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My Very Own Murder
A free-spirited divorcée, fifty-year-old Anne Johnson is enjoying her comfortable life in her luxurious Washington, D.C., apartment, until she hears a mysterious warning in her head that there will be a murder in her building in thirty days and enlists the assistance of Mary, the building's cleaning woman, to uncover the would be killer. By the author of The Dewey Decimal System of Love. Original.
258 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 2005
1 person is currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Josephine Carr
6 books7 followersThe first thing you ought to know about me is that I go by the nickname, Jody (and, yes, apparently my parents did name me after the character of Jody in The Yearling).
My Facts: Fast
I grew up in a suburb of Washington, D.C., until I was thirteen years old, when my father accepted a position with the Ford Foundation and I moved to Nairobi, Kenya. My first novel, intended for young adults, drew on my great passion for Kenya. (No Regrets, Dial, 1982). After two years attending Loreto Convent, I went to the College du Leman boarding school in Geneva, Switzerland.
I graduated from Mt. Holyoke College, then received my Master’s degree from Bryn Mawr College, both in the field of English Literature.
During graduate school, I married and had two children, Rachel and Daniel. After many years, the marriage ended in a spirit of friendship, and I made my new home in Washington, D.C. My parents, sister and brother live close by with their respective families. My daughter, Rachel, is a second year graduate student at Harvard, and my son, Daniel, is a junior at Yale.
My Philosophy: Fast
I truly consider myself a reader, first, and then a writer. Though, yes, it’s true that my career is as a fiction writer. Still, because reading is my first love (and we all know how powerful a first love can be!), I write to be read and my goal is to make the reading experience both pleasurable and shocking. That’s why I try to write funny. Laughing titillates and teaches, without a person really knowing that they’re being manipulated. My goal: to make you laugh and, thus, to manipulate you into seeing your world and your self with new eyes.
My Facts: Fast
I grew up in a suburb of Washington, D.C., until I was thirteen years old, when my father accepted a position with the Ford Foundation and I moved to Nairobi, Kenya. My first novel, intended for young adults, drew on my great passion for Kenya. (No Regrets, Dial, 1982). After two years attending Loreto Convent, I went to the College du Leman boarding school in Geneva, Switzerland.
I graduated from Mt. Holyoke College, then received my Master’s degree from Bryn Mawr College, both in the field of English Literature.
During graduate school, I married and had two children, Rachel and Daniel. After many years, the marriage ended in a spirit of friendship, and I made my new home in Washington, D.C. My parents, sister and brother live close by with their respective families. My daughter, Rachel, is a second year graduate student at Harvard, and my son, Daniel, is a junior at Yale.
My Philosophy: Fast
I truly consider myself a reader, first, and then a writer. Though, yes, it’s true that my career is as a fiction writer. Still, because reading is my first love (and we all know how powerful a first love can be!), I write to be read and my goal is to make the reading experience both pleasurable and shocking. That’s why I try to write funny. Laughing titillates and teaches, without a person really knowing that they’re being manipulated. My goal: to make you laugh and, thus, to manipulate you into seeing your world and your self with new eyes.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 28, 2021
Unexpectedly funny and charming! Anne is an unconventional heroine in this cozy mystery and she's surrounded by equally engaging characters.
Perfect weekend reading!
Perfect weekend reading!
May 25, 2022
Sweet little read. Much like a sitcom, absolutely loved the interactions with Mary. Loved their friendship, reminded me a lot of how my Mammaw and I talked to each other when she was still here.
“That had always been the problem with my marriage, of course. Its failure hadn’t been a failure to love Peter. I’d just failed to love myself.”
“That had always been the problem with my marriage, of course. Its failure hadn’t been a failure to love Peter. I’d just failed to love myself.”
March 4, 2018
So funny. It was just what I needed. I lent the book out and didn’t see it for years. Couldn’t remember the author or title but the feeling of the book stayed with me. I wanted to be invited to the party! Will re-read if I ever get the book back (friend sent a pic of the cover). She liked it too.
October 29, 2009
A nice bit of fluff interweaving romance and mystery.
Anne Johnson a newly divorced 50-something hears a voice telling her a murder will occur in 30 days and it is up to her to prevent it. What ensues describes her comical relationships with a housekeeper in her building (that becomes her best friend), her kids (with whom she has very frank discussions about sex), her ex-husband and the hot Russian that lives in her building.
I've also read Josephine Carr's The Dewey Decimal System of Love and found it lovely as well.
Amusing..enjoyable but not rocket science.
Anne Johnson a newly divorced 50-something hears a voice telling her a murder will occur in 30 days and it is up to her to prevent it. What ensues describes her comical relationships with a housekeeper in her building (that becomes her best friend), her kids (with whom she has very frank discussions about sex), her ex-husband and the hot Russian that lives in her building.
I've also read Josephine Carr's The Dewey Decimal System of Love and found it lovely as well.
Amusing..enjoyable but not rocket science.
August 12, 2013
Wonderful! It will surely be one of my favorite books of this year. I just wish Josephine Carr had written more books!!! This book, like her other The Dewey Decimal System of Love, is just so many things and indescribable. I couldn't put it down and wanted to just live in it forever! All her little details about food and colors and textures are there along with humor and sly bits about sex. Sigh, perfect!
April 15, 2017
the book is funny, but so much doesn't really make sense.
they have the party to sniff out the people in the building, sit together to compare notes and talk shortly about one guy. what about the rest?
Anne right away suspects one person, no clear reason why except that he isn't american. and what happened in the end with the night watchman?
they have the party to sniff out the people in the building, sit together to compare notes and talk shortly about one guy. what about the rest?
Anne right away suspects one person, no clear reason why except that he isn't american. and what happened in the end with the night watchman?
February 12, 2016
SUMMARY: When fifty-year-old, financially comfortable, newly-divorced Anne Johnson hears a voice in her head warning her that she must prevent a murder that will occur in her apartment building in 30 days, she confides in the building’s take-charge cleaning lady, who helps her plan a party to flush out the would-be killer. COMEMNTS: A fun and funny read
January 18, 2016
This was a weird book. I had fun reading it up until we figured out that Ivan was the murderer. After that, she met Paul and I started zoning out. I don't think he was very integral to the conclusion of the book. I will not be reading this book again but for a one time read it was fun.
December 7, 2016
You know when you are watching a scary movie and the actors do something stupid like go into the dark and you just want to yell: Don't go in there!! Well, I wanted to yell at the main character several times in this little book and say: Don't do that!!!
September 1, 2009
fluffy chick lit mystery comical housecleaning and food prep thrown in for good measure
January 9, 2011
Fun book, I laughed a lot.
January 30, 2011
DUD!!!!!!!!!!
May 23, 2013
I loved it. This is a laugh out loud book.
March 14, 2014
Not a fan, would not waste my time again!!!
September 28, 2015
Nice easy read. Keeps you wanting to know what will happen. Not an amazing, to-die-for read - but a nice story.
November 17, 2014
Very easy read….sounds like something you and your girlfriends would write over martini's. It's an okay book, wish there was more development around the crime, etc.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews