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Jane Jeffry #9
Fear of Frying
Suburban Chicago widow Jane Jeffry hates cooking, but loves food. She can't think of a worse fate than a rustic outing in a Wisconsin resort where she discovers a corpse, seemingly bludgeoned by a frying pan. When the body disappears and the "victim" reappears, Jane sets out to find out what's going on in this wacky wilderness wonderland.
256 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1997
2 people are currently reading
304 people want to read
About the author
Jill Churchill
42 books199 followersA pseudonym used by Janice Young Brooks.
Jill Churchill, winner of the Agatha and Macavity Mystery Readers Awards, and nominated for an Anthony for her best-selling Jane Jeffry series, lives as Jane does, in a midwestern suburb. On purpose! She says writing this series and the Grace and Favor series is the best treat she can have without a knife and fork.
Under her real name, Janice Young Brooks, and various pseudonyms, she's written historical novels, a gothic novel, and a history textbook as well as many articles for newspapers and magazines. When she's not writing, she's avidly doing genealogy which she says is a lot like mysteries with all the red herrings, clues, speculations, and surprises.
She gardens enthusiastically, needlepoints superbly, and plays a mean game of gin against the computer. She has a son and daughter and two granddaughters, Rose Louise and Emma. Janice is currently in a battle of supremacy with her cat Max.
Jill Churchill, winner of the Agatha and Macavity Mystery Readers Awards, and nominated for an Anthony for her best-selling Jane Jeffry series, lives as Jane does, in a midwestern suburb. On purpose! She says writing this series and the Grace and Favor series is the best treat she can have without a knife and fork.
Under her real name, Janice Young Brooks, and various pseudonyms, she's written historical novels, a gothic novel, and a history textbook as well as many articles for newspapers and magazines. When she's not writing, she's avidly doing genealogy which she says is a lot like mysteries with all the red herrings, clues, speculations, and surprises.
She gardens enthusiastically, needlepoints superbly, and plays a mean game of gin against the computer. She has a son and daughter and two granddaughters, Rose Louise and Emma. Janice is currently in a battle of supremacy with her cat Max.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
January 6, 2023
Another winner in the series, with a clever plot and Good Lines and thoughts from Jane and Shelley.
You can tell what an impression these have made on me by the fact I remember the main characters' names instead of resorting to Our Heroine. I read a boatload of these things and so often the characters in the various series are pretty much interchangable-- even the ones I like. Jane and Shelley are standouts.
You can tell what an impression these have made on me by the fact I remember the main characters' names instead of resorting to Our Heroine. I read a boatload of these things and so often the characters in the various series are pretty much interchangable-- even the ones I like. Jane and Shelley are standouts.
March 20, 2023
I enjoy the Jane Jeffry series but this one was a tad short of being a 4 star read. I will give it 4 stars on my GR page only because they don’t allow quarter stars.
Jane and her friend Shelley leave Chicago for a weekend in Wisconsin to visit a possible summer camp for kids. A motley cast of characters find themselves involved in a murder where the victim reappears alive. Or is he?
I gave it 3.75 stars as they who and why got a little confusing. It was like there were too many red herrings and they all got jumbled together. I will continue the series. I admit I have not read this series in the intended order and maybe that is a detriment but I read as I come across the books. It is an older series and the books are hard to find.
Jane and her friend Shelley leave Chicago for a weekend in Wisconsin to visit a possible summer camp for kids. A motley cast of characters find themselves involved in a murder where the victim reappears alive. Or is he?
I gave it 3.75 stars as they who and why got a little confusing. It was like there were too many red herrings and they all got jumbled together. I will continue the series. I admit I have not read this series in the intended order and maybe that is a detriment but I read as I come across the books. It is an older series and the books are hard to find.
September 27, 2023
Every book in this series offers multiple reasons to read them and smile. This one is no exception.
Jane Jeffry, a single mom to three kids, one of whom is away at college, is in Wisconsin with her friend, Shelley. The school board has tasked them with examining a nature resort that students could visit during the year as an on-site learning facility. The owners are eager to show off the amenities.
The place seems like a paradise. Ok, so the only electric plug in the Jane/Shelley cabin is in the bathroom. The place is quaint and initially paradisical. But strange things begin to happen, and Jane finds herself liking the place less and less. Shelley finds the body of one of their fellow visitors, and it looked like someone had beaten him to death with a frying pan. Then, the body disappears, and the dead guy seems to come back from the dead with a nasty case of amnesia. Naturally, Jane and Shelley investigate.
I love this series because of its humor. Jane is a wonderful down-to-Earth person who understands all too well the difficulties of raising kids without a dad and an income that would have made her comfortable. But she handles it all with grace and humor, and you’ll find lots of reasons to smile even when you’re reading a book where someone dies.
Jane Jeffry, a single mom to three kids, one of whom is away at college, is in Wisconsin with her friend, Shelley. The school board has tasked them with examining a nature resort that students could visit during the year as an on-site learning facility. The owners are eager to show off the amenities.
The place seems like a paradise. Ok, so the only electric plug in the Jane/Shelley cabin is in the bathroom. The place is quaint and initially paradisical. But strange things begin to happen, and Jane finds herself liking the place less and less. Shelley finds the body of one of their fellow visitors, and it looked like someone had beaten him to death with a frying pan. Then, the body disappears, and the dead guy seems to come back from the dead with a nasty case of amnesia. Naturally, Jane and Shelley investigate.
I love this series because of its humor. Jane is a wonderful down-to-Earth person who understands all too well the difficulties of raising kids without a dad and an income that would have made her comfortable. But she handles it all with grace and humor, and you’ll find lots of reasons to smile even when you’re reading a book where someone dies.
February 27, 2018
The beginning of this book was slow for me, but it picked up by the middle. I enjoyed the story, although I did not connect well with Jane or Shelley. I couldn't seem to identify with one over the other and, at times, got them mixed up. I also did not find a good connection with the title. In fact, other than an remote reference when the body was found, there was NO connection.
May 17, 2018
This series just keeps getting better!
October 21, 2021
Very fun read. This honestly took me only a few days to read and I didn't have to use any brain power to read it. If you're looking for something serious, don't read it.
June 29, 2019
I thought I had read all the Jane Jeffry mysteries, but found this comparatively early one that I don't remember. Jane and her friend Shelly join a school/town committee to investigate contracting with a remote resort to use as a site for high school students to learn about nature. They find the resort is beautiful, but strange things happen there, working up to the murder of one of the committee members. The two friends find the body, which then disappears. When the "dead" man reappears, claiming amnesia, everyone thinks Jane and Shelly are hysterical, but readers know better. What explanation can there be? The plot is not too credible, but it does include Jane and Shelly at their amusing best.
August 7, 2017
A trip to check out a summer camp leads to an adventure. Jane and her neighbor Shelley are not very comfortable in the woods but are even more uncomfortable after they find a body. It's anyone's guess who did it. The isolation makes it certain that it is one of their committee members. Who could it be? Read the book and find out
March 11, 2025
I randomly picked this up in a used bookstore, never heard of these stories or this author. What an absolutely fantastic little read. I really appreciated how the book was about 200 pages, I completely breezed through it. It was a great story, love the main characters. It was a real pleasant surprise. Definitely going back to that book store and picking up the other stories!!
December 28, 2024
Really entertaining book. It has some twists and turns which seem uncharacteristic for this other. Plot and storyline were fun. Characters were interesting as well. A little bit of suspense at the end. This seems like one of her better books. Highly recommend.
March 6, 2020
An okay cozy. I may read one or two more but doubt if I’ll read the whole series. But then, it may grow on me too!
December 6, 2021
always love outdoor settings
Read
June 22, 2023mystery, chick, no sex
August 14, 2025
I enjoy the friendship of the two women.
March 24, 2017
Love her books!
November 11, 2013
For a light and quick weekend read, Jill Churchill's Fear of Frying fit the bill. For those of you unfamiliar with Churchill's Jane Jeffrys series (of which this is the ninth installment), amateur sleuth Jane is a single mother who likes to cook and/or eat, and has a detective boyfriend (a no-show in this story) and a best friend named Shelley. Despite the title, Jane doesn't do much cooking here, though it does give a hint with regards to the murder weapon of choice.
Along with various other people in their social circle (including two car dealership execs and their wives, a high school principal and her complacent husband), Jane and Shelley volunteer to spend a few days to evaluate Camp Sunshine, a wilderness resort which owner Benson Titus hopes to contract to the area school district for summer programs. Shades of Allan Sherman's "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah" are evident during this trip as a bit of heavy rain spoils the atmosphere for Jane and Shelley, but not so much as the lifeless body of car dealership owner Sam Claypool which they discover lying by a doused campfire.
When Sam turns up alive later that evening, and the rest of their working vacation is marred by environmental activists, a washed-out bridge leading to freedom and a grumpy sheriff, Jane and Shelley are hardly happy campers. All the same, it's fun to read. I hated camp, I sympathize entirely.
Fear of Frying may be predictable for some, but as a cozy read it works: I enjoyed being introduced to Jane and Shelley and hope to become more familiar with them in the future. They play off each other with good humor, they seem like real people and their ability to rely upon observation rather than blatant snooping is reminiscent of Christie's Miss Marple. A good read to take to the beach.
Along with various other people in their social circle (including two car dealership execs and their wives, a high school principal and her complacent husband), Jane and Shelley volunteer to spend a few days to evaluate Camp Sunshine, a wilderness resort which owner Benson Titus hopes to contract to the area school district for summer programs. Shades of Allan Sherman's "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah" are evident during this trip as a bit of heavy rain spoils the atmosphere for Jane and Shelley, but not so much as the lifeless body of car dealership owner Sam Claypool which they discover lying by a doused campfire.
When Sam turns up alive later that evening, and the rest of their working vacation is marred by environmental activists, a washed-out bridge leading to freedom and a grumpy sheriff, Jane and Shelley are hardly happy campers. All the same, it's fun to read. I hated camp, I sympathize entirely.
Fear of Frying may be predictable for some, but as a cozy read it works: I enjoyed being introduced to Jane and Shelley and hope to become more familiar with them in the future. They play off each other with good humor, they seem like real people and their ability to rely upon observation rather than blatant snooping is reminiscent of Christie's Miss Marple. A good read to take to the beach.
August 21, 2009
Reviewers had made comparisons to Agatha Christie, but I didn’t get that from this book. This is the ninth book in the series, I havent read the others but I found this book to be bo-ring!
Jane and her gal pal are off for a pseudo-vacation in the wilderness...Only they are with the school board to help determine if this conference center will be a good place to send their kids. There are classes and food and naps and that’s the excitement of it all (seriously). Jane and her friend do discover a body on a rainy night, but of course the body isn’t there when they lead the police to the remote part of the camp. They feel like fools when their dead body appears the next day alive and alert. How could this man be alive?
Jane and Shelley work with the sheriff to discover the whodunits of it all, but this novel just didn’t progress fast enough and the characters weren’t likeable.
Jane and her gal pal are off for a pseudo-vacation in the wilderness...Only they are with the school board to help determine if this conference center will be a good place to send their kids. There are classes and food and naps and that’s the excitement of it all (seriously). Jane and her friend do discover a body on a rainy night, but of course the body isn’t there when they lead the police to the remote part of the camp. They feel like fools when their dead body appears the next day alive and alert. How could this man be alive?
Jane and Shelley work with the sheriff to discover the whodunits of it all, but this novel just didn’t progress fast enough and the characters weren’t likeable.
November 12, 2016
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
January 22, 2011
Each book in a cozy mystery series usually has a theme and the theme of Fear of Frying was summer camp. Having been a camp counselor in my youth, this was of particular interest to me and I wasn't disappointed with the treatment it was given. Fear of Frying veered away from the series usual format, instead focusing on Jane and Shelley and leaving the usual supporting characters behind. While necessary for the theme of the novel to be realistic, the lack of familiar interaction made Fear of Frying a little less engaging then the other books in the series. As with all the Jane Jeffry mysteries, Fear of Frying was a fluffy, fast bit of fun.
January 6, 2009
The 9th book in the Jane Jeffry Mystery Series.
This was a good one! It seems that when I feel the series is starting to get a little stale - the next book in line changes my mind and I get all excited about the books again.
In this one Jane and Shelly go on a camping trip in the Wisconsin woods. Jane finds one of the guests murdered at the camp fire with a frying pan - but when she comes back with help the victim is gone and nobody believes Jane.
When I think of the books for this series this one is always on the top of my list for "the gems".
This was a good one! It seems that when I feel the series is starting to get a little stale - the next book in line changes my mind and I get all excited about the books again.
In this one Jane and Shelly go on a camping trip in the Wisconsin woods. Jane finds one of the guests murdered at the camp fire with a frying pan - but when she comes back with help the victim is gone and nobody believes Jane.
When I think of the books for this series this one is always on the top of my list for "the gems".
February 3, 2009
I just tried to read this one, as I loved the title & was looking for some light/ funny reading material. However, Churchill's writing style and technique made me think of the old "Dick and Jane" readers. Maybe I'll try it another time, but chapter 1 was as much time as I was willing to give this one last night.
August 11, 2010
I like cozy mysteries, but this one came across as too cutesy for me. This is the nineth installment in an award-winning series and I have no desire to read the first eight, based on my boredom with this novel.
I see many other readers enjoy it so I'm glad this author found her audience. Excuse me for wandering into the group.
I see many other readers enjoy it so I'm glad this author found her audience. Excuse me for wandering into the group.
June 1, 2015
Jane Jeffry and her friend Shelly travel to a wilderness camp with the local school board to see if their program would be beneficial to the students in their town. Things begin to go wrong the very first night when Jane and Shelly find a body but then the "body" turns up alive the next day. This was a good story and one I have missed in this series.
January 8, 2011
Jane and Shelly go to check out a potential summer camp and find a corpse, which disappears and turns up alive later. They come across as crazy - imagine. So they try to solve the situation before anyone actually ends up dead, and of course someone does and it's just strange.
March 20, 2012
This is a Jane Jeffry mystery and was not quite up to the usual quality. The ending was a little vague and some parts were not tied up as usual, but the story was good and the friends solved the mystery as usual. What fun they have together!
December 25, 2013
This spine-chilling thriller is a bestseller for people who like crime stories.
This book is for sale on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171200943356?...
This book is for sale on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171200943356?...
September 11, 2014
i don't like Jane Jeffrey or her sidekick. don't know why i bother with this series. generally i don't, but sometimes i poick one up and i am never pleasantly surprised. all of the whining about the weather, the rain, the cold. two women i wouldn't enjoy spending time with.
June 14, 2007
This was a quick and easy read. There were no big themes or morals -- just a fluffy mystery. I enjoyed it.
July 28, 2008
Easy, relaxing, and fun to read with another of her clever titles. Don't expect a philosophically deep investigation of anything. It's just a good read.
August 15, 2008
Fun but predictable
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews