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Death of a Neighborhood Witch
Death of a Neighborhood Witch
Death of a Neighborhood Witch
Ebook283 pages3 hours

Death of a Neighborhood Witch

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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"I'm crazy about Laura Levine's mystery series. Her books are so outrageously funny." --Joanne Fluke

When Jaine Austen's beloved cat Prozac unwittingly scares to death a parakeet belonging to the neighborhood's resident curmudgeon, Jaine finds herself knee-deep in toil and trouble. The cantankerous Hollywood has-been once played Cryptessa Muldoon, television's fourth most famous monster mom. Now she spends her days making enemies with everyone on the block. So when the ornery D-lister is murdered with her own Do Not Trespass sign on Halloween night, the neighborhood fills with relief--and possible culprits.

With a killer on the loose, Jaine hardly has time to fall under the spell of her yummy new neighbor, Peter. As the prime suspect, she summons her sleuthing skills to clear her name and soon discovers that everyone has a few skeletons in their closets. . .

"Levine's latest finds her at her witty and wacky best." --Kirkus Reviews

"Cozy fans will enjoy seeing how Jaine wiggles out of this one." --Publishers Weekly
LanguageEnglish
Release dateDec 7, 2012
ISBN9780758292162
Author

Laura Levine

Laura Levine is a comedy writer whose television credits include The Bob Newhart Show, Laverne & Shirley, The Love Boat, The Jeffersons, Three's Company, and Mary Hartman, Mary Martman. Her work has been published in The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times. She lives in Los Angeles and is currently working on the next Jaine Austen mystery. For more information, visit www.JaineAustenMysteries.com.

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Reviews for Death of a Neighborhood Witch

Rating: 3.661290358064516 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

62 ratings16 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the first Janie Austen mystery that I have read. I found it light and amusing. Janie is an interesting character with a cat named Prozac. It was easy to follow even with this being the 13th book in a series. I decided to read the others after reading this book. I find her neighbor, Lance, beyond irratating and I would move if I had walls that thin. Her parents email her and they are funny and add to Janie's stress level.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a clever murder mystery novel disguised as a fluff piece. There is actually three mysteries in it: first, who murdered the neighborhood witch?; second, is the new neighbor, Peter, gay or straight?; and the third is actually a continent away from the Los Angeles locate, is there a murderous neighbor in the Florida retirement community? The story is told with wit and a lot of comedy, as the protagonist, Jaine Austen, works her way to a solution of the first two mysteries, and the third is resolved through a series of email messages from her parents. This is pure entertainment and I recommend it highly when you want something light-hearted to read and enjoy. It's perfect for the airplane trip to your winter vacation. I received my copy as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer and it is the first Jaine Austen mystery I have read. I am already checking out which of the others in the series to read next! There's probably one with a Thanksgiving or Christmas theme.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    What a charming and delightful light mystery for reading in between the heavier tomes. Our heroine is awkward and a slightly overweight sleuth. I found myself smiling as she got into more scrapes than one deserves. There's an interesting mixed L.A. neighborhood of renters and owners in the book and everyone has a motive for murdering the starlet has-been. On the surface, the story may seem "fluffy" but Laura Levine cleverly works three mysteries simultaneously: who murdered Cryptessa?; is he or isn't HE gay? and was mom's best friend murdered down in Florida and if so, by whom? I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read and look forward to investigating a few more Jaine Austen stories.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It took me forever to start reading this, but once I did I finished it in no time. This was a cute story (if far-fetched) with fun characters. The cat is hysterical! I'm a big fan of twist endings and this did not disappoint. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a fun Halloween read.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Though the solution to this mystery was a rehash of the very first book, it upped its quality somewhat. I had a nasty surprise incoming when I read a ploy ripped off Desperate Housewives, of all sitcoms! God knows what else was lifted for this messy story. What was the point of no return was the transformation of Lance Venable, the heterosexually challenged neighbor of Jaine. He was insufferable. It was supposed to bring a cute but naughty touch to the fore. But the guy was like a villain twirling a comedic handlebar moustache. I'm quite let down, but I will continue reading these manageable, small packets of books if the author keeps churning them out. Even all things considered.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Laura Levine has become my new favorite author! I received several strange looks from people in the break room at work when I laughed out loud over some silly thought or statement by Jaine. The neighborhood witch-with a capital B-is murdered and Jaine is the only suspect. She decides (of course) to track down the killer (someone in an ape suit) before she winds up locked up. Along with snooping, she is also vying for the attention of her hot new neighbor.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I'm officially done with this series. I really wish the author would knock it off with the overeating scenarios. In my mind they are just book fillers and are stupid. We know she's overweight, has no restraint, and is a slob. Once in the book is enough.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is the first book by Laura Levine that I have read. Sometimes I just need a break from the more serious books, and this cozy murder mystery fills the bill. The characters are zany and eccentric, and the murder is enough of a puzzle to keep my interest, as there are many suspects when the neighbourhood nasty woman is murdered on Halloween night. Chief among the suspects is the protagonist and amateur sleuth herself, so she must investigate on her own to try to clear her name. The references to her overeating do get a bit tiresome, but on the whole it's an enjoyable bit of fluff.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this light, cozy mystery with it's silly characters. This is the first book I have read in this series, but will be on the lookout for more. Descriptions of the main character's overeating do get a little repetitive and at times detract from the mystery. The mystery of who killed the cranky neighbor no one liked kept me interested until the very end.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Laura Levine is always good for a laugh! In this Halloween themed mystery from the Jaine Austen series, Jaine's cat, Prozac, allegedly kills a neighbor's bird. Jaine attempts to make up for her cat's indiscretion, but finds herself being drawn into her wacky neighbor's problems. When this neighbor is killed during a Halloween party, Jaine is the prime suspect. For readers who have read the other books in the series, the humor at times feels overdone. While the plot is predictable, the characters are enjoyable and it's still a fun cozy mystery.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Jaine Austen remains close to home in this Halloween themed mystery. A new (handsome) neighbor seems to draw everyone out of doors in Jaine's area. The reclusive and crabby Cryptessa Muldoon, star of a now-defunct tv show, seems to have made plenty of enemies on this quiet street. Neighbor Lance is humorous and fussy as always and Jaine's parents, their escapades detailed via email, are always amusing too. Just a good, quick read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another good addition to the Jaine Austen mysteries.Crazy,fun characters both old and new make this a quick read. Jaine always runs into trouble and this story is no exception. The email exchanges with her parents are always good for a laugh.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was my first Jaine Austen mystery, but surely not the last. When her cat Prozac causes the death of the local witch's (or rather the actress who played one on tv) parrot, Jaine finds herself in a lot of troubles. Troubles that get even bigger when the witch is found dead. And, since it seems that it is not enough problems, she enters into a bet with her neighbor Lance to find out which of them will get a date with the new beau of the neighborhood. Throughout the books, there are funny "comments" from Prozac and emails from Jaine's parents. A funny and easy read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Cute little mystery with a quirky, trouble-seeking heroine. The characters were interesting and the mystery kept me guessing until the end. The interestingly-names Jaine Austen was a main character that you routed for, even when she made bad decisions and prodded where she shouldn't. Enjoyable read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Jainie Austin is very funny and I found myself laughing out loud while I was reading. A great fun read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the first time I didn't like Lance at all. I usually find him endearing, but in this book, he was always doing things behind her back to sabotage her.

Book preview

Death of a Neighborhood Witch - Laura Levine

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