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A Paige Turner Mystery #2
Murder is a Girl's Best Friend
In the year 1954, Paige Turner, staff writer for a pulp mystery magazine, defies her new boyfriend's wishes and investigates a murder for an old army buddy of her late husband and the discovery of a stash of diamonds hidden in a box of oatmeal.
307 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 6, 2004
About the author
Amanda Matetsky
9 books37 followersFrom the author's website:
Amanda Matetsky was a magazine editor and a volunteer literacy tutor before becoming a fiction writer. Her first novel, The Perfect Body, was published by HarperCollins in 1997 and won the NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best First Book.
Murderers Prefer Blondes, the first entry in Amanda’s popular Paige Turner mystery series, was published by Berkley Prime Crime in 2003 and was an IMBA bestseller. The second book in the series, Murder Is a Girl’s Best Friend (2004), also made the IMBA bestseller list. The third and fourth Paige Turner mysteries, How to Marry a Murderer (2005) and Murder on a Hot Tin Roof (2006), were released to rave reviews, as was the fifth and final novel in the series, Dial Me for Murder, which hit the bookstores in September 2008. Amanda is now working on a stand-alone novel, which she laughingly “categorizes” as a sexy romantic comedy mystery thriller. “I’m a confirmed genre writer,” she says, “but I can’t pick just one!”
Amanda was born in Georgia, and as a result of her father’s many professional promotions and relocations, lived in seven other states (Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, California, and New York) before reaching the age of sixteen. She graduated from Paul D. Schreiber High School in Port Washington, New York, and earned her BA degree in English at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.
After college she moved to Taos, New Mexico, where she worked for the local newspaper, The Taos News, and developed a taste for salsa (the sauce and the music). One year later she returned to New York, took an apartment in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, and began her career as a magazine editor.
While working at a large fan magazine publishing company, Amanda fell head over heels for her boss, Harry Matetsky. They eventually married, bought a house in a Long Island suburb, and continued working together in the magazine industry for twelve more years. The work was lucrative but not very satisfying, so they left the industry to pursue more personal interests. Harry is now a collector of old movie posters, original comic strip art, and comic books, while Amanda is living her lifelong dream of writing fiction. They reside in central New Jersey, with their two cats, Homer and Phoebe, in a house full of laughter and love and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
Amanda Matetsky was a magazine editor and a volunteer literacy tutor before becoming a fiction writer. Her first novel, The Perfect Body, was published by HarperCollins in 1997 and won the NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best First Book.
Murderers Prefer Blondes, the first entry in Amanda’s popular Paige Turner mystery series, was published by Berkley Prime Crime in 2003 and was an IMBA bestseller. The second book in the series, Murder Is a Girl’s Best Friend (2004), also made the IMBA bestseller list. The third and fourth Paige Turner mysteries, How to Marry a Murderer (2005) and Murder on a Hot Tin Roof (2006), were released to rave reviews, as was the fifth and final novel in the series, Dial Me for Murder, which hit the bookstores in September 2008. Amanda is now working on a stand-alone novel, which she laughingly “categorizes” as a sexy romantic comedy mystery thriller. “I’m a confirmed genre writer,” she says, “but I can’t pick just one!”
Amanda was born in Georgia, and as a result of her father’s many professional promotions and relocations, lived in seven other states (Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, California, and New York) before reaching the age of sixteen. She graduated from Paul D. Schreiber High School in Port Washington, New York, and earned her BA degree in English at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.
After college she moved to Taos, New Mexico, where she worked for the local newspaper, The Taos News, and developed a taste for salsa (the sauce and the music). One year later she returned to New York, took an apartment in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, and began her career as a magazine editor.
While working at a large fan magazine publishing company, Amanda fell head over heels for her boss, Harry Matetsky. They eventually married, bought a house in a Long Island suburb, and continued working together in the magazine industry for twelve more years. The work was lucrative but not very satisfying, so they left the industry to pursue more personal interests. Harry is now a collector of old movie posters, original comic strip art, and comic books, while Amanda is living her lifelong dream of writing fiction. They reside in central New Jersey, with their two cats, Homer and Phoebe, in a house full of laughter and love and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 31, 2009
Need to find the first book! This is the second in the Paige Turner mystery series. I loved the old school charm and nostalgia of the 1950s descriptors. Paige is a widow who has to work to support herself in the male-dominated society of the era. Obviously the author researched her time period as there were numerous mentions of fifties nostalgia items. Paige lunches at the diner, she and her coworkers smoke, and she listens to Doris Day on the radio. Paige, like most modern heroines, seems to always manage to find herself a good murder. She has great detective skills (yes, all overlooked by her fat rotten misogynistic boss). When one of her husband's old pals comes asking her to investigate his sister's murder, she readily agrees to investigate. The problem is that the killer is soon after her too. I would describe this book as a charming cozy mystery; I need to find the entire series
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November 26, 2013This murder mystery can really help your creative juices flowing. It creates a vision in your mind that makes you feel as if yo were there watching them throughout the story.
May 9, 2010
This book is a hoot. It takes place in the 50s. Paige Turner, her real name, she married into it, works for a detective magazine and keeps stumbling across mysteries, a fact that her real life cop boyfriend is not happy about. In this one, a combat veteran friend of her late husband's wants to find out what really happened to his sister. He knows she didn't commit suicide. Paige doesn't hesitate to get involved even when she gets a load of the Tiffany's diamonds involved. She almost loses her life several times but it doesn't tarnish her resolve, it merely puts a small damper on the Christmas season. With her sidekick Abby, Paige is determined to become the next Sam Spade. It a cute series that I would happily pick up at library book sales. Paige is not a cardboard character and neither is Abby, a free spirit right around her time. The ambience feels a little early but also feels fresh.
December 3, 2012
The characters were too quirky for me.
October 31, 2015
Fun view of the times. Obnoxious main character. I spent most of the book wanting to beat some sense into Paige.
December 23, 2017
literally the most primitive crime novel i've ever read
July 14, 2024
This is a fun, if a bit overdone, mystery set in 1954. As one who was alive in – and remembers – 1954 the absurdities of that time (i.e. slang language and expectations of women) jump out at me. Let me be clear, it was a fun mystery story – not great, but OK. The slang terms and language often seemed to be forced, as if the author had a list of slang terms of the 50s and felt she had to include as many as possible even if they didn’t quite fit. At least the running “joke” about her name was handled well – Paige laughed about it also... after all she gained the last name through marriage not birth. OK for a “I have nothing better to read” and want to just relax for a while” choice.
July 30, 2018
More like 2.5* I did not like this book any more than the previous book. In fact, it was worse. The slang and smoking seem to fit more with the sixties but the story takes place in the mid fifties. While I liked Whitey he was about the only good thing about this book. I was surprised that the sweet old lady neighbor was the killer. Paige is getting on my nerves with her secrets. Abby is not always portrayed as a very good friend, even though she is supposed to be her best friend. I am done with this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2020
It was a cute fast read. I love that time period in New York. Most of the character are a little over the top. I think it would have been better if they weren't so extreme. Her constant sarcastic asides, (in italics) got on my nerves. That being said, I would read the rest of the Paige Turner books.
August 22, 2021
Thought it would be a fun read a la P.D. James, but the plot was anemic, the characters two dimensional, and about 40% is parenthetical asides, which was cloying, especially since the protagonist is a professional writer - but then, perhaps her writing is as good as her detection (that is, tenacious, but not very bright).
October 26, 2019
This was a really fun read! I've now read the first two books in this series and have found them thoroughly enjoyable. It's definitely more of a casual read for when you just want a fun, feel-good mystery.
September 16, 2026
3.5*
Set in an era I seldom visit (1950s). Very atmospheric with many pop culture references that I could recognize (I was around 10 then). Paige faces the typical marginalization of women at the time but manages to solve mysteries anyway. Somewhere I have bk one- must find and read it.
Set in an era I seldom visit (1950s). Very atmospheric with many pop culture references that I could recognize (I was around 10 then). Paige faces the typical marginalization of women at the time but manages to solve mysteries anyway. Somewhere I have bk one- must find and read it.
November 13, 2019
A Paige Turner mystery, easy reading
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2017
I adore the Paige Turner mystery series. Did you miss that? Her name is Paige Turner. Yes that's the main character's name. Okay she married becoming Turner, though we didn't meet her married, she was already a young widow, but this is one of the many reasons why this series is so much fun!
Murder is a Girl's Best Friend is the second in the series. I just looked up how many there are, because I know I could keep reading these f o r e v e r!!!! What? No, don't tell me there's only 5!? Waaahhhh!!!!! I have been scooping for more of them in any of the second hand book stores I venture into. I have the next two, which means I only have to find the last one. I'm so disappointed!
Okay, let's get to the story: It takes place in the 1950's, so if women were single, they were either school teachers or nurses, and if they were married they were housewives. Paige Turner is in her 20's, and is none of the above, and another reason why I love this series, she's lives outside the norm of the times. She's a tough female, yet still very much feminine of the time, in a male's world. She's a staff writer, and the only female who works at a mystery magazine, so she gets to do all the "woman" work such as making the coffee, washing the mugs....and putting up with the chauvinist males in the office. Gosh, I can't imagine living in that time period where men felt it was okay to harass a woman by treating her like a bimbo, and feeling they have the right to inappropriate touching and kissing. Yikes!
Not only is Paige a staff writer, she also solves murders on the side, though she isn't licensed for any such dangerous work. It just kinda plops into her lap, though her boyfriend, Detective Dan Street "forbids" her, she still goes ahead and gets right into solving crimes.
The author Amanda Matetsky makes the 50's time period seem very real by using the right words, clothing, food, the setting.....it's as though we feel we are right there too.
It wasn't until near the end that I figured out who done it.
I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
Murder is a Girl's Best Friend is the second in the series. I just looked up how many there are, because I know I could keep reading these f o r e v e r!!!! What? No, don't tell me there's only 5!? Waaahhhh!!!!! I have been scooping for more of them in any of the second hand book stores I venture into. I have the next two, which means I only have to find the last one. I'm so disappointed!
Okay, let's get to the story: It takes place in the 1950's, so if women were single, they were either school teachers or nurses, and if they were married they were housewives. Paige Turner is in her 20's, and is none of the above, and another reason why I love this series, she's lives outside the norm of the times. She's a tough female, yet still very much feminine of the time, in a male's world. She's a staff writer, and the only female who works at a mystery magazine, so she gets to do all the "woman" work such as making the coffee, washing the mugs....and putting up with the chauvinist males in the office. Gosh, I can't imagine living in that time period where men felt it was okay to harass a woman by treating her like a bimbo, and feeling they have the right to inappropriate touching and kissing. Yikes!
Not only is Paige a staff writer, she also solves murders on the side, though she isn't licensed for any such dangerous work. It just kinda plops into her lap, though her boyfriend, Detective Dan Street "forbids" her, she still goes ahead and gets right into solving crimes.
The author Amanda Matetsky makes the 50's time period seem very real by using the right words, clothing, food, the setting.....it's as though we feel we are right there too.
It wasn't until near the end that I figured out who done it.
I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
April 11, 2022
Badly overwritten and the characters are mostly two-dimensional, but this is not a bad story set in an interesting 1950s New York City.
Much of the dialogue is over-done, too, with too many screechy questions asked at, for example, a knock at the door.
The author should strive harder for some believability.
She also badly over-does some apparently intendedly cutesy-poo narrative as in "some phrase (okay, some other phrase)" on almost every page. When it's used that often, it is not funny: it is annoying.
Finally, sometimes I think it is demanded in order for a writer to get published, but I hate an author's sticking in her gratuitous left-collectivist beliefs. If it's relevant to the story? Maybe. But when it's not, when it's just more propaganda, it should not be there.
Publishers seem to hire writers and editors based on their belief system.
Anyway, the character's name is cute and even appropriate, but, in this book, there are more flaws than merits so I cannot recommend it except to the curious who have plenty of time.
Much of the dialogue is over-done, too, with too many screechy questions asked at, for example, a knock at the door.
The author should strive harder for some believability.
She also badly over-does some apparently intendedly cutesy-poo narrative as in "some phrase (okay, some other phrase)" on almost every page. When it's used that often, it is not funny: it is annoying.
Finally, sometimes I think it is demanded in order for a writer to get published, but I hate an author's sticking in her gratuitous left-collectivist beliefs. If it's relevant to the story? Maybe. But when it's not, when it's just more propaganda, it should not be there.
Publishers seem to hire writers and editors based on their belief system.
Anyway, the character's name is cute and even appropriate, but, in this book, there are more flaws than merits so I cannot recommend it except to the curious who have plenty of time.
April 13, 2008
Great cozy mystery! Set in the mid 1950's. I want to be friends with the main characters Paige and Abby. The author did her homework on the historical references of the day. I fell like I'm in NYC with them.
July 21, 2008
Finished this yesterday. I like this series. Paige is a smart gal in a time when white men ruled the U.S. I enjoyed this one but I was mad at Paige for keeping the case from Dan until after it was too late. And I never would have guessed who done it. They had me fooled.
May 10, 2009
I thoroughly enjoyed this cute little cozy mystery. Spunky Paige Turner just goes out there and gets the mystery solved. The story was fun in that it mentioned many name brands and items from the 50s. Made the story authentic. The tone was also reminescent of the old mystery novels of that time.
June 27, 2009
She's past the two-book test and so I will pick her up from time to time and read her leisurely. When I need something lightish and fun and charming. It's not life-changing, but it's fun and the '50s stuff works. I like Abby a lot.
March 9, 2010
I really enjoy these books. Ms. Matetsky really captures the 1950's well and Paige is a great heroine.
August 6, 2010
I love Paige Turner! It's so interesting to read how a woman in the 50's worked/lived. I can't wait to finish this so I can get her next book!
September 5, 2016
Loved it! Extremely well written and great fun reading about New York City in the '50s. Paige is a well rounded, interesting, and thoroughly delightful heroine. Can't wait to read more!
November 25, 2016
Loved it !
August 20, 2019
Campy and cute, kept me interested. Like a slightly more grown up Nancy Drew set in the 50s. A great light read for nights when I was too tired to read my heavier novels.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews