See Isabelle Run

by Elizabeth Bloom

Isabelle Leonard boldly invites her guests to what would have been her wedding reception if her fiance hadn't left her at the altar. This gutsy move captured the heart of New Yorkers who dubbed her "Give 'em hell, Isabelle," and of media maven Becky Belden, who hires Isabelle to work at her magazine.

When Isabelle discovers the many--seemingly random--deaths of Belden employees, she begins to wonder if the Becky Belden empire has a darker side behind its sweet, wholesome facade. She's about to find out...

Genres: Mystery, Chick Lit, Fiction

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

A pseudonym used by Beth Saulnier

Reviews

[Asghar Abbas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shut up and don't judge me, haha.

It was a quick fun read.

[Pj Gaumond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story with lots of interesting twists with a completely believable character in Isabelle. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants a good light read with an ending to blow you away. This is an ARC, was shared with me.

[Mary Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a fast paced book. But I thought it had a good ending. 3.5

[Melissa (Always Behind) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since being dumped at the altar, Isabelle Leonard has been trying to find a direction for her life. She decides to go for broke and seek a job with Becky Belden, America's foremost multimedia homemaking guru - a cross between Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey. Isabelle gets a job in special projects working for Lisa, one of Becky's whiny and demanding friends. Any job is preferable to starvation. It's not too taxing and Lisa isn't the brightest bulb, but Isabelle appreciates the income. She even makes friends with Trevor, a fellow employee.

Then some disturbing things start to come to light. Isabelle notices that quite a few of Becky's employees have either disappeared or died recently. All of the deaths appear to be accidental--one person was pushed in front of a subway, another died of meningitis, and yet another had a fatal allergic reaction. It's suspicious, but Isabelle can't get anyone to take her fears seriously. When Isabelle foils an attempt on her life, can she get to the bottom of what's going on before the killer succeeds?

As mysteries go, See Isabelle Run is entertaining and a fast-paced read. It's not incredibly deep or difficult to figure out; mystery buffs will have it solved quickly. Isabelle is a sympathetic character. Her boldness to stand up for herself in the face of peril, poverty, and pity endears her to the reader. Her bravery persists even when she becomes involved with one of her superiors at work and later begins to suspect him of wrongdoing.

There are a few parts in See Isabelle Run that serve to "dumb down" the story. Isabelle aspires to be an author. She spends all of her spare time trying to write a book, but keeps changing genres and writing stereotypical stories, thinking she will make a living doing this. That part of the book seemed cheesy and could pull the reader away from the main mystery. Other than these rabbit trails, See Isabelle Run is an engaging mystery that doesn't require a lot of complex thought. For pure entertainment, it's a decent and fun use of time.

[Stephanie Bowen · Rating 2 out of 5]

isabelle gets a job working at a magazine and soon realizes that many people have died at her company. then an attempt on her life is made and she starts realizing what's going on. turns out the company took out insurance on the employees and then killed those without family to collect the money. mac (maxwell) is isabelle's love interest and also vp of the company. isabelle decides to write a story about the events.

[Deborah Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good read. Isabelle is left at the alter, goes ahead with the reception anyway and gets the attention of Becky Belden who is a Martha Stewart/Oprah Winfrey type personality. She lands a job at Becky Belden Multimedia and discovers that employees seem to die on a regular basis there. She starts investigating and ends up being a target herself. Fast read and a nice little twist at the end.

[Jessababes Tolop · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really liked the story. i stayed up late because i wanted to know the mystery behind everything. the heroine is soooo cute even she's unlucky with what happened to her. well, i borrowed this one in our library.. i was just curious about it and also the cover was intriguing.. that's all

[Irishgal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light easy read but the tone was off putting. The heroine comes off as plucky even funny but the murders are antsy thing but making it jarring at times. Also could see the ending a like away making it tedious to get through.

[Jeanette]

This is a funny yet suspenseful, light read.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

A murder mystery. This is fluff, but decent fluff.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

super fast read that tends to jump around with a very basic plot, but still entertaining and wasn't always sure what was going to happen next.

[Chiny · Rating 4 out of 5]

very cute! it's not so much as a girly book since it has an air of mystery in it. it's also very easy to read and i couldn't put it down!

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

i found it pretty exciting and an easy read. finished it in 2 days

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story, I will probably read more by this author.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read mystery.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing quick read, set in NYC with a feisty heroine amid corporate shenanigans.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Isabelle, jilted at altar, gets job at an Oprah-like media company.
The executives kill staff with no family for the insurance.
Good.

[Polly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why: random book picked off the library shelf.
Fun, light read

[lee aiko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently finished it for the third time, I think that will be all. Enjoyed thoroughly.

[Jackie Simons]

Read 6/05

[Barbara Adams]

ok