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Jenny Cain #5
Dead Crazy
Award-winning author Nancy Pickard has been receiving high acclaim for her mystery series starring sleuth Jenny Cain. This time Cain finds herself following the trail of a possible paranoid schizophrenic slasher—only to uncover clues that put her squarely in the sights of a cold-blooded murderer! “An outstanding mystery series that just keeps getting better” (ALA Booklist).
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1988
9 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Pickard
102 books350 followersNancy Pickard is an American crime novelist. She received a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri and began writing at age 35.
She has won five Macavity Awards, four Agatha Awards, an Anthony Award, and a Shamus Award. She is the only author to win all four awards. Her novel The Virgin of Small Plains, published in 2007, won an Agatha Award. She also served on the board of directors of the Mystery Writers of America.
She has won five Macavity Awards, four Agatha Awards, an Anthony Award, and a Shamus Award. She is the only author to win all four awards. Her novel The Virgin of Small Plains, published in 2007, won an Agatha Award. She also served on the board of directors of the Mystery Writers of America.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 17, 2018
I like Jenny Cain mysteries because they are pretty straightforward, not creepy or gory, and don't take long to read. There are some recurring characters, but the town of Port Frederick doesn't seem so small that it's weird if you haven't met them before (see: Three Pines). In this story, Jenny is approached by a woman, MaryDell Paine, who wants the Poor Fred foundation to buy an old church and make it into a rec hall for mentally ill/homeless people. Jenny gets on board, but when a neighborhood man, Rodney, is found brutally murdered the next morning (we get very few details about how brutal), she might need to reconsider.
The only other thing that bothered me at times is that Jenny is supposed to be part of the grammar police and hates redundancy (MaryDell says she wants "safe refuge" for the "clients" and Jenny cringes), but there are a few places where the grammar is wrong (and the book is written in 1st person so this is Jenny's voice) . She uses "I" at least once when she should have used "me" and then again, there's a line that reads, "I expected him to be primed with an automatic counteroffer.. but I was ready for that." Isn't that redundant too? Just small things like that make the difference between mediocre and great writing. (Also there were two characters named Anita, unrelated to the central mystery - that was also weird. I thought the maid and Grace's niece would end up being the same person but - nope. )
The only other thing that bothered me at times is that Jenny is supposed to be part of the grammar police and hates redundancy (MaryDell says she wants "safe refuge" for the "clients" and Jenny cringes), but there are a few places where the grammar is wrong (and the book is written in 1st person so this is Jenny's voice) . She uses "I" at least once when she should have used "me" and then again, there's a line that reads, "I expected him to be primed with an automatic counteroffer.. but I was ready for that." Isn't that redundant too? Just small things like that make the difference between mediocre and great writing. (Also there were two characters named Anita, unrelated to the central mystery - that was also weird. I thought the maid and Grace's niece would end up being the same person but - nope. )
October 13, 2017
Great fun, characters are realistic, I didn't solve the mystery (not that I ever do!).
August 12, 2019
Nancy Pickard is always a good choice!
May 19, 2017
3.5 stars😉
May 20, 2022
Another good story! Nancy comes up with some interesting characters!!
January 8, 2025
I very seldom give a cozy mystery a 4 put this was excellent. Very well written, wonderful descriptions, and a complex plot.
November 10, 2025
Really enjoyed this book - characters and plot were interesting and intriguing.
September 1, 2013
Jenny Cain lives in Port Frederick, Mass. She's the director of a small civic foundation which primarily serves Port Frederick and the immediate surrounding area. Since neither the town nor the foundation are very large, Jenny has lots of time to pursue other matters when the whim strikes. Jenny is a populist, and believes that organizations such as the foundation she heads should strive to do good in all feasible ways. On the other hand she's pretty hard headed and can spot a scam a mile off. One of her main pleasures in life is pricking the self-important ego-balloons of the pompous and the self-righteous. She's pretty good at it.
In DEAD CRAZY Jenny is moving the foundation toward supporting the establishment of a recreational center for former mental patients. Of course, NIMBY kicks in. (Not in My Backyard). One thing leads to another and in spite of numerous protestations to the effect that none of "these people" would harm a fly, an ex-patient is found slashed to death in the recreational center-to-be. All the evidence points to another ex mental patient. Usually you'd expect the local police to handle things, but since the foundation is involved and because Jenny herself is involved with Geoffrey Bush, ranking member of the local constabulary, and because she's now sold on the idea of supporting the center, well. . .
This mystery novel puts forward author Pickard's authoritative blend of characteristics for her protagonist. She surrounds Jenny with interesting, intriguing characters in a fresh setting. Then she carries the reader forward in a kind of jaunty, straightforward way to a logical, satisfying conclusion. What more could a reader ask?
July 25, 2008
Oh, Nancy Pickard. Yet another simple, ridiculous, laugh out loud funny murder mystery. I'm always a tiny bit embarrassed when I check a Nancy Pickard book out from the library, and hope that I will see no one I know until the book is checked out and safely stowed in my tote bag.
Pickard's books are sheer candy and Dead Crazy might be the most extreme of the many I've read. The underlying story about the lack of options for the mentally ill in our society is serious and should be considered, but unfortunately it is hard to examine when the plight is described by narrator (and protagonist Jenny Cain). It is a large job for one narrator to draw attention to a societal failing while she is already occupied with food, her physique, men, and the general ways that she delights those around her, so Cain cannot be faulted for spending less time on the mentally ill and more time on herself.
As I said, candy. Possibly the best part of the book is when Jenny, after discovering a murder, rambles for one long paragraph on an unrelated topic. She then says something to the effect of "Murder makes some people weep, and other people throw up. It makes me digress."
As a story, Dead Crazy was fast moving, entertaining, clever at times, and included a not completely unsurprising twist at the end. I enjoyed every moment spent reading it, although I laughed at the ridiculousness of the story just as often as I did the narrative. It definitely is not a great work of literature. But sometimes you just need candy.
Pickard's books are sheer candy and Dead Crazy might be the most extreme of the many I've read. The underlying story about the lack of options for the mentally ill in our society is serious and should be considered, but unfortunately it is hard to examine when the plight is described by narrator (and protagonist Jenny Cain). It is a large job for one narrator to draw attention to a societal failing while she is already occupied with food, her physique, men, and the general ways that she delights those around her, so Cain cannot be faulted for spending less time on the mentally ill and more time on herself.
As I said, candy. Possibly the best part of the book is when Jenny, after discovering a murder, rambles for one long paragraph on an unrelated topic. She then says something to the effect of "Murder makes some people weep, and other people throw up. It makes me digress."
As a story, Dead Crazy was fast moving, entertaining, clever at times, and included a not completely unsurprising twist at the end. I enjoyed every moment spent reading it, although I laughed at the ridiculousness of the story just as often as I did the narrative. It definitely is not a great work of literature. But sometimes you just need candy.
July 8, 2014
A decent little mystery
Dead Crazy is set in small-town New England and features Jenny Cain, the woman in charge of the areas philanthropic foundation (very much like Indianapolis's Lilly Foundation) that makes investments and gives grants for the public good. The foundation is asked to buy a building so that it can be converted into a recreation/meeting hall for the mentally ill of the community - a place where they can get out of the cold and still be welcome. But, things quickly get complicated when people start dying in and around the building and a mentally ill man is the main suspect.
The characters are believable, the book is well-paced and the killer is a surprise (I thought I had it figured out for about half the book, but ... I was wrong).
Read all of my reviews at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/
Dead Crazy is set in small-town New England and features Jenny Cain, the woman in charge of the areas philanthropic foundation (very much like Indianapolis's Lilly Foundation) that makes investments and gives grants for the public good. The foundation is asked to buy a building so that it can be converted into a recreation/meeting hall for the mentally ill of the community - a place where they can get out of the cold and still be welcome. But, things quickly get complicated when people start dying in and around the building and a mentally ill man is the main suspect.
The characters are believable, the book is well-paced and the killer is a surprise (I thought I had it figured out for about half the book, but ... I was wrong).
Read all of my reviews at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/
January 21, 2012
#5 in the Jenny Cain mystery series. Jenny is the CEO of a charitable foundation in the fictional small town of Port Frederick, Mass. The foundation is approached to purchase a building to serve as a place homeless mentally ill patients can congregate and receive help. As is usual for this series, Jenny quickly starts finding dead bodies and becomes involved in a multiple murder investigation.
September 26, 2013
If you’ve read the other mysteries before this one, you know “Poor Fred” very well. This one was a joy to read. I was never able to crack the mystery, always betting on the wrong horse, changing suspects every other chapter immersed on the feeling of a wild goose chase. Never in a million years would I’ve guessed who the murderer was, though at the end becomes so obvious. “Follow the money”.
September 15, 2010
A nice, if formulaic, mystery with a likable protagonist -- snarky, sassy Jenny Cain. "Dead Crazy" was a fun read and I didn't have the ending pegged well in advance (a good thing). Pickard's later books are much deeper and better written, but this one's a quick, enjoyable whodunit.
February 7, 2011
This is the novel that introduced me to Nancy Pickard, so it will always hold a special place in my heart...and she autographed that beat-up paperback copy instead of having me buy a hardcover of her newest novel the first time I met her. Yeah, she's freakin' cool!
March 10, 2012
I needed airplane books for when I had to turn off my kindle and paperback mysteries fit the bill. I hadn't read a Nancy Pickard in a long time. Now, I remember why I liked her books. A quick read, they are still literate and entertaining.
August 15, 2008
I am really enjoying the books by Nancy Pickard - she is along the lines of Sue Grafton and Janet Evanovich - I do enjoy a good mystery with lots of chuckles
July 12, 2009
Through Jenny, Pickard takes on mental health issues in this book--a very good one.
April 13, 2011
My second Jenny Cain mystery. This was better than the later one I started with. Interesting play of characters and theme.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews