Murder Has Nine Lives

A Jaine Austen Mystery #14

by Laura Levine

“I’m crazy about Laura Levine’s mystery series. Her books are so outrageously funny, they always make me laugh out loud.”
—Joanne Fluke

Freelance writer Jaine Austen has a new job, a tropical vacation on the horizon, and her cat Prozac is slated to star in a major commercial. But when the claws come out behind the scenes, murder is the only thing to meow about . . .

When Jaine’s cat Prozac is tapped to star in a Skinny Kitty commercial, Jaine never would have guessed the world of cat food could be so, well, catty. Nervous about the finicky furball’s diva nature, Jaine is pleasantly surprised—if not in stunned disbelief—at the sight of Prozac eating and napping on cue like a seasoned pro. But just as Jaine begins dreaming of fame and fortune, Skinny Kitty’s inventor drops dead on the set. Everyone is a suspect—including Jaine. And she’ll have to get her paws on the truth before the killer takes a swipe at another victim . . .

“Levine’s charming heroine is right on target.” — Kirkus Reviews

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Humor, Fiction, Chick Lit, Audiobook

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 28, 2016

About the author

Grew up in Brooklyn, New York, back when mastodons (and Edsels) still roamed the earth.

Education: Barnard College

First job: Reporter/photographer at a newspaper so small, we had our photos developed in the local camera shop.

Advertising claim to fame: I created Count Chocula and Frankenberry cereals for General Mills.

TV gets invented, and I get a job as a sitcom writer, turning out scripts for shows like The Bob Newhart Show, Three’s Company, Laverne & Shirley, The Love Boat, The Jeffersons, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.

Current (and favorite) incarnation: Author of Jaine Austen mysteries.

Marital status: Wedded blissfully to business journalist Mark Lacter (aka Mr. Hubby), whose insightful coverage of the Los Angeles business scene can be checked daily at http://www.laobserved.com/biz/

Favorite authors: COMEDY: Joe Keenan. MYSTERY: Agatha Christie. SERIOUS STUFF: Anne Tyler.

Hobbies: Reading, swimming, gardening, and lots of walks (mainly to the refrigerator).

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

In MURDER HAS NINE LIVES, Prozac, Jaine’s manipulative and hilarious cat, lands a role in a commercial for diet cat food. Things are going okay despite Prozac’s attitude, until someone on set samples the cat food and it turns out to be poisoned. As Jaine was on set at the time, she is named as a suspect. Further complicating Jaine’s life is a date with the nephew of Toiletmasters—the company she’s been hired to write more ads for. He seems dreamy… until their date begins. I always enjoy the books in this series for their lighthearted humor.

[Regina the Constant Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -Audiobook 🎧

This one had me in tears. Her dates with her bosses nephew were pure comedy.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always such fun to get back to visiting Jaine and her hyper cat, Prozac. Not to mention getting involved (via email!) in the crazy antics of her dad, and the trials and tribulations of her very patient mom. As is the case in most of this series, Jaine's big break didn't quite pan out, thanks to a murder. Instead she ends up in the middle of figuring out who done it. One of these days (hopefully) something big will happen for her; but, in the meantime, it's fun to go along for the ride. I breezed right through this one - a painless and easy read.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 14th Jaine Austen mystery is like a "Snickers bar--smooth and yummy on the surface, totally nuts inside." Readers familiar with the wacky series get the usual dose of Jaine's crazy life in L.A. with her cat Prozac, friends Lance & Kandi, and propensity to get involved with murders. Readers new to the series will get a wild ride with lots of laughs + a dose of murder mystery. Both a freelance writer & part-time semiprofessional pi, Jaine (and Prozac) get involved after being approached by an animal agent for a role in an upcoming commercial for "Skinny Kitty" diet cat food. As readers know, Prozac inhales her minced mackerel guts food, so Jaine is seeing $$s after learning the ad pays $5,000. She's also  commissioned by the Toiletmaster folks to pen a brochure for their new Touch-Me-Not toilet, and agreed to a date with the sexy nephew of plumber boss. She truly lives la vita loca, a crazy life, so don't expect everything to go smoothly.
 
The craziness continues on the set for the commercial when a murder occurs. Of course, Jaine is alone with Prozac, sans alibi. When the homicide detectives tell her not to leave town, Jaine starts her usual sleuthing so she doesn't miss a trip to Hawaii with her parents. Much hilarity ensues. Suspects abound, from the scorned wife to the scorned mistress, a former partner, a sketchy agent, drunk director, abused cousin & dogsbody, even the food stylist! What's not to like about a woman (& her mom) who practices Oreo therapy & can eat 2-3 donuts?! While Jaine may not always have her priorities straight, she does always make you laugh and gets her man (or woman) while doing so.

Another witty romp from comedy writer Laura Levine, with lots of wacky suspects, crazy situations & laughs. Well written, with ample laughs, zany characters who keep readers turning pages. Readers can pick up any one of Ms. Levine's novels in the series, including Murder has 9 Lives, with no problem--not necessary to read them in order. I recommend both this book as well as the entire series to cozy mystery readers who enjoy something quirky & different.

Many thanks to Kensington House publishers and netgalley for providing me with a copy of Murder has Nine Lives in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

[Zyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

just lovely as always <3

[C-shaw · Rating 1 out of 5]

A library book by an author I've never heard of, just caught my eye because of the cover art. It's really pretty silly and the author doesn't seem as if she knows a thing about cats.
* * * * *
This is a stupid book! Don't waste your time.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading a book by the talented Laura Levine is always such a pleasure. It's like Christmas and Halloween all wrapped up together. There is never a doubt that when I open the cover ( or open it on my kindle) that I will be laughing all the way through.
I have been reading cozy mysteries for at least 30 years and I have never found another author/character combo quite like the team of Levine/Austin! Her writing style is truly amazing and I can never resist picking up one of her books, it's pure enjoyment each and every time.
This book finds Jaine still plugging away at writing ads for Toiletmasters, still receiving laugh out loud emails from her larger than life parents, and of course, still searching for Mr. Right.
Big news is that Prozac is auditioning for a Skinny Kitty commercial and Jaine is already spending the money! Things never go as planned for Jaine, so of course when there is a murder, it's up to Jaine to dig deep and do what she does best! Not only is she up to her elbows in parental drama, there is a new love interest on the horizon, he seems as lovable as a teddy bear.

Join Jaine and the gang in this hysterical story, you won't be disappointed!

I received an Arc of this book from the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review. All thoughts on this book are my own.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This latest entry in the Jaine Austin series is a real hoot.

Prozac, Jaine's cat, is "discovered" for a cat food commercial. Of course, nothing goes quite right, and there is a murder. Jaine has to catch the culprit, if only to clear her own name. All of the suspects are crazy nut jobs.

Meanwhile, one her clients set her up with his nephew, who is even loonier.

All this plus the latest carryings-on of her parents make this a fun, quick read.

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Jaine’s cat Prozac lands a part in a cat food commercial, Jaine is already spending her money. However, on the day of the shoot, Dean, the creator of the cat food, dies after eating some. Jaine had witnessed his bad behavior first hand, but the police consider everyone there a suspect. Desperate to clear her name, Jaine begins investigating. Who poisoned the cat food?

This series is dependable for it’s light look at murder, and this book is no exception. The characters are a little out there, but they fit the tone of the book perfectly. The plot is strong with plenty of viable suspects and shifting motive, which kept me turning pages. And a couple of sub-plots pack in the laughs.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never heard of this author before, but the book came in to our library as a McNaughton bestseller, and it had a cat on the cover, and the "detective" was named Jaine Austen, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Am I ever glad I did! I was sucked in by the author's wonderfully humorous writing right from the first page. I didn't care what the story was, because I was so enjoying her writing. I love how she describes her cat Prozac, and her blind date, and the cast of peculiar characters/suspects. Hilarious! It wasn't really much of a mystery, but I nevertheless hated to see it end, and right away wanted to read another one of Levine's books. If you like humor and cats and mysteries, this is the book for you. Highly recommended!!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun easy read.

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Laura Levine does it again in this latest addition to her Jaine Austen Mysteries!

I don’t know how author Levine manages to keep this long running series fresh, but she does just that. After only one chapter into MURDER HAS NINE LIVES and I was laughing so hard I snorted! It’s not surprising since Ms. Levine has been a cause of my laughter since her days as a writer for TV with such shows as Laverne & Shirley, The Bob Newhart Show, and The Love Boat just to name a few.

Kitty Prozac and her owner (more like her person), Jaine, are at their hysterical best in this sixteenth installment of the Jaine Austen Mysteries. As with the other books in this series, MURDER HAS NINE LIVES is a superbly written tail . . . I mean, tale that is packed full of mystery, hilarity, and feline hijinx. Every time I tried to sit this book down, I read on last sentence, and was pulled back in again. As I wiped away tears of laughter, I tried to solve the whodunit in this story, only to be foiled at the reveal. Wow!

Catnip for humans, MURDER HAS NINE LIVES gets five paws up from me!

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been awhile since I read a Janie Austin's story. As usual, I found a relaxing and funny tale. Prozac is on the verge of becoming a star in cat commercials. At the shoot, the developer of the food is murdered while eating food that had been sprayed with Raid. Prozac chance of stardom is gone. Prozac becomes depressed and Janie spends her time trying to get back her cat This story has a number of twists and turns to confuse you. I missed the clues and the ending came as a surprise.

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Kensington Books through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Lauren Enser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the humor of this book a lot!! The plot was eh. It could have been 50 pages shorter and kept my attention for the entire time - instead, parts dragged. I truly laughed out loud at Jim. I look forward to reading more from the series, when I want a good laugh!!

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jaine Austen makes her living writing ads for businesses. Her most lucrative customer is Toiletmasters. And with the new no touch flush toilet on the way, the future seems to be bright.

When her cat Prozac is chosen to star in a commercial for a new cat food, life is looking even better.

Of course, she still must deal with the regular emails from her Mother and Father in Florida. This time her Father is in training for a Scrabble contest. He is determined to win at any cost. He even has a lucky hat.

There is also her neighbor Lance, a man who seems determined to one up Jaine. He believes he can make his dog Mamie a bigger star than Prozac and is willing to do anything to prove it.

Even with the distractions, things seem to be moving along smoothly. Smoothly, until there is a murder at the commercial shoot. The inventor of the new cat food, a man of little charm and a great deal of mean is poisoned. He was eating the cat food at the time.

Everyone at the shoot is a suspect. That is not good, Jaine has the chance to take a tropical cruise with her parents. Which means when the police told her to not leave town, she realized she would have to solve this mystery herself.

There are many people with motives for murder. The problem will be staying alive while Jaine tries to find the right guilty party.

Ms Levine is a terrific author. With every Jaine Austen book, she finds new ways to make me laugh out loud. Her descriptions of Prozac are absolutely on the mark. Anyone who has shared life with a cat is aware that they know what we say, what we think and how to mess with our minds. And they do that all without getting a whisker out of place.

The mystery is well done. The characters are terrific, as always. In other words, this is a fun cozy mystery. If you have not had the pleasure of reading a Jaine Austen mystery, you should give it a shot. Though this is a part of a series, this book can be a stand alone and the reader will not get lost.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley in the hope that I would write a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery is decent enough, in which Jaine Austen, an advertising copy writer currently surviving by plugging bathroom furniture, gets a chance for her independent minded cat Prozac to star. Prozac looks pretty and loves the new brand of cat food, so an agent spots potential and invites Jaine to bring Prozac for an audition.

I had not read any of the previous books. If you have, you may be interested in the series of running e-mails from Jaine's parents about a cruise they are about to take and their board games. I wasn't. They just came across as padding and sometimes as an attempt to force laughter... but I'd stopped reading them anyway. As I say, opinions will vary.

We learn the tricks of commercials for television including the unpalatable truth about the food you see - carrots sprayed with hairspray to make them shine, or a chicken partly cooked to stay plump and dyed a roast chicken colour. Among all this it's not that odd that someone dies of poisoning. Jaine, a suspect like everyone else in the studio, does her best to prove she didn't have reason to do it and to find the real culprit. Given all the falsity and rivalries, that might be difficult.
Prozac performs like a trouper!

I downloaded a review copy from Net Galley.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jaine Austen is a writer/part-time, semiprofessional private investigator. She has a one-eyed ball of white fur known as Prozac the cat! Prozac gets invited to a casting for a "Skinny Cat" food commercial. That's when all the fun begins! Of course there is a murder and a cast of zany characters, along with funny dialogue and crazy situations! Author Laura Levine has a great sense of humor and hilarious comebacks like, "Twenty bucks for an ice cream cone? Over my dead fudge ripple!" The scene that stole my heart and had me laughing uncontrollably was when Jaine went out on a date with the plumber's nephew. I don't want to give away any of the fun of such a great date. You MUST read this book to find out what happened. Laura Levine is hilarious! She has some of the funniest, most unconventional plots that I have ever read. Her dialogue is sharp and witty. Sit back with Murder Has Nine Lives and prepare to be totally entertained.
This book will be published on June 28, 2016. The advance galley was provided by its publisher, Kensington, in exchange for a honest review.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Laura Levine's books. They are my cheer-me-up and comfort read. I do however get a little bored of the same jokes when it comes to Prozac, the same jokes about Jaines' thighs and her Cuckoo for Coco Pops top (doesn't she have any other t-shirts?). Levine has started to write fresher material in the last few books concerning Jaine's dating life so use those fresh ideas on the characters too. Because these characters are great and funny and don't deserve to become a formulaic plot in the cozy mystery genre.

I also really enjoyed the date with Jim (& Arnold) which was something I really wasn't expecting and made me laugh out loud every time Jaine interacted with them. I also enjoy her parents emails although they have become somewhat of a running gag too. Perhaps a spin-off series with them or a novella of their holiday in Hawaii?

All in all I finish these books really quickly and it is never a struggle for me to read to them.

[Becky Burciaga · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky cozy mystery that is riddled with sarcastic wry humor and a feline, Prozac, who truly embodies the overall kitty mystique. Jaine Austen is not your typical writer in L. A., she seems to have a habit of becoming embroiled in the craziest of murders. The author has brought to life a cast of zany characters in a quick, easy, feel good, make you laugh read. I truly enjoyed Prozac and her thoughts...being s cat lover myself, I could actually imagine her thinking those exact thoughts during the crazy that raged around her.

This book was provided by Netgalley for my honest review.

[Jami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series & their covers.... I read them all as soon as I can...very easy read & cute. Jaine seems to be getting a bit too 1 dimensional over time, however.... maybe too dim-witted or naive? Overall though, a pleasurable read & looking forward to more.

[Linden · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a book that is trying very hard to be funny--too hard as far as I'm concerned. Jaine's date with the weird plumber who talked through his teddy bear, her father in Florida's determination to win a Scrabble tournament by eating more pickles...none of it worked for me.

[Thomas Bruso · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is another zany, fun read. I love Levine's books. People say laughter is the best medicine. I think laugh-loud-out books like Levine's madcap Jaine Austen & Prozac Mysteries are the best remedy for feeling good. Read them all!

[Bobbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t get enough of this series. Always funny and always a good cozy mystery.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hilarious adventure of Jaine Austen!

[Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Schu · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have always liked the Jaine Austen mysteries but as with many cozy mysteries (that I've read), it's lost its something that made it fun and special. And, the self deprecating behavior of the main character has become wearisome. I don't think Jaine has evolved as a person and I would have liked to seen more of that with her character. I don't know if I'll read anymore of this particular series as my ratings have dropped a lot over the years.

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 2 out of 5]

At the beginning of the book I thought I had found a new cozy mystery series to follow. As it turns out, I was mistaken.

[Carlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book: 3/5
Audiobook: 5/5

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another crazy adventure! What a fun read

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laugh out loud funny

These books never disappoint. I love the writing style. Jaine is such a fun character and if she didn’t have bad luck she wouldn’t have any. The situations in this book were so funny.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Fuzzypants here:
OMC! We've read a couple of tough books lately so it is such a delight to read something that makes us laugh out loud. Or Meow out Loud in my case. Laura Levine has the touch.
I love her Jaine Austen series and I especially love the queen of snark, Prozac. She has developed catitude to a fine art. So when this story revolved around her brief flirtation with fame and fortune, it was a total pleasure.
Prozac is talent-scouted at the vet and is signed to do a cat food commercial. Since she is a hairy Hoover when it comes to food, she's a natural. However, when the crew on the shoot insult her, she reverts to form and gets fired on the spot.
Dejected and depressed, Jaine worries about her mental health and tries everything to bring back the tyrant- er, kitty- that she loves. Oh yes, she also tries to figure out who killed the inventor of the cat food.
There is no shortage of suspects and Janie stumbles her way through them until she finds the culprit. In typical Jaine fashion, she makes her discovery just in time to put herself in mortal danger.
It is a fine line for authors to write truly bizarre but funny characters without becoming groan inspiring. This series never fails to please.
I give this book five purrs and two paws up.
By the way, Prozac has the last laugh. Purrrrrrrr.