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The Housewife Assassin #1-2
The Housewife Assassin's Killer 2-Book Set
A previous cover edition for this ASIN can be found here
OWN THEM TOGETHER!
Book 1: The Housewife Assassin's Handbook / Book 2: The Housewife Assassin's Guide to Gracious Killing
Murder, suspense, sex--and some handy household tips.
IN BOOK 1: THE HOUSEWIFE ASSASSIN'S HANDBOOK:
- EVERY DESPERATE HOUSEWIFE WANTS AN ALIAS: Donna Stone has one...and it happens to be government-sanctioned.
- BUT DONNA EARNED IT THE HARD WAY: Her husband was killed the day she delivered their third child.
- TO AVENGE HER HUSBAND'S MURDER: Donna leads a secret life: as an assassin.
- BUT ESPIONAGE MAKES FOR STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: And brings new meaning to that old adage, "Honey, I'm home..."
IN BOOK 2, THE HOUSEWIFE ASSASSIN'S GUIDE TO GRACIOUS KILLING
- HOUSEWIFE ASSASSIN DONNA STONE'S MISSION: Stop a rogue operative before he assassinates the newly-elected Russian president -- on US soil!
- DONNA WANTS A DIVORCE: But first she's got to serve a summons to a deadbeat dad... who's also a terrorist!
- AS FOR DONNA'S LOVE LIFE: Turns out the spy who loves her has a bombshell secret of his own...
OWN THEM TOGETHER!
Book 1: The Housewife Assassin's Handbook / Book 2: The Housewife Assassin's Guide to Gracious Killing
Murder, suspense, sex--and some handy household tips.
IN BOOK 1: THE HOUSEWIFE ASSASSIN'S HANDBOOK:
- EVERY DESPERATE HOUSEWIFE WANTS AN ALIAS: Donna Stone has one...and it happens to be government-sanctioned.
- BUT DONNA EARNED IT THE HARD WAY: Her husband was killed the day she delivered their third child.
- TO AVENGE HER HUSBAND'S MURDER: Donna leads a secret life: as an assassin.
- BUT ESPIONAGE MAKES FOR STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: And brings new meaning to that old adage, "Honey, I'm home..."
IN BOOK 2, THE HOUSEWIFE ASSASSIN'S GUIDE TO GRACIOUS KILLING
- HOUSEWIFE ASSASSIN DONNA STONE'S MISSION: Stop a rogue operative before he assassinates the newly-elected Russian president -- on US soil!
- DONNA WANTS A DIVORCE: But first she's got to serve a summons to a deadbeat dad... who's also a terrorist!
- AS FOR DONNA'S LOVE LIFE: Turns out the spy who loves her has a bombshell secret of his own...
536 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2012
2033 people are currently reading
985 people want to read
About the author
Josie Brown
76 books701 followersJosie Brown's forty-two novels are now in the hands of over two million readers.
She has been published by St. Martin's Press, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins Publishers, Penguin Books.
Read Josie’s books. You’ll get a good idea of her sense of humor. https://www.JosieBrown.com
You'll also find Josie on
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JosieBrownCA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josiebrownau...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josiebrownn...
Visit her podcast, where she discusses writing with other authors:
http://bit.ly/AuthorProvocateurApple
Josie is the author of these novels:
The Housewife Assassin Novel Series, including
- Handbook (Book 1)
- Guide to Gracious Killing (Book 2)
- Killer Christmas Tips (Book 3)
- Relationship Survival Guide (Book 4)
- Vacation to Die For (Book 5)
- Recipes for Disaster (Book 6)
- Hollywood Scream Play (Book 7) [2014, Signal Press]
- Killer App (Book 8) [August 2014, Signal Press]
- Hostage Hosting Tips (Book 9)
- Garden of Deadly Delights (Book 10)
- Tips for Weddings, Weapons, and Warfare Hosting Tips (Book 11)
- Husband Hunting Hints (Book 12)
- Ghost Protocol (Book 13)
- Terrorist TV Guide (Book 14)
- Deadly Dossier (Book 15 - SERIES PREQUEL)
- Greatest Hits (Book 16 )
- Fourth Estate Sale (Book 17 )
- Horrorscope (Book 18 )
- White House Keeping Seal of Approval (Book 19)
- Assassination Vacation Tips (Book 20)
- Antisocial Media Tips (Book 21)
- Manners, Missiles & Mayhem (Book 22)
- Gambit (Book 23)
- Underwater Assets (Book 24)
The Candidate (Steamy Political Thriller)
Extracurricular - 3 episodic Novels (2020; Signal Press)
Totlandia - 8 episodic Novels (2014-2017; Signal Press)
The Baby Planner
[2011, Simon & Schuster]
The Housewife Assassin Gets Lucky (written with Deborah Coonts)
Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives
[2010, Simon & Schuster 2014 Signal Press]]
Hollywood Hunk (Book 1 - True Hollywood Lies)
[2005, HarperCollins; 2010 Signal Press]
Her novel, Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives (Simon & Schuster), is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer as a dramatic series for NBC-TV.
She is also the author of three non-fiction books: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Finding Mr. Right [Penguin/Alpha]; Marriage Confidential: 102 Honest Answers to the Questions Every Husband Wants to Ask, and Every Wife Needs to Know [Signal Press]; and Last Night I Dreamt of Cosmopolitans: A Modern Girl's Dream Dictionary [St. Martin's Press]
Before becoming a full-time novelist, Josie also worked in advertising (JWT, DDB/Needham, BBM&B) and radio (WPLO-AM, Atlanta; WZGC-FM, Atlanta).
As a journalist, Josie has interviewed Maya Angelou, Brenda Blethyn, Julian Bond, Kenneth Branagh, Jackie Collins, Costa-Gavras, Craig Ferguson, John Gray, Derek Jacobi, Debbie Reynolds, and John Woo. Her celebrity interviews and relationships trends articles have been featured in Los Angeles Times Syndicate International, Redbook, and Complete Woman, as well as AOL, Yahoo, AskMen.com, Divorce360.com, and SingleMindedWomen.com, where she serves as the Relationships Channel editor.
Josie's interviews for her podcast, Author Provocateur, and for the International Thriller Writers magazine THE BIG THRILL include such notable authors as David Baldacci, Samantha M. Bailey, C.J. Box, Allison Brennan, Lee Child, Deborah Coonts, Robert Dugoni, Barry Eisler, JT Ellison, Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, Tess Gerritsen, Andrew Gross, Kristan Higgins, Jon Land, John Lescroart, John Lutz, James Rollins, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Brad Thor, and Debra Webb.
Although born and raised (a Southern expression) in and around Atlanta, Georgia, Josie is proudly one-hundred percent Puerto Rican: her father was born in Ponce, and her mother was from Humacao. Does this make Josie a Georgiarican? She thinks so, and proudly claims that title.
She now lives in San Francisco with her husband and two children.
She has been published by St. Martin's Press, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins Publishers, Penguin Books.
Read Josie’s books. You’ll get a good idea of her sense of humor. https://www.JosieBrown.com
You'll also find Josie on
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JosieBrownCA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josiebrownau...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josiebrownn...
Visit her podcast, where she discusses writing with other authors:
http://bit.ly/AuthorProvocateurApple
Josie is the author of these novels:
The Housewife Assassin Novel Series, including
- Handbook (Book 1)
- Guide to Gracious Killing (Book 2)
- Killer Christmas Tips (Book 3)
- Relationship Survival Guide (Book 4)
- Vacation to Die For (Book 5)
- Recipes for Disaster (Book 6)
- Hollywood Scream Play (Book 7) [2014, Signal Press]
- Killer App (Book 8) [August 2014, Signal Press]
- Hostage Hosting Tips (Book 9)
- Garden of Deadly Delights (Book 10)
- Tips for Weddings, Weapons, and Warfare Hosting Tips (Book 11)
- Husband Hunting Hints (Book 12)
- Ghost Protocol (Book 13)
- Terrorist TV Guide (Book 14)
- Deadly Dossier (Book 15 - SERIES PREQUEL)
- Greatest Hits (Book 16 )
- Fourth Estate Sale (Book 17 )
- Horrorscope (Book 18 )
- White House Keeping Seal of Approval (Book 19)
- Assassination Vacation Tips (Book 20)
- Antisocial Media Tips (Book 21)
- Manners, Missiles & Mayhem (Book 22)
- Gambit (Book 23)
- Underwater Assets (Book 24)
The Candidate (Steamy Political Thriller)
Extracurricular - 3 episodic Novels (2020; Signal Press)
Totlandia - 8 episodic Novels (2014-2017; Signal Press)
The Baby Planner
[2011, Simon & Schuster]
The Housewife Assassin Gets Lucky (written with Deborah Coonts)
Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives
[2010, Simon & Schuster 2014 Signal Press]]
Hollywood Hunk (Book 1 - True Hollywood Lies)
[2005, HarperCollins; 2010 Signal Press]
Her novel, Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives (Simon & Schuster), is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer as a dramatic series for NBC-TV.
She is also the author of three non-fiction books: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Finding Mr. Right [Penguin/Alpha]; Marriage Confidential: 102 Honest Answers to the Questions Every Husband Wants to Ask, and Every Wife Needs to Know [Signal Press]; and Last Night I Dreamt of Cosmopolitans: A Modern Girl's Dream Dictionary [St. Martin's Press]
Before becoming a full-time novelist, Josie also worked in advertising (JWT, DDB/Needham, BBM&B) and radio (WPLO-AM, Atlanta; WZGC-FM, Atlanta).
As a journalist, Josie has interviewed Maya Angelou, Brenda Blethyn, Julian Bond, Kenneth Branagh, Jackie Collins, Costa-Gavras, Craig Ferguson, John Gray, Derek Jacobi, Debbie Reynolds, and John Woo. Her celebrity interviews and relationships trends articles have been featured in Los Angeles Times Syndicate International, Redbook, and Complete Woman, as well as AOL, Yahoo, AskMen.com, Divorce360.com, and SingleMindedWomen.com, where she serves as the Relationships Channel editor.
Josie's interviews for her podcast, Author Provocateur, and for the International Thriller Writers magazine THE BIG THRILL include such notable authors as David Baldacci, Samantha M. Bailey, C.J. Box, Allison Brennan, Lee Child, Deborah Coonts, Robert Dugoni, Barry Eisler, JT Ellison, Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, Tess Gerritsen, Andrew Gross, Kristan Higgins, Jon Land, John Lescroart, John Lutz, James Rollins, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Brad Thor, and Debra Webb.
Although born and raised (a Southern expression) in and around Atlanta, Georgia, Josie is proudly one-hundred percent Puerto Rican: her father was born in Ponce, and her mother was from Humacao. Does this make Josie a Georgiarican? She thinks so, and proudly claims that title.
She now lives in San Francisco with her husband and two children.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
September 6, 2024
Dear Readers,
For those of you who have requested it, I've created a two-book set of the first two novels in The Housewife Assassin series.
Enjoy!
-- Josie
For those of you who have requested it, I've created a two-book set of the first two novels in The Housewife Assassin series.
Enjoy!
-- Josie
December 11, 2013
An absolutely hilarious and exciting pair of stories. There's a little something for everyone. A little sex, a little violence, a lot of humor, and even a bit of a love triangle...well, love/hate might be more accurate.
On the positive side: They are quick and well-written. The characters are sharp, defined, and memorable. The narrator/title character balances mommy duties with work as an assassin. The other moms in their little community are directly from central casting. The intrigue is tight and there are very few "telegraphs" that spoil the big reveals.
On the negative side: The biggest negative comes out of the positives - the supporting cast is rather cliche. They do not harm to story but they quickly become tedious.
Final word: read and enjoy!
On the positive side: They are quick and well-written. The characters are sharp, defined, and memorable. The narrator/title character balances mommy duties with work as an assassin. The other moms in their little community are directly from central casting. The intrigue is tight and there are very few "telegraphs" that spoil the big reveals.
On the negative side: The biggest negative comes out of the positives - the supporting cast is rather cliche. They do not harm to story but they quickly become tedious.
Final word: read and enjoy!
November 14, 2013
Started out okay. Then it got stupid and unbelievable. Just drug on and on.
A woman becomes an assassin after her husbands death. Meets a new guy, blah, blah blah. Husband come back, was never really dead. Whose the good guy now? the husband or the new guy???
A woman becomes an assassin after her husbands death. Meets a new guy, blah, blah blah. Husband come back, was never really dead. Whose the good guy now? the husband or the new guy???
March 19, 2020
DNF 75%
I really tried to get through both books.
But... 😖
It was a struggle.
The plot very predictable, no meat on the bones, a lot of posture but no bite to the characters.
It just went belly up 🙄
Very boring 👎
I really tried to get through both books.
But... 😖
It was a struggle.
The plot very predictable, no meat on the bones, a lot of posture but no bite to the characters.
It just went belly up 🙄
Very boring 👎
November 16, 2020
The first book was better than the second one, but I'll probably try a couple more to see how the series is. There's a lot of dark humor in here with her two husbands and three children and her job. There's also a lot of sex, forced and consensual. With over a dozen more books in the series, it's well established, so hopefully it'll be worth getting into. Recommended
April 14, 2021
The Housewife Assassin's Killer book one and two by J. Brown is a laughing out loud, unputdownable, hilarious read.
Donna is a single-ish mom of 3 and works as assassin - part-time. She murder's her targets without a second thought. On the other hand she lives the mom life perfectly.
Her supposedly dead husband makes things a bit strange, but so what. Then shows a replacement dad up and she accepts that he's living with her family, as dad for her kids, a husband for herself. When the next plottwist hits, Carl, the dead hubby is on her doorstep.
A fast paced, packed story, highly entertaining, 5 stars.
Donna is a single-ish mom of 3 and works as assassin - part-time. She murder's her targets without a second thought. On the other hand she lives the mom life perfectly.
Her supposedly dead husband makes things a bit strange, but so what. Then shows a replacement dad up and she accepts that he's living with her family, as dad for her kids, a husband for herself. When the next plottwist hits, Carl, the dead hubby is on her doorstep.
A fast paced, packed story, highly entertaining, 5 stars.
November 1, 2013
such an exciting and quick read with twists and turns that keep you wanting more. these books are not perdictable. the minute you thnk its going one you realize how wrong you are. I can't wait to read the rest of this series
July 18, 2015
Fun and easy to spend an afternoon on!
Lighthearted read that entertains! Not as good as the first but still keeps you interested throughout the whole story. Unexpected deaths and quick plot changes so pay attention!
Lighthearted read that entertains! Not as good as the first but still keeps you interested throughout the whole story. Unexpected deaths and quick plot changes so pay attention!
July 6, 2020
Cute and fun read
These romantic mysteries are full of funny antics and spy stories that are to make you smile! The stories are a refreshing break from the more series crime mysteries.
These romantic mysteries are full of funny antics and spy stories that are to make you smile! The stories are a refreshing break from the more series crime mysteries.
September 15, 2020
My kind of double life
Housewife and mother during day, assassin by night. Donna is great, excepts I feel like she needs to be a bit more bad ass. She seems to get pushed around to an extend by the men in her life.
Housewife and mother during day, assassin by night. Donna is great, excepts I feel like she needs to be a bit more bad ass. She seems to get pushed around to an extend by the men in her life.
November 19, 2020
Read and Enjoy
Funny, titillating, and twisty turns Donna Stone is one sexy badass assassin and a great Mom who wears her heart on both sleeves. when she is not saving the world she is baking one neck of a cherry pie!
Funny, titillating, and twisty turns Donna Stone is one sexy badass assassin and a great Mom who wears her heart on both sleeves. when she is not saving the world she is baking one neck of a cherry pie!
November 5, 2013
Intriguing and very well written. I want to continue on in the series!
January 11, 2015
A rather fast paced adventure which feels like a cross between Desperate Housewives & Mr & Mrs Smith. Good fun with a few dead bodies..
January 13, 2016
Killer of a story
A light hearted story with plenty of ingenuity. Makes you think you can turn yourself into an assassin overnight. Bravo.
A light hearted story with plenty of ingenuity. Makes you think you can turn yourself into an assassin overnight. Bravo.
August 10, 2019
There are laugh out loud moments in these two books—delightful writing style!
December 21, 2019
Intrigue, mystery and sexy
It takes many turns. Do you believe Carl,Jack or neither. Donna has her hands full with kids,the fake husband and the dead one shows up alive.
It takes many turns. Do you believe Carl,Jack or neither. Donna has her hands full with kids,the fake husband and the dead one shows up alive.
June 3, 2020
The housewife assassin's killer 2 book
A great reading and funny love story with murders and plots kept changing to keep interesting from beginning to the very end
A great reading and funny love story with murders and plots kept changing to keep interesting from beginning to the very end
August 25, 2022
These 2 books were intriguing. It had action, mystery, romance, and humor. The tips were a fantastic plus to the book. I need to read more.
February 22, 2014
Fast reading, enjoyed very much.
October 20, 2019
This is laugh out loud my partner came to check on me funny
God I never thought I could relate to a suburban mom - but Josie Brown you have proven me wrong in all the best ways.
I don't think I've laughed this hard reading a book in a long time- the perfectly timed dry humor had me giggling more often that not and the pace was fast enough I didn't loose interest but not so fast that it felt like sprinting from one lude scene to the next. It had substance likeable characters and just enough raw humor, real life and spy espionage to make me want to read more. I will be back again. This is a hysterical read
God I never thought I could relate to a suburban mom - but Josie Brown you have proven me wrong in all the best ways.
I don't think I've laughed this hard reading a book in a long time- the perfectly timed dry humor had me giggling more often that not and the pace was fast enough I didn't loose interest but not so fast that it felt like sprinting from one lude scene to the next. It had substance likeable characters and just enough raw humor, real life and spy espionage to make me want to read more. I will be back again. This is a hysterical read
October 20, 2019
Housewife Assassin’s Handbook 5 Stars
Rated R. In spite of the continuous dry witted humor, this is a real page-turner. Excellent, talented writing with incredibly endearing characters.
Guide to Gracious Killing 3 Stars
Rated R. ••SPOILER ALERT•• Well written book but the plot is totally unbelievable. Donna and Carl (two of the “best assassins” in the business) keep managing to miss each other when they shoot. Donna allows herself to repeatedly be distracted so that Carl escapes - over and over. I’m done.
Rated R. In spite of the continuous dry witted humor, this is a real page-turner. Excellent, talented writing with incredibly endearing characters.
Guide to Gracious Killing 3 Stars
Rated R. ••SPOILER ALERT•• Well written book but the plot is totally unbelievable. Donna and Carl (two of the “best assassins” in the business) keep managing to miss each other when they shoot. Donna allows herself to repeatedly be distracted so that Carl escapes - over and over. I’m done.
October 30, 2018
You get the first two books in the series. You get humour, sex, killing and you have to figure out who are the bad guys. A very unique spy thriller, a mom who becomes an assassin to get back at the Quorum for killing her husband. The characters are well thought out and make you laugh. Love the moms who try to make her feel bad. Donna Stone is a wonderful character who has a lot to deal with. I would recommend this book.
August 1, 2019
If you’re looking for a well-crafted, twisty-turny, absolutely FUN series of books, hop on this FREE offer before someone-in-book-authority realizes they’re giving away the store. And the really good news is, when you’ve finished enjoying these two, there are already fifteen more (plus Josie Brown’s collaborative standalone gem with Deborah Buell Coonts, The Housewife Assassin Gets Lucky) so you don’t have to wait a year for your next “fix”!
August 6, 2019
Well, after the first killing, when she makes it to her kid's function only a few minutes late, making her virtually on time, I completely lost interest and just abandoned it. It did not pull me in. I didn't care about the main character, and I didn't care about her making her kid's functions, either. So I dumped it.
August 9, 2019
Decent read
The storyline is engaging, its fun to follow, but its a bit like reading a dangerous, slightly more put together version of Stephanie Plum, but with a lot more darkness. Very few happy endings, callous treatment of side characters, but still with an under flow of humor that makes the dark grittiness seem even darker when it happens.
The storyline is engaging, its fun to follow, but its a bit like reading a dangerous, slightly more put together version of Stephanie Plum, but with a lot more darkness. Very few happy endings, callous treatment of side characters, but still with an under flow of humor that makes the dark grittiness seem even darker when it happens.
August 9, 2019
Okay
These books are filled with explicit sex and inappropriate language that add nothing to the story line except length. Other than that, the books are really good. The characters are interesting and the plot is intense. I will not be reading any more books by this author because the trash outweighed what were otherwise very well written books!
These books are filled with explicit sex and inappropriate language that add nothing to the story line except length. Other than that, the books are really good. The characters are interesting and the plot is intense. I will not be reading any more books by this author because the trash outweighed what were otherwise very well written books!
August 25, 2019
A very enjoyable cozy mystery.
I enjoyed these books. The characters were charismatic, and the story action spellbinding. Although I enjoyed reading these books I found reading them in tandem was too much, I could not wait to finish them. I would enjoy reading more in this series but not in this fashion.
books by th
F
I enjoyed these books. The characters were charismatic, and the story action spellbinding. Although I enjoyed reading these books I found reading them in tandem was too much, I could not wait to finish them. I would enjoy reading more in this series but not in this fashion.
books by th
F
September 15, 2019
Absolutely loved this quick read with a little bit of everything for everyone. For once reading a book I wasn’t able to guess what was going to happen next. I would love to read more of these books by this author and would recommend just sent to most anyone of age even the sex was handled in a way that it was not over the top for those turned off by sex in a sort. Lol
June 30, 2020
Funny, but....
I would have found these books perfect of not for the slutty innuendos, tawdry situations, over appreciation of a persons looks, General immorality, blasphemy, etc. so yeah if you don’t want to read about it with the language, don’t bother reading this, I couldn’t finish it.
I would have found these books perfect of not for the slutty innuendos, tawdry situations, over appreciation of a persons looks, General immorality, blasphemy, etc. so yeah if you don’t want to read about it with the language, don’t bother reading this, I couldn’t finish it.
July 9, 2020
"Highs and lows"
There are plenty of laughs in this one, and there's plenty of sex. As for the Acme company action it was rather contrived, there was no mystery, no intrigue. Some scenes reminded me of Peter Sellers's Inspector Clouseau, where Cato Fong suddenly attacked him from behind a cupboard door. By the time I got to the second story I'd had enough.
There are plenty of laughs in this one, and there's plenty of sex. As for the Acme company action it was rather contrived, there was no mystery, no intrigue. Some scenes reminded me of Peter Sellers's Inspector Clouseau, where Cato Fong suddenly attacked him from behind a cupboard door. By the time I got to the second story I'd had enough.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews