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A Jaine Austen Mystery #4
Shoes To Die For
Finding herself at her friend Lance's favorite boutique, freelance writer-turned-sleuth Jaine Austen gets a job writing the shop's new magazine ads, but when she arrives for work the next day, she finds one of the staff dead, stabbed in the neck by a stiletto. Reprint.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
108 people are currently reading
2040 people want to read
About the author
Laura Levine
58 books1,232 followersGrew 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).
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).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
May 4, 2024
Jaine Austen is back in all of her snarky, mystery solving glory. In this fourth book of the series, she’s gotten an advertising writing gig at a high-end department store—that has some quite interesting employees (the characters and hilarious writing make this series so much fun for me.) But when someone turns up dead, Jane has to figure out who would have had the most reason to kill them. And unfortunately, the suspect list is quite long. As always, cat Prozac steals the show and Jaine’s sassy LA lifestyle and diet denouncing inner monologue make for a quick fun read.
March 8, 2016
Anything ranging from flawed angst ridden masterpiece to slick novellas can garner 4/5 ratings. This book falls in the range of the latter. Especially considered that it's awfully short. I read it in less than a day. But it was really well written. However I was disappointed with the denouement and the subterfuge used by the writer - or rather, by the murderer. But the writing was never boring and humor and pacing were integral to the book's success. The trouble with cozies is that one can never get to grips about what makes a cozy really tick. You'll have to take my word for it that Shoes To Die for warrants sparing 7 hours of your time for reading it.
February 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -Library Book 📕
Book #4 in the Jaine Austen Series
How do you find out who the murderer is when everyone hated the victim? That’s Jaine’s dilemma in this book.
Book #4 in the Jaine Austen Series
How do you find out who the murderer is when everyone hated the victim? That’s Jaine’s dilemma in this book.
January 22, 2021
Maybe the start of a new cozy series for me!
I really enjoy the main character Jaine and the situations she got herself into. I did get tired of the constant I said this, wait no I didn't, I actually said this. I found that it would break up and distract me from whoever Jaine was talking to.
Also a great mystery with an ending/killer that I didn't see coming at all!
I really enjoy the main character Jaine and the situations she got herself into. I did get tired of the constant I said this, wait no I didn't, I actually said this. I found that it would break up and distract me from whoever Jaine was talking to.
Also a great mystery with an ending/killer that I didn't see coming at all!
September 6, 2024
My 85th birthday today and there are no two I would rather have spent it with than Jaine and Prozac!! My kids are in Denver and Chicago so they were not an option.
This is Book #4, and it has the same formula and humor as Book#20. This one is a backtrack for me, in paperback form - oh those tiny letters. One more book and a novella to go and I’ll be finished with the series. The library found these for me.
I didn’t like this one as well as some of the others, but it’s always a nice break from the heavier stuff.
Usual editing errors - California personal license plates can only have 7 letters/numbers. She made that mistake twice. A muddy brown La-Z-Boy turns into an oatmeal recliner a few pages later. The expression is hardy har har, not harty. These things drive me nuts.
This is Book #4, and it has the same formula and humor as Book#20. This one is a backtrack for me, in paperback form - oh those tiny letters. One more book and a novella to go and I’ll be finished with the series. The library found these for me.
I didn’t like this one as well as some of the others, but it’s always a nice break from the heavier stuff.
Usual editing errors - California personal license plates can only have 7 letters/numbers. She made that mistake twice. A muddy brown La-Z-Boy turns into an oatmeal recliner a few pages later. The expression is hardy har har, not harty. These things drive me nuts.
October 21, 2014
I keep thinking I like this series and then I select the next book and realize I don't really like the series or Jaine very much. I'm just tired of her always being out of money. I think there are other things she can do to supplement her income, but instead she stubbornly holds on to her first love, writing. Obviously, its not working out well for her. She's a flighty, yet intelligent woman. I'm not suggesting she give up her passion but become more practical and find other work instead of bemoaning her poverty. Its very tiresome.
I keep thinking I should swear off, but somehow I keep coming back only to be disappointed again.
I keep thinking I should swear off, but somehow I keep coming back only to be disappointed again.
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August 2, 2024Another fun cozy mystery I bought used to abandon in the cruise ship library.
August 20, 2015
https://justadreamer24.wordpress.com/...
This book was hilarious. Honestly I love the character Jaine. She is so funny. I will explain more about this in a bit but first lets talk about the actual mystery.
While the book is hilarious and the characters amazing, the actual plot is really good. From reading the reviews of this book and the synopsis it’s easy to disregard this book as a good mystery. When you actually read it, it’s actually a fantastic mystery.
You have Jaine investigating murder and the messes she gets into are so ridiculous but in a good way, yet it doesn’t take away from the mystery. I was so convinced it had been this one character as the killer, and I had a secondary character that I suspected. I was so excited that the two people I thought were the killers, one actually was!
Ok back to how hilarious this book is. Jaine is that typical “chick lit” romantic comedy clumsy girl who the guy always ends up falling for. Even though she is single and there’s not even a prospect for love. The dialogue from her character at one point or another we can all relate to.
I would totally recommend this book to anyone who likes chick lit, romantic comedies, or a good mystery with other great components.
Now I leave you with one of my favorite quotes from this book (Page 17).
“How am I supposed to get into this?” I asked, waving it out the dressing room door.
“It’s spandex,” Lance said. “It stretches.”
Somehow I managed to squeeze myself into it. And for the first time in my life I knew what it felt like to be a sausage.
This book was hilarious. Honestly I love the character Jaine. She is so funny. I will explain more about this in a bit but first lets talk about the actual mystery.
While the book is hilarious and the characters amazing, the actual plot is really good. From reading the reviews of this book and the synopsis it’s easy to disregard this book as a good mystery. When you actually read it, it’s actually a fantastic mystery.
You have Jaine investigating murder and the messes she gets into are so ridiculous but in a good way, yet it doesn’t take away from the mystery. I was so convinced it had been this one character as the killer, and I had a secondary character that I suspected. I was so excited that the two people I thought were the killers, one actually was!
Ok back to how hilarious this book is. Jaine is that typical “chick lit” romantic comedy clumsy girl who the guy always ends up falling for. Even though she is single and there’s not even a prospect for love. The dialogue from her character at one point or another we can all relate to.
I would totally recommend this book to anyone who likes chick lit, romantic comedies, or a good mystery with other great components.
Now I leave you with one of my favorite quotes from this book (Page 17).
“How am I supposed to get into this?” I asked, waving it out the dressing room door.
“It’s spandex,” Lance said. “It stretches.”
Somehow I managed to squeeze myself into it. And for the first time in my life I knew what it felt like to be a sausage.
July 17, 2010
Half the book is dedicated to the always hungry Jaine Austen scarfing down most fattening foods the author can think of, making the pattern of the comic situation a bit worn out by always having the same solution and joke...Jaine meets a hamburger she likes, decides she cant afford to gain even more weight, resolutely refuses the goods, but says the next moment that no, actually i ate the whole thing and ordered some fries too, yumyum...haha...very funny, but not that much by the fourth book, considering the same joke is displayed and least once in every chapter...
Sadly i had the feeling of knowing all the characters from this book and story lines that go with them, because they were quite unoriginal...if you are a mystery lover, you are left feeling- haven't i read this book already somewhere along the line?
Shortly- looking for a mindless funny read? This is it...
Sadly i had the feeling of knowing all the characters from this book and story lines that go with them, because they were quite unoriginal...if you are a mystery lover, you are left feeling- haven't i read this book already somewhere along the line?
Shortly- looking for a mindless funny read? This is it...
April 30, 2019
As far as cozies go - this is a pretty good series. A few laughs here and there, pop corn for the brain- what else can you ask for ??
August 10, 2016
SHOES TO DIE FOR
#4 in the Jaine Austen Series
-----------------------------
(Note: This series might be considered "fluff mystery" or "mystery-light." Each book can be read separately and out of order.)
Even though, as mentioned in previous reviews, the plot and jokes are somewhat recycled, I still enjoyed the book.
#4 in the Jaine Austen Series
-----------------------------
(Note: This series might be considered "fluff mystery" or "mystery-light." Each book can be read separately and out of order.)
Even though, as mentioned in previous reviews, the plot and jokes are somewhat recycled, I still enjoyed the book.
February 3, 2017
Another good book in the series, this time with Jaine getting involved in a murder at a boutique. I was happy with the identity of the victim and was surprised at who the murderer was. I like Jaine's personality and her parents are a hoot, I love their emails and hearing what misadventures of their own that they are having.
July 21, 2015
I LOVED this book but oh my gosh it made me HUNGRY! Our heroine, Jaine--Jaine Austen, hehe-- was always eating delicious food and I may have binge-ate the past two days while reading.
A wonderful mystery full of intrigue and hilarious shenanigans! And food!
A wonderful mystery full of intrigue and hilarious shenanigans! And food!
April 20, 2021
You can't go wrong with any of Laura Levine's books.
She will keep you laughing & on your toes of who did it.
She will keep you laughing & on your toes of who did it.
April 18, 2022
What a fun book with so many ‘laugh out loud’ moments! Great reader too!
September 14, 2022
Another creep bites the dust. Jaine really isn't the brightest tool in the shed . . . She keeps making the same mistakes over and over.
February 20, 2013
Frenchie (aka Giselle) is one of the worst employees one could ever have. She is stuck up and two-faced. So why would the owner of the fashion store, Passions had over her precious company to a quack like Frenchie? That is one of the questions Jaine Austen has to find out, along with who would be cruel enough to kill Frenchie by Stiletto heel.
I don't know why a person would dislike this series. Laura is quickly taking over my reading list and i dont mind it at all. Jaine is so funny in the book by saying she won't do something, but then doing it anyway, or saying something but then say she didn't say it, just sucking it up and being nice. Her parents are histerical too, with her dad being overly paranoid about everything and her mom threatening to divorce him, but then he somehow sweet-talks her and everything is all good. All of these books are a riot and they are guaranteed to make you laugh out loud--literally!
I don't know why a person would dislike this series. Laura is quickly taking over my reading list and i dont mind it at all. Jaine is so funny in the book by saying she won't do something, but then doing it anyway, or saying something but then say she didn't say it, just sucking it up and being nice. Her parents are histerical too, with her dad being overly paranoid about everything and her mom threatening to divorce him, but then he somehow sweet-talks her and everything is all good. All of these books are a riot and they are guaranteed to make you laugh out loud--literally!
May 8, 2009
Not wonderful by any means. I got about a third of the way through this book and decided it wasn't worth my time. I found the main character annoying, especially the way she would do or say something and then explain what she really did or said in that situation. She may have been realistic, with her lack of intelligence, lack of willpower and ambition, and inability to use money wisely. I'm sure there are a lot of people like her. But it really didn't make me want to see her succeed and solve the mystery. The writing is decent but the author leaves out chunks of time in an annoying way, and the repetitive references to the main character's Corolla and her frizzy hair and her cat's inattention to her, were all very grating.
July 14, 2014
Of course this is fluff, but I really enjoy fluff when my brain and heart need a break! And Laura Levine is a fun writer. The Jaine Austen mystery series is an entertaining set of murder capers set in La La Land--L.A., that is. The narrator, Jaine, is a size 8 or 10, which is terribly obese in L.A., and half the novel is made up of comments on her love of food and sarcastic observations on the behavioral quirks of not only those she meets but of herself as well. Frankly, what sells me on this series is that I hear my sister's voice in Jaine--sometimes to the point of making me wonder if she isn't secretly moonlighting as an author! This particular book focuses on the murder of a fashion sales assistant who is murdered with a stiletto heel to the jugular.
March 15, 2016
This entry in the Jaine Austen series is pretty good.
Jaine is broke, and out of work. She tries to get a job writing ad copy for a hoity toity boutique. She makes some progress, when the boutique is sold to a sales girl, who is a real jerk. The new owner pays the usual penalty for being a jerk in a cozy--Death--in this case by having a spiked heel of her own shoe stabbed through her neck.
A salesgirl friendly with Jaine is the primary suspect. She hires Jaine to investigate the murder, and the usual hi-jinx begin.
Some really funny passages, and a well constructed mystery make this one fun.
Jaine is broke, and out of work. She tries to get a job writing ad copy for a hoity toity boutique. She makes some progress, when the boutique is sold to a sales girl, who is a real jerk. The new owner pays the usual penalty for being a jerk in a cozy--Death--in this case by having a spiked heel of her own shoe stabbed through her neck.
A salesgirl friendly with Jaine is the primary suspect. She hires Jaine to investigate the murder, and the usual hi-jinx begin.
Some really funny passages, and a well constructed mystery make this one fun.
May 2, 2024
I keep reading the books in this series and keep giving them low ratings. However,
1. I inevitably laugh at some of the silly jokes.
2. The cat Prozac is starting to grow on me.
3. They’re mindless in a way that I find relaxing.
At the same time. I’m frustrated that the main character has incredibly low self-esteem and never seems to grow. She doesn’t always charge for her writing services and she continually puts herself down.
Still, I’ll probably pick up these books again when I’m craving the literary equivalent of junk food.
1. I inevitably laugh at some of the silly jokes.
2. The cat Prozac is starting to grow on me.
3. They’re mindless in a way that I find relaxing.
At the same time. I’m frustrated that the main character has incredibly low self-esteem and never seems to grow. She doesn’t always charge for her writing services and she continually puts herself down.
Still, I’ll probably pick up these books again when I’m craving the literary equivalent of junk food.
October 12, 2008
I liked these books at first, but after reading the series they are EXACTLY THE SAME. The only thing that changes are the character names. She even uses the same phrases and words. UGH. Disappointing cuz she actually has some wit and humor but it gets tiring reading the same jokes/catchphrases over and over. Oh, and it's also disgusting to read about her can licking it's privates all day long.
February 10, 2017
jaine austen books are cozy mystery books, funny & light hearted. in each of these books, the main character jaine takes investigation on side to solve the murders.
jaine has funny sense of humor. things i enjoy most in her books are her conversations with her pet cat Prozac, the emails from her parents & her love for food. these books makes for relaxing reads at times with laugh out loud dialogues & scenes.
jaine has funny sense of humor. things i enjoy most in her books are her conversations with her pet cat Prozac, the emails from her parents & her love for food. these books makes for relaxing reads at times with laugh out loud dialogues & scenes.
January 28, 2011
Jaine Austin is one of the most amusing characters to come out of a mystery series. A "regular" person who would rather eat Mc Donald's or Kentucky fried Chicken instead of giving in to the world of "thin is in!" This character is written with humor but always gets the culprit, not without a little action. Ms. levine makes you want to read her books! Well done.
August 7, 2015
This is a perfect beach book. Light, entertaining and funny. The solution to the mystery is very contrived, hence the three stars. I do enjoy the emails between Jaine and her parents. Prozac the cat is also a favorite.
June 11, 2019
Amusing, but tiresome. Too much repetitious self-deprecation...no money, fast food, her full figure. A few funny lines ala Stephanie Plum series. It didn’t help that I figured out the who early on, but not the why. I’m also not a fan of the author’s writing style.
December 16, 2008
This was an enjoyable popcorn read. I wasn't surprised by the killer, but I still enoyed the journey.
September 3, 2013
I absolutely love these books and can not get enough! I cant wait to read the next one!
March 16, 2016
I really enjoy this series. This is the second one I listened to on audiobook and I really like the narration.
February 9, 2017
Cute, nothing new. Good mindless book when sick.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews