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Samantha Shaw Mystery #2
Dying to Meet You
From the author of "Dating Can Be Murder, " which "Publisher's Weekly" called "a new cozy with sass, " comes the second book in the series featuring the funny and feisty protagonist Samantha Shaw.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
1 person is currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Apodaca
20 books366 followersAlso writes paranormal romance under the pseudonym Jennifer Lyon.
I went back to college after my three sons, Matt, Gary and Paul, were born. Beginning with a vague idea of earning a marketing degree, I ended up pursuing a writing career with the full support of my husband, Dan.
First I tried to tame my naturally edgy voice into writing romance, but dead bodies and quirky humor turned up with alarming regularity. So did rejection letters in my mailbox! Dan nagged me to write something contemporary and funny. My mother dropped a hint about trying something modern. My sister mentioned how good I'd be at writing a comedy, maybe even a mystery. Dan agreed with them.
Finally, frustration drove me to murder, fictionally speaking, of course. And so, I have been forced to admit that my husband, mother and sister were right. Not entirely humbled, these days I am busy plotting future adventures for Samantha Shaw!
I went back to college after my three sons, Matt, Gary and Paul, were born. Beginning with a vague idea of earning a marketing degree, I ended up pursuing a writing career with the full support of my husband, Dan.
First I tried to tame my naturally edgy voice into writing romance, but dead bodies and quirky humor turned up with alarming regularity. So did rejection letters in my mailbox! Dan nagged me to write something contemporary and funny. My mother dropped a hint about trying something modern. My sister mentioned how good I'd be at writing a comedy, maybe even a mystery. Dan agreed with them.
Finally, frustration drove me to murder, fictionally speaking, of course. And so, I have been forced to admit that my husband, mother and sister were right. Not entirely humbled, these days I am busy plotting future adventures for Samantha Shaw!
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 20, 2020
Sappy book. Much of the police references seem bogus. Read if you don't have anything else to read.
not my favorite book or author.
not my favorite book or author.
March 23, 2011
DYING TO MEET YOU is the second in the Samantha Shaw mystery series. Although I have not read the first one, DATING CAN BE MURDER, I was able to get into the story quickly and comfortably. Samantha Shaw (Sam) is the owner of a dating service “Heart Mates” in the small town of Lake Elsinore, California. She is also a reviewer of Romance novels. Plus, she is beginning to get quite a reputation as an amateur investigator. She is a widowed mother of two sons and lives with her grandfather.
When Sam finds a former client of Heart Mates, Faye Miller, murdered she feels somehow responsible. The police naturally blame Faye’s estranged husband. The husband swears he is innocent and hires Sam to find the killer. Sam gets into some really interesting situations. Some are humorous, some are silly, some are scary, but all are believable.
If I were going to be a “private investigator” or “amateur sleuth” this character would be me. She is not one of those women who always have every hair in place and look like they just stepped out of a high fashion magazine. She is true to life. I guess that is why I enjoyed the book so much. I could see myself in Sam (except our choice of clothing would be quite different!) or I could just as easily believe that she is my next-door neighbor. The book was well written and held my attention throughout. The only discomfort I had reading the book came in the early pages when I thought Sam might end up playing second fiddle to the males in the story. That somehow she might be a “Girl Friday” type. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my fears were unfounded and Sam is developed into a strong character who can accept help from the men in her life but who is also a capable woman in her own right. If you like to have real mysteries to solve, with humor and passion added in, then this is a book you should not miss.
When Sam finds a former client of Heart Mates, Faye Miller, murdered she feels somehow responsible. The police naturally blame Faye’s estranged husband. The husband swears he is innocent and hires Sam to find the killer. Sam gets into some really interesting situations. Some are humorous, some are silly, some are scary, but all are believable.
If I were going to be a “private investigator” or “amateur sleuth” this character would be me. She is not one of those women who always have every hair in place and look like they just stepped out of a high fashion magazine. She is true to life. I guess that is why I enjoyed the book so much. I could see myself in Sam (except our choice of clothing would be quite different!) or I could just as easily believe that she is my next-door neighbor. The book was well written and held my attention throughout. The only discomfort I had reading the book came in the early pages when I thought Sam might end up playing second fiddle to the males in the story. That somehow she might be a “Girl Friday” type. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my fears were unfounded and Sam is developed into a strong character who can accept help from the men in her life but who is also a capable woman in her own right. If you like to have real mysteries to solve, with humor and passion added in, then this is a book you should not miss.
June 15, 2011
This is the first book I've read by this author, and it will be the last. I intensely dislike Samantha Shaw, starting from the moment she was willing to get an innocent motel housekeeper into trouble by pretending murder victim Faye's room was her own, and escalating when she started trying to give an innocent baby kitten away to potential killers. I finished the last page wishing the murderer had been successful in nailing Barbie...er, Sam. I'm not a prude, but I didn't think much of the way Sam flaunted her sexy wardrobe with her children around to see it. Everything about her rubs me the wrong way. On the good side, the writing is competent. Obviously the Samantha Shaw series has fans and so I will leave the series to them. Writers can't please everyone, so I emphasize that this is just my opinion.
October 20, 2011
This second book in the Samantha Shaw series feels a bit too much like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. The main character is a relative screw-up who stumbles into a murder scene and tries to be a detective. Her main business as a matchmaker is undermined when she discovers the woman designing promotional materials for her is dead. She sets out to find the killer, blaming a series of people who were clearly not the killers before she inadvertently discovers the identity of the real killer. This book moves quickly and has the light and breezy tone found in much chick-lit, but it was not enough to make this reader want to read any further in the series.
July 3, 2012
My second Samantha Shaw mystery this week. I'm reading them in order ... one more and I'll have caught up to the first one I'd read, which is the last one in the series.
This one was also good. I had things figured out before the end. The revealing of "who dunnit" was a bit over the top but the rest of the book was good.
Yes, I'd recommend it!
Blog review: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2007/05...
February 3, 2012
I enjoyed this book. It is the 2nd with the same main characters. I like Samantha who has turned her life around after the death of her cheating husband. She is far from perfect and gets into some sticky and/or funny situations. But she is working hard to raise and protect her kids and find her own way in the world.
March 2, 2013
Im not sure if I will read anymore in this series. For me the plot went way too slow. And samantha seemed to be going to extreme's in the way she dressed with 2 sons in the house plus her grandfather. None of the people in her life were seemed very interesting but I kept plugging along hoping it would get better as I haad read the first book in the series.
November 13, 2007
read 04.18.07
July 14, 2008
You'll laugh out loud at one part of this book!
June 21, 2009
lots of fun.
August 24, 2009
Samantha Shaw
September 11, 2009
I really like Sam. The mysteries are good. There's always a good spicy scene between her and Gabe and she's just a fun, spunky heroine.
March 5, 2010
Consistent with first book's style, characters, and plot. Will continue to read series whenever I need a chick-lit mystery fluff fix.
October 1, 2015
I loved this book...it was a random find but reminded me of Janet Evanovich Plum series. Lots of fun!
June 23, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews