Swann Dive

Boston Uncommons #1

by Arlene Kay

A wisecracking mystery writer and one of Boston's richest bluebloods share only one tie: her lifelong friend is his twin sister. When someone murders Cece Swann, Eja and Deming become the most uncommon team of sleuths in ye olde bean towne.
Cece had everything-looks, brains, and money galore. Her love of life was legendary, as was her rampant fear of heights. Leaping off a building was the last thing she would ever do. When she dies that way, Eja and Deming know it was neither suicide nor an accident.
Partnering to catch her killer plunges the pair into a major relationship shift. Gone is the exasperating big-brother figure from Eja's girlhood; now she's confronted with an irritating, irresistible grown man. Eja isn't gorgeous, blue-blooded, or glamorous; she's battling a few extra pounds and a set of lowered expectations about life in general and men in particular. But when it comes to loyalty and courage, she's as tough as a junkyard dog and twice as likely to bite. Can she resist taking a chunk out of her arrogant partner during the search for CeCe's killer?
Deming's film star looks and sense of entitlement drive her crazy. Now, however, the rules between them change as they unravel the trail of a ruthless murderer.

Genres: Mystery

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Arlene Kay is a mystery writer with a dark past. In another life, the author of INTRUSION (12-11), and DIE LAUGHING (12-12), was a Senior Executive with one of those alphabet agencies that strikes terror into the hearts of all Americans.

Since moving to Cape Cod, she abandoned government work to craft fiendishly clever mysteries with a touch of mayhem and a splash of romance. Her previous works include five novels in the Grace Quinn/Patrick Fong mystery series.

She recently completed SWANN DIVE (05-14); and MANTRAP (12-14); the first in her new Eja and Deming series featuring two intrepid sleuths who live the good life while vanquishing criminals in the very blue state of Massachusetts.

Reviews

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received from publisher via NetGalley for an honest review

Swann Dive is a very fast paced murder mystery with a hint of romance. I, personally, like to have a wee bit more of romance/relationship aspect in the books I read, which I found lacking in this one. However, if you are into more plot driven stories, especially of the whodunnit variety, I would recommend this.

Eja Kane is a murder mystery writer from humble roots who is bestfriends with CeCe Swann, a lawyer heiress. While Eja is waiting for CeCe to arrive at a brunch date, she receives a call from the cops. Never good. Turns out the cops are saying CeCe committed suicide, took a (Swann) dive off a building. Eja refuses to believe it as CeCe had a huge fear of heights and with her murder mystery writer mind, sets out to discover what really happened to CeCe. She does a lot of her sleuthing with Deming Swann, CeCe's twin brother and former tormentor of Eja. What follows is a game of real life clue. A plethora of secondary characters are introduced, CeCe's mother, father, and various murder suspects. It was a full plate of Colonel Mustards and was a tad overwhelming at times.

Like I said, I more focus on the romance/relationship aspect of books and I found the one here to be lukewarm. Deming and Eja grew up together and their intolerance of each other all those years was suppose to be suppressed desire I guess. With CeCe dying I can see why they would find comfort in each other but even as they spent more and more time together, I never felt the chemistry between the two characters. They don't really spend a lot of time together and when they do, it was a lot of cold bickering. I'm also not the biggest down and dirty bedroom scene reader but there could have been a lot more added here.

Other caveats include the tedious designer label name dropping and academia vocabulary.
My middle class roots might be showing but by the 100th designer label name drop I couldn’t care less that the character pulled out her "Hermes notepad" It's just a notepad for Christ's sakes! You've already told us they are billionaires. Please, please, please can it now just be a notepad.
Also, I read peer reviewed articles and journals all day and the verbiage and vocabulary used in those would have a hard time coming close to how ambitious this author was. The thesaurus and dictionary needed to be put down. While it was wonderful to see some oft forgotten words of the English language, it left sentences and the story feeling very overworked. It felt wrong for the type of book this is (or what I feel it is trying to be) and seems to be marketed as. The last 30% or so of the book did seem to mellow out on this as the conclusion of the murder mystery ramped up. Shucks though, I'm just a simple gal and maybe my common reader status got in the way too much.

Anyway, recommended for plot driven fast paced murder mystery junkies. I'll probably still be sticking with Linda Howard and Sandra Brown for my romantic suspense needs though.

[Book Him Danno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arlene Kay has written a fast place murder mystery with a blend of romance that you will see pick up in the next series in the books. I found it to be a fun quick beach read. This series is more laughter to lighten the dark story and a who done it book and less Romantic suspense like Linda Howard.

After finishing this book I plan to read the rest in the series. I enjoyed the characters and how real they seem to become the more I read the book. I was pulled in from page one until the end.
Advance Copy from Netgalley.

[David Litwack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swann Dive is the first book in a mystery series, featuring a wonderful pair of amateur sleuths, Eja Kane and Deming Swann. Eja is a bright and brassy mystery writer, while Deming is the dashing scion of a bluest of blue blood Boston Brahmin family. They played together as children, along with Deming’s twin sister, Cece (Cecilia) Swann. Sparks have always flown between them, and in their adult years, the sparks were of the romantic variety. But the two could never manage to get together. Eja went through a failed marriage, while Deming became notorious among Boston social circles for his dalliances.

When Cece Swann is found dead in an apparent suicide after jumping off a roof (the dive of the title), Eja and Deming are thrust into a joint cause. Both have known Cece all their lives and were certain she could not have committed suicide. Cece was brilliant and beautiful, an up and coming attorney at a major Boston law firm, and showed no signs of depression. Furthermore, Cece was afraid of heights.

The reader is taken on a wild ride as the two try to convince the police that Cece’s death was murder and form a partnership to find the killer. The book is well written with Arlene Kay’s usual splash of wit. The author’s lead character in other books has always been a bright but insecure female sleuth. In Swann Dive, Eja and Deming are both well-developed, and the pages sparkle when they’re together. The rest of the cast is as diverse and idiosyncratic as always.

I think Swann Dive may be Arlene Kay’s best book yet, and I look forward to the next in the Eja and Deming series.

[Sade · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book from Arlene Kay that's I've read and I greatly enjoyed it. It was written well, had awesome characters, tons of emotion and angst, and it totally keeps you guessing. Loved Eja, I would totally be friends with her. Loved the chemistry between Deming and Eja and the relationship between Eja and Anika. Looking forward to the next Boston unCommons book.

[Lou Friedhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first romantic suspense/mystery that's focused more on the mystery. I enjoyed the story and the mystery...I had my suspicions of who did it the entire time but I ended up getting it wrong. I enjoyed the pacing but as a typical romance reader, the romance fell flat (yes I know it isn't technically a romance and I tried to find a murder mystery that didn't have romance and ended up finding it anyway!)

The FMC was great and while I can appreciate a grumpy MMC...I feel like he was more of a jerk than anything.

Anyway, I would recommend!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the characters and all of the twists and turns of the plot. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a fantastic job!
Would recommend to anyone who enjoys a little romance with their mysteries.

[janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprised by the actual murderer

This is no Dorothy Sayers and pretty adult for Stratemeyer, however it is light and fluffy for a quick read.

[Amber Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book!!!! Was recommended to me on Everand as an audiobook. Wish there were more!!

[Night Runner · Rating 3 out of 5]

The heavy focus on labels grated on my nerves after a while. Great, they have super expensive things which says nothing about the person. Just my 2 cents.

[Evelyn Petschek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun vacation read!

[Laura Hannaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

I vacillated quite a bit over what to rate this story as on the one hand it was really really good, the central mystery was absorbing and I never guessed the ending until it was revealed by the author (and that's really unusual for me!). On the other hand I could never really take to the hero. His mood swings were massively off putting for me and quite honestly made my question why the heroine put up with him. He claims to love her, but throughout the story he has repeatedly put her and her writing down. He never once gives her a meaningful compliment (other than complimenting her looks when they were in bed together) therefore I wasn't particularly invested in their HEA.
Also there was one additional point that confused me. A great deal is made in the story about the heroine's solidly middle class upbringing and the incredible wealth of the Swann family and how unaffected she was by it. This was admirable however it's never explained how these children from such different backgrounds actually met! I mean it isn't important in the grand scheme of things but the longevity of the friendship is such that I really did wonder and would have like it explained. I mean they were about 5 years old, was it through their parents, playgroups? What? The very difference in their circumstances made it an issue for me and I would have very much liked it to be resolved.

I would recommend it as it's an excellent well written story, however I would have preferred the hero to have been a little less arrogant and a little more romantic.

[Sandie Pikel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from good reads as a first time read. I did not expect to like the book because I don't usually read mysteries. But once I started the book I could not put it down, it was very well written and held my attention. It started off with Eja at a resturant waiting for her best friend CeCe to show up for their lunch date, which she never came so Eja left. The police show up and they have CeCe phone which leads them to Eja seeing she texted CeCe a couple of times when she did not show up for lunch she was mad at her for not showing up. They tell her CeCe committed suicide by jumping off a roof. Which Eja knew was not true seeing she was deadly scared of heights. Eja knew someone had to of killed her best friend CeCe, she would never commit suicide. CeCe twin brother Deming, her parents and Eja try to get to find who did this to CeCe. While all this is going on Eja always had a crush on her twin brother, Deming so you have a romance going on while they try and find the person who did this to CeCe. All the twists and turns in the story I could never figure out who was the actual person who murdered CeCe. Everytime I thought they found the person --it was wrong. I will not give away the story but I cannot believe in the end who actually did this to her and why. I will check out what other books the author has written.

[Elle Markov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story, its entertaining and captivating and OMG does it keep you guessing who the killer is to the very end.

Eja Kane has been best friends with Cecilia "Cece" Swann since they were in grade school. When Cece dies by falling off a building, the cops scream suicide, but Eja knows Cece; and Cece had a fear of heights and was too full of life to ever end it by jumping off a building.

Now, Eja must team up with Cece's snooty brother [sparks will fly because hey, what's a mystery without a little romance] and the rest of his family to find out what really happened to Cece.

There are so many twists and turns you won't know which way to look.

I could have easily given this story a 5 but at the end of the book there is one line from Deming that absolutely knocked it down for me. I won't tell you what that line is because that'd be cheating, I'll let you guess the line when you finish reading.

This is book 1 in the series and with the way the author captured me in this one I can't wait for what's to come.

[Mariel Hoss · Rating 4 out of 5]

***ARC from NetGalley in Exchange for an honest review***

Fast-paced, whodunit murder mystery with romance thrown in. The main thrust of this story was finding out what really happened to Cece. Though I find it hard to believe that victims brother and best-friend (with the aid of victims parents) were better at deducing who/what caused her death than the police but hey...fiction, right? All the characters (main and supporting) were well written and maintained a three-dimensional feel for me. The twists and turns will keep you turning the page. the relationship between Eja and Deming were a little strange...apparently a long time in the making but the culmination was a little too jarring and abrupt in some instances (did they or didn't they right after Cece was found dead and they ended up drunk?). An enjoyable way to while away the time.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book through the GoodReads First Reads giveaways.

Swann Dive is an entertaining and fast-paced murder mystery novel by Arlene Kay. This was my first time reading one of Arlene Kay’s books and I enjoyed it very much. The main character Eja is determined to find her best friend’s (Cece Swann’s) murderer with the assistance of Cece’s parents and twin brother, Deming. I was drawn to the characters, especially Eja and Anika, who is Cece’s mother, and the relationship that the two women formed. I also liked that Arlene Kay can throw some romance into her novel, like the budding romance between Eja and Deming, but allowed the reader to fantasize about the “details” if they so choose.

[Gustaf Berger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything I look for in a mystery: Interesting and fast-moving plot that kept me guessing until near the end. An almost predictable romance with some sex. Well-developed, nuanced characters. An entry into a world I'm not privy to (Boston's Brahmin upper class -- spelled rich and powerful.) I knew I was in capable hands from the beginning. I loved the protagonist, Eja, for her vulnerability, intelligence, and wise cracking. I'd recommend this fast moving book to anyone who likes this genre. Note: I know few authors to whom I'd give five stars, and most of them are dead or very well-known, so don't be put off by my four-star rating.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun who done it mystery. The story was good. It kept me guessing who the killer was and even at the end I did not expect it to be who it was. Some areas of the book were also a bit tough to get through. To be honest there were lines in the book where I had no clue what half the words meant.

I liked Eja but had mixed feelings about Deming. Especially at the end when Deming just disappears. I felt there should have been a bit more to the ending between them. I guess maybe that will continue in the next book.

Received from NetGalley for honest review.

[Phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a roller coaster ride from the very beginning. I could not put the book down so I read all day and most of the night. I was able to guess who did it about 3/4ths into the book but that didn't seem to matter. The plot kept pulling me in. My only complaint was the chemistry between the main characters. Talk about hot and cold. It was a little extreme for me, but overall great read!

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eja and Deming unite to catch the killer of Cece who happened to be the twin sister of Eja, who is a mystery writer. Deming and Eja know she did not jump off a building. She was afraid of heights. Deming use to be like their big brother.

They are after a murder and are bound and determined to bring whoever did this to justice. Can Eja keep her heart in check? Can Deming understand what he feels for this friend? There was a lot of suspense and intrigue. Not enough passion for my taste.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am originally from Boston, so.....great summer read, perfect for the holiday. It is a well written fast and fun mystery with a little romance.

[Kara]

DNF

[Sharon Healy-Yang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting plot and romance. Wonderful humor. Exciting and playful.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great storyline with believable characters that maintain the storyline