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Killer WASPs #1
Killer Wasps: A Killer Wasps Mystery
Crime really stings in Killer WASPs.
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, is a haven for East Coast WASPs, where tennis tournaments and cocktails at the club are revered traditions. Little happens in the sleepy suburb, and that is the way the Lilly Pulitzer–clad residents prefer it. So when antiques store owner Kristin Clark and her portly basset hound stumble upon the area's newest real estate developer lying unconscious beneath the hydrangea bushes lining the driveway of one of Bryn Mawr's most distinguished estates, the entire town is abuzz with gossip and intrigue.
When the attacker strikes again just days later, Kristin and her three best friends—Holly, a glamorous chicken nugget heiress with a penchant for high fashion; Joe, a decorator who's determined to land his own HGTV show; and Bootsie, a preppy but nosy newspaper reporter—join forces to solve the crime. While their investigation takes them to cocktail parties, flea markets, and the country club, they must unravel the mystery before the assailant claims another victim.
Fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series will enjoy shaking up the Philadelphia Main Line.
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, is a haven for East Coast WASPs, where tennis tournaments and cocktails at the club are revered traditions. Little happens in the sleepy suburb, and that is the way the Lilly Pulitzer–clad residents prefer it. So when antiques store owner Kristin Clark and her portly basset hound stumble upon the area's newest real estate developer lying unconscious beneath the hydrangea bushes lining the driveway of one of Bryn Mawr's most distinguished estates, the entire town is abuzz with gossip and intrigue.
When the attacker strikes again just days later, Kristin and her three best friends—Holly, a glamorous chicken nugget heiress with a penchant for high fashion; Joe, a decorator who's determined to land his own HGTV show; and Bootsie, a preppy but nosy newspaper reporter—join forces to solve the crime. While their investigation takes them to cocktail parties, flea markets, and the country club, they must unravel the mystery before the assailant claims another victim.
Fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series will enjoy shaking up the Philadelphia Main Line.
291 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 9, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 6, 2015
While I like the idea of cozy mysteries I don’t actually end up reading them a lot, but in the middle of George Eliot’s dense, idea-rich Daniel Deronda I needed something light--like sherbet--to refresh my reading palate. Killer Wasps did the trick. I don’t know how it stacks up with others in the genre, but it’s certainly a playful, effervescent diversion. Having grown-up in the suburbs of Philadelphia I loved all the southeastern Pennsylvania references (Lancaster County!), Philly based food (hoagies!), and local neighborhood ambiance (the Main Line!) that flavored the story.
The romance is just a series of ridiculous non sequiturs, thirty-three year old Kristin Clark would have a spontaneous makeout session with one guy then moments later be crushing on another, and the book’s other characters are mostly old-line upper crust Bryn Mawr (WASP country) eccentrics or colorful New Jersey nouveau riche types (think Mob connections)--all somewhat over the top but lots of fun. Kristin is perpetually low on funds but she’s inherited her grandparents’ quaint little antique store, so in between solving the mystery (this really is a cozy because there are injuries but nobody dies) she attends Amish and hippie flea markets with her basset hound Waffles to restock her tiny showroom, all of which adds more entertaining elements to the plot.
The story races breathlessly along as Kristin juggles an increasing assortment of mismatched clues, missing neighbors, hunky heartthrobs, flamboyant customers, and discombobulated friends. At first I wasn’t planning to read the sequel, but there’s a love triangle (of course) that’s left hanging at the end (picture Joe Morelli and Ranger of the Stephanie Plum series, but less macho) and I kind of want to know what happens. . .
The romance is just a series of ridiculous non sequiturs, thirty-three year old Kristin Clark would have a spontaneous makeout session with one guy then moments later be crushing on another, and the book’s other characters are mostly old-line upper crust Bryn Mawr (WASP country) eccentrics or colorful New Jersey nouveau riche types (think Mob connections)--all somewhat over the top but lots of fun. Kristin is perpetually low on funds but she’s inherited her grandparents’ quaint little antique store, so in between solving the mystery (this really is a cozy because there are injuries but nobody dies) she attends Amish and hippie flea markets with her basset hound Waffles to restock her tiny showroom, all of which adds more entertaining elements to the plot.
The story races breathlessly along as Kristin juggles an increasing assortment of mismatched clues, missing neighbors, hunky heartthrobs, flamboyant customers, and discombobulated friends. At first I wasn’t planning to read the sequel, but there’s a love triangle (of course) that’s left hanging at the end (picture Joe Morelli and Ranger of the Stephanie Plum series, but less macho) and I kind of want to know what happens. . .
July 22, 2015
I had tremendous fun with this debut mystery novel, set in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, not least because I know the town well enough to identify individual buildings mentioned in the book. It's a quiet, sleepy Main Line town where the biggest problem is usually one of the idle rich overdoing it at the country club's cocktail bar. So it's a big shock when Kristen Clark, the struggling owner of an antiques shop, stumbles over the local real estate shark, knocked out under a bush, while walking her overweight basset hound at the plush manor across the way. Within days, the hot chef in town suffers an accident, and the hunt is on.
The writing sparkles, and Kristen is a funny and sympathetic guide. I enjoyed the gallery of social portraits hugely—everything but the ending, in fact, which comes from so far out of left field that the author has to resort to the old confession trick (at least not engineered by the detective). But by then I didn't care, and besides I could piece it together in retrospect. Looking forward to the sequel, although it does not, alas, take place in Bryn Mawr.
The writing sparkles, and Kristen is a funny and sympathetic guide. I enjoyed the gallery of social portraits hugely—everything but the ending, in fact, which comes from so far out of left field that the author has to resort to the old confession trick (at least not engineered by the detective). But by then I didn't care, and besides I could piece it together in retrospect. Looking forward to the sequel, although it does not, alas, take place in Bryn Mawr.
September 27, 2014
This book was not what I was expecting, but I loved every second of it. I love a good crime story, but even more I love humor and wit. Add them together and you have one unforgettable read. A very amusing read that is set up in the elite and wealthy.
There are so many secretes in this read. Every page you turn, it seems you uncover a new secrete. So not so secrete. So if you love Mystery and you love humor, this is definitely the read for you. I love the combination of the three women. It truly is a great read.
August 27, 2014
When two prominent (and heartily disliked) locals are attacked everyone has a theory. Kristin and her friends suspect half the town and get themselves into everyone's business. The main character is pleasantly flawed - she drinks too much, wears all the wrong clothes and barely makes ends meet selling antiques. Looks like the start of a fun series.
This review is based on an ARC provided to me by the publisher.
This review is based on an ARC provided to me by the publisher.
September 27, 2014
Amusing murder mystery
I thought the title and the premise sounded intriguing. I was ready for an amusing murder mystery. Happily, I got what I wanted. I like the characters a lot. The descriptions of some of the houses made me want to move right in. I can't wait for the next book in this series.
Merged review:
I loved this book and can't wait for the next one in the series.
I thought the title and the premise sounded intriguing. I was ready for an amusing murder mystery. Happily, I got what I wanted. I like the characters a lot. The descriptions of some of the houses made me want to move right in. I can't wait for the next book in this series.
Merged review:
I loved this book and can't wait for the next one in the series.
March 11, 2015
A fun peek inside the mansions and country club lifestyle of Philadelphia's Main Line suburbs. Antique store owner Kristin Clark has an entertaining group of friends who flutter between cocktail parties and celebrity-chef owned restaurants. Kristin and her basset hound Waffles stumble upon a mystery, and many cocktails will be consumed before all secrets are revealed.
July 9, 2015
A fun and frothy send-up of the east coast country club set. A perfect book to join you in the hammock on a summer day----or at the pool at "the club."
G&T anyone?
G&T anyone?
October 19, 2015
Cute!
Loved it! Light, fun, full of fab characters... , I can't wait for the next in the series! Don't miss this one .
Loved it! Light, fun, full of fab characters... , I can't wait for the next in the series! Don't miss this one .
January 10, 2015
What a life the wealthy residents of Bryn Mawr live! Their regular meeting and drinking place is the local exclusive Country Club where the normal dress etiquette is designer clothes and pearls. A town where everyone knows everyone else's business and their favourite pastime is gossip during cocktail hour....which seems to start early morning and end late evening!
Of course our protagonist, Kristin, who inherited an antiques store from her grandparents, is broke but that doesn't stop her enjoying the delights of the Country Club too. When she and her lovable basset hound, Waffles, discover the local builder of dodgy town houses lying unconscious inside the grounds of the largest expensive property in the town, she is curious as to who the attacker is.
Together with a quirky (and very rich) assortment of friends, she discovers that there were no shortage of people who held a grudge against him. Then the local Chef is attacked and Kristin's snooping takes her to discover more than she bargained for.
I really enjoyed this story, I loved Waffles who's 'ecstatic reaction to every person he meets is contagious', I loved meeting the residents like Sophie, soon to be ex-wife of the dodgy builder, who always wears pink and is a bit dizzy, there were plenty of hunky men like Channing the sous chef who looks like an Armani model with huge biceps, and John the local vet who Kristin takes a liking to ........
A really fun read, I didn't guess whodunnit, I enjoyed the storyline from start to finish, Kristin is the perfect nosy sleuth, and the nutty but nice residents add colour and character to the first of a new series.
Taken from my book blog Carole's Book Corner
Of course our protagonist, Kristin, who inherited an antiques store from her grandparents, is broke but that doesn't stop her enjoying the delights of the Country Club too. When she and her lovable basset hound, Waffles, discover the local builder of dodgy town houses lying unconscious inside the grounds of the largest expensive property in the town, she is curious as to who the attacker is.
Together with a quirky (and very rich) assortment of friends, she discovers that there were no shortage of people who held a grudge against him. Then the local Chef is attacked and Kristin's snooping takes her to discover more than she bargained for.
I really enjoyed this story, I loved Waffles who's 'ecstatic reaction to every person he meets is contagious', I loved meeting the residents like Sophie, soon to be ex-wife of the dodgy builder, who always wears pink and is a bit dizzy, there were plenty of hunky men like Channing the sous chef who looks like an Armani model with huge biceps, and John the local vet who Kristin takes a liking to ........
A really fun read, I didn't guess whodunnit, I enjoyed the storyline from start to finish, Kristin is the perfect nosy sleuth, and the nutty but nice residents add colour and character to the first of a new series.
Taken from my book blog Carole's Book Corner
September 22, 2014
I got the book because the title is great, it is a debut book, and it sounded like a fun read. The book is a bit "fluffy" for me, though I'm certain many other readers will very much like this book. Amy Korman has a breezy style, her central character is engaging, her friends are goofy, and her basset hound is consistently adorable.
The writing is a bit lush for me. She describes and explains everything physical and situational in such detail that some explanations bring the book to a halt. This result is that the story itself doesn't get moving until about 20 percent in and even then, it's more like revving the engine, not merging into traffic and really moving. The cultural references (movies, music, etc.) in most instances sound like those of a Baby Boomer, not a 30-something. Each dated reference made me stop and think about the reference, not the story. It also made me think the story was started in the '80s or '90s, then lightly updated for 2014.
With that said, it's a good first book and I hope the author's skills sharpen as a storyteller, that in her next book she uses cultural references to tell us something relevant about her characters, and that she has a chance to tell more of her stories. It reads as though the author had a lot of fun writing it, and that's a big plus for a reader.
The writing is a bit lush for me. She describes and explains everything physical and situational in such detail that some explanations bring the book to a halt. This result is that the story itself doesn't get moving until about 20 percent in and even then, it's more like revving the engine, not merging into traffic and really moving. The cultural references (movies, music, etc.) in most instances sound like those of a Baby Boomer, not a 30-something. Each dated reference made me stop and think about the reference, not the story. It also made me think the story was started in the '80s or '90s, then lightly updated for 2014.
With that said, it's a good first book and I hope the author's skills sharpen as a storyteller, that in her next book she uses cultural references to tell us something relevant about her characters, and that she has a chance to tell more of her stories. It reads as though the author had a lot of fun writing it, and that's a big plus for a reader.
September 16, 2014
ARC for Review
Small town Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania is the home to the upper crust East Coast WASPs. A haven for the country club lifestyles where nothing exciting happens But things quickly change until a dead body is found.
Kristin Clark is pretty much in debt owning an antique shop that her grandparents left her as she barely can pay the shop rent most of the time. She manages to find the body with her dog after midnight while taking her dog on a walk which lands her on another land owner property. The body turns out to be of a land developer who was being sued for faulty workmanship. This has the town full of gossip as people wonder who did it.
Few days later there is another attack but no one dies this time. Kristen and her wealthy friends Holly a rich socialite chicken nugget heiress, Joe an interior designer and Bootsie a snoopy newspaper reporter investigate the situation before another victim occurs.
The rich people of Bryn Mawr have their own secrets from Mafia connections to change of identity. There is even a not too secret relationship that is reveal. But who is willing to keep their secret hidden and at what cost?
An amusing mystery set among the elite of the country club where we see a glimpse of their lifestyle
Small town Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania is the home to the upper crust East Coast WASPs. A haven for the country club lifestyles where nothing exciting happens But things quickly change until a dead body is found.
Kristin Clark is pretty much in debt owning an antique shop that her grandparents left her as she barely can pay the shop rent most of the time. She manages to find the body with her dog after midnight while taking her dog on a walk which lands her on another land owner property. The body turns out to be of a land developer who was being sued for faulty workmanship. This has the town full of gossip as people wonder who did it.
Few days later there is another attack but no one dies this time. Kristen and her wealthy friends Holly a rich socialite chicken nugget heiress, Joe an interior designer and Bootsie a snoopy newspaper reporter investigate the situation before another victim occurs.
The rich people of Bryn Mawr have their own secrets from Mafia connections to change of identity. There is even a not too secret relationship that is reveal. But who is willing to keep their secret hidden and at what cost?
An amusing mystery set among the elite of the country club where we see a glimpse of their lifestyle
March 28, 2016
3.5 stars.
It definitely did its job making me laugh — most things making fun of the crazy rich ladies of the Main Line do that. Korman did a good job of including various character subplots along with the actual mystery of who, of the many with motive, tried to kill the sleazy real estate agent. If you’re looking for a serious, thought-provoking, heart-racing murder mystery, you’re checking out the wrong book. If you’d rather read an Evanovich-esque mystery with quirky Main Liners that makes you chuckle or roll your eyes, KILLER WASPS is more your speed.
I had some serious issues with a few things that could’ve been easily fixed in editorial — several proofreading mistakes, use of the word “shlep” about 8 times in 50 pages, and way too much clothing description, down to the pricetag — but despite these flaws, it was enjoyable enough that I will probably pick up the next one, since the ending was a clear set-up for a series complete with love triangles, world travel, and a fat basset hound.
I work at a bookstore in Bryn Mawr, so I couldn’t pass up a light beach read easily hand-sold to customers who enjoy local interest.
It definitely did its job making me laugh — most things making fun of the crazy rich ladies of the Main Line do that. Korman did a good job of including various character subplots along with the actual mystery of who, of the many with motive, tried to kill the sleazy real estate agent. If you’re looking for a serious, thought-provoking, heart-racing murder mystery, you’re checking out the wrong book. If you’d rather read an Evanovich-esque mystery with quirky Main Liners that makes you chuckle or roll your eyes, KILLER WASPS is more your speed.
I had some serious issues with a few things that could’ve been easily fixed in editorial — several proofreading mistakes, use of the word “shlep” about 8 times in 50 pages, and way too much clothing description, down to the pricetag — but despite these flaws, it was enjoyable enough that I will probably pick up the next one, since the ending was a clear set-up for a series complete with love triangles, world travel, and a fat basset hound.
I work at a bookstore in Bryn Mawr, so I couldn’t pass up a light beach read easily hand-sold to customers who enjoy local interest.
November 4, 2014
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Kristin Clark is a quirky, antique store owner in a fancy suburb of Philadelphia, PA. She becomes quite the sleuth and tries to find out who is attempting murder and the connection between the victims. At the same time, she is trying to decide between two very handsome men as suitors.
Kristin was sweet! I fell in love with her immediately and loved how she was living in this hoity toity neighborhood, but was still an outsider. I loved her as the narrator and main character. The secondary characters were just as good as Kristin - they were exaggerated characters, but still so good. With fun characters put into interesting situations, this book read fast and fun.
Kristin Clark is a quirky, antique store owner in a fancy suburb of Philadelphia, PA. She becomes quite the sleuth and tries to find out who is attempting murder and the connection between the victims. At the same time, she is trying to decide between two very handsome men as suitors.
Kristin was sweet! I fell in love with her immediately and loved how she was living in this hoity toity neighborhood, but was still an outsider. I loved her as the narrator and main character. The secondary characters were just as good as Kristin - they were exaggerated characters, but still so good. With fun characters put into interesting situations, this book read fast and fun.
March 18, 2015
Kristin owns an antique shop in Bryn Mawr, PA, a quaint little haven for east coast WASPs (old school terms for white Anglo-Saxon Protestants, usually members of the upper or middle class). Kristen was born and raised in the small town, which has changed quite a bit over the years. A local real-estate developer, Barclay Shields, has been buying up the old homes and local farms to build new neighborhoods, full of poorly built McMansions.
Review continues at Chick Lit Plus.
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Review continues at Chick Lit Plus.
http://chicklitplus.com/tag/killer-wa...
November 20, 2015
I picked this book up because it's set in my local area. I was disappointed by the frivolous characters, the love triangle and the weak plot. It was no wonder that Kristin's business was failing since she never spent any time there. It really irked me that the author chose to use Publix as the local grocery store since there are none in the area. I'm giving an extra star because I could easily recognize the buildings in Bryn Mawr as well as the estate that Sanderson seems to be based upon, and Waffles seemed to be a pretty good dog.
January 12, 2015
Korman captures the quirky, sub-cosmopolitan moires of Philly’s old Main Line, and imbues it with warmth and wry humor. She weaves an artful mystery and truly captures the friction between the breezy calm of one of America’s oldest, most venerable suburbs and the hopped-up, crime-ridden, post-modern world. Killer WASPs is a delectable who's-who of whodunnits, I can’t wait to catch up with Kristin, Joe, Holly and Waffles in Tuscany!
June 19, 2015
I really enjoyed this book! Good story, engaging characters, and a fun, enviable setting. The only reason I gave it four stars was because of the typos and continuity errors. All in all though, I will definitely read the next book and will chalk up the issues to e-book translation.
November 1, 2023
I really didn't enjoy this book. I didn't find myself liking any of the characters and actually I found most of them obnoxious. The story line was okay but this is not a series I will be reading again.
February 17, 2026
❤️ Favorite.
May 2, 2016
3.5
A light and fun book, made me laugh and want to keep reading.
A light and fun book, made me laugh and want to keep reading.
July 1, 2015
My very first mystery novel!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews