Paper Phoenix

by Mickey Friedman

Maggie Longstreet, a wealthy socialite in San Francisco, sets out to prove that her estranged husband, Richard, murdered crusading newspaper publisher Larry Hawkins

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Romance, Amazon, Cozy, Fiction, Ebooks

Hardcover

First published April 16, 1986

About the author

Books are now republished under the name of Michaela Thompson.

Reviews

[cynthia zeiders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pull yourself up by the bootstraps Maggie..! Never mind head down, you're being shot at..!

Maggie must succeed, because as you read, you have become her head cheerleader. This tightly wrapped plot and honest characters make the reader wanting 200 more pages; or the assurance of a sequel...

[Shelly Reddinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started a bit slow for me but it didn't take to long for it to pick up the pace and keep me wondering what was going to happen next.

In This book you are following Maggie after she just got divorced and is trying to figure out what to do with her new life. Everything she knew is gone and she doesn't really have any friends or hobbies anymore. One day while reading the paper she see's that someone she knew of committed suicide. Something seems off to her about it and she takes it upon herself to figure out what happened.

During Maggie's investigation she meets a man, gets shot at, threatened, told she is crazy, and finds a dead body. Will Maggie be able to finish her investigation and find out if Larry was killed or committed suicide?

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a mystery book that has a strong female lead.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
I LOVED this book. Much more interesting than the classic amateur detective novel. I rarely really enjoy these books, I read them because they're quick and the stories are normally interesting. However, I really enjoyed reading this book. I guessed the ending a little more than halfway through but I'd been reading a lot of these lately so I don't think it was necessarily that clear, just that I had actively looking for clues.
I wish this could be a series because I did love the main character and the setting is interesting (San Fran in the 70s). But the romance aspect wouldn't have translated well into a series so I get it.

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paper Phoenix is a story about a woman who is struggling with her divorce. A newspaper man is murdered and she suspects her husband is involved. This bring her out of her funk. She hooks up with a younger man, another newspaper man, with the goal of finding who murdered his colleague. This is a well written cozy mystery with a couple of subplots. The murdered is a surprise at the end. A good cozy mystery for fans.

[Anika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. I sort of wish there was an extra at the ending giving an update to what happened in everyone's lives. What came of Richard, or Jane Malone? What did Maggie do with her life now that she felt free/woke. Also, what about Andrew? It was a slow start. It could have been so many people that even almost to the end I had doubts of who I thought the killer was. I am going to check to see if it may be a series or book two.

[Suzen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very trite; divorcee- ex husband in SanFran construction business; shady deals, a small time editor jumps to his death...corruption abounds and she solves the murders and "moves on". Storyline and leaps of conclusions and solved murders is way too amateurish. Not interested in any more with this character.

[Mary Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Politics and love, or was it hate

The first couple of pages were slow, but came to realize that was important to set the character and circumstances of the main character. The story flowed well and I have to admit, I didn't know for sure who was guilty until the end. Completely enjoyed every page. I found NO ERRORS! (Personal pet peeve)

[LyndaIn Oregon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The suspicious death of a muckraking newspaper editor in San Francisco leads the ex-wife of one of his prime targets to investigate further, revealing a snake's nest of corruption and double dealing.

Not quite a romance and not quite a cozy mystery.

[Theresa Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corruption and murder

A well plotted mystery with many twists and many suspects. At times a little slow, lots of reasons to kill but the true culprit has been there from the beginning. Enjoyed it thoroughly. Author knows how to weave a plot.

[Carlton Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a great read

A page turner. Fun read with good twist and turns. Let's face it, what more does a good book need? You have love lost, love found, bullets fired and corruption in local government.
Grab a copy before summer ends. If not now grab a copy for the coming fall.

[Mary j. childers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revenge

When faced with desperation you never know how you will react once the cloud surrounding your mind clears. You scramble to find out what your husband has to hide beside a very young girlfriend.

[Linda Look · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie's husband leaves her for a much younger woman. Their college age daughter blames her mother. As an act of revenge, Maggie applies for a job with a newspaper and murders begin with her own life in danger. Fast read. I rate this a 4.5

[Cynthia Carlisle · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many twists

A good cozy mystery with many angles and twist. A little bit of drama, romance, loyalty and family issues. The characters were very believable. Definitely a page turner.

[bex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. But not great either. MC too disconnected from reality. Low 3*

[charmaine White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice Read

I really enjoy reading these cozy mysteries,there good clean fun.They have a lot going on,a good read with mystery,thrills and suspense.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Quick Read

Got this as a free book wasn't sure what to expect a good little read. Very quick easy to get into , held my interest. Very good read. Well done.

[Sandra Small · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

Kept me guessing until the very end! Ms Thompson is able to articulate her thoughts in a professional manner. Great character development and well written! Bravo!

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this murder mystery. Craziness happens.

[Janet Cardillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but not over the top

I enjoyed the story, but it wasn't exciting. The character who died was no one anyone really liked. I did like the December May romance for a change.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book

You people should just read this novel yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourselves and I really enjoyed reading this novel very much so. Shelley Ma

[Frieda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting

Really enjoyed this exciting story. I kept forgetting it was set in the 70s and wanted Maggie to do things she didn't have access to yet, LOL.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun mystery

I really enjoyed reading this one. It was a Light, easy read. Good book to relax and sip a glass of wine.

[Donadee's Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished meeting some more new friends and a visit to San Francisco but this time it was in the 70's. We meet Maggie Longstreet that has just been divorced. Her husband has decided to trade her in for a younger version. Now what does she do? Michaela develops the trauma of a middle aged woman that has devoted all her adult life to her marriage. She remembers over hearing her husband saying "Sure, I agree Larry Hawkins is a pain in the A--. But you can absolutely take my word for it, we won't have to worry about him much longer." as she reads the local paper reporting Larry, editor of The Peoples Times, had committed suicide. Maggie decides that a few things don't add up, so she teams up with a younger, very attractive, new editor of The Peoples Times, to get to the bottom of it. Murder, mayhem, a little affair of the heart, a tiny revenge satisfaction, and a surprise ending later and we have a thoroughly delightful cozy murder mystery. Michaela does her magic taking you to a wonderful city and meeting a new group of friends with a very suspenseful story. I truly enjoyed another wonderful book from the master of storytelling, Michaela Thompson.

[Carlin]

Michaela Thompson is one of my favorite mystery authors. This book added to my admiration of her writing. Maggie Longstreet is a great character. The setting is 1970's San Francisco where Maggie has been left by her husband band for a much younger woman. She is 44 and has spent her married life raising a daughter (now in college) and supporting her husband's career as head of the city's redevelopment department. His divorcing her came as a shock she handles at first with depression and pills. But she rallies when she reads about apparent suicide of an acquaintance, the editor of a small newspaper who has been investigating government corruption. She remembered overhearing her husband making threats against the editor in a phone call and sets out to discover what might have happened.

The mystery was well-developed, the story believable in the context of the era, and the heroine and supporting characters perfect for both. I highly recommend this book and other mysteries by this author (originally published under the pseudonym of Mickey Friedman).

[Samantha March · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michaela Thompson is on tour now with CLP Blog Tours and Paper Phoenix

I’ve been reading a lot of mystery books lately, and I can’t say I’m sad about it. I really enjoy them, so I was eager to pick up Paper Phoenix, as it would be my first from author Michaela Thompson. The beginning started off a little slow for me, but as the chapters progressed I got more and more interested in the story. It’s a quick read without too many possible suspects to keep track of, but I was still a little surprised when the identity of the killer was revealed. There wasn’t a big bang about it, and it almost ended too quietly for my liking. An interesting read still, and if you like mystery I think you could enjoy this one.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Paper Phoenix' is a good cozy mystery. I enjoyed the storyline and how it played out. The fact that it takes place in the 70's wasn't hard to understand. I think it added to the plot with topics such as divorce and womens placement in society after being the little housewife. The characters were great. Maggie is a strong lead, yet she didn't start out that way. Andrew was a great character that ultimately helped Maggie. A good add to your tbr list.

[Beverly June Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never Disappointed

Good writing, interesting and fully fleshed-characters, set in a great town, San Francisco. I'm never disappointed by Michaela Thompson. Weather Florida or The Pacific Coast. she sets a mood. adds plot twists, makes connections; and, the reader closes the book satisfied. I recommend this, or any, of her mysteries. You won't be disappointed either.

[Gigi Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts...

This is the first book I've read by this author, and it was also a freebie on bookbub.com one day, so wasn't sure what to expect. But...

I really enjoyed it, it moved along swiftly, and kept my attention to the end. I enjoyed it enough to award it 4 paper stars...It is also a part of my Kindle library.

[Sandie Acquistapace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very satisfying read! (Especially if you've been there)

Maggie and her situation were, and are, all too common. How she dealt with it was satisfying and so ENTERTAINING. It wasn't until about 3/4 through the book that I figured out who did what. Only to be totally surprised in the end. Nice!

[Kathie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining cozy mystery set in 70s San Francisco. Well-written, edited, and proofread. I liked Maggie and the author's ability to take her from lethargic, angry divorcee to believable, competent 'investigator' .