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Closet Sleuth #1
Dangerous Admissions: Secrets of a Closet Sleuth
Miranda "Rannie" Bookman—43, divorced mother of two, with a recent love life consisting of a long string of embarrassingly brief encounters—is beginning to feel like a dangling participle: connected to nothing. Her career as a copyeditor is down the toilet (she makes one little slip—a missing "l" from the last word in the title of the Nancy Drew classic The Secret of the Old Clock —and suddenly she's Publishing Enemy #1!), so she's been forced to take any gig she can get. And that means giving tours at the Chapel School, the ultra-exclusive, ultra-expensive, private academy that her children attend. Certainly not the most interesting of employments . . . at least until someone stumbles across the dead body of the Director of College Admissions. Investigating a murder was never in her job description, but with her soon-to-be-college-bound boy Nate a prime suspect, Rannie has little choice. Besides, who better to dot all the "i"s and cross all the "t"s than a self-proclaimed "language cop"? Her diligence might even lead her to a brand-new love. Or to a killer. Or to another corpse—hopefully not her own.
353 pages, Paperback
First published July 31, 2007
8 people are currently reading
288 people want to read
About the author
Jane O'Connor
280 books355 followersSince the publication of Fancy Nancy, Jane O'Connor's closet now boasts so many boas, tiaras, and sparkly ensembles that sometimes friends do not recognize her on the street. She still resides (that's a fancy word for lives) in New York City with her family and their canine companion, Arrow. --from the publisher's website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
April 9, 2013
Wow, I had a very different reaction to this book than did most people on Goodreads, it seems.
Perhaps it's because I read this book on Kindle, so I wasn't influenced by the cover or the blurb. It seems that the book's packaging promises a light, fluffy chick lit read. And that's not what the book delivers. To begin, the heroine is past chick lit heroine age - refreshing so. Rannie Bookman (I see what you did with the name there, author) is a divorced, underemployed mother of a college age daughter and high school senior son. Rannie used to be a managing editor for a children's line of books, until a horrible slip up (she failed to catch a mistake on the cover of a collector's edition of the first Nancy Drew novel, The Mystery of the Old Clock, with an important letter missing from the last word in the title) left her unemployed. Now she freelances as a copy editor and volunteers at her son's school, the tony Chapel School in Manhattan.
But Rannie isn't the only viewpoint character. We also follow Olivia, a troubled high school senior, and Nate, Rannie's son. Other characters are revealed through their text messages and voice mails. They all get caught up in the sudden death of A. Laurence Tutweiler, Chapel's formidable director of college admissions And with a student body that expects to get into an Ivy League or comparable school as a matter of course, Tutweiler was a figure of some concern for many.
I didn't know what to expect from the book, which might be why I liked it so much. I can see why others might have been put off, however - the book's tone veers from lightly satirical to serious to melodramatic to serial killer thriller at what seems like the drop of a hat. And the killer was easy to figure out, while some of the red herrings were just too red, and others fell off the page completely. Still, I very much enjoyed the book and had a hard time putting it down when real life demanded I do so.
Perhaps it's because I read this book on Kindle, so I wasn't influenced by the cover or the blurb. It seems that the book's packaging promises a light, fluffy chick lit read. And that's not what the book delivers. To begin, the heroine is past chick lit heroine age - refreshing so. Rannie Bookman (I see what you did with the name there, author) is a divorced, underemployed mother of a college age daughter and high school senior son. Rannie used to be a managing editor for a children's line of books, until a horrible slip up (she failed to catch a mistake on the cover of a collector's edition of the first Nancy Drew novel, The Mystery of the Old Clock, with an important letter missing from the last word in the title) left her unemployed. Now she freelances as a copy editor and volunteers at her son's school, the tony Chapel School in Manhattan.
But Rannie isn't the only viewpoint character. We also follow Olivia, a troubled high school senior, and Nate, Rannie's son. Other characters are revealed through their text messages and voice mails. They all get caught up in the sudden death of A. Laurence Tutweiler, Chapel's formidable director of college admissions And with a student body that expects to get into an Ivy League or comparable school as a matter of course, Tutweiler was a figure of some concern for many.
I didn't know what to expect from the book, which might be why I liked it so much. I can see why others might have been put off, however - the book's tone veers from lightly satirical to serious to melodramatic to serial killer thriller at what seems like the drop of a hat. And the killer was easy to figure out, while some of the red herrings were just too red, and others fell off the page completely. Still, I very much enjoyed the book and had a hard time putting it down when real life demanded I do so.
October 23, 2013
Jane O'Connor is very well known as the author of the wildly popular Fancy Nancy series of children books. About 6 years ago, she debuted her first adult mystery novel - Dangerous Admissions (Secrets of a Closet Sleuth) about Rannie Bookman, a 43 year old divorced mom, who is working at an exclusive prep school, when the chief of admissions, Mr. Tut, is murdered. O'Connor's latest book, in this same series - "Almost True Confessions" was very favorably reviewed in the New York Times, but I hate to start a series mid-series, so went back and read Dangerous Admissions.
It is an interesting very adult read, a far cry from the Fancy Nancy series, in a good way. Rannie Bookman's son Nate is a suspect in the death of Tut, so Bookman investigates as well. But this is more than a mystery about how Bookman tries to solve the crime. O'Connor looks into teen life as well. She writes vividly about the young and beautiful Olivia Werner, who finds Tut's body. Olivia's brother Grant was kicked out of school for a drug problem by Tut. Olivia is suspicious of her brother, who may or may not have been at school when Tut died and is equally nervous about whether her brother is using again and about her sexual identity. Olivia is going to a psychologist to discuss her issues with her brother and her biting of her nails to the quick. Meanwhile, Nate has a crush on Olivia and has to find a way to express his feelings for her.
Rannie is trying to sort out her feelings for the new man in her life, but is also looking into Tut's background using her mother's contacts in high society to find out about Tut's secret love life and daughter.
While the murder looks like it's about money or teen angst, the real culprit is also someone with identity issues.
It's a good read.
Now if I can only find the later book to read.
It is an interesting very adult read, a far cry from the Fancy Nancy series, in a good way. Rannie Bookman's son Nate is a suspect in the death of Tut, so Bookman investigates as well. But this is more than a mystery about how Bookman tries to solve the crime. O'Connor looks into teen life as well. She writes vividly about the young and beautiful Olivia Werner, who finds Tut's body. Olivia's brother Grant was kicked out of school for a drug problem by Tut. Olivia is suspicious of her brother, who may or may not have been at school when Tut died and is equally nervous about whether her brother is using again and about her sexual identity. Olivia is going to a psychologist to discuss her issues with her brother and her biting of her nails to the quick. Meanwhile, Nate has a crush on Olivia and has to find a way to express his feelings for her.
Rannie is trying to sort out her feelings for the new man in her life, but is also looking into Tut's background using her mother's contacts in high society to find out about Tut's secret love life and daughter.
While the murder looks like it's about money or teen angst, the real culprit is also someone with identity issues.
It's a good read.
Now if I can only find the later book to read.
January 24, 2016
I have to say that I liked this book a lot more than other reviewers seem to have done. As has been noted elsewhere, the cover doesn't really match the tone of the story. From the cover, I thought I was getting lighthearted chick lit with a touch of suspense.
However, in reality, the book has more depth than the cover and blurb would lead one to believe. The heroine, Miranda (Rannie) Bookman, lost her copyediting job thanks to an embarassing typo. Now 43, she works part-time giving admissions tours at her children's private school. She's almost an empty nester, with a son in high school and daughter who has just started college.
Things get cooking right away when the Chapel School's venerable college counselor is discovered dead in his office. What follows is something of a whodunnit where any number of teachers and students (including Rannie's son) all come off looking a little suspicious. Along the way, readers get forays into private school culture, complete with sex, drugs and bullies.
I liked the book largely because I found the twists and turns of the mystery interesting, and I rather liked Rannie. She has an ability to laugh at herself that I found endearing, and she's rather resourceful when it comes to gathering information. And mixed into the mystery, Rannie also gets a bit of romance in her life.
While Dangerous Admissions does have some lighthearted touches to it, it's not really a romantic comedy as the cover might lead one to believe. It is, however, an entertaining mystery that makes good use of its New York setting.
However, in reality, the book has more depth than the cover and blurb would lead one to believe. The heroine, Miranda (Rannie) Bookman, lost her copyediting job thanks to an embarassing typo. Now 43, she works part-time giving admissions tours at her children's private school. She's almost an empty nester, with a son in high school and daughter who has just started college.
Things get cooking right away when the Chapel School's venerable college counselor is discovered dead in his office. What follows is something of a whodunnit where any number of teachers and students (including Rannie's son) all come off looking a little suspicious. Along the way, readers get forays into private school culture, complete with sex, drugs and bullies.
I liked the book largely because I found the twists and turns of the mystery interesting, and I rather liked Rannie. She has an ability to laugh at herself that I found endearing, and she's rather resourceful when it comes to gathering information. And mixed into the mystery, Rannie also gets a bit of romance in her life.
While Dangerous Admissions does have some lighthearted touches to it, it's not really a romantic comedy as the cover might lead one to believe. It is, however, an entertaining mystery that makes good use of its New York setting.
March 8, 2018
Ugh, it was a horrible book. I finished reading it months ago and I am still regretting the time I spent getting to the end of the book. Since it was a murder mystery, I wanted to know "who done it." The murderer and motive are plausible (at least within the framework of the story), but uninspiring. The characters were people I would expect to find on Gossip Girl (from the perspective of someone who does not watch the show and has only Googled it to Wikipedia.) The saving grace of the book is the main character's tidbits of grammar neuroses, which are fun for the average grammar enthusiast but maybe silly or trite to a fanatic. Save yourself the time and pass on this one.
March 25, 2011
I imagine the editorial meeting on this book went something like:
Editor: This is a great little cozy mystery you've got here, Jane!
Jane: Thanks!
Editor: We know you are used to writing books for toddlers, but we gotta tell you . . .
[uncomfortable silence]
Editor: Well, have you ever watched "Gossip Girl"? Because that show is really hot right now. Could you take this cozy mystery and add in some "Gossip Girl"?
Jane: Er, I guess so.
Editor: This is a great little cozy mystery you've got here, Jane!
Jane: Thanks!
Editor: We know you are used to writing books for toddlers, but we gotta tell you . . .
[uncomfortable silence]
Editor: Well, have you ever watched "Gossip Girl"? Because that show is really hot right now. Could you take this cozy mystery and add in some "Gossip Girl"?
Jane: Er, I guess so.
May 9, 2022
Nothing groundbreaking but made for good vacation reading.
November 7, 2013
When I read recently that there was a mystery series featuring a copy editor as the sleuth, I was intrigued. Having been married to a copy editor for many years with a chance to observe his powers of deduction up close and personal, it occurred to me that a word sleuth might make a very good detective. So, of course I had to read it, and since I am an obsessive kind of reader who likes to read series books in order, I started with the first one, Dangerous Admissions.
While the concept seemed a good one, the execution was amateurish and, frankly, had little to recommend it. I struggled through it to the bitter end, but only because I like to finish what I start.
The protagonist is a divorced single mother living in New York. She was formerly employed by one of the big publishing houses, until she made an egregious mistake on the reissuing of a Nancy Drew mystery, The Secret of the Old Clock. She failed to notice that the "l" was left out of "clock." Seems an incredibly stupid mistake for an experienced copy editor to make. Maybe she deserved to be fired.
Now she spends her time free lancing and working part time at the posh high school that her teenage son attends. She also has an older daughter who is in college. They all live very privileged lives with no visible means of support.
The director of college admissions at the posh school is an elderly man and one morning he is found dead at his desk at the school. At first it is assumed to be natural causes. He was known to be ill. But an autopsy proves it was actually murder. Poison. Who had a motive and opportunity to kill him?
Not long after, an English teacher at the school, one who had been close to the first murder victim, is shoved off a balcony to her death. The plot thickens. Well, not by much. This is pretty thin gruel.
I didn't like any of these characters. Indeed, the most fortunate characters in the book were the two murder victims who were soon out of it. Everyone in the book seemed like a cardboard cutout or maybe reality show participants. They just never seemed like real people.
The writer throws in a few sex scenes in an apparent attempt to liven things up a bit, but those scenes, too, seem stilted and not very interesting.
I still think the idea of a copy editing detective might work, but it needs a much more interesting copy editor and a writer who is able to construct and execute a plausible plot.
While the concept seemed a good one, the execution was amateurish and, frankly, had little to recommend it. I struggled through it to the bitter end, but only because I like to finish what I start.
The protagonist is a divorced single mother living in New York. She was formerly employed by one of the big publishing houses, until she made an egregious mistake on the reissuing of a Nancy Drew mystery, The Secret of the Old Clock. She failed to notice that the "l" was left out of "clock." Seems an incredibly stupid mistake for an experienced copy editor to make. Maybe she deserved to be fired.
Now she spends her time free lancing and working part time at the posh high school that her teenage son attends. She also has an older daughter who is in college. They all live very privileged lives with no visible means of support.
The director of college admissions at the posh school is an elderly man and one morning he is found dead at his desk at the school. At first it is assumed to be natural causes. He was known to be ill. But an autopsy proves it was actually murder. Poison. Who had a motive and opportunity to kill him?
Not long after, an English teacher at the school, one who had been close to the first murder victim, is shoved off a balcony to her death. The plot thickens. Well, not by much. This is pretty thin gruel.
I didn't like any of these characters. Indeed, the most fortunate characters in the book were the two murder victims who were soon out of it. Everyone in the book seemed like a cardboard cutout or maybe reality show participants. They just never seemed like real people.
The writer throws in a few sex scenes in an apparent attempt to liven things up a bit, but those scenes, too, seem stilted and not very interesting.
I still think the idea of a copy editing detective might work, but it needs a much more interesting copy editor and a writer who is able to construct and execute a plausible plot.
July 20, 2016
I read about 50 pages. I have an English degree, so I know a lot of people who like to pick on other people's grammar. And I absolutely hate it. I would rather read some bad grammar than bad writing. I couldn't relate to any of the characters and I found the obscene language unnecessary. I don't mind using profanity when it's right for a character, but in this case it just seemed gratuitous. And for a book about a woman written by a woman, there was too much that I found kind of offensive to women. We don't all need to be size 4 and we are more than objects for teenage boys to lust over. Blech. So I stopped reading and added this book to the abandoned shelf.
January 8, 2009
Hmm. Despite the hot pink on the cover and the fluffy blurb, something about this book made me think it still might be good when I picked it up, but now I have no idea what that something was. I read the beginning, then I was bored, so I read the ending, and I was still bored, but I thought it would make sense if I read the middle, so I skimmed the whole middle only to find out, nope, I was still bored. Maybe there were witty things in there or something but I just wasn't feeling it. Good thing I read fast.
January 7, 2020
3.5 stars bumped up to 4
I'll admit that I chose to read this because I found it intriguing for a well-known children's book author to be writing a mystery for adults. Definitely for adults. Also, I chose it because the author is related to a friend of mine.
I liked it. I found the main character, Rannie Bookman, interesting. I loved the way she copy edits (in her head many times) all the sentences she reads and hears. I found the serial killer part of the story distracting and would have preferred the focus to remain on the killings at the school. There were the occasional TSTL moments (too stupid to live).
I'll give the next book in the series a look.
I'll admit that I chose to read this because I found it intriguing for a well-known children's book author to be writing a mystery for adults. Definitely for adults. Also, I chose it because the author is related to a friend of mine.
I liked it. I found the main character, Rannie Bookman, interesting. I loved the way she copy edits (in her head many times) all the sentences she reads and hears. I found the serial killer part of the story distracting and would have preferred the focus to remain on the killings at the school. There were the occasional TSTL moments (too stupid to live).
I'll give the next book in the series a look.
February 24, 2018
Rannie has 2 kids, is divorced and was fired from a job she loved as an editor because of a missed letter in a book title. Her daughter Alice is away at college and her son Nate is in his last year at an exclusive NYC school. Rannie does whatever freelance editing work she can get and she works part time at Nates school. The Director of college admissions is found dead in his office, at first it is ruled natural causes but then the police determine it was murder. Rannie finds herself trying to solve this crime nearly becoming a victim.
Entertaining
Entertaining
September 3, 2017
I enjoyed this: I thought it got the Upper West Side Manhattan "vibe" just right. The central character was sassy, and at least recognized when she was being dumb, putting herself in harm's way. The mystery at the heart of it was thin, but pleasing enough to put her though her paces, and put her in the way of a handsome NYC cop. (How can you hate any novel that features a handsome NYC cop ...?)
April 23, 2024
It's a clever short murder mystery. The sexual encounters were unnecessary to the story, which is amusing as the heroine is a copy editor. Characters were interesting overall. Will seek another book by this author.
September 16, 2019
Slightly edgy freelance copy editor and mom turns sleuth, wielding her eye for detail and blue pencil in murder mystery set in her teenage son's Upper West Side prep school.
April 29, 2022
Was very slow for like 75% of the hook but when the plot twist hit and then the climax took place it was really entertaining. I didn’t love the way it was written by the plot was good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2024
A twisted plot and a fearful mother.
August 11, 2015
For a first novel O'Connor did a great job. Knowing it was her first adult mystery, I had some concerns about whether it would have consistency and interest. The book's short chapters (some only one page) were a distraction, but that may not be the author's fault.
As good reads do, this read gained momentum and interest as the story neared its climax. There was enough humor and quirkiness to provide added interest, including the main character's attention to grammar (as an editor/proofreader, it makes sense and adds to the humor and the character.) The setting of New York and a tony private school also added to its appeal. The gradual development of suspects was well-done, but the climax was not the "reveal" of the murderer but after the killer had been identified.
The characters were well-developed with good variety and consistency.
My most negative comment on the book would be regarding the inclusion of sex (some of it pretty graphic) that was not necessary to the plot. It was as if the author was a bit disappointed she hadn't chosen to write a romance novel. But the sex was only in a few places and more of a distraction than a deficiency.
A good read. Room to improve, but a solid effort.
As good reads do, this read gained momentum and interest as the story neared its climax. There was enough humor and quirkiness to provide added interest, including the main character's attention to grammar (as an editor/proofreader, it makes sense and adds to the humor and the character.) The setting of New York and a tony private school also added to its appeal. The gradual development of suspects was well-done, but the climax was not the "reveal" of the murderer but after the killer had been identified.
The characters were well-developed with good variety and consistency.
My most negative comment on the book would be regarding the inclusion of sex (some of it pretty graphic) that was not necessary to the plot. It was as if the author was a bit disappointed she hadn't chosen to write a romance novel. But the sex was only in a few places and more of a distraction than a deficiency.
A good read. Room to improve, but a solid effort.
Read
July 27, 2011I picked this up yesterday on the $1 shelf at Borders. It was definitely worth more...I enjoyed the pace, the characters, the mystery (enough hints to let the reader not feel frustrated, but not totally obvious). The NYC setting was detailed in just the right amount.
I did, however, find it very ironically amusing that a book with a copy editor protagonist who winces at poor grammar, typos, and other errors, contained some glaring errors (as well as a few sentences i'd rewrite to be less jarring). Her sample page of proofreading included the character correcting misspelled names...and later the author misspells Frederick Law Olmsted as Frederic Law Olmstead. That was the most glaring and concrete error, but there were others! Not so many that I was disgusted--just enough to make me shake my head.
I will, however, still look for future works by this author--especially if they feature the same protagonist. All in all, a fine debut.
I did, however, find it very ironically amusing that a book with a copy editor protagonist who winces at poor grammar, typos, and other errors, contained some glaring errors (as well as a few sentences i'd rewrite to be less jarring). Her sample page of proofreading included the character correcting misspelled names...and later the author misspells Frederick Law Olmsted as Frederic Law Olmstead. That was the most glaring and concrete error, but there were others! Not so many that I was disgusted--just enough to make me shake my head.
I will, however, still look for future works by this author--especially if they feature the same protagonist. All in all, a fine debut.
October 3, 2015
I expected to love this book when I picked it up at the used bookstore last week. It's a murder mystery at a NYC prep school investigated by a grammar loving book editor/mom who finds her son is the number one suspect. This is one of my favorite genres. What could go wrong?
This is a book that is hurt by the shifting point of view. We get the alternating point of view of Rannie (the aforementioned mom), her suspect son Nate, and Olivia, the student who discovered the body. We also are privy to text, phone, and email conversations between additional characters. It was just too much. I never felt connected to any of the characters and often became bored. The shifting point of view was not at all necessary to the story. It felt like it was thrown in just because it's currently a popular device in storytelling. The mystery itself was plausible but I was not engaged.
This is a book that is hurt by the shifting point of view. We get the alternating point of view of Rannie (the aforementioned mom), her suspect son Nate, and Olivia, the student who discovered the body. We also are privy to text, phone, and email conversations between additional characters. It was just too much. I never felt connected to any of the characters and often became bored. The shifting point of view was not at all necessary to the story. It felt like it was thrown in just because it's currently a popular device in storytelling. The mystery itself was plausible but I was not engaged.
December 28, 2008
This is the 1st adult novel by O'Connor most well known for her popular series of children's books starring Fancy Nancy. I thought the book was amusing and well thought out for a chick lit type murder mystery. It reminded me a lot of the Kate White books which I also enjoy quite a bit. Rannie is the 40 year old protagonist who fears the death of the college counselor at her son's private high school was not an accident. She gets involved with some detective work of her own falling for the father of another student at the school along the way. This was an entertaining and sometimes predictable first novel for O'Connor which I very much enjoyed. If you don't like fluffy chick lit mysteries with a little romance on the side, then this is not for you.
February 17, 2014
I took me a long time to finish this book. Because I just wanted interested in it. It was boring...until about 3/4 of the way through.
So...why didn't I like the book?
1. Well it wasn't what I expected. I expected some fun chick lit - some light mystery with some romance thrown in. No...not so. Instead I got a pretty heavy read with murder, serial killers, another murder, drugs, and unnecessary self-pleasuring scenes. (Yuck.)
2. The main character was a copy editor. And she kept correcting everyone's grammar throughout it. It got old fast. There is nothing that turns me off more than a snotty know it all. And this made me not like the main character.
3. I could tell who the CHAPS killer was when I first met all of the characters. No big mystery there.
So...why didn't I like the book?
1. Well it wasn't what I expected. I expected some fun chick lit - some light mystery with some romance thrown in. No...not so. Instead I got a pretty heavy read with murder, serial killers, another murder, drugs, and unnecessary self-pleasuring scenes. (Yuck.)
2. The main character was a copy editor. And she kept correcting everyone's grammar throughout it. It got old fast. There is nothing that turns me off more than a snotty know it all. And this made me not like the main character.
3. I could tell who the CHAPS killer was when I first met all of the characters. No big mystery there.
December 1, 2007
NYT Book Review 8/18/07
Fun chick-lit for the older crowd, but with a substantial portion in the first person from some high-school senior characters, all credible and likeable. I solved the mystery in the first 2 chapters, but still enjoyed the portrayal of the Upper West Sider involved in an Upper East Side milieu -- a competitive private school. Also the protagonist, as an unemployed editor, can't help hearing grammar and seeing punctuation the way I do -- a life long handicap. (It was especially funny therefore to identify some slips in the editing of the book itself, but one lets them go....) Enjoy!
Fun chick-lit for the older crowd, but with a substantial portion in the first person from some high-school senior characters, all credible and likeable. I solved the mystery in the first 2 chapters, but still enjoyed the portrayal of the Upper West Sider involved in an Upper East Side milieu -- a competitive private school. Also the protagonist, as an unemployed editor, can't help hearing grammar and seeing punctuation the way I do -- a life long handicap. (It was especially funny therefore to identify some slips in the editing of the book itself, but one lets them go....) Enjoy!
February 25, 2008
Jane O'Connor has written a raft of books for children, but Dangerous Admissions is her first adult book. It's classic chick lit mystery with a gutsy heroine - single mother Rannie Bookman - a fantastic Manhattan setting and lots of romance and thrills.
Rannie is a freelance copy editor and part-time tour guide for the exclusive Upper West Side private school her son Nate attends (courtesy of her rich WASP ex-mother-in-law).
When the Director of College Admissions is found
To read the rest of this review (and more!), please visit Trashionista
Rannie is a freelance copy editor and part-time tour guide for the exclusive Upper West Side private school her son Nate attends (courtesy of her rich WASP ex-mother-in-law).
When the Director of College Admissions is found
To read the rest of this review (and more!), please visit Trashionista
October 12, 2013
I liked O'Connor's spunky, slightly daffy protagonist, Rannie, a copy editor and single mom, who can't stop copy-editing in her head, even when she's in extreme danger. She has a quirky, somewhat cynical view of life and an overwhelming curiosity that ultimately leads her to figure out "who dun it?" before the cops do. The book moves at a face pace and the setting, New York City, figures prominently. Her descriptions of teen age life and angst are wonderful. I only wish that O'Connor had copy-edited her own work and deleted all the sex scenes. I found them over written and out of place, as though I suddenly discovered I was reading a romance not a mystery.
December 9, 2007
I enjoyed this book for a few reasons. Rannie is a real woman with who sounds like a fun person who'd be a great friend. I don't believe she'd do a few of the pseudo-detective things she's feels compelled to do however that's what drove the plot. My favorite part of Rannie was her inner editor; how she was always correcting grammar in her head both written and spoken. That just cracked me up! The clues to the who-done-it were well hidden, my suspicions weren't confirmed until the last few chapters.
February 16, 2011
Rannie Bookman is a divorced copy editor with a daughter away from home and a son, Nate, who is a senior at the Chapel School where his mother gives candidate tours. Rannie continually corrects people's English, and finds a new male friend in the single father of one of Nate's classmates. The guidance counselor at Chapel is found dead by one of the students, and Nate may have been the last one to have seen him alive. Rannie does some investigating, and gets into trouble with too much information. The book is amusing and a light read; I enjoyed it.
February 1, 2010
Read this for an LJ column on books about college admissions (suggestions eagerly accepted if you can think of any!). It's a totally light-hearted "suspense-romance," neither of which are my usual genres, but O'Connor won my heart by creating a copy editor protagonist who thinks and acts exactly like a real copy editor, complete with complaints about who/whom and the misuse of commas. It's like she read the inside of my brain (and the mystery was fairly compelling, too).
January 16, 2013
The premise of the text was somewhat interesting, but I wouldn't call it compelling. Too often there was superfluous curing and sex scenes, which I didn't expect in a criminal mystery novel. I did finish the book, but only because I hate starting a book and not completing it. The grammar tidbits were humorous, but I'm an English teacher. The writing craft was tolerable, though not necessarily impressive and engaging.
December 30, 2013
The first time I tried reading this I couldn't get into the rhythm of the writing and didn't make it past 30 pages. I put it down for a little while and tried again, and I'm glad I did because I enjoyed it. This is a murder mystery set in a private high school in New York City, and it is great. There were several pieces which I could see coming, so perhaps it is a little too straightforward but it is still a good read.
June 8, 2014
Fun read. As a former editor, I was attracted to this because the review said it was about a proofreader. I loved the inside jokes about typos, blue pencils and grammar goofs. It's a nice beach-type read, with teenagers run amok, college admissions hanging by a thread and murder. I won't give away too much of the plot since others will likely do that, and I do not want to spoil the mystery for readers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews