What do you think?
Rate this book
Aaron Tucker Mysteries #2
A Farewell to Legs
Work-at-home dad, devoted husband, hustling freelance writer, aspiring screenwriter all ways to describe the unwilling sleuth Aaron Tucker, whom one reviewer dubbed a combination of "Bart Simpson and James Bond." In "A Farewell to Legs," the second installment of the Aaron Tucker Mystery series, Aaron is back on the trail again, this time trying to ferret out the murderer of a former high school classmate, a D.C. lobbyist whose enemies finally stick it to him, literally, with a six-inch steak knife. The deceased leaves behind a bombshell of a widow, a secret bankroll of $13 million, and a cloud of political controversy, all of which lead Aaron to a barrel of red herrings. But in the life of Aaron Tucker, one mystery is never enough (though he'd be quick to tell you otherwise). He's also been delegated the odious task of tracking down Buzbee School's secret stink-bomber. And, much to Aaron's consternation, his wife, the beautiful attorney Abby Stein, is being stalked by a former client. All in a day's work for the diminutive freelance writer, who, as procrastinator extraordinaire, would rather be doing anything but investigating."
276 pages, Hardcover
First published November 28, 2003
7 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Cohen
48 books70 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Author of the Double Feature Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime, starting with Some Like It Hot-Buttered, and continuing in July 2008 with It Happened One Knife. Also author of the Aaron Tucker Mystery series: For Whom the Minivan Rolls, A Farewell to Legs, and As Dog Is My Witness. Wrote two books on raising a child with Asperger's Syndrome."
Author of the Double Feature Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime, starting with Some Like It Hot-Buttered, and continuing in July 2008 with It Happened One Knife. Also author of the Aaron Tucker Mystery series: For Whom the Minivan Rolls, A Farewell to Legs, and As Dog Is My Witness. Wrote two books on raising a child with Asperger's Syndrome."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 1, 2017
This cozy mystery series replaces the standard 30-something woman escaping the rat race to run a business in a small community with a stay-at-home dad to 2 children (one autistic) whose wife is a defense attorney. It's a concept that I put off reading for far too long and this second book in the series reminds me what a mistake that was.
The series is only 3 books long and the audiobooks are perfectly narrated by Damon Abdallah.
Highly recommend this series to any fan of cozy mysteries. It's a refreshing change.
The series is only 3 books long and the audiobooks are perfectly narrated by Damon Abdallah.
Highly recommend this series to any fan of cozy mysteries. It's a refreshing change.
March 23, 2011
Thoughts of attending a class reunion evoke a lot of different emotions within us. Sometimes those emotions war against each other. It was no different for Aaron Tucker as his 25th high school reunion approached. He wanted to go, but he didn’t want to go. If he had known the chain of events that would be started by attending, he never would have gone. He really only wanted to “reunite” with his best buddies from high school. They never really fit into any of the cliques or groups. It was just the five of them and they always managed to keep each other laughing. But wouldn’t you know that the one person he really wanted to “see” but not really interact with, was the first person he bumped into at the reunion. Stephanie Jacobs was the teenage sex goddess in high school. He wanted to see if she still looked good or if she had changed over the years. Unfortunately for all the men at the reunion, Stephanie Jacobs (now Gibson) was still a goddess. Plus, she was now married to some big shot in Washington, DC. What a combination! Beauty, money, and a rich/famous/powerful husband! All the men were entranced by her, but Stephanie paid much more attention to Aaron than anyone else. When her cell phone rang and she turned pale, Aaron wanted to know what was wrong. The call was to tell Stephanie that her husband, who had remained in Washington, had been murdered. Later that night she asked Aaron to help her find his killer.
If Aaron had been a private investigator, it would have been an expected request. But Aaron is not a PI. He is a free-lance writer. He did actually solve a murder once before, but that was just dumb luck. When Stephanie arranges for one of the Washington papers to offer to pay him $10,000 for an article about the murder, he decides to investigate the murder and write the article.
This is quiet an interesting mystery. The plot is complex enough to keep you guessing. The family situations presented in Aaron’s day-to-day life are so identifiable. The humor injected by the author make this book different from a lot of mysteries and I believe most folks will love it. On the other hand, my husband tells me that I have absolutely no sense of humor and I guess that must be pretty close to true because although I sort of smiled a couple of time, mostly I found the humor a distraction from solving the case. But then, that’s probably just me. I suppose I need to lighten up a bit, at least that’s what I’ve been told. All in all, I would say this was a very enjoyable, interesting, and entertaining book.
If Aaron had been a private investigator, it would have been an expected request. But Aaron is not a PI. He is a free-lance writer. He did actually solve a murder once before, but that was just dumb luck. When Stephanie arranges for one of the Washington papers to offer to pay him $10,000 for an article about the murder, he decides to investigate the murder and write the article.
This is quiet an interesting mystery. The plot is complex enough to keep you guessing. The family situations presented in Aaron’s day-to-day life are so identifiable. The humor injected by the author make this book different from a lot of mysteries and I believe most folks will love it. On the other hand, my husband tells me that I have absolutely no sense of humor and I guess that must be pretty close to true because although I sort of smiled a couple of time, mostly I found the humor a distraction from solving the case. But then, that’s probably just me. I suppose I need to lighten up a bit, at least that’s what I’ve been told. All in all, I would say this was a very enjoyable, interesting, and entertaining book.
September 24, 2008
I enjoyed this title just slightly less than For Whom the Minivan Rolls; I felt the humor was a little forced at the beginning, and once in a while throughout the book. I still love how Aaron and his wife Abigail have such a terrific relationship, and how work-from-home Aaron takes care of his family. I usually don't guess the murderer, but I felt I should have--this is on me, not the author or the book :). I borrowed the 3rd title from Lesa Holstine's library as none of the 3 libraries I use carry it--thanks, Lesa!
July 29, 2017
Having just completed this book, I want to explain why I gave this book 5 stars....
It's not because this book is a classic or likely to become one. It's not because this book has a 5-star plot or 5-star characters. It's because this book is great entertainment. It's because it took away my worries and made me chuckle for several hours. When a book can do that, it's worth 5 stars.
It's not because this book is a classic or likely to become one. It's not because this book has a 5-star plot or 5-star characters. It's because this book is great entertainment. It's because it took away my worries and made me chuckle for several hours. When a book can do that, it's worth 5 stars.
January 21, 2023
A humorous read of a mystery. Aaron Tucker is back again. This stay-at-home dad, aspiring screenwriter, and freelance journalist is involved again in another mystery. It starts with his 25th high school reunion. With him in his oddball friends running into High School chursh Stephanie Jacobs, who married classmate turned DC lobbyist Louis Gibson. Before the night is over Stephanie becomes a widow. she's informed her husband was stabbed in the back with a kitchen knife and found in another woman's apartment. Aaron finds himself writing about the murder, while trying to figure out who trew stink bombs at his kids school, and dealing with his family's decision on getting a pet.
September 9, 2020
I really enjoy the humor here, despite it reading as dated.
These characters are very likeable and do sensible things.
Reporters are naturally curious and so their investigation into deaths seems logical.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
These characters are very likeable and do sensible things.
Reporters are naturally curious and so their investigation into deaths seems logical.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
April 27, 2021
I rated this book high - because it was an enjoyable read. It was also nice to read a book where a Jewish person didn't have a mixed marriage and wasn't neurotic. A very unusual circumstance. Looking forward to #3
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
October 17, 2020
Recommended.
June 27, 2025
I like this book and the past book. cant wait to read the next one.
March 19, 2012
This author needed to dial it back a little. I mean, do we need a joke, a funny line, a pun or a toe-stubber on every page, nay, in every paragraph? Somewhere there is someone involved in our popular culture who is smiling because Cohen’s avatar, one Aaron Tucker, missed cracking wise about him or her, or his project.
Having said that, let me address the substance of the book, that is, the mystery. While attending their twenty-fifth high school reunion, Mr. Tucker and Mr. Mahoney, life-long buddies, discover that their youthful lust object appears to have aged even better than they. In the midst of horny if innocent festivities, the object of their desires, one Stephanie, learns via cell phone (naturally) that her husband is dead. Murdered.
Well, of course, Tucker, a free-lance writer, gets involved. Turns out he’s acquainted with the dead guy and what’s more the dead guy’s widow wants Tucker to investigate, in order, presumably, to cover her assets and avoid incarceration. Then there’s the matter of Mr. Gibson’s politics. Now you, dear reader, may be a conservative, a Democrat, a Progressive an Independent or a liberal. It doesn’t really matter, because your political ox gets gored at some point during this narrative.
Also, Mr. Tucker, being a stay-at-home with a dandy wife who earns more than he does, is involved with their children, the children’s school, and even with some of his wife’s clients, Abby being a defense attorney. Mr. Tucker does some free-lance investigating for the school’s principal, dodges rocks lobbed at him, and deals with many of the usual family matters that occupy a lot of us from time to time.
Therein lies the immense appeal of this book, part of a series. Aaron Tucker embodies elements we all recognize in our neighbors, if not ourselves. But Tucker manages to carry it all off without losing his cool. I like Aaron Tucker a lot. I like the writing, the pace and the dialogue, and I’m pleased to note that this book has been carefully copyedited which reduced grammatical missteps to a bare minimum. Actually I only noticed a single error. Cohen isn’t trying to write great literature. He’s having fun with the genre and doing it so readers can have an enjoyable time with their reading. What’s more, the major mystery is a clever one, well-told. Find Aaron Tucker’s stories. You’ll be glad you did.
Having said that, let me address the substance of the book, that is, the mystery. While attending their twenty-fifth high school reunion, Mr. Tucker and Mr. Mahoney, life-long buddies, discover that their youthful lust object appears to have aged even better than they. In the midst of horny if innocent festivities, the object of their desires, one Stephanie, learns via cell phone (naturally) that her husband is dead. Murdered.
Well, of course, Tucker, a free-lance writer, gets involved. Turns out he’s acquainted with the dead guy and what’s more the dead guy’s widow wants Tucker to investigate, in order, presumably, to cover her assets and avoid incarceration. Then there’s the matter of Mr. Gibson’s politics. Now you, dear reader, may be a conservative, a Democrat, a Progressive an Independent or a liberal. It doesn’t really matter, because your political ox gets gored at some point during this narrative.
Also, Mr. Tucker, being a stay-at-home with a dandy wife who earns more than he does, is involved with their children, the children’s school, and even with some of his wife’s clients, Abby being a defense attorney. Mr. Tucker does some free-lance investigating for the school’s principal, dodges rocks lobbed at him, and deals with many of the usual family matters that occupy a lot of us from time to time.
Therein lies the immense appeal of this book, part of a series. Aaron Tucker embodies elements we all recognize in our neighbors, if not ourselves. But Tucker manages to carry it all off without losing his cool. I like Aaron Tucker a lot. I like the writing, the pace and the dialogue, and I’m pleased to note that this book has been carefully copyedited which reduced grammatical missteps to a bare minimum. Actually I only noticed a single error. Cohen isn’t trying to write great literature. He’s having fun with the genre and doing it so readers can have an enjoyable time with their reading. What’s more, the major mystery is a clever one, well-told. Find Aaron Tucker’s stories. You’ll be glad you did.
December 23, 2011
This is the second novel featuring screenwriter and stay-at-home dad Aaron Tucker, and it's wonderfully witty and smart. Tucker is charged with investigating two crimes, one being the unfortunate death of a former classmate's husband, who's discovered in his mistress's bedroom with a knife through his chest; the other crime being who left two stink bombs in his daughter's school. Oh, and there's the matter of a former client who's stalking his wife.
The joy in reading this book is watching uber-procrastinator Aaron do actual investigating work when he'd rather be watching television. Aaron's classmates/friends aid him in his invesigation, as do the local police. The characters are very realistically drawn; they could be your neighbors or co-workers, assuming that you have very droll co-workers.
In film parlance, a sleeper is something that achieves unexpected recognition or success, and that's what Jeffrey Cohen's series is: a witty mystery series that absolutely deserves a bigger audience.
The joy in reading this book is watching uber-procrastinator Aaron do actual investigating work when he'd rather be watching television. Aaron's classmates/friends aid him in his invesigation, as do the local police. The characters are very realistically drawn; they could be your neighbors or co-workers, assuming that you have very droll co-workers.
In film parlance, a sleeper is something that achieves unexpected recognition or success, and that's what Jeffrey Cohen's series is: a witty mystery series that absolutely deserves a bigger audience.
March 3, 2009
A high school reunion leads Aaron Tucker into a murder investigation when the sexiest girl in his school, now a very attractive woman, learns that her husband has been killed. She gets freelance writer Aaron a job covering the murder for a prestigious magazine. Her husband had been a right-wing political leader and a womanizer; he had many enemies but the police are targeting her. Meanwhile Aaron's wife, lawyer Abigail, has a dissatisfied client who may be stalking her. Suburban New Jersey setting.
October 22, 2011
Aaron tucker comes across as someone who is too much in love with his wife to be real. Of course, he is fictional, but the inordinate time and mush-episodes that find their way into the book make me wonder if Mr. Cohen is trying to create a new genre of "teen romance in grownups solving mysteries". The stories themselves are well written and the characters are refreshingly familiar, without being boring. Also, If he tried to be a bit less funny, I think he would be more humorous.
Read it if you like sappy romances but your SO wants you to read murder mysteries.
Read it if you like sappy romances but your SO wants you to read murder mysteries.
March 14, 2014
Aaron is enjoying catching up with friends at his high school reunion when Stephanie gets the call that her husband, a political activist, is murdered. The plot (and sub-plots) move along well, and I do like the characters. Unfortunately, the author is too obvious with his political leanings and he pays no attention to the passage of times. (Then again, I want to live in a world where every day is Saturday.)
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
February 7, 2017
Another one I'd have given a 3.5 to if I could ... his humor is good, though for me there was just simply too much of it, and a piece of his murder mystery that was just wrong, couldn't have happened that way ... and too much going on at once, though I am sure for some that is part of his charm too. But, I will read the other book of his that I have.
September 7, 2011
Jeffrey Cohen's books are fun and always provide laughs. I was actually going to give this four stars because I liked the mystery, but it got too complicated and unbelievable near the end. I will certainly continue reading the series because I like Aaron Tucker and his children. I don't know his wife as well, but I like that Aaron is so crazy about her. I recommend Cohen's books especially for those who love mysteries but need a break from "raw and gritty."
July 9, 2008
I doubt if I would have read it, were it not for the funny title, but this turned out to be quite an amusing little mystery.
Written in a style similar to that of Donald Westlake, "Legs" has a far-fetched plot, but amusing characters and a highly readable tone. Bring it on vacation, or read it while you're on hold.
Written in a style similar to that of Donald Westlake, "Legs" has a far-fetched plot, but amusing characters and a highly readable tone. Bring it on vacation, or read it while you're on hold.
February 12, 2014
A Farewell to Legs is not your usual cozy mystery. Aaron Tucker is reluctant sluth, a stay at home Dad, in love with his wife and his two children and is a very funny man. The characters are well drawn and the humor is never forced. All the nuances of family life in suburbia are there and the mystery is not lost amongst the humor of family life w/children.
March 17, 2016
Like the other two Aaron Tucker mysteries I read previously, I found this highly amusing and entertaining. I listened to the audio version while in the car, and I think Damon Abdallah does a great job as the voice of Aaron Tucker. I think there is one more AT mystery that I haven't read yet, and I am looking forward to it. I highly recommend for a fun and light-hearted mystery series!
August 15, 2016
I enjoyed this lighthearted mystery, although I will admit it is less for the mystery itself, and more for the main character's description of his lifestyle as what we call in our house, the "involved in the house" AKA flexible, home-based parent who both works and handles the kid schlepping and bulk of the domestic duties. The fact that the main character is a dad makes it even better.
June 22, 2008
The second in the Aaron Tucker mysteries is just as funny and just as fun as the first. "Legs" is a nickname and you'll get the reason for his farewell - eventually. Cohen is good at making you guess, and at misdirecting you so you are surprised at the ending.
March 31, 2010
Jeffrey Cohen can write a book for me anyday. The humor, the understanding of a family dealing with a strong Son, and mysteries to boot. This book had me laughing and struggling to figure out the various clues as I went along.
I do recommend this book and the entire series.
I do recommend this book and the entire series.
March 5, 2014
Started reading this on a whim and was hooked and stayed with it. It is highly readable and a page turner. I would recommend this book - not the book of the year, but great entertainment value and Jeffrey Cohen is funny, witty and in touch with modern trends.
August 20, 2008
Better than "Minivan." I enjoyed all of the allusions to other mystery writers.
August 5, 2010
Hilarious! All the asides and wisecracks make this little "whodunnit" a fun read.
January 9, 2011
I love as this series. As I said in another review, decent plot, great characters, humor, a family I'd love to know! And, as the mother of a son with Asperger, a real demonstration of inclusion!
May 31, 2011
Surprisingly entertaining. Snappy dialogue with unexpected villain for the murder portion of the mystery.
June 30, 2011
Another enjoyable mystery.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews