Same Difference

Fran and Ken Stein Mystery #2

by E.J. Copperman

Taking a break from their usual business of helping adoptees find their birth parents, New York private investigators—and super-sized, ever-so-slightly-paranormal siblings—Fran and Ken Stein accept a job to find a missing young woman.

Nineteen-year-old college student Eliza Hennessey is trans—and she has a rocky relationship with her father, their new client. Brian's convinced his daughter's vanished, rather than run away, but Fran and Ken aren't so sure she wants to be found. The PI duo investigate, and soon Fran is butting heads with her irritating sort-of-ex-boyfriend Mank at the NYPD, who has what seems to be a similar case on his desk. But not even Fran could guess how tangled their investigations are going to get—or how deep they'll need to dive into murder and mayhem to solve the case!

The new installment of the Fran and Ken Stein mystery series, following Ukulele of Death, has it unique characters, witty humor, and a twisty mystery plot to die for!

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook, Cozy Mystery

240 pages, Hardcover

Published June 4, 2024

About the author

Librarian note: E.J. Copperman is the pen name for author Jeff Cohen

E.J. Copperman is a mysterious figure, or has a mysterious figure, or writes figuratively in mysteries. In any event, a New Jersey native, E.J. has written for such publications as The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, American Baby and USA Weekend. Night of the Living Deed is the first E.J. Copperman novel. It will be followed in 2011 by An Uninvited Ghost, the second in the Haunted Guesthouse mystery series.

E.J., having worked as a newspaper reporter, teacher, magazine editor, and screenwriter, writes stories that combine humor and mystery with just the right amount of spooky supernatural happenings and a large doses of Jersey attitude.

Sound like we’re being evasive? Well, the fact is that E.J. Copperman is the pseudonym of a well-known mystery novelist, now embarking on a new type of story that includes some elements of the supernatural as well as a fair number of laughs. And the Copperman novels will have a different attitude, a different setting and completely different characters than anything that has come before, so E.J. really is a new author.

Reviews

[Panic!_at_the_Library (hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two ratings. One for returning readers of the series, and one for those who are new.

Returning readers: 2 stars
New readers: 3 stars

Same Difference is a very apt title because this book reads entirely like the first (Ukulele of Death). Same story, essentially. Returning readers may be disappointed by the lack of newness in this sequel.

Once again, Fran and Ken Stein (yes, Frankenstein) are working on an “unusual client.” Once again, this is not a bread-and-butter client - that is, this client isn’t seeking their usual adoptive-parent-search service. Immediately, readers feel like they are reading the same book as the first.

Prepare to read more about how Fran is too large. Misogyny ensues, as usual.

More drama with the NYC cops. Again.

With so much repetitiveness from the first novel, I really couldn’t appreciate this story as much as I did the first.

I also struggled through the first in the series at times. The story moved along a bit too slowly, like it does here, and the main characters weren’t of as much interest as the missing parents were.

Regardless of which book you start with, you may enjoy this entry in the series if you can:

-suspend your disbelief and accept that the characters were made, not born, and need to be plugged in to get energy

-endure repetitive, slow-moving mysteries

-overlook other exciting books in your TBR for a quick read

So, while this isn’t a terrible book by any means, it was very lackluster for me, the return reader, and I was already a bit over the slow-burn mystery from the first book.

Thank you to E.J. Copperman, Severn House, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Same Difference is the second book in the Fran & Ken Stein Mystery series by E.J. Copperman. Brian Hennessey is finding it hard to deal with his now-daughter Eliza’s coming out as transgender, but he’s really trying. That’s why he doesn’t believe she left to get away from him; he’s sure she’s missing involuntarily, and he wants K&F Stein Investigations to find her.

As Brian has few details about Eliza’s friends, Fran Stein’s first stop is New Amsterdam University in Manhattan, where classmate Laura Rapinoe points her to a friend, Damian van Dorn. Fran’s interest in Damian‘s activities leads to an uncomfortable encounter with Detective Rechard Mankiewicz, who informs her that Damian, too, is missing.

Her budding relationship with Mank hit a major roadblock after Fran revealed her unusual origins, and he reacted poorly. After being ghosted by him, Fran isn’t yet open to his attempted apologies, but when she needs a favour, does it present him a chance to make good?

Hoping that finding Damian might lead her to Eliza, Fran follows up leads but eventually finds herself on the wrong side of some other NYPD cops, and wonders if she can trust Mank at all.

Meanwhile, Ken is receiving communications from someone calling himself Malcolm X. Mitchell, who claims to know where their parents are: is it genuine, or is it someone trying to trap them into giving away some detail about Brand and Livvie?

When Fran becomes a fugitive from the NYPD, there’s a situation where she has to scale a building, twice, once with a passenger, something a lesser woman might find difficult; a night is spent in an unfinished, unfurnished, unplumbed, unpowered building with only basic food supplies.

Luckily, her resourceful brother comes up with a clever way for her to charge up when she’s running low; phone and internet being traceable, they resort to paper messages left at drop-off points, all very eighties spy movie stuff. New York Public Library comes in very handy, and at an ice cream shop, Fran uses a novel method of distracting a phalanx of police on her tail, annoyed about not finishing her cone more than anything else.

This instalment could be read stand-alone as there is some recap about the characters and not too many spoilers, but why deny yourself the pleasure of reading Ukulele Of Death first? It has a few twists and surprises, gives some added background to the main characters, promises a bit more between Mank and Fran, has a denouement that involves quite a few guns but doesn’t add to the body count, and leaves plenty of scope for more of this engaging cast.

Likely due to her atypical origins Fran’s unique perspective on life means that her narrative is full of original observations and witty asides. This is such a fun read that one can overlook the occasional plot hole, and hope that E J Copperman is hard at work on #3. Very entertaining.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Severn House.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

I requested a review copy of E. J. Copperman's Same Difference when I learned a key character is transgendered. There's been some very interesting recent mystery fiction with such characters, and it's heartening to see the community being normalized—at least in the sense of being perceived as an existing presence in our current world. The book was less trans-focused than I'd hoped. The trans character has gone missing, so we don't meet her until the story is well underway.

What I wasn't expecting when I requested a review copy of this title was the detective team looking for the woman who has disappeared: Fran and Ken Stein. There's a whole lot of back story in this regard, which Copperman offers adeptly, but the novel feels rather like a high-sugar layer cake with one too many layers. Fran and Ken were created in a lab by their scientist parents who were unable to conceive and who are now on the run because of interest in the technology they've developed. On the one hand, Fran and Ken are pretty normal—but they possess unusual physical strength and have to recharge themselves by electrical socket on a regular basis. And Fran is currently distanced from her boyfriend as a result of her choice to explain to him the whole I'm-a-person-who-plugs-into-the-wall-for-recharging thing.

So we have a (cozy) mystery novel that could also be classified as both humor and science fiction and which isn't a good match for my particular reading tastes. I did finish the book and enjoyed it, but I don't know whether I'll be reading other volumes in the series.

If you like mysteries with unusual characters and a fair bit of humor to accompany the mystery, you should find this title—and other titles in the series—a treat. I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

[Silvano Pagano · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was contemplating if this is a 2-star or 3-star rating for me and, if you care to know, here's why:

1. The storyline felt flat. Not much happens until the last few chapters, although it still isn't much.
2. The new characters were flat. Drug dealers, more cops, and some college students...what about them? I also felt like Fran and Ken were wasted in this story. What's the point of having them not be human, if they are barely using their abilities? They need to charge--I get it--but I want to read more about their strength, hearing etc. Can't you learn more from Jessica Jones? Also, Fran is even more annoying in this novel compared to the first one because
3. The writing style was annoying. I don't mind first-person narrative as much as the next guy but, if the reader is the one that is being told the story by Fran, assumptions about the reader can't be made. For example, "I know what you're thinking...", "don't even think about it", and--the worst--"it's none of your business"? Excuse me? You're the one telling me the story! It just sounded like I was stuck with the annoying person at a party who was telling me about their story that they oversold.
4. Something kept me reading so I guess it's worth some stars

[Elaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Same Difference.

I read the first book in the series, Ukulele of Death, and though there were parts I liked, overall, the story didn't appeal to me as much as I had hoped.

But I was willing to give the second book a try because I liked the original premise and Fran and Ken Stein.

Sadly, the sequel didn't overwhelm me and only reminded me of what I didn't like about the first book:

The narrative drags and the mystery is neither interesting or compelling.

The unusual origins of Fran and Ken is repeated ad nauseam; how large and in charge they are, how most men are uncomfortable with how much taller Fran is, how their brute strength basically lets them barrel through anyone and anything.

To add to the repetition, we get reminders about Ken continually mooning over the secretary who works for them, how Mank freaked out when Fran told him the truth about her, how cops are sexist, misogynistic a**holes.

Not surprisingly, Fran and Ken's parents are the most interesting characters and they're in hiding.

Not sure if I'll check out the third book, unless the parents finally make an appearance.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are several things a reader can expect when they pick up an E.J. Copperman book – tight plot, humor, great characters. Also expected, in each series, written as either Jeff Cohen or Copperman: a high concept premise. This series is no exception to that rule. The protagonists, brother and sister Fran and Ken Stein (you get the word play), were not born, exactly, but created by their scientist parents who gave them a little extra something. For the purposes of the story, Fran and Ken have a teeny super hero thing going on – both are remarkably tall and remarkably strong. The downside: they have to plug into a charger every couple of days to keep going. There’s a USB port under their arms.

This part of the story, to me, was almost extraneous – the story itself was excellent and to me, needed no embellishment. Fran and Ken could just have been tall and extra strong. Being Copperman, however, there’s an extra layer here, one of emotion: Fran and Ken haven’t seen their parents since they were children, and they’re hoping to find them. All signs point to that being the plot of the next book. The sense of loss is lightly touched on but it’s there, and beautifully handled.

All that aside, this is a wonderful mystery, complicated and funny. It reminds the reader of Donald Westlake at his best. The set up: a worried Dad comes to Fran (she and her brother own a private eye firm specializing in reuniting adopted children with their birth parents) telling her his daughter has vanished. She’d recently come out to her Dad as trans and he’s clearly struggling with it, but not to the point of rejecting his now daughter, who he obviously loves. This kind of welcome thread grounds this book very much in the present.

Fran’s investigation takes her to the young woman’s college where she tries to track down any friends she may have had, and Fran luckily stumbles into one online at the registrar’s office. The registrar was completely useless as far as Fran is concerned but the young woman is not, and she gives Fran her first lead.

Much of Fran’s investigation seems like something maybe anyone could think of doing, and she does discover a body in the course of her investigation. The other hiccup in her life is the fact that she was dating a cop, but when she told him about her reality (the need for plugging in, created, not born), he did a runner. The two now find themselves more or less working together as Fran tries to locate the missing girl as well as discover a murderer. This development has all the charm and humor you might expect from Copperman.

While there’s some old fashioned story telling bits which could have come right from Westlake – a small time criminal calling himself Jules, for instance – the contemporary timeliness of a trans character, the use of cell phones and social media, place this novel squarely in the present. It’s a nice mash up of tropes, past and present. And it’s insanely entertaining. The pages turned faster than I planned and I was left feeling bereft, already missing Fran Stein and looking forward to more from E.J. Copperman.

[S.J. Higbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This time around, I found the paranormal aspect of Fran and Ken’s origins less jarring. Probably because I was already aware of this development, but also because Fran demonstrates her own angst about the situation more effectively, this time around. There is an overarching plot thread whereby we’re aware that Fran and Ken’s parents have had to go to ground as they’re in significant danger. But Fran has been in contact with her mother, without telling Ken.

I also enjoyed the overall story. Copperman’s very good at providing twisty plots and this one is a doozy. I was completely blindsided when I discovered whodunit – and while Fran and Ken are both large and supernaturally strong, Copperman also provided circumstances to neutralise these advantages. I liked Ken and Fran’s relationship in this story. While there is the occasional sibling rivalry, there is also a strong sense of affection between brother and sister than never lapses into sentimentality – which I very much appreciated.

That didn’t stop the dialogue throughout – even during some of the tenser situations – being nicely snarky and at times very funny. I laughed aloud more than once, despite the fact that the book is dealing with some hefty issues. As for the ongoing relationship with Mank – Fran’s sense of hurt at his reaction to discovering what makes her different felt realistic. I liked the fact that she didn’t merely shrug off his startled reaction and it did make their ongoing professional encounters genuinely funny. All in all, this is a cracking read that had me turning pages later into the night than I should have to find out what happened next. Highly recommended for fans of murder mysteries who prefer their whodunits not to be dripping with gore, or too bleakly gritty. While I obtained an arc of Same Difference from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Same Difference is the second book in E.J. Copperman’s Fran & Ken Stein Mystery series. Unlike some second books, this one doesn’t suffer too much from the dreaded sophomore slump. For the most part, the story, characters, and plot are fresh and interesting and the humor is subtle and well-timed.

This series is unusual because it combines a couple of elements that aren’t paired with each other very often in a contemporary setting. Obviously, it’s a mystery. It involves siblings who are private detectives that specialize in helping adoptees find their biological parents. But, it’s also a bit of science fiction (or maybe a little more than a bit). Fran and Ken were “created” by their parents when they realized that natural conception wasn’t possible. As a result, the siblings have to re-charge periodically via a USB port positioned under their arm. In addition, they are both quite tall. Okay, really tall and they possess super-human strength. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, considering their chosen line of work, and it does provide some interesting situations.

All in all I liked Same Difference, although it seems like there are too many references to Fran’s height, Ken’s effect on women, and just how strong they both are. So, I waffled between ratings just about every other page. In the end, I would give this book 3.5 stars but bump it up to 4. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

[Leane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good second in a series (See review of 1st Ukulele of Death: A Fran and Ken Stein Mystery#1 [2023].), this one continues with Fran dealing with her confession to her cop boyfriend as she deals with a new client, the father of a missing college girl who is trans and just came out to him. Fran (her narrator is sardonic, and self-deprecating) and her brother, Ken, and the detective Mank provide the continuity and are still growing as CHs. Once again, some of the “villains” are not as well-developed. The secondary plot concerning the Steins' parents and their “birth” moves ahead a bit, but this plot plays a little like a shell game as the possibilities of who the culprits are shift. Once again, good procedural details, a stellar NYC background, and adequate pacing filled with fun banter, a little ST (Sexual Tension), and some great plot turns made it an easy read with a satisfactory ending, leaving more for #3. To fully comprehend the uniqueness of the twin sleuths, you need to read the first in the series. RED FLAGS: Graphic Violence; Vulgar Language regarding LGTQIA. Fans of humor in their mysteries should probably look into Copperman’s many other series, as well as Donna Andrews, Laura Levine, and Ellen Clary.

[Elizabeth Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note this book is the second in a series. It can be read stand alone, though, as all important characters and events are described within this book.

Overall, I thought this was a fun book. Investigator Fran Stein has a unique narrative voice and concept, and I enjoyed following the case with her. In particular, I enjoyed how the investigation highlighted how different finding a missing person is contemporary times, as well as hard it can be (in some ways) to purposefully disappear if someone is tracking your movements. The primary case overall centers around finding, and then protecting, a missing 19-year old transwoman, and the book did a pretty good job of tackling some concerns of such an individual.

That said, I found Stein's investigation of her on-the-run parents pretty distracting. Maybe I would feel differently if I read the first book, but I would have enjoyed more focus on just the case at hand in this one.

I think this is a good book for a little light reading, especially if you like a mix of sci-fi (soft), science conspiracies, and mystery. For those who are squeamish, there is a description of a murder, but it's not overly gory.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good mystery:

Nineteen-year-old trans woman Eliza is missing . . . and her worried father sets private investigators Fran and Ken Stein on her trail in this second instalment of the light-hearted and fun cozy mystery series with a paranormal twist.

Taking a break from their usual business of helping adoptees find their birth parents, New York private investigators - and super-sized, ever-so-slightly-paranormal siblings - Fran and Ken Stein accept a job to find a missing young woman.

Nineteen-year-old college student Eliza Hennessey is trans - and she has a rocky relationship with her father, their new client. Brian's convinced his daughter's vanished, rather than run away, but Fran and Ken aren't so sure she wants to be found.

The PI duo investigate, and soon Fran is butting heads with her irritating sort-of-ex-boyfriend Mank at the NYPD,

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Briefly - Another entertaining read in this series.

In full
This is the second book in the Fran and Ken Stein series. They are sister and brother and are private investigators in New York. This time they are looking for a missing person. Eliza who has recently come out to her father as trans is missing and her father is very worried. This is not something that Fran would normally deal with but aspects of the case/story intrigue her. For those who didn't read the first book please do or you will miss out on Fran and Ken's back story. It's fair to say that they are both a little unusual and not simply that they are much taller than most people. Have a USB port for recharging is "interesting"… They have a back story as far as their parents are concerned and that forms a small part of this story.

While Fran has fallen out with her NYPD (boy)friend from the last book they are managing to be civilised initially when they find they are both interested in aspects of this case. The book follows the twists and turns of the case as well as their personal lives. As someone from the other side of the pond I have to say that this is very New York to me, maybe it felt more so than the last one. However I did find it an easy and entertaining reading.

I found the first book entertaining and amusing and could say the same about this one. I really like Fran as a character - her introspective dialogues can be very funny. I guess the story is not particularly deep but it was satisfying enough. The pace is decent and the characters generally work well for me. These are fairly lightweight stories however there's nothing wrong with that and sometimes they fit in really well. I'm sure I will keep reading any future offerings in this series.

Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book in this series. I still chuckle over the names - my one complaint is that, honestly, I thought there were too many characters - at one point (near the end) -I had no clue who Merchant was - decided I didn't care. I am glad Fran decided to tell Ken about her emails with their mom - it was unfair and mean that she didn't. Will Ken understand, will he be pissed and stop working with Fran, will he go off half-cocked and really try to find their parents? I guess I have to wait until the 3rd book.

[Lisa Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because I loved Copperman's other two series. Not as sure what I think about this one. I warmed up to it by the end, but a pair of genetically designed people who need to recharge at a wall socket? I don't know about that. I just accepted it and went on. The parallels drawn between these two and trans people is over-done and repetitive.

When a father comes to Fran to have her find his missing daughter, the last thing she expects to get involved in is a murder investigation involving drug dealers and her ex, but here she is.

[Kellene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book in this series, and while I hadn't read the first book, it was easy enough to pick up at the start of this story. I am a fan of Copperman's writing because they are usually just quirky enough to be amusing and to keep me on my toes with the story. I liked the central characters, Fran and Ken. The secondary characters were mostly drug dealers, so I didn't feel bad not liking them. Eliza was much more interesting to me. The story moved rather slowly until the end, where it jumped into action. I did like the book and will probably read more in the series.

[Ryan Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second in a very unique mystery book. It follows again with the brother and sister Investigating do of Pls (Fran&Ken Stein) that have unusual origins. There are two mysteries taking place. Fran is trying to locate a nineteen year old Transwoman for her father, which leads to an interest puzzle with plenty of twists. Ken also gets a lead of his and Fran's scientists parents/creators. It was yet another brilliant and humorous whodunit

[Chris Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever concept for the characters, and a good detective story. A mix of Raymond Chandler and Douglas Adams in terms of style. a quick entertaining read, with a wonderful self-deprecating character voice. The inside joke is the brother and sister are modified humans, hence their names Fan, Ken, last name Stein. Frankenstein.

[Alicia Farmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy these books/author. They are in the "just right" Goldilocks zone for my audiobook listening: light and witty with just enough plot to keep me listening. In addition to the plot in each book, there's a throughline across the books of Fran and Ken trying to reconnect with the parents who created and then left them in the care of a kind guardian. I'll be on to Book 3 soon, I expect.

[Mindy Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent mystery told with dry wit and charm.

[Alice Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Convoluted... in the best way possible!

[Bill O'Driscoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

First person detective story where a genetically strengthened woman searches for a missing teen.

[Lo-Anne Chan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like the style of narration

[Krissie]

That was one convoluted ending!