Shoot Me

by Lesley Crewe

In the words of her psychology student daughter, Elsie Brooks is an enabler. She mothers everyoneher social work clients, her husband, her twenty-something daughters, and her reclusive sister who lives in the attic. Elsie is committed to taking care of everyone--everyone but herself. So, when crazy Aunt Hildy writes to demand a bedroom in their Halifax home, Elsie cant help but say yes. When Hilda arrives, she enchants and enrages the family with her moxie. That and her proclamation that she has hidden treasure in the house and the kings ransom will go to whoever loved her most. When someone threatens Aunt Hildy, she responds with her trademark sass: Go ahead. Shoot me. I dare you. Whoever it is takes her up on it. Suddenly, the house is turned topsy-turvy as Elsies family searches for a treasure that Elsie doesnt believe even exists, and for a killer that could be any one of them. Shoot Me is a funny and sometimes heart-wrenching story about family, fortune, and figuring out who you are and who you love. In Elsie, Crewe has created a character who speaks with humour and honesty to conflicts that exist in the lives of so many women: between work and home, between loving one man and wanting others, and between feeling fulfilled not only as a wife and a mother, but as a woman.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Book Club, Chick Lit

309 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2010

About the author

Lesley grew up in Montreal, PQ. After graduating from Concordia University with a degree in English and Education, she and her hubby settled down in Homeville, Cape Breton and raised a family.

From 2000-2005, Lesley was a features writer and columnist (Home Fires) for Cape Bretoner Magazine, and from 2005-2009, a columnist (Lesley's Letters) with the on-line magazine, Cahoots.

In 2005 her first novel, Relative Happiness, was published by Vagrant Press, the fiction imprint of Nimbus Publishing. It was an instant bestseller, and was shortlisted for the Margaret and John Savage First Book Award. She has since written nine other novels.

In 2012, Relative Happiness was optioned for film, and in 2014, Lesley's characters came to life on the big screen. The movie was produced by Wreckhouse Productions, directed by Deanne Foley, and stars Australian Melissa Bergland (Winners and Losers), and homegrown Canadian talent like Susan Kent (This Hour has 22 Minutes), Jonathan Torrens (Mr. D, Trailer Park Boys), and Rob Welles (Trailer Park Boys).

Reviews

[Sue Slade · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Shoot Me” by Lesley Crewe starts off as a light and funny read, most of it taking place in a large old house in the South End of Halifax. Crewe introduces us to a family with a variety of different characters, some pathetic, spoiled, self-centered, and just plain annoying, and some you gotta love, despite their many idiosyncrasies. The separated husband living in the basement, the spinster sister living in the attic, the entitled, high-maintenance sister married to a submissive, doormat of a husband, and then there are the kids and their significant others. When Aunt Hildy, age 91, comes home to die and announces that there is treasure in the house, the story becomes a treasure hunt of the greedy. Then in another plot twist, Hildy gets shot through the heart and it becomes a ‘who done it’ murder mystery. Crewe definitely keeps things interesting right until the end and where the story is set in Halifax, with mentions of many familiar landmarks; it made envisioning the setting in this story easy and enjoyable. I am looking forward to reading another of Crewe’s novels.

[Chloe Kenney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lesley is a wonderful writer. She’s knows how to write these wonderful, hilarious and dysfunctional east coast families and it’s always amazing how she writes these amazing lead female characters. Despite the large cast, I can always keep track of who is who in her books, and I think readers can always find at least one character in the family they can relate to.

The murder mystery plot taking over half way through was amazing. Her story line seems like it’s going to be so predictable but then throws in great twists, emotions and knows how to get you right in the feels.

A great treat for Nova Scotian readers, including a shoutout to my favourite tortoise Gus.

My copy had book club question/discussion points and an interview with the author. Lesley having a passion for Roald Dahl is a great new tidbit I learned which I can absolutely see in her own writing.

Thanks for another amazing read Lesley, hope to attend one of your events soon ❤️❤️❤️

[Ariela · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Secrets? Not really. I don’t have time for secrets.”
“Oh dear. That’s not very wise. That means you have no mystery, and where there’s no mystery, there’s no magic.” (Shoot Me 105)

I was here for the murder mystery, not the sex. I wouldn’t consider myself a “Lesley Crewe #1 Fan” but I do consider her books a fun read overall, and when she replied to me from my Nosy Parker Book Review, she said “I write books for myself”. Which, in that case, that doesn’t mean anyone has to particularly like her writing, and I respect that. I too am a firm believer that writers should write what they like. That being said, is the book actually good? Well it’s an enjoyable read if you’re into this kind of thing, Lesley Crewe is certainly capable of writing a good story. She creates good characters when the story has enough time to properly focus on all of them, her prose is good, and her books are good slice of life novels. I think she’s a good writer.

However, there were a number of things that I didn’t love. Firstly, I thought this book was a young adult novel? It’s not. Believe that. The first part of this novel is actually just people sleeping around with literally anybody, which means I skipped a good portion of the beginning of this book, and some of the middle as well. At first I thought the pacing was good, but then I realized the setup of the story was taking much longer than it should have. If this novel is about 300 pages long, we get introduced to the main plotline at about 100 pages, which is 1/3rd of the entire book. Personally I felt that this was a long time, and I didn’t particularly like any of these characters to read about them for 100 pages before getting introduced to the plot, either.

The characters were alright. In the other Lesley Crewe books I read, the characters were a little bit more fleshed out and had their own personality. I think where this book falls a little bit short is with the characters not having enough time to be fully explored. Many characters within the family, and then even outside of the family, with the characters outside of the family not having a lot of time in the book. It’s a shame because they become more important to the story later on. Their roles fell a little bit flat to me.

Plot wise, how does this novel hold up as a murder mystery? Now, I haven’t read an overwhelming amount of murder mystery novels, but I think most murder mystery novels follow a sort of structure where you have the setup, the murder, the investigation, the misdirect, the plot twist and then the resolution. This novel does all of that, but very strangely. The ending feels almost rushed, the “plot twist” and “misdirect” are… lackluster to me. I don’t think that this book holds up well as a murder mystery. I think this book might have been better off as a slice of life romance novel. I felt that the murder mystery plotline wasn’t thought out well enough.

That being said, this book had some themes worth mentioning. The characters go through a journey of self discovery, and they find that family is important, they try to salvage the state of their family and try to be a less-broken mess. It’s sort of commentary on material things, and how they are less important than family as well. Themes like these were the little things about this book that I did like. I thought Aunt Hildy was a fun character, and the best character in this book. I was happy when this book started with Aunt Hildy’s perspective, and then I was disappointed when it switched.

Overall, I give this book 2 stars because
1) I didn’t like the contents of this book – I thought it was going to be young adult, but I ended up having to skip a lot of the beginning and the middle where everyone is sleeping around
2) This book doesn’t do well as a murder mystery either, so I can’t sit here and pretend like I was invested in the murder mystery, and it took a very long time for the murder to happen
3) I only kept reading because I thought the book would redeem itself later on (it didn’t)

But yeah, I understand that there is a market for this kind of book, but I really didn’t enjoy it. There’s a big generation gap between me and this book, but also just a big age gap between a teenager like me and the adults this book is probably more geared towards.

That’s it for today, and that’s it for this review. :]

[Golfergirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another interesting read by Lesley Crewe. This is a story of a disfunctional family and a hidden treasure. Among the family members are the beleaguered mother Elsie, her two feuding sisters and an eccentric elderly aunt. Hildy, not a family favourite, has come home to die. She announces that she is leaving each of them a gift, and also that there is a “treasure” somewhere in the house. Everything that follows centres around the search for that treasure and what it reveals about the members of this family.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been different then other Lesley Crewe books.
This was her second book she wrote, but since I started with Spoon Stealer then Nosy Parker and then her newest Recipe For A Good Life, and now reading the older books, I realize why I cannot find any of her books at used book stores. Everyone keeps their Lesley Crewe books! They are such great stories!
Happy reading 📖

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Leslie Crete’s more serious work, I think I’m disappointed when they don’t all live up to Beloved. Her characters are wonderful and I love how she writes about the Maritimes. This certainly isn’t my favourite if her books but it probably only suffers in comparison.

[Manal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Loved the characters and the showcasing of family dynamics/drama and coming together. The “who did it” wasn’t shocking but overall very cute murder mystery. A light and easy ready

[Jill MacKay · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading seven of Lesley Crewe’s books, I expected this one to be the same kind of enjoyable read. I had rated those books all as 4&5 stars, this one only warranted 3 stars. I kept hoping I would love this book, it didn’t happen! It was silly!

[Kelly Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another one of Leslie Crewe’s wonderful character driven stories about a Maritime family. There is Elsie, both a saint for putting up with the two worst sisters in the world along with the rest of a selfish self centered family and an idiot for not kicking them all the hell out of her house. The story is a bit slow developing with the “main event” not happening until halfway thru the book but eventually it gets worked out into two camps; the characters you love and the rest that you want to kick the shit out of. I spent too much of the book just wanting Elsie to do exactly that. 3½ stars for me.

[Beckey Boudreau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book! It was a nice light read about how families are never perfect yet can still manage to co-exist! Once I started it, I couldn't put it down!

Going to read more of Lesley's books in the near future.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew who-dun-it but not how!

It's too expensive to get more of Ms Crewe's books, sadly - I do like her style and have really enjoyed the books I've read. I will keep checking, though, and hoping that we get more over here

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book club book

[Violet Nam · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Shoot Me" by Lesley Crewe is a compelling exploration of family dynamics, personal identity, and the complexities that bind relatives together. This book is guaranteed to have you at the edge of your seat!

The story centers on Elsie Brooks and her intricate family, all residing under one roof. This house holds many memories from many generations back, hidden with treasures and undiscovered family secrets. The plot thickens with the arrival of Aunt Hildy, the last survivor of her family, who claims to have hidden a treasure within the house. This treasure drives everyone crazy, letting greed and selfishness take the best of them.

Lesley Crewe’s narrative is rich with humor and diverse perspectives, capturing the essence of an East Coast family with all its complexities, complicated relationships, and chaos. The characters are vividly portrayed, each with distinct personalities that contribute to the story’s depth. I loved how Aunt Hildy’s game of hide-and-seek was able to reveal the true character of each individual.

I recommend this book to whoever enjoys reading engaging murder mystery, character development, unexpected plot twists, and exploring diverse relationships between family relatives. But "Shoot Me" is definitely written to reach those who have the time to play a little game of hide-and-seek to find all the treasures that life has to offer.

[Patti’s Pages · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read and loved four other Lesley Crewe books, I was looking forward to another, even though it was published in 2006.
This one was a bit disappointing. Except for Aunt Hilda and the four young adults, I found the rest of the characters annoying. Are there real life people that are this rude and silly?
It is a cute mystery, with a good twist of whodunit.
Even with the east coast Canada setting, I can (generously) only give it 3 stars.

[BettyAnn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have read 3 other books from Lesley Crewe, Amazing Grace, Beholden, and The Spoon Stealer, all of which I enjoyed. This novel was very disappointing, too many characters, no likeable characters and non stop bickering and idiotic behaviour. 388 pages of nonsense. The 1 star is for me for finishing the book!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very cheesy. It was a bumbling, easy read that eventually turned into a murder mystery. I wasn’t able to guess most of what was happening and there were some funny parts but it was annoying? at parts too.

[Yvette Yung · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story had a lot of potential as did the characters. Unfortunately, the dialogue felt forced and there were so many non sequiturs that it was hard to care about what was going on or even get the energy to continue picking it up to read.

[Lana Kamennof-sine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another well written book by Lesley Crewe. Another family filled with realistic characters, attitudes, personalities etc. All are caught up in the promise of hidden treasure they're told of by a relative who's returned to die in the home in which she lived.

[Ramona Jennex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Halifax and includes many landmarks which adds to the charm of this book.

[Glenda Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always humorous

[Christine]

I loved it, but then again I love all her books.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Second book by this author I have read. Enjoyed it but not as much as the Spoon Stealer. Great characters again!

[Cindy Su · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read. It was chock full of so many annoying, selfish, hateable characters, and also a couple of doormats. But even so, I still liked them, and the story was entertaining.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, witty, though formulaic, mystery novel. The sort of fluff that is just right to read on a snowy day.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an early Lesley Crewe and not as good as more recent ones. Felt contrived and unrealistic.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had more stars for this one! I loved the local setting and historical tidbits

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Both the storyline and characters were a bit too over-the-top wacky for my taste. I did persist to the end, but is was not a really enjoyable ride.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Lesley Crewe books and this was another entertaining read.
This story is about a complicated family,fortune and trying to figure out who you are.A fun,witty,mystery novel.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. So very funny. A joy to read.

[Jaye Latts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another lovely book: interesting characters, good setting, funny and heartbreaking, and heartwarming all at once.