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Rebecca Schwartz #5.5
Cul-de-Sac
A ROOMMATE SEARCH TURNS DARK…
When Julie Smith’s much-loved lawyer sleuth, Rebecca Schwartz, helps a friend move, she’s pretty surprised to find the new roommate digging a grave. This mystery short story’s a bit darker than most of Rebecca’s adventures, although the irrepressible San Francisco lawyer manages to keep her famous sense of humor. A great introduction for those who haven’t yet read Rebecca, introduced the same year as Kinsey Millhone and V.I. Warshawski, but a completely different brand of female sleuth—a bit less super-human, we’re afraid. Rebecca’s loveable for her very bumbling human-ness rather than her super-powers. At the time, she was a bit hard-boiled, but mysteries with female sleuths have changed so much her humorous adventures could now be considered on the cozy side. (Except for the sometimes-un-cozy language. A warning to readers offended by such—stick fingers firmly in ears!)
When Julie Smith’s much-loved lawyer sleuth, Rebecca Schwartz, helps a friend move, she’s pretty surprised to find the new roommate digging a grave. This mystery short story’s a bit darker than most of Rebecca’s adventures, although the irrepressible San Francisco lawyer manages to keep her famous sense of humor. A great introduction for those who haven’t yet read Rebecca, introduced the same year as Kinsey Millhone and V.I. Warshawski, but a completely different brand of female sleuth—a bit less super-human, we’re afraid. Rebecca’s loveable for her very bumbling human-ness rather than her super-powers. At the time, she was a bit hard-boiled, but mysteries with female sleuths have changed so much her humorous adventures could now be considered on the cozy side. (Except for the sometimes-un-cozy language. A warning to readers offended by such—stick fingers firmly in ears!)
- GenresCozy MysteryMystery
22 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 3, 2014
15 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Julie Smith
259 books403 followersAuthor of 20 mystery novels and a YA paranormal adventure called BAD GIRL SCHOOL (formerly CURSEBUSTERS!). Nine of the mysteries are about a female New Orleans cop Skip Langdon, five about a San Francisco lawyer named Rebecca Schwartz,two about a struggling mystery writer named Paul Mcdonald (whose fate no one should suffer) and four teaming up Talba Wallis, a private eye with many names, a poetic license, and a smoking computer, with veteran P.I. Eddie Valentino.
In Bad GIRL SCHOOL, a psychic pink-haired teen-age burglar named Reeno gets recruited by a psychotic telepathic cat to pull a job that involves time travel to an ancient Mayan city. Hint:It HAS to be done before 2012!
Winner of the 1991 Edgar Allen Poe Award for best novel, that being NEW ORLEANS MOURNING.
Former reporter for the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE and the San Francisco CHRONICLE.
Recently licensed private investigator, and thereon hangs a tale.
Resident of New Orleans, Louisiana
In Bad GIRL SCHOOL, a psychic pink-haired teen-age burglar named Reeno gets recruited by a psychotic telepathic cat to pull a job that involves time travel to an ancient Mayan city. Hint:It HAS to be done before 2012!
Winner of the 1991 Edgar Allen Poe Award for best novel, that being NEW ORLEANS MOURNING.
Former reporter for the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE and the San Francisco CHRONICLE.
Recently licensed private investigator, and thereon hangs a tale.
Resident of New Orleans, Louisiana
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 1, 2025
Fine little short story, part of 2 closing out the Rebecca Schwartz series. Would've liked more novels, but I'll take what I can get.
November 2, 2015
Cul-de-Sac:
I don't read very many short stories but I saw this one by Julie Smith and I had to read it. This is the first time I've read a Rebecca Schwartz story but now I would love to read her series. This one was pretty good.
I don't read very many short stories but I saw this one by Julie Smith and I had to read it. This is the first time I've read a Rebecca Schwartz story but now I would love to read her series. This one was pretty good.
July 28, 2016
Another quick but good read. I have found that I can not go wrong picking a Julie Smith book. Rebecca is a character that I enjoy. This book was short and enjoyable.
September 12, 2016
Short story
This was too short to really get into it. Rebecca was in the story but not long enough to get very involved. Maybe this was a story to highlight the illness?
This was too short to really get into it. Rebecca was in the story but not long enough to get very involved. Maybe this was a story to highlight the illness?
November 28, 2016
GREAT SERIES
Read
July 31, 2017Lawyer Rebecca Schwartz is helping out a friend in this short story. When said friend disappears and the new roommate starts acting strange, Rebecca suspects something is terribly wrong.
Very short (less than 30 pages), but certainly enough suspense to keep the reader interested. Could have been made to be longer, but then it would have felt stretched too thin. Fine to read if you haven't read other Rebecca Schwartz stories, but that begs the question: why haven't you read others?
Very short (less than 30 pages), but certainly enough suspense to keep the reader interested. Could have been made to be longer, but then it would have felt stretched too thin. Fine to read if you haven't read other Rebecca Schwartz stories, but that begs the question: why haven't you read others?
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews