smart, funny when appropriate, and doesn’t draw attention to itself but keeps you reading. While the subject matter – murdering young women – could be a little too much for some readers, it’s certainly never overly gory or violent.
Having now read two works by this author, I can honestly say I’ll read every book she writes from now on. So, if you like murder mysteries, you definitely want to check this one out.
September 1, 2015
4.6 stars but 5 on here
I was given this book for my honest review
There wasn’t really isn’t any simple way in writing this review for this most amazing book. Everything that I want to write may or may not give some of the clues away to the outcome of this read. So for this I sincerely apologize to the author for I know she has put a trust in this reviewer that goes bounds. So here is my review.
Jenna is a smart girl with turmoil that surrounds her but more than most she has friendships that bind her future in forging onto be the best woman she can be. With the mystery that surrounds Jenna she must put her trust in the ones that she holds dear and some that only become known that stay in the current for a bit but surround her in the background of the dark night to keep her safe.
The book title alone tells us that a murder is bound to happen but what kind and what leads up to this particular event will surprise you. It will leave you in awe not to mention take your breath away. This author will leave you with questions looming in your mind to find out what happens next with Jenna. The author will also leave you leave you in a spell bound state that will have your frustrations at wits end. This is such an amazing read that you will have taken this journey with Jenna to find out the who dunit.
To the author: What an amazing journey that you created for Jenna. I must say going into this book you had already floored me and it is safe to safe I am still on the floor. Thank you so much. Major kudos.
Happy Reading
I was given this book for my honest review
There wasn’t really isn’t any simple way in writing this review for this most amazing book. Everything that I want to write may or may not give some of the clues away to the outcome of this read. So for this I sincerely apologize to the author for I know she has put a trust in this reviewer that goes bounds. So here is my review.
Jenna is a smart girl with turmoil that surrounds her but more than most she has friendships that bind her future in forging onto be the best woman she can be. With the mystery that surrounds Jenna she must put her trust in the ones that she holds dear and some that only become known that stay in the current for a bit but surround her in the background of the dark night to keep her safe.
The book title alone tells us that a murder is bound to happen but what kind and what leads up to this particular event will surprise you. It will leave you in awe not to mention take your breath away. This author will leave you with questions looming in your mind to find out what happens next with Jenna. The author will also leave you leave you in a spell bound state that will have your frustrations at wits end. This is such an amazing read that you will have taken this journey with Jenna to find out the who dunit.
To the author: What an amazing journey that you created for Jenna. I must say going into this book you had already floored me and it is safe to safe I am still on the floor. Thank you so much. Major kudos.
Happy Reading
November 30, 2016
First book in a new series, and a very pleasant surprise.
Jenna Scali is a part time office admin and graduate student living in Athens, Georgia. When she starts receiving strange and violent e-mails describing murders, in her office computer, she thinks they might be related to the psych practice she works for. When her boss refuses to go to the police, she takes matters in her own hands, which gets her into quite a lot of trouble.
Though the characters/descriptions sometimes lack depth, the plot is quite good and the end is unexpected, but in line with what happens in the book.
I'm always happy when I find new authors, and I hope the next book in the series is as antertaining as this one.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Jenna Scali is a part time office admin and graduate student living in Athens, Georgia. When she starts receiving strange and violent e-mails describing murders, in her office computer, she thinks they might be related to the psych practice she works for. When her boss refuses to go to the police, she takes matters in her own hands, which gets her into quite a lot of trouble.
Though the characters/descriptions sometimes lack depth, the plot is quite good and the end is unexpected, but in line with what happens in the book.
I'm always happy when I find new authors, and I hope the next book in the series is as antertaining as this one.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2015
Holy crap this was an amazing book! I had to read it twice back to back cause I didn't want it to end...lol. If you haven't read this book yet, you really are missing out on all the twist and turns the page turning nights...
*Received for an honest review*
*Received for an honest review*
November 9, 2015
My Review: This is the first book in a new mystery series. It has a good plot, some memorable characters and solid writing. The mystery is nicely paced and the use of taunting emails from the killer kept the creep factor pretty high. I can't tell you how happy I was that this book didn't spend a lot of time focusing on a romantic angle (it actually focuses on dysfunctional romantic relationships). Instead, the book spends time introducing characters, their relationships and giving readers a good, solid mystery to sink their teeth into.
Jenna Scali has just enough of an inquisitive nature and down to earth personality to make her a good, likable and relatable main character. She's head strong, smart, flawed and a wee bit sassy. The reasons why Jenna becomes embroiled in the mystery and sets herself up to be an amateur sleuth felt believable and I liked how she stumbled through the process. While she makes some rather dangerous decisions at times they don't feel ridiculous and having her best friends yell at her about these decisions for the same reasons that you were thinking helps too.
There are also a slew of interesting secondary characters - there are some you like, particularly Quentin - Jenna's friend, a professor and belly dancing instructor, Starr the quintessential southern woman and then there are some characters that are rather obnoxious whom you love to hate and are eager to witness their downfall. They all seem pretty well rounded and play their roles within the story well.
Curtis also gives her readers numerous red herrings each with very plausible reasons why certain people could be the murderer. Even people whom at first I thought could no way be the culprit made it onto my list of suspects at one point or another. I was able to guess the murderer but I admit that I kept questioning if s/he was the culprit or not because other suspects seemed to fit well too. I do wish there was a bit more of a big twist at the end of the book though. Something to ramp up the energy towards the end of the book and throw readers' predictions into even more of a tailspin.
This was an enjoyable first book in a new mystery series. With interesting characters and some good writing I eagerly look forward to reading more from this author.
My Rating: 3.5 stars (increased to 4 stars for this site)
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to author Joan C Curtis for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.
**This book review can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca) where I share hundreds of book reviews and my favourite recipes. **
Jenna Scali has just enough of an inquisitive nature and down to earth personality to make her a good, likable and relatable main character. She's head strong, smart, flawed and a wee bit sassy. The reasons why Jenna becomes embroiled in the mystery and sets herself up to be an amateur sleuth felt believable and I liked how she stumbled through the process. While she makes some rather dangerous decisions at times they don't feel ridiculous and having her best friends yell at her about these decisions for the same reasons that you were thinking helps too.
There are also a slew of interesting secondary characters - there are some you like, particularly Quentin - Jenna's friend, a professor and belly dancing instructor, Starr the quintessential southern woman and then there are some characters that are rather obnoxious whom you love to hate and are eager to witness their downfall. They all seem pretty well rounded and play their roles within the story well.
Curtis also gives her readers numerous red herrings each with very plausible reasons why certain people could be the murderer. Even people whom at first I thought could no way be the culprit made it onto my list of suspects at one point or another. I was able to guess the murderer but I admit that I kept questioning if s/he was the culprit or not because other suspects seemed to fit well too. I do wish there was a bit more of a big twist at the end of the book though. Something to ramp up the energy towards the end of the book and throw readers' predictions into even more of a tailspin.
This was an enjoyable first book in a new mystery series. With interesting characters and some good writing I eagerly look forward to reading more from this author.
My Rating: 3.5 stars (increased to 4 stars for this site)
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to author Joan C Curtis for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.
**This book review can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca) where I share hundreds of book reviews and my favourite recipes. **
September 1, 2015
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I read a lot of romance books, but I also enjoy a good mystery or crime drama every now and then. And this book came to me at exactly the right moment, at a time when I needed to clear my head of billionaires and alpha males and bedroom scenes that don't always fade to black.
What you get here is a solid story with some memorable characters. I liked Jenna as a heroine, and it was fun to try to piece together the mystery with her. At first, she seems to have absolutely nothing in common with any of the victims of the killings, and the puzzle is attempting to figure out how exactly she fits in. While I had the identity of Big Mama nailed down pretty early on, the murderer was a bit harder to predict. I'll admit my first guess was not correct, though as more and more clues were revealed this person's identity was not a complete surprise. Even after I had a sneaking suspicion about who was behind the crimes, the motive still needed to be uncovered.
The author did an excellent job of using the setting to her advantage in this read. The State of Georgia comes alive in these virtual pages. Having never really been to the state (because honestly, running through Atlanta's airport to make a connecting flight does not count) I still felt as if I could visualize the scenery around the characters. That taste of the south might also have led to some colorful descriptions that may or may not seem stereotypical to some ethnic and religious groups.
The ending of this book, as well as the fact that this is titled as a series, definitely lead me to believe we haven't seen the last of Jenna and some of her supporting cast. This is a good thing, because I will be back for more.
I read a lot of romance books, but I also enjoy a good mystery or crime drama every now and then. And this book came to me at exactly the right moment, at a time when I needed to clear my head of billionaires and alpha males and bedroom scenes that don't always fade to black.
What you get here is a solid story with some memorable characters. I liked Jenna as a heroine, and it was fun to try to piece together the mystery with her. At first, she seems to have absolutely nothing in common with any of the victims of the killings, and the puzzle is attempting to figure out how exactly she fits in. While I had the identity of Big Mama nailed down pretty early on, the murderer was a bit harder to predict. I'll admit my first guess was not correct, though as more and more clues were revealed this person's identity was not a complete surprise. Even after I had a sneaking suspicion about who was behind the crimes, the motive still needed to be uncovered.
The author did an excellent job of using the setting to her advantage in this read. The State of Georgia comes alive in these virtual pages. Having never really been to the state (because honestly, running through Atlanta's airport to make a connecting flight does not count) I still felt as if I could visualize the scenery around the characters. That taste of the south might also have led to some colorful descriptions that may or may not seem stereotypical to some ethnic and religious groups.
The ending of this book, as well as the fact that this is titled as a series, definitely lead me to believe we haven't seen the last of Jenna and some of her supporting cast. This is a good thing, because I will be back for more.
September 5, 2015
"A quirky thriller that keeps you guessing"
I was sent a free copy of this book for my honest review.
This was the first novel by Ms Curtis that I have read. Clearly I've missed out. Jenna Scali is a redoubtable female protagonist. An email arrives at her office describing the murder of a young girl. When Jenna reads of a female body turning up close to her home with the same cause of death she starts to investigate, eager to prove or disprove a connection.
The body count rises among a group of young females who may or may not have known one another; females that Jenna had never met. Alongside the police efforts to track down the killer, Jenna is receiving further emails that seem to point to a connection between the killer and Jenna herself. How can that be? Who is it? Will she be their next victim? The supporting characters - her work colleagues, boyfriends past and present, dance instructor and the local police - are all slightly 'off' from the run-of-the-mill stereotypes, so this sets this story apart from the norm. Almost anyone could be the killer. Until the true motive for the murders is finally revealed we are kept cleverly in the dark. We have no alternative but to keep reading because we HAVE to know!
I was sent a free copy of this book for my honest review.
This was the first novel by Ms Curtis that I have read. Clearly I've missed out. Jenna Scali is a redoubtable female protagonist. An email arrives at her office describing the murder of a young girl. When Jenna reads of a female body turning up close to her home with the same cause of death she starts to investigate, eager to prove or disprove a connection.
The body count rises among a group of young females who may or may not have known one another; females that Jenna had never met. Alongside the police efforts to track down the killer, Jenna is receiving further emails that seem to point to a connection between the killer and Jenna herself. How can that be? Who is it? Will she be their next victim? The supporting characters - her work colleagues, boyfriends past and present, dance instructor and the local police - are all slightly 'off' from the run-of-the-mill stereotypes, so this sets this story apart from the norm. Almost anyone could be the killer. Until the true motive for the murders is finally revealed we are kept cleverly in the dark. We have no alternative but to keep reading because we HAVE to know!
September 16, 2015
WOW!!! This is the first book written by Joan C Curtis that I have read and OMG - I hope to be reading more!!!
I loved the way that she started off -- from the descriptions of the main characters - to the weird things that some of them did. Jenna is an awesome main character and it amazed me how much she is like me - lol. I loved all the twist that Joan put into the story - I would think that I had it figured out and then BINGO - she would throw a change in. BUT - I had my suspicions as to who done it - and my initial guess proved to be right in the end. I don't write spoilers - so I will say that I can't tell you who I picked or why. BUT - I will warn you, that once you start reading this (and make it past the first 3 chapters - which give a lot of details about what is going on, etc etc) you will definitely find it hard to put this book down!!! And that is speaking from experience.
I was given a copy of this book for an honest review.
I loved the way that she started off -- from the descriptions of the main characters - to the weird things that some of them did. Jenna is an awesome main character and it amazed me how much she is like me - lol. I loved all the twist that Joan put into the story - I would think that I had it figured out and then BINGO - she would throw a change in. BUT - I had my suspicions as to who done it - and my initial guess proved to be right in the end. I don't write spoilers - so I will say that I can't tell you who I picked or why. BUT - I will warn you, that once you start reading this (and make it past the first 3 chapters - which give a lot of details about what is going on, etc etc) you will definitely find it hard to put this book down!!! And that is speaking from experience.
I was given a copy of this book for an honest review.
September 1, 2015
Joan Curtis has done it again – kept me up way past my bedtime just to finish her latest, e-Murderer. This book is very different from The Clock Strikes Midnight, but the feeling of never knowing what will be on the next page is there. The author has a way of drawing you into the story and you feel you know these characters intimately. I hope we see Jenna return in a sequel or a series; I’d love to know how the relationship between Jenna and Officer Rich progresses. E-Murderer certainly raises your awareness of email messages that could dramatically change your life and the lives of those around you. If you want a preview of just how eerie this book can be, take a look at the book trailer on Joan’s website. An excellent book that brings thrilling suspense and mystery into the digital age.
September 22, 2015
I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions in this review are 100% my own.
Murder Mystery is not a new genre by any means. However, I believe this is the first time that modern technology was used to tell the story. How unique and creative to have mysterious e-mails be main focus of the story.
Like with most books in this genre I was constantly trying to figure out who the murder is, and why they were committing these murders.
Jenna (I love that name by the way, it’s my daughter’s name) gets caught up in these e-mails and the murders more than she ever dreamed to be. She does her best to try and solve these murders.
This book keeps you guessing as to who the murder is until the end when it’s finally revealed. If you love murder mystery this is definitely the book for you.
Murder Mystery is not a new genre by any means. However, I believe this is the first time that modern technology was used to tell the story. How unique and creative to have mysterious e-mails be main focus of the story.
Like with most books in this genre I was constantly trying to figure out who the murder is, and why they were committing these murders.
Jenna (I love that name by the way, it’s my daughter’s name) gets caught up in these e-mails and the murders more than she ever dreamed to be. She does her best to try and solve these murders.
This book keeps you guessing as to who the murder is until the end when it’s finally revealed. If you love murder mystery this is definitely the book for you.
September 9, 2015
Ms. Curtis's new book, The eMurderer, is a very compelling murder mystery with lots of thrills and chills. I zipped through it in no time. The author has a nice way of bringing Georgia to life, complete with colorful characters befitting the town of Athens. I truly wish GoodReads gave out half-star ratings as I'd definitely bring my rating up to 4.5. The only reason I didn't go for full-on 5 stars is because I found the mystery a little easy to solve (but I'm an old-hand at this sort of thing, so don't go by what I say). But never mind that! Jenna and her sidekick, Quentin, are a delightful sleuthing duo and I was thrilled to hear Ms. Curtis will be bringing more mysteries to life starring these two. Recommended.
March 6, 2016
I would like to thank NetGalley and MuseltUp Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this in return for an honest and open review.
I started reading this and finished it 24 hours later, I had to have some time to sleep.
I immediately connected with Jenna and fell in love with Quentin. What I loved most about him was the way he spoke. I come from the North West of England and his "Mancunian" accent shines through.".....rid of the bugger" and "you're as thick as London fog" were 2 phrases I particularly loved.
The story romped along at a good pace with plenty of twists and turns and a few red herrings thrown in.
I was like Jenna as I suspected every male that was mentioned, except Quentin of course.
I would love to read more about Jenna and Rich, the hunky detective.
I started reading this and finished it 24 hours later, I had to have some time to sleep.
I immediately connected with Jenna and fell in love with Quentin. What I loved most about him was the way he spoke. I come from the North West of England and his "Mancunian" accent shines through.".....rid of the bugger" and "you're as thick as London fog" were 2 phrases I particularly loved.
The story romped along at a good pace with plenty of twists and turns and a few red herrings thrown in.
I was like Jenna as I suspected every male that was mentioned, except Quentin of course.
I would love to read more about Jenna and Rich, the hunky detective.
September 1, 2015
Jenna Scali is a stubborn young woman with no desire to be a damsel in distress. When crazy, scary things start happening around her, she’s not one to sit back and wait to see what happens. She takes matters into her own hands. Of course, this gets her into hot water more than once, but she keeps up her quest to solve the mystery. After all, her own life may be at stake.
Filled with suspense, humor, and an awesome cast of supporting characters, this compelling mystery kept me reading late into the night. If you enjoy a quirky, fast-paced mystery with a feisty female lead, this is the book for you.
Filled with suspense, humor, and an awesome cast of supporting characters, this compelling mystery kept me reading late into the night. If you enjoy a quirky, fast-paced mystery with a feisty female lead, this is the book for you.
May 6, 2016
A great cast of suspicious characters and a twisting plot had me guessing until the very end. The e-Murderer was not who I had suspected for reasons I won't share as to not spoil the book. This is the second novel I've read by Joan C. Curtis, and I would highly recommend her books. Her writing style is fast paced, and she is a master at mystery. If you're looking for intrigue, mystery and suspense give this book a read. I'm looking forward to reading the next Jenna Scali Mystery!
July 26, 2017
As a Georgia author, I like to read, review, and promote my fellow Georgia authors. I set a goal to read one of my colleagues’ books each month. I’m starting with e-Murderer (Jenna Scali Mystery, #1) by Joan C. Curtis!
Synopsis (from the author): On this anything but typical Monday morning, Jenna Scali, who works part-time for a shrink, opens an email that depicts the brutal death of a young girl. On that same day the police uncover a dead coed two blocks from Jenna's house. The e-murderer's description creepily echoes the death described in the newspapers.
When Jenna receives other emails, she takes what she knows to the police and thus begins her journey in the path of the e-murderer. Her curious nature impels her from e-messages to dead coeds to a ring of prostitutes. With the help of her quirky friends, Jenna learns that she's more than a conduit for the killer. She's his target.
THE E-MURDERER is a race to find a psychotic killer before he kills again.
What I liked: First, many of you know I’m a huge University of Georgia fan. This story is set in the beautiful home of the Dawgs, Athens, GA. That was a great start! Secondly, Joan C. Curtis spins a nice mystery full of twists and turns, a little romance, and enough memorable characters to keep my attention. Lastly, it kept me guessing until about three-quarters of the book before I finally figured it out. All those things add up to an entertaining read!
What I didn’t like: A couple of the characters didn’t seem to have a reason to be in the story except as maybe a red herring. While I appreciate the attempt to keep me guessing, the eventual culprit made them seem unnecessary add-ons.
Overall impression: e-Murderer (Jenna Scali Mystery, #1) entertained me! Although I’m not a mystery fan in general, this book had enough twists and turns, interesting characters, and a style that seemed almost a cozy mystery. All told, an excellent read!
My rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars)
Synopsis (from the author): On this anything but typical Monday morning, Jenna Scali, who works part-time for a shrink, opens an email that depicts the brutal death of a young girl. On that same day the police uncover a dead coed two blocks from Jenna's house. The e-murderer's description creepily echoes the death described in the newspapers.
When Jenna receives other emails, she takes what she knows to the police and thus begins her journey in the path of the e-murderer. Her curious nature impels her from e-messages to dead coeds to a ring of prostitutes. With the help of her quirky friends, Jenna learns that she's more than a conduit for the killer. She's his target.
THE E-MURDERER is a race to find a psychotic killer before he kills again.
What I liked: First, many of you know I’m a huge University of Georgia fan. This story is set in the beautiful home of the Dawgs, Athens, GA. That was a great start! Secondly, Joan C. Curtis spins a nice mystery full of twists and turns, a little romance, and enough memorable characters to keep my attention. Lastly, it kept me guessing until about three-quarters of the book before I finally figured it out. All those things add up to an entertaining read!
What I didn’t like: A couple of the characters didn’t seem to have a reason to be in the story except as maybe a red herring. While I appreciate the attempt to keep me guessing, the eventual culprit made them seem unnecessary add-ons.
Overall impression: e-Murderer (Jenna Scali Mystery, #1) entertained me! Although I’m not a mystery fan in general, this book had enough twists and turns, interesting characters, and a style that seemed almost a cozy mystery. All told, an excellent read!
My rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars)
May 4, 2017
A story that is a quick and easy read. The premise of the book was good, but there were some weak areas that kept me from giving it 5 stars. I had difficulty with Jenna taking so many foolish risks; the role of the psychiatrist and his behaviors were not believable; and the phrase "chills down my spine" was repeated too often. I had the killer figured out pretty early in the story despite the author's attempts to bring forward other possible suspects. I was never convinced any of them were the killers.
November 19, 2015
Thanks once again to author Joan C. Curtis, who also wrote THE CLOCK STRIKES MIDNIGHT, for gifting me this book for review.
This review originally appeared on my blog at www.gimmethatbook.com.
Jenna Scali is a reluctant participant in the events taking place around her. She gets an email out of the blue that describes a murder, and thinks nothing of it. But when the emails keep coming, and the body count around her starts rising, she realizes that the common thread is her and she’s got to do something before she’s the next victim.
The tone of E-MURDERER is different from CLOCK in that it’s a bit lighter – the main character hasn’t got a time limit of three months left to live – and so that sense of urgency isn’t in the forefront. However, Curtis does a great job of creating drama with a light hearted touch by including her wonderful Southern humor. For example: Jenna’s friend and co-worker Starr says (about digging through patient files on the down low) “We can go through these files like my mama used to go through my diary”. Curtis is also a master of describing odious characters clearly, with descriptions that will have you cringing (oniony breath, yellow teeth–ugh!). It’s always easy to develop a picture in your mind when you read her books, which is a quality I value in an author.
Jenna’s pal Starr is a true outspoken Southern girl and tells Jenna the truth with no holds barred. I just loved all her pithy sayings and sassy attitude. Compared to Starr, I found Jenna a bit wishy washy, when she kept hesitating to go to the police because she didn’t want to cause trouble at her job by possibly violating patient’s privacy. I also wondered at her boss’s seeming lack of concern for Jenna. He seemed mildly interested for a few moments whenever Jenna would try to explain things and talk about murder, then he would brush her off and resume work. I began to get frustrated with both him and Jenna for being so passive. Eventually the danger becomes too much to handle for Jenna and she is off and running, taking matters into her own hands despite her fears.
Plot twists begin to pop up towards the middle of the book, and the action picks up. Jenna begins sleuthing in earnest, and starts to develop feelings for the handsome policeman handling the case. She is also trying to convince her boyfriend that she needs more space, a concept he is having trouble grasping. Once again, Curtis’ character development is dead on, as the clingy boyfriend becomes more and more irritating.
Some of the supporting characters start to appear guilty, but it will not be obvious who the e-murderer is until you get near the end. Curtis gives you just enough information to tantalize you with a hint of suspicious behavior, and then another character seems like a better candidate!
Always enthralling and often amusing, E-MURDERER is another fun and fast read.
This review originally appeared on my blog at www.gimmethatbook.com.
Jenna Scali is a reluctant participant in the events taking place around her. She gets an email out of the blue that describes a murder, and thinks nothing of it. But when the emails keep coming, and the body count around her starts rising, she realizes that the common thread is her and she’s got to do something before she’s the next victim.
The tone of E-MURDERER is different from CLOCK in that it’s a bit lighter – the main character hasn’t got a time limit of three months left to live – and so that sense of urgency isn’t in the forefront. However, Curtis does a great job of creating drama with a light hearted touch by including her wonderful Southern humor. For example: Jenna’s friend and co-worker Starr says (about digging through patient files on the down low) “We can go through these files like my mama used to go through my diary”. Curtis is also a master of describing odious characters clearly, with descriptions that will have you cringing (oniony breath, yellow teeth–ugh!). It’s always easy to develop a picture in your mind when you read her books, which is a quality I value in an author.
Jenna’s pal Starr is a true outspoken Southern girl and tells Jenna the truth with no holds barred. I just loved all her pithy sayings and sassy attitude. Compared to Starr, I found Jenna a bit wishy washy, when she kept hesitating to go to the police because she didn’t want to cause trouble at her job by possibly violating patient’s privacy. I also wondered at her boss’s seeming lack of concern for Jenna. He seemed mildly interested for a few moments whenever Jenna would try to explain things and talk about murder, then he would brush her off and resume work. I began to get frustrated with both him and Jenna for being so passive. Eventually the danger becomes too much to handle for Jenna and she is off and running, taking matters into her own hands despite her fears.
Plot twists begin to pop up towards the middle of the book, and the action picks up. Jenna begins sleuthing in earnest, and starts to develop feelings for the handsome policeman handling the case. She is also trying to convince her boyfriend that she needs more space, a concept he is having trouble grasping. Once again, Curtis’ character development is dead on, as the clingy boyfriend becomes more and more irritating.
Some of the supporting characters start to appear guilty, but it will not be obvious who the e-murderer is until you get near the end. Curtis gives you just enough information to tantalize you with a hint of suspicious behavior, and then another character seems like a better candidate!
Always enthralling and often amusing, E-MURDERER is another fun and fast read.
September 15, 2015
Jenna Scali has quite a surprise early Monday morning as she arrives at her part time job for Dr. Bingham (Dr. B), a Psychiatrist. An email from a loon – at least she was hoping it was only a hoax, although a very sick hoax. The sender is bragging about having taken the life of a young university student. The emails continue and later she realizes there really was a brutal killing of a coed and it was all too close to home. She discusses the emails with her coworker and close friend, Starr. They both want to take the emails to the police. Jenna hesitates because she wants to discuss it with Dr. B first.
Initially, out of curiosity, Jenna goes to the neighborhood in which the violence occurred. One thing leads to another and next thing she knows, she’s knee-deep in doing her own investigation. Finally, without being able to discuss the emails with Dr. B, she does confide in the police. By this time, she has many more emails — and another murder.
This is told in first person by our protagonist, Jenna Scali. Evidently, it is also the first in a new series. I loved the quick start of this story as well as the character of Jenna. Her friend, Starr, was a hoot and added a lot of personality to the novel. There were a couple of things that didn’t ring true with me. One was the delay in which Jenna turned her email ‘evidence’ over to the police. She relied too heavily on getting input from Dr. B. Also, in this technological day and age, it’s not too much of a stretch to realize that just because an email ended in .fi, it does not mean that the sender is actually located in Finland as opposed to somewhere local. My e-book included at the end a couple of chapters to her novel, The Clock Strikes Midnight (a stand-alone). I read this one also and really enjoyed it. This author has proven to write material which is right up my alley. I’ll certainly look forward to the next installment of the Jenna Scali Mystery. Rating: 4 out of 5.
Initially, out of curiosity, Jenna goes to the neighborhood in which the violence occurred. One thing leads to another and next thing she knows, she’s knee-deep in doing her own investigation. Finally, without being able to discuss the emails with Dr. B, she does confide in the police. By this time, she has many more emails — and another murder.
This is told in first person by our protagonist, Jenna Scali. Evidently, it is also the first in a new series. I loved the quick start of this story as well as the character of Jenna. Her friend, Starr, was a hoot and added a lot of personality to the novel. There were a couple of things that didn’t ring true with me. One was the delay in which Jenna turned her email ‘evidence’ over to the police. She relied too heavily on getting input from Dr. B. Also, in this technological day and age, it’s not too much of a stretch to realize that just because an email ended in .fi, it does not mean that the sender is actually located in Finland as opposed to somewhere local. My e-book included at the end a couple of chapters to her novel, The Clock Strikes Midnight (a stand-alone). I read this one also and really enjoyed it. This author has proven to write material which is right up my alley. I’ll certainly look forward to the next installment of the Jenna Scali Mystery. Rating: 4 out of 5.
October 12, 2015
Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
e-Murderer: A Jenna Scali Mystery is a psychological thriller written by Joan C. Curtis. Jenna is a graduate student who works part-time for Dr. Bingham, a psychiatrist, while she's pursuing a doctoral degree in psychology. She's stunned when she finds an anonymous email in her inbox from someone who describes brutally killing a woman with a knife. The sender had used an email service that rendered complete anonymity, so Jenna had no way to find out who had sent it or where they were located. A second email followed soon after the first. Jenna tried to discuss the emails with Dr. Bingham, who agreed to look at them when he returned from an emergency call, but the doctor seemed oddly reluctant to give the matter any serious consideration. Odds were, the police might think that the sender was one of his patients whom he's determined to protect. When a young woman's body is found, Jenna begins to fear that the killer is closer than everyone thinks.
Joan C. Curtis's psychological thriller, e-Murderer: A Jenna Scali Mystery, is suspenseful and fast-paced. Jenna is a strong and resourceful character whose unwilling participation in the killer's demented game of cat and mouse unleashes her latent sleuthing abilities. Curtis sets her story in Athens, Georgia, and I was impressed by how smoothly she made the locale seem familiar to her readers. Jenna’s friends, Starr, a co-worker, and Quentin, a professor, are marvelous characters whose interactions with Jenna work quite well in building up and maintaining the plot. Jenna’s got too many candidates as suspects, and watching as she tests her hypotheses and keeps the police on their toes is great fun indeed. e-Murderer: A Jenna Scali Mystery is a well-written thriller that’s hard to put down. It’s highly recommended.
e-Murderer: A Jenna Scali Mystery is a psychological thriller written by Joan C. Curtis. Jenna is a graduate student who works part-time for Dr. Bingham, a psychiatrist, while she's pursuing a doctoral degree in psychology. She's stunned when she finds an anonymous email in her inbox from someone who describes brutally killing a woman with a knife. The sender had used an email service that rendered complete anonymity, so Jenna had no way to find out who had sent it or where they were located. A second email followed soon after the first. Jenna tried to discuss the emails with Dr. Bingham, who agreed to look at them when he returned from an emergency call, but the doctor seemed oddly reluctant to give the matter any serious consideration. Odds were, the police might think that the sender was one of his patients whom he's determined to protect. When a young woman's body is found, Jenna begins to fear that the killer is closer than everyone thinks.
Joan C. Curtis's psychological thriller, e-Murderer: A Jenna Scali Mystery, is suspenseful and fast-paced. Jenna is a strong and resourceful character whose unwilling participation in the killer's demented game of cat and mouse unleashes her latent sleuthing abilities. Curtis sets her story in Athens, Georgia, and I was impressed by how smoothly she made the locale seem familiar to her readers. Jenna’s friends, Starr, a co-worker, and Quentin, a professor, are marvelous characters whose interactions with Jenna work quite well in building up and maintaining the plot. Jenna’s got too many candidates as suspects, and watching as she tests her hypotheses and keeps the police on their toes is great fun indeed. e-Murderer: A Jenna Scali Mystery is a well-written thriller that’s hard to put down. It’s highly recommended.
January 14, 2016
I love a good whodunnit and this was a classic. It's been ages since I was so tempted to flip to the back of a book to see who the bad guy was but thankfully I was reading on a Kindle so I couldn't just pretend to *accidentally* open the book at the wrong page and *accidentally* glance at the page where all is revealed.
The story and characters are a teeny bit cheesy, but when all's said and done, that's what I really enjoyed about this book. The main character is a strong minded young woman who's slightly obsessed with her amusingly named cats, Churchill and Stalin, and sets off to completely disregard all common sense and unravel a deadly mystery when she starts receiving sinister emails from an anonymous source regarding the deaths of some young co-eds.
Though she does have police protection available to her as well as a team of detectives on the case, she sleuths her way into danger and finally a dramatic finale. And there's a hunky police officer.
The supporting characters in this novel were underwritten a little bit, giving very little away which though useful when building up the mystery did make it a little bit hard to really trust anyone at all - in the best mystery books, discovering the culprit makes you feel like you've been betrayed by a friend just as the protagonist has rather than mildly indifferent.
There was also Quentin, the gay, British belly dancing instructor sidekick - I think this may have been overkill when it comes to sterotypes but I decided to just go with it. Hopefully he'll develop more as a character throughout the rest of the series or he's doomed to jump in with jazz hands at the end of every novel.
The writing style was nice and simple, the sense of suspense was perfect, dropping clues periodically so that you can't work it all out right away. I would definitely recommend this book as an ideal holiday read.
The story and characters are a teeny bit cheesy, but when all's said and done, that's what I really enjoyed about this book. The main character is a strong minded young woman who's slightly obsessed with her amusingly named cats, Churchill and Stalin, and sets off to completely disregard all common sense and unravel a deadly mystery when she starts receiving sinister emails from an anonymous source regarding the deaths of some young co-eds.
Though she does have police protection available to her as well as a team of detectives on the case, she sleuths her way into danger and finally a dramatic finale. And there's a hunky police officer.
The supporting characters in this novel were underwritten a little bit, giving very little away which though useful when building up the mystery did make it a little bit hard to really trust anyone at all - in the best mystery books, discovering the culprit makes you feel like you've been betrayed by a friend just as the protagonist has rather than mildly indifferent.
There was also Quentin, the gay, British belly dancing instructor sidekick - I think this may have been overkill when it comes to sterotypes but I decided to just go with it. Hopefully he'll develop more as a character throughout the rest of the series or he's doomed to jump in with jazz hands at the end of every novel.
The writing style was nice and simple, the sense of suspense was perfect, dropping clues periodically so that you can't work it all out right away. I would definitely recommend this book as an ideal holiday read.
September 26, 2015
Superb Mystery. Will Keep you Guessing.
I am not normally a fan of the amateur sleuth. I like my detectives cerebral and legitimate. But Joan Curtis has won me over with her new heroine, Jenna Scali.
Of course, Jenna didn’t set out to be a sleuth, Nasty emails, which grow more threatening by the day, and an initially apathetic response from the police, force Jenna to try to solve the mystery herself, to stay alive, if for no other reason. Curtis offers us plenty of suspects, some gruesome murders, and more than a sprinkling of suspense. Her writing is taut and racy, forcing the reader to stick with the story long after he should be in bed.
This is an enjoyable story. The characters ring true. The nice ones are very nice and the disagreeable ones are obnoxious. Definitely a book that plays on the reader’s empathy. It sucks us into the life of the main protagonist and keeps us interested in those around her.
There might have been a slight weakness in the somewhat general awe among the characters about an email coming from Finland. A little too gullible, I think. I am not particularly technical but even I would know that emailed messages can be pinged back and forward from IP addresses all over the world, especially by senders who wish to remain anonymous.
Nonetheless, despite this and one or two minor grammatical lapses, (e.g., “Being a Saturday, I spent the afternoon in the library.” What might she have done had she been a Tuesday?) the story overcomes these trifling (and very few) flaws and charges along at a rollicking pace. New fans of Jenna will certainly be looking forward to her next outing.
I am not normally a fan of the amateur sleuth. I like my detectives cerebral and legitimate. But Joan Curtis has won me over with her new heroine, Jenna Scali.
Of course, Jenna didn’t set out to be a sleuth, Nasty emails, which grow more threatening by the day, and an initially apathetic response from the police, force Jenna to try to solve the mystery herself, to stay alive, if for no other reason. Curtis offers us plenty of suspects, some gruesome murders, and more than a sprinkling of suspense. Her writing is taut and racy, forcing the reader to stick with the story long after he should be in bed.
This is an enjoyable story. The characters ring true. The nice ones are very nice and the disagreeable ones are obnoxious. Definitely a book that plays on the reader’s empathy. It sucks us into the life of the main protagonist and keeps us interested in those around her.
There might have been a slight weakness in the somewhat general awe among the characters about an email coming from Finland. A little too gullible, I think. I am not particularly technical but even I would know that emailed messages can be pinged back and forward from IP addresses all over the world, especially by senders who wish to remain anonymous.
Nonetheless, despite this and one or two minor grammatical lapses, (e.g., “Being a Saturday, I spent the afternoon in the library.” What might she have done had she been a Tuesday?) the story overcomes these trifling (and very few) flaws and charges along at a rollicking pace. New fans of Jenna will certainly be looking forward to her next outing.
September 28, 2015
This is the first book that I have read in a while that actually had the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. I wasn't even reading alone at home, but tucked into a booth at my favorite pub. The emails that are harassing Jenna are downright creepy. And I can easily see this happening in real life.
I want to throttle Jenna for taking matters into her own hands, trying to figure out what is going on. At the same time, I don't blame her. Someone has to follow these weird leads and no one really wants to listen to her. She also waits way too long to get the police involved. I'm not fully aware of the truth behind doctor-patient confidentiality when a potential murder suspect is involved, but my life is definitely worth more than a job! I do understand her hesitation, though.
I am surprised that other people didn't catch on sooner rather than later. I pretty much had it all figured out very early on, though there were a few twists that I didn't quite see coming. And even though I solved most of it early, I still wanted to keep on reading, to see when everyone else was going to catch on. Plus, all of those other little twists were intriguing. I kept reading in bursts as a sort of reward for getting other work done.
I like Jenna. I like her friends and the hottie detective working on her case. I think Jenna is going to get them embroiled in all kinds of shenanigans as this series continues, and I plan on coming along for the ride.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I want to throttle Jenna for taking matters into her own hands, trying to figure out what is going on. At the same time, I don't blame her. Someone has to follow these weird leads and no one really wants to listen to her. She also waits way too long to get the police involved. I'm not fully aware of the truth behind doctor-patient confidentiality when a potential murder suspect is involved, but my life is definitely worth more than a job! I do understand her hesitation, though.
I am surprised that other people didn't catch on sooner rather than later. I pretty much had it all figured out very early on, though there were a few twists that I didn't quite see coming. And even though I solved most of it early, I still wanted to keep on reading, to see when everyone else was going to catch on. Plus, all of those other little twists were intriguing. I kept reading in bursts as a sort of reward for getting other work done.
I like Jenna. I like her friends and the hottie detective working on her case. I think Jenna is going to get them embroiled in all kinds of shenanigans as this series continues, and I plan on coming along for the ride.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
April 8, 2016
e-Murderer by Joan C. Curtis is the first book in A Jenna Scali Mystery series. Jenna Scali is the office manager (part-time) for psychiatrist, Dr. Niles Bingham as well as a PhD student. Jenna comes into work one day and is checking her email. Jenna gets a shock. The email tells about the death of a young woman. Jenna goes to Dr. Bingham but he believes it to be a hoax and tells her to ignore it. However, the police discover the body of Martha “Marty’ Meeks nearby. Then Jenna receives another email. Jenna takes the information to the police (which really angers her boss). Jenna keeps getting emails and then another person is killed (someone close to Marty). Jenna investigates the murders while the murderer gets closer to Jenna.
I wanted to like e-Murderer (it sounded like a good mystery novel). However, I found the novel to a dissatisfying. The mystery was so easy (I solved it right away). One of the problems was I did not like the main character, Jenna Scali. I found her behavior odd. I found Jenna to be very immature and for a psych student, sadly lacking in knowledge. I give e-Murderer 2.5 out of 5 stars. I think the basic idea was good, but the final product needed more work (a little rewriting and editing).
I received a complimentary copy of e-Murderer from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.
I wanted to like e-Murderer (it sounded like a good mystery novel). However, I found the novel to a dissatisfying. The mystery was so easy (I solved it right away). One of the problems was I did not like the main character, Jenna Scali. I found her behavior odd. I found Jenna to be very immature and for a psych student, sadly lacking in knowledge. I give e-Murderer 2.5 out of 5 stars. I think the basic idea was good, but the final product needed more work (a little rewriting and editing).
I received a complimentary copy of e-Murderer from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.
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