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Party Planning #1
How to Host a Killer Party
Don't let murder crash your party.
Presley Parker was just happy to get her party planning business off the ground. Now she's gotten the gig of the year, planning Mayor Davin Green's sumptuous "surprise" wedding for his socialite fiancée, to be held on Alcatraz.
But when the bride is found floating in the bay and the original party planner is found murdered, Presley becomes the prime suspect. If the attractive crime scene cleaner, Brad Matthews, doesn't help her tidy her reputation, she'll be exchanging her formal wear for prison stripes...
Presley Parker was just happy to get her party planning business off the ground. Now she's gotten the gig of the year, planning Mayor Davin Green's sumptuous "surprise" wedding for his socialite fiancée, to be held on Alcatraz.
But when the bride is found floating in the bay and the original party planner is found murdered, Presley becomes the prime suspect. If the attractive crime scene cleaner, Brad Matthews, doesn't help her tidy her reputation, she'll be exchanging her formal wear for prison stripes...
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 2, 2010
6 people are currently reading
1705 people want to read
About the author
Penny Warner
141 books137 followersPenny Warner is an award-winning author of over sixty books, including DEAD BODY LANGUAGE mystery series (Macavity winner), HOW TO HOST A KILLER PARTY series, and the upcoming Food Festival series. Her middle-grade mystery, THE CODE BUSTERS CLUB, won the Agatha Award for Best Children's Mystery.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
October 30, 2017
3.5 The first in the Party Planning mystery series. This cozy is a fun and quick read. I like the setting of Treasure Island just a boat ride from San Francisco.
Presley Parker is an event planner and owner of Killer Parties. She is planning a surprise wedding for Mayor Davin Green and his unsuspecting beautiful socialite fiancée, Ikea Takeda. The party will take place on Alcatraz Island. In the prison. Everyone who’s anyone will be there. Everything starts out well until the mayor pops the question to Ikea while everyone waits expectantly for the gushing yes. She says no and runs to catch the next boat off the island. Every well-planned party can have mishaps. Ikea turns up dead in the water and Presley is the #1 suspect. An even paced case as Presley tries to clear her name and find the real killer. The cast of characters is great and party planning tips at the beginning of each chapter is fun.
Presley Parker is an event planner and owner of Killer Parties. She is planning a surprise wedding for Mayor Davin Green and his unsuspecting beautiful socialite fiancée, Ikea Takeda. The party will take place on Alcatraz Island. In the prison. Everyone who’s anyone will be there. Everything starts out well until the mayor pops the question to Ikea while everyone waits expectantly for the gushing yes. She says no and runs to catch the next boat off the island. Every well-planned party can have mishaps. Ikea turns up dead in the water and Presley is the #1 suspect. An even paced case as Presley tries to clear her name and find the real killer. The cast of characters is great and party planning tips at the beginning of each chapter is fun.
February 4, 2018
A wonderful start to a great series.
After Presley Parker gets fired, she starts a party planning business on Treasure Island in San Francisco. Her mother was big in the business back in the day.
Presley gets her first big break when the mayor asks her to plan a party on Alcatraz, where he plans to ask a woman to marry him.
Bad idea.
The fiancee is murdered, and a number of other murders follow. To keep her business and herself alive, Presley has to find the killer.
Penny Warner is one of the most underrated authors of cozy mysteries.
After Presley Parker gets fired, she starts a party planning business on Treasure Island in San Francisco. Her mother was big in the business back in the day.
Presley gets her first big break when the mayor asks her to plan a party on Alcatraz, where he plans to ask a woman to marry him.
Bad idea.
The fiancee is murdered, and a number of other murders follow. To keep her business and herself alive, Presley has to find the killer.
Penny Warner is one of the most underrated authors of cozy mysteries.
June 1, 2020
3.5 stars. Good first entry in the series. I liked the characters and the San Francisco setting was fun. I caught on to the culprit just a hair before Presley. #readforkimberly
April 8, 2010
Ok, this will be the weirdest review ever. I really disliked this book and almost quit reading it twice. The heroine is so aggravating and ditsy she should never be allowed to go anywhere alone - and certainly not driving. She would think things like, "oh that girl from that movie who went into the basement with all the lights out is too stupid to live" but then she would do and say whatever popped up in her non-filtered little mind and trust me, it was stupid. Other than the way she treated her facility-based aging mother, I absolutely couldn't stand her.
The problem was that I wanted to find out whodunit. There certainly were fresh ideas (she's a party-planner, regardless of what she wants to be called) and a physical setting (Treasure Island, CA)I had never heard of before. Other than her mother, the secondary cast and crew weren't all that well-developed but played their slap-stick parts just fine. I knew Brad wasn't what he seemed but he seemed cute to me so I forced myself to keep reading.
So how do I give a book 4 stars when I disliked so much about it? I don't know, I just felt the storyline was worth 4 and the writing style was nice;I just won't read any further into the series. I may see if Penny writes anything else before I put her on my "drop-author" list however Party-Planner Mysteries is going on my "drop series" list right away.
The problem was that I wanted to find out whodunit. There certainly were fresh ideas (she's a party-planner, regardless of what she wants to be called) and a physical setting (Treasure Island, CA)I had never heard of before. Other than her mother, the secondary cast and crew weren't all that well-developed but played their slap-stick parts just fine. I knew Brad wasn't what he seemed but he seemed cute to me so I forced myself to keep reading.
So how do I give a book 4 stars when I disliked so much about it? I don't know, I just felt the storyline was worth 4 and the writing style was nice;I just won't read any further into the series. I may see if Penny writes anything else before I put her on my "drop-author" list however Party-Planner Mysteries is going on my "drop series" list right away.
October 15, 2010
Posted at: http://oh-my-books.blogspot.com/2010/09/...
A surprise party, Alcatraz and a murder...
Presley is just starting as a party planner and all of the sudden she's planning one of the most important parties ever, Mayor David Green's surprise wedding. If this party goes as planned, she will be the most famous party planner in the city! But of course, parties never goes as planned.
The bride is dead, and everyone thinks she did it. When the Detective doesn't believe her, she starts her own investigation, looking for the murderer. After all, this may be just like one of those Murder-Mystery Parties.
Presley. the protagonist, is fun and fresh. I'm not sure about her age, but she sounds young and happy with herself. I liked that even being a suspect, she didn't get depressed or "I'm too stupid to think". She is independent, intelligent and sometimes acts a little immature. She's also a psychologist and likes to evaluate everyone, even herself and her cats. It was easy to relate with her, mainly because of the lack of description about her, but also because she loves chocolates and cats, and who doesn't love at least one of them?
The secondary characters were acceptable. Maybe a little bit more about them could have been better, but they were nice. My favorites were the mother, and Brad, the cute guy/maybe a cop/maybe a suspect. I'm hoping more of these two in the next book, and a little bit more romance. They would be a cute couple.
It was fun and easy to read; and I was suspicious of everyone. They all seemed to have a possible motive, and even while sometimes I was very sure about who was the murderer, I didn't have a clue of why or how. Of course the cops didn't seem to be doing a good work finding this murderer, and I could have thought about a couple of other characters besides Presley to be the principal suspect...but it worked for the plot.
I also enjoyed the Party Planning tips you can find at the beginning of every chapter, and at the end of the book.
As my first cozy mystery, I loved it. I'm going to keep reading this series.
A surprise party, Alcatraz and a murder...
Presley is just starting as a party planner and all of the sudden she's planning one of the most important parties ever, Mayor David Green's surprise wedding. If this party goes as planned, she will be the most famous party planner in the city! But of course, parties never goes as planned.
The bride is dead, and everyone thinks she did it. When the Detective doesn't believe her, she starts her own investigation, looking for the murderer. After all, this may be just like one of those Murder-Mystery Parties.
Presley. the protagonist, is fun and fresh. I'm not sure about her age, but she sounds young and happy with herself. I liked that even being a suspect, she didn't get depressed or "I'm too stupid to think". She is independent, intelligent and sometimes acts a little immature. She's also a psychologist and likes to evaluate everyone, even herself and her cats. It was easy to relate with her, mainly because of the lack of description about her, but also because she loves chocolates and cats, and who doesn't love at least one of them?
The secondary characters were acceptable. Maybe a little bit more about them could have been better, but they were nice. My favorites were the mother, and Brad, the cute guy/maybe a cop/maybe a suspect. I'm hoping more of these two in the next book, and a little bit more romance. They would be a cute couple.
It was fun and easy to read; and I was suspicious of everyone. They all seemed to have a possible motive, and even while sometimes I was very sure about who was the murderer, I didn't have a clue of why or how. Of course the cops didn't seem to be doing a good work finding this murderer, and I could have thought about a couple of other characters besides Presley to be the principal suspect...but it worked for the plot.
I also enjoyed the Party Planning tips you can find at the beginning of every chapter, and at the end of the book.
As my first cozy mystery, I loved it. I'm going to keep reading this series.
September 16, 2010
What a breath of fresh air for the cozy mystery genre!
It was such a pleasure getting to know Presley Parker, Event Planner and owner of Killer Parties, in San Fransisco.
When the mayor hires Presley to host a suprise wedding for his fiance, Ikea Takeda, things go wrong when the bride to be washes up dead in the bay.
Having had numerous people attending the party, Presley turns into the number one suspect, so she uses her party planning skills to catch the murderer. Things dont always go well for Presley, and she finds herself in some sticky situations to catch the real killer.
Bottom line: I really enjoyed this book! Presley is a very cute character. Shes surrounded by an eccentric group of friends and co-workers that help her out along the way. Its fun how Presley pre-thinks her current situations by remembering scenes from old movies. Even though I guessed the killer extremely early on, (hey im getting pretty good at this) the plot moved quickly, and the reveal scene was action packed. I liked how the clues were sprinkled throughout the book, which helped me confirm my guess.
I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series, and hope the author contiues to write them!"
It was such a pleasure getting to know Presley Parker, Event Planner and owner of Killer Parties, in San Fransisco.
When the mayor hires Presley to host a suprise wedding for his fiance, Ikea Takeda, things go wrong when the bride to be washes up dead in the bay.
Having had numerous people attending the party, Presley turns into the number one suspect, so she uses her party planning skills to catch the murderer. Things dont always go well for Presley, and she finds herself in some sticky situations to catch the real killer.
Bottom line: I really enjoyed this book! Presley is a very cute character. Shes surrounded by an eccentric group of friends and co-workers that help her out along the way. Its fun how Presley pre-thinks her current situations by remembering scenes from old movies. Even though I guessed the killer extremely early on, (hey im getting pretty good at this) the plot moved quickly, and the reveal scene was action packed. I liked how the clues were sprinkled throughout the book, which helped me confirm my guess.
I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series, and hope the author contiues to write them!"
July 26, 2020
Presley is a party planner (I mean event coordinator!) who also has ADHD. She was laid off at her prior job in the psych department at the U of San Fran. She has a habit of diagnosing people. Her mom, who now has dementia, was a successful party planner, so Presley hopes to take up the reins. She gets a chance hosting the mayor's surprise wedding....at Alcatraz. Things don't go as planned and there are 2 dead bodies and Presley is considered a suspect.
I did like this. I was interested and the who-done-it was good, as was the motivations behind it. But, Presley came off as a ditz. Did I mention she has ADHD & she taught psych? Sometimes when a character says something stupid/wrong/pick your poison, it makes them more relate-able. Not so much with Presley. The secondary characters were fun.
Will I read the next and rest in series? Nah. (And did you know Presley was a psych major..... and has ADHD? The reminders constantly got old. Fast.)
I read this for Romance-opoly Sleuth Street moon track
I did like this. I was interested and the who-done-it was good, as was the motivations behind it. But, Presley came off as a ditz. Did I mention she has ADHD & she taught psych? Sometimes when a character says something stupid/wrong/pick your poison, it makes them more relate-able. Not so much with Presley. The secondary characters were fun.
Will I read the next and rest in series? Nah. (And did you know Presley was a psych major..... and has ADHD? The reminders constantly got old. Fast.)
I read this for Romance-opoly Sleuth Street moon track
January 31, 2011
This book was a fine debut to what, hopefully, becomes a long-lived series. The humor, plot, unusual characters, and locations were an instant draw to me. Having lived on Treasure Island during it's Navy/Marine Corps days, I was intrigued by the facts of history that the novel pulled out and thought the Island has become far more interesting than during my 'tour.'
Event Planner, Presley is the type of gal ready to try anything once. She even attempts a Mayoral wedding on Alcatraz...
My attention was caught just reading the wedding 'surprise at that,' invitations. I was laughing away. This is a book that if I list much more will give away the best parts and I want you to discover the book by yourselves...so...
I'm off to "How to Crash a Killer Bash" in my future TBR pile
Event Planner, Presley is the type of gal ready to try anything once. She even attempts a Mayoral wedding on Alcatraz...
My attention was caught just reading the wedding 'surprise at that,' invitations. I was laughing away. This is a book that if I list much more will give away the best parts and I want you to discover the book by yourselves...so...
I'm off to "How to Crash a Killer Bash" in my future TBR pile
March 27, 2010
I found this book to be annoying. The main character is a psychology professor turned party planner. She psycho-analyzes all the other characters in the book, assigning various mental illnesses. And everything she herself did was because she had ADHD. Maybe it's because I know annoying people who do this in real life, but it just rubbed me the wrong way.
December 14, 2015
Started out slow, but picked up steam as it went along. A murder at a party on Alcatraz. How'd Presley get caught up in the whole thing!
August 17, 2019
The premise of the book was what caught my eye first. The protaganist's career choice was really interesting. Most of the murder mysteries in the market tend to be in the F&B industry, like bakers or coffee shop owners or chefs (or at least, the murder mysteries I've read). The location the book was set in (Treasure Island and Alcatraz) was also really interesting.
The book started out okay and I was sufficiently intrigued that I continued reading past the first chapter but I have been more excited by other book series. But as I read on, I really started to dislike the protaganist who came across as really ditzy and a person doesn't really use her brain. Examples of her stupidity:
- Presley had noticed that Chloe, the administrative assistant, was wearing a luxury brand shoe (can't recall the brand now, maybe Louboutins or Blahniks?) and earlier, Presley had remarked that she didn't think Chloe was earning that much in the mayor's office. Why didn't she question that??? Sure, she notices these details but what's the point if she doesn't put them together?
- As a former psychology professor, you might think that she has a better grasp on evaluating the suspects. She only remarked on what she saw and didn't give any insights past what most people would be able to very easily discern. She noticed that Chloe seemed very protectivr of the mayor, suspiciously so in fact, but didn't elaborate on that point past that.
- She took the earring from the cache and kept it on her. The one piece of evidence that if found on her could paint her in a very negative, and guilty, light.
I also felt like there were a couple plot holes that were poorly covered up. Examples:
- The reason Chloe had to kill Andi was really flimsy
- In the whoooole city of New York, there isn't another party planner other than one with a very good reputation and another who started her business literally months ago. Who thinks, "I'm going to hire a party planner who started her business a couple months ago and has only ever done kids parties and get her to organise my surprise wedding. Oh, her mother was the city's top party planner back in the day so that autonatically means she inherited that party planning gene."
- She couldn't have planned such a large scale party with that skeleton crew and on such short notice.
- She heard some sounds outside her apartment and slept under her bed that night but it was never mentioned again. Was it Brad who was just checking on her? Was it Chloe who wanted to kill her? Who knows??? Maybe the last part where Chloe actually broke in, she could have said something like, "I tried coming over to do the job the other day but I got bored shugfling around outside so I skeedaddled."
- How did Chloe get into Presley's place without a sound. I didn't see any indication that Chloe could have any lock picking skills.
- She never got back to the governer (I think). Not a big deal but it's a loose end that bothers me a little.
Another thing was that all the "suspects" had really over dramatised suspicious reasons to kill Ikea and Andi, which I guess is kinda in line with the murder mystery party theme, but it was so absolutely tacky (and don't even get me started about the tackiness of a crime themed party on Alcatraz that's supposed to be a fund raiser that hosts the city's top people argh)
Lastly, all the side characters were not well rounded characters.
Maybe it was because I just finished another series that was very well written and I'm comparing them too much but overall, I felt like the story progressed rather clunkily. I get that the author was dropping hints for reader to latch onto but the hints were more like boulders being thrown into a small lake than little wisps of smoke that teased your brain. Unlike the previous series I had read (it's the white house chef series btw), I was screaming that Chloe was the murderer the entire time. After I figured it out, I was basically just speed reading through the book to get to the end to prove myself right. Maybe if I hadn't just finished the white house chef series, I would have enjoyed this more but I couldn't help but compare the two. Either way, throughtout the entire book, I was just really confused because I didn't believe how a trained psychologist (albeit one specialising in abnormal psychology) couldn't pick up on the floodlights-like glaring clues.
(Apologies for poor formatting and not hiding the spoilers. I'm on mobile and I have never really written a review before. I just had so many complains about it that I couldn't keep it in. Didn't mean for it to be so long but once I got started, it just all started spewing out of me. I would have given it 1 star but it might appeal to readers who want a very simple frou frou murder mystery yhat doesn't make you question everyone in your life)
The book started out okay and I was sufficiently intrigued that I continued reading past the first chapter but I have been more excited by other book series. But as I read on, I really started to dislike the protaganist who came across as really ditzy and a person doesn't really use her brain. Examples of her stupidity:
- Presley had noticed that Chloe, the administrative assistant, was wearing a luxury brand shoe (can't recall the brand now, maybe Louboutins or Blahniks?) and earlier, Presley had remarked that she didn't think Chloe was earning that much in the mayor's office. Why didn't she question that??? Sure, she notices these details but what's the point if she doesn't put them together?
- As a former psychology professor, you might think that she has a better grasp on evaluating the suspects. She only remarked on what she saw and didn't give any insights past what most people would be able to very easily discern. She noticed that Chloe seemed very protectivr of the mayor, suspiciously so in fact, but didn't elaborate on that point past that.
- She took the earring from the cache and kept it on her. The one piece of evidence that if found on her could paint her in a very negative, and guilty, light.
I also felt like there were a couple plot holes that were poorly covered up. Examples:
- The reason Chloe had to kill Andi was really flimsy
- In the whoooole city of New York, there isn't another party planner other than one with a very good reputation and another who started her business literally months ago. Who thinks, "I'm going to hire a party planner who started her business a couple months ago and has only ever done kids parties and get her to organise my surprise wedding. Oh, her mother was the city's top party planner back in the day so that autonatically means she inherited that party planning gene."
- She couldn't have planned such a large scale party with that skeleton crew and on such short notice.
- She heard some sounds outside her apartment and slept under her bed that night but it was never mentioned again. Was it Brad who was just checking on her? Was it Chloe who wanted to kill her? Who knows??? Maybe the last part where Chloe actually broke in, she could have said something like, "I tried coming over to do the job the other day but I got bored shugfling around outside so I skeedaddled."
- How did Chloe get into Presley's place without a sound. I didn't see any indication that Chloe could have any lock picking skills.
- She never got back to the governer (I think). Not a big deal but it's a loose end that bothers me a little.
Another thing was that all the "suspects" had really over dramatised suspicious reasons to kill Ikea and Andi, which I guess is kinda in line with the murder mystery party theme, but it was so absolutely tacky (and don't even get me started about the tackiness of a crime themed party on Alcatraz that's supposed to be a fund raiser that hosts the city's top people argh)
Lastly, all the side characters were not well rounded characters.
Maybe it was because I just finished another series that was very well written and I'm comparing them too much but overall, I felt like the story progressed rather clunkily. I get that the author was dropping hints for reader to latch onto but the hints were more like boulders being thrown into a small lake than little wisps of smoke that teased your brain. Unlike the previous series I had read (it's the white house chef series btw), I was screaming that Chloe was the murderer the entire time. After I figured it out, I was basically just speed reading through the book to get to the end to prove myself right. Maybe if I hadn't just finished the white house chef series, I would have enjoyed this more but I couldn't help but compare the two. Either way, throughtout the entire book, I was just really confused because I didn't believe how a trained psychologist (albeit one specialising in abnormal psychology) couldn't pick up on the floodlights-like glaring clues.
(Apologies for poor formatting and not hiding the spoilers. I'm on mobile and I have never really written a review before. I just had so many complains about it that I couldn't keep it in. Didn't mean for it to be so long but once I got started, it just all started spewing out of me. I would have given it 1 star but it might appeal to readers who want a very simple frou frou murder mystery yhat doesn't make you question everyone in your life)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2019
Presley Parker is a psychologist-turned-event planner. When she got the gig to plan Mayor Green’s suprise party-slash-wedding, she ends up being the Number One Suspect in the murder of the future bride. And Presley can't afford to go to prison because it'll hurt her reputation, as well as her finances. So what’s a girl to do? She starts investigating the murder, with and without the help of Brad Matthews, the mysterious (but hot) crime scene cleaner.
This is the first cozy mystery I've read on event planning, recommended by Goodreads as I was browsing through the "cozy mystery" category. I thought event planning was cool, but event planners had it rough because of their demanding clientele. Presley is not immune to that, especially that she needs the high-end jobs to keep her struggling business afloat. And it didn’t help that she was a murder suspect.
The atmosphere is strange. I feel like I was reading a dark cozy mystery, a “noir cozy”, if I were to be more creative. This book doesn’t feel like the usual cozy mystery title where it’s brighter and more of a comfort read than a regular mystery book. You have the grave mental issues out in the open, for one. And it’s just like the entire setting feels like noir, so I’m reminded of the California hard-boiled private detective stories. Is that strangeness a liability? No, because the grit makes the book stand out than its cozy companions. It also has a humor of its own. The plot is serious, but engaging. I felt sympathetic towards the real murderer; the motive is very personal and I was able to relate to why there was a need for the commission of the crime.
Presley Parker is an interesting and quirky character, surrounded by people who are as interesting and quirky as her. A psychologist by profession, she always sees things through that perspective. And she had it going rough because of certain issues she's facing in her life at the present, not to mention that she becomes the prime suspect in a high-profile murder case. Like my feelings for the book, I neither like her so much nor do I dislike her. She's an odd duck that I can't place; the book gives little about her, so she's a mystery as well. The "meet cute" with Brad Matthews was weird because of his job as a crime scene cleaner.
This is a really quirky and weird cozy mystery that stands out and is underrated at the same time.
This is the first cozy mystery I've read on event planning, recommended by Goodreads as I was browsing through the "cozy mystery" category. I thought event planning was cool, but event planners had it rough because of their demanding clientele. Presley is not immune to that, especially that she needs the high-end jobs to keep her struggling business afloat. And it didn’t help that she was a murder suspect.
The atmosphere is strange. I feel like I was reading a dark cozy mystery, a “noir cozy”, if I were to be more creative. This book doesn’t feel like the usual cozy mystery title where it’s brighter and more of a comfort read than a regular mystery book. You have the grave mental issues out in the open, for one. And it’s just like the entire setting feels like noir, so I’m reminded of the California hard-boiled private detective stories. Is that strangeness a liability? No, because the grit makes the book stand out than its cozy companions. It also has a humor of its own. The plot is serious, but engaging. I felt sympathetic towards the real murderer; the motive is very personal and I was able to relate to why there was a need for the commission of the crime.
Presley Parker is an interesting and quirky character, surrounded by people who are as interesting and quirky as her. A psychologist by profession, she always sees things through that perspective. And she had it going rough because of certain issues she's facing in her life at the present, not to mention that she becomes the prime suspect in a high-profile murder case. Like my feelings for the book, I neither like her so much nor do I dislike her. She's an odd duck that I can't place; the book gives little about her, so she's a mystery as well. The "meet cute" with Brad Matthews was weird because of his job as a crime scene cleaner.
This is a really quirky and weird cozy mystery that stands out and is underrated at the same time.
January 17, 2020
Pres is happy to get her business off the ground even if she is begining with small time kids parties. Then she gets the gig of the year planning Mayor Davin Green's wedding for is socialite fiancee, to be held at Alcatraz.
This was a surprise wedding and everyone had a big surprise when the bride to be washes up on shore after fleeing her own wedding. Presley the wedding planner becones the #1 suspect and while she does not think she will look good in a orange jumpsuit the dective on the case seems ready to measure her, Presley decides to solve the murder before they come for her and with the aid of her team of fellow Treasure Island misfit and a new crime scene cleaner guy who just seemed to be around a lot they set out to find and catch a killer.
This was a surprise wedding and everyone had a big surprise when the bride to be washes up on shore after fleeing her own wedding. Presley the wedding planner becones the #1 suspect and while she does not think she will look good in a orange jumpsuit the dective on the case seems ready to measure her, Presley decides to solve the murder before they come for her and with the aid of her team of fellow Treasure Island misfit and a new crime scene cleaner guy who just seemed to be around a lot they set out to find and catch a killer.
October 24, 2023
SUPER predictable, but I didn't know the MO. It was fun finding out why the killer did it. A fun ride with a fun main character.
June 6, 2010
Last January Booking Through Thursday asked for our recommendations of "favorite unknown" authors. I posted about Penny Warner and quickly received a lovely response from her with an offer to review her newest book, How to Host a Killer Party. I was even invited to the launch party which I attended and came home with bookmarks and other fun stuff. So please go into this review knowing that I am a fan who carried my review copy around as if it were glued to my hand for the week I was reading it.
In How to Host a Killer Party, Warner introduces a new sleuth, Presley Parker, a party planner who lives and works out of Treasure Island. Her first big event is the crime themed wedding of the San Francisco mayor, staged on Alcatraz. Unfortunately for Presley the girlfriend and then the original event planner are murdered.
Even if I hadn't been a fan of Penny Warner's, I would have wanted to read this for a number of reasons. First and foremost: my experience with event planning. Secondly, the location: it's set in and about San Francisco. Finally, the genre: it is a cozy mystery, a favorite genre of mine.
My grandmother worked as a wedding coordinator. It was a job she sort of fell into. As she was also my primary care provider after school while my parents worked, I fell into being her assistant. So starting off a new mystery series with a wedding reception gone completely wrong gave me a personal connection making the book all the more special. As it turns out Penny Warner, when she's not writing, she works as an event planner (doing more than just weddings). Her experience comes through in How to Host a Killer Party.
Next is the location: San Francisco. It's not San Francisco as viewed by an outsider (Fisherman's Warf, Golden Gate Bridge and Sauselito as a neighborhood). Instead, it's San Francisco from an insider: Treasure Island, San Francisco State, and Sauselito being a city in North Bay). Although the mayor in the book is fictional, anyone who's familiar with the City's politics will nod along and snicker. Likewise, Treasure island's history and current revival is there making me want to plan a drive out there.
Finally there's genre. I like all sorts of mysteries but the cozies are lovely to curl up with or read in snatches. I did both with this book: carrying it in my purse to read whenever I could and enjoy a chapter before bed.
As it turns out, the second book in the series is coming out in August. I plan to treat myself to a copy of How to Crash a Killer Bash for my birthday.
I received a signed copy from the author for review but I would have bought a copy anyway.
In How to Host a Killer Party, Warner introduces a new sleuth, Presley Parker, a party planner who lives and works out of Treasure Island. Her first big event is the crime themed wedding of the San Francisco mayor, staged on Alcatraz. Unfortunately for Presley the girlfriend and then the original event planner are murdered.
Even if I hadn't been a fan of Penny Warner's, I would have wanted to read this for a number of reasons. First and foremost: my experience with event planning. Secondly, the location: it's set in and about San Francisco. Finally, the genre: it is a cozy mystery, a favorite genre of mine.
My grandmother worked as a wedding coordinator. It was a job she sort of fell into. As she was also my primary care provider after school while my parents worked, I fell into being her assistant. So starting off a new mystery series with a wedding reception gone completely wrong gave me a personal connection making the book all the more special. As it turns out Penny Warner, when she's not writing, she works as an event planner (doing more than just weddings). Her experience comes through in How to Host a Killer Party.
Next is the location: San Francisco. It's not San Francisco as viewed by an outsider (Fisherman's Warf, Golden Gate Bridge and Sauselito as a neighborhood). Instead, it's San Francisco from an insider: Treasure Island, San Francisco State, and Sauselito being a city in North Bay). Although the mayor in the book is fictional, anyone who's familiar with the City's politics will nod along and snicker. Likewise, Treasure island's history and current revival is there making me want to plan a drive out there.
Finally there's genre. I like all sorts of mysteries but the cozies are lovely to curl up with or read in snatches. I did both with this book: carrying it in my purse to read whenever I could and enjoy a chapter before bed.
As it turns out, the second book in the series is coming out in August. I plan to treat myself to a copy of How to Crash a Killer Bash for my birthday.
I received a signed copy from the author for review but I would have bought a copy anyway.
February 23, 2014
Since I like cozies, I'm used to reckless heroines, it is almost a prerequisite. However, they are usually just reckless with their own safety, but not in this case. After the first incident I was about ready to give up on the book. After the second, I stuck around just to see how bad it would get.
There were some good things in the book. I liked learning a bit about geocaching. And the comparing hosting a party to finding a murder bit was interesting. But on the whole, I think I will give the rest of this series a miss.
There were some good things in the book. I liked learning a bit about geocaching. And the comparing hosting a party to finding a murder bit was interesting. But on the whole, I think I will give the rest of this series a miss.
January 24, 2012
When it comes to cozy mystery with 1st person narrative, the key, for me personally, is that I have to at least like the main character so that I want to follow her sleuthing journey. Unfortunately, I find Presley Parker to be ANNOYING AS HELL!!!
Not only she tries to diagnose everyone she meets, she hides evidence from the police, she tries to get the answer by saying "I'm trying to help the police find out who might have had a reason to harm the victim". WTF?! Pretentious and arrogant much?!?
There is this one scene where she sneaks in as a reporter and tries to ask question of motives to the Mayor, which makes me want to knock her in the head. I feel like she justifies her actions because "she has ADHD". Yeah. Not! She's judgey and she's manipulative (she fakes an invitation using another character's identity in order to "catch" the killer, hmph!!) ... let's just say that I pretty much skim the rest of the story (while silently wishing that she becomes the victim) and be done with it.
Definitely NOT going to read the rest of the series for sure.
Not only she tries to diagnose everyone she meets, she hides evidence from the police, she tries to get the answer by saying "I'm trying to help the police find out who might have had a reason to harm the victim". WTF?! Pretentious and arrogant much?!?
There is this one scene where she sneaks in as a reporter and tries to ask question of motives to the Mayor, which makes me want to knock her in the head. I feel like she justifies her actions because "she has ADHD". Yeah. Not! She's judgey and she's manipulative (she fakes an invitation using another character's identity in order to "catch" the killer, hmph!!) ... let's just say that I pretty much skim the rest of the story (while silently wishing that she becomes the victim) and be done with it.
Definitely NOT going to read the rest of the series for sure.
March 1, 2011
This is the first of a new series.
Presley is getting her business off the ground as a party planner. She was downsized at the university and her mother is in a care center with Alzheimers. She has had to downsize her lifestyle, but things are starting to look up when the Mayor has her throwning a combination fundraiser/surprise wedding for him and his fiance at Alcatraz. Everything seems to be going okay. Her help has it all set up, the guests have all arrived and everyone is just waiting for the lucky couple to arrive. They arrive, but its obvious they have been fighting. When the mayot says its a surprise wedding for them, the bride is furious and takes off. No one can find her so they assume that she's caught a boat back to the mainland... The next day there is a couple of surprises in the wing. A lot of possible suspects, a new man across the hall & more. I want to see how this new series grows.
Presley is getting her business off the ground as a party planner. She was downsized at the university and her mother is in a care center with Alzheimers. She has had to downsize her lifestyle, but things are starting to look up when the Mayor has her throwning a combination fundraiser/surprise wedding for him and his fiance at Alcatraz. Everything seems to be going okay. Her help has it all set up, the guests have all arrived and everyone is just waiting for the lucky couple to arrive. They arrive, but its obvious they have been fighting. When the mayot says its a surprise wedding for them, the bride is furious and takes off. No one can find her so they assume that she's caught a boat back to the mainland... The next day there is a couple of surprises in the wing. A lot of possible suspects, a new man across the hall & more. I want to see how this new series grows.
May 23, 2011
Penny Warner sure knows how to make you feel you are there. Does that make sense? Alcatras seems as creepy as it really is. The history she brings in is very interesting. I felt like I was living on Treasure Island. If those of you don't know what TI is it is made a man made island attached to Yurba Buena Island in the middle of San Francisco Bay with the Bay Bridge connecting it to Oakland and SF.
The party planner has a crazy mom with Alzheimers and thinks she is still in high society. Someone killed the fiancee of the mayor of SF and another party planner. Now who ever it is is coming after our heroine. Is it the new guy who was at the party on Alcatraz and then rents an office in the same building as our planner? Is it the chocolate chef who is missing? By the books end everything is neatly wrapped up. Next party with murder at the DeYoung Museum.
The party planner has a crazy mom with Alzheimers and thinks she is still in high society. Someone killed the fiancee of the mayor of SF and another party planner. Now who ever it is is coming after our heroine. Is it the new guy who was at the party on Alcatraz and then rents an office in the same building as our planner? Is it the chocolate chef who is missing? By the books end everything is neatly wrapped up. Next party with murder at the DeYoung Museum.
November 23, 2015
Presley Parker is an event planner. She gets a big career break when she is asked to plan a "surprise" wedding for the mayor of San Francisco at a party held on Alcatraz. Unfortunately, the bride-to-be isn't interested, and she runs off. She is later found dead, floating in the bay. Then the original event planner also turns up dead, so Presley decides she has to find the killer, fearing that she might be accused of both murders. I picked up this book - along with book 2 in the series - because it was set in San Francisco. That's about the best part of the book. Presley suffers from ADHD, and so does the plot. Characters pop in and out, the victims are never investigated, and the real killer is rather obvious. Since I already have book 2, I will read it - but I certainly hope that the plot is improved. I'll let you know!
October 14, 2012
Penny Warner writes with life, energy and humor. Tongue set firmly in cheek, she takes us on an adventure around the City by the Bay. From Alcatraz to Treasure Island and throughout San Francisco, our protagonist, party & event planner Presley Parker, valiantly endeavors to catch a killer before she gets arrested as the prime suspect or, worse yet, becomes the next victim!
The book includes vivid characters, humor and enough action to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. This is NOT a grim, gritty mystery, this is a curl up with a good book and be entertained romp. ENJOY!
To read my interview with the author please see:
http://erikagardner.com/2012/10/12/lo...
The book includes vivid characters, humor and enough action to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. This is NOT a grim, gritty mystery, this is a curl up with a good book and be entertained romp. ENJOY!
To read my interview with the author please see:
http://erikagardner.com/2012/10/12/lo...
February 5, 2014
it was a fun read. I don't know if it was me or whether my mind was in tune with the author but from the early part of the book I was sure who was the killer.
Pros:
-I like Presley, she's likeable for me,
-I like the side characters, all the other people she shares office space
-mystery itself was enjoyable
-like the setting of San Francisco and getting to know more about the history
-like the premise of the story
Cons
-too much psychoanalyzing especially in the end
-ADHD is her reason for everything
-she's a little too out place sometimes that you just want to slap her on the head and say "get it together"
-side characters weren't used and developed
all in all it wasn't bad. I would read the next few books.
Pros:
-I like Presley, she's likeable for me,
-I like the side characters, all the other people she shares office space
-mystery itself was enjoyable
-like the setting of San Francisco and getting to know more about the history
-like the premise of the story
Cons
-too much psychoanalyzing especially in the end
-ADHD is her reason for everything
-she's a little too out place sometimes that you just want to slap her on the head and say "get it together"
-side characters weren't used and developed
all in all it wasn't bad. I would read the next few books.
December 28, 2011
Review also posted at The Wandering Fangirl.
I figured I could use some light, fun reading among all the ghost/dystopian books I've been reading, but I reeeeally picked wrong this time. I don't take my popcorn books as seriously as the others I read, so I give them a lot of leeway. But I got about halfway through How to Host a Killer Party and realized I didn't care about what was going on. It was cute, sure, and Presley Parker is a fun protagonist, but this is a case of the book just not being for me.
I figured I could use some light, fun reading among all the ghost/dystopian books I've been reading, but I reeeeally picked wrong this time. I don't take my popcorn books as seriously as the others I read, so I give them a lot of leeway. But I got about halfway through How to Host a Killer Party and realized I didn't care about what was going on. It was cute, sure, and Presley Parker is a fun protagonist, but this is a case of the book just not being for me.
February 10, 2013
What a great cozy read! It was a great afternoon read...
I enjoyed the premise of the story, the setting and the characters. I thought the idea of having a wedding at Alcatraz was a hoot, even though the idea of the bride going along with wedding (there) wasn't believable, especially it being a surprise. I also found the mystery interesting and it kept me guessing on who the guilty party was. Presley having ADHD truly explained certain things but after so many mentions of her hyper-activity got a little tedious. And as a parent of a child that has it, I can understand the hardship to calm down and relax. The possibility of a future romance between Presley and Brad was an added bonus.
I enjoyed the premise of the story, the setting and the characters. I thought the idea of having a wedding at Alcatraz was a hoot, even though the idea of the bride going along with wedding (there) wasn't believable, especially it being a surprise. I also found the mystery interesting and it kept me guessing on who the guilty party was. Presley having ADHD truly explained certain things but after so many mentions of her hyper-activity got a little tedious. And as a parent of a child that has it, I can understand the hardship to calm down and relax. The possibility of a future romance between Presley and Brad was an added bonus.
August 8, 2011
If the author had mentioned the main character had ADHD one more time, honestly I would have set fire to the book. The story itself was good, the plot interesting and the premise intrigued me but at the end, I didn't like the main character. Her habit of diagnosing everyone she met at the beginning of the story with some ab. psyche ailment turned me off and nothing that happened in the later half of the book could compensate. I don't think I'll be reading any of her other books in this series.
March 17, 2011
I totally relate to the heroine since my masters is in counseling from San Francisco State and I have one of those purple and gold sweatshirts!!!!! I haven't been to Alcatraz but just 50 pages in on the bus ride home and I'm thinking it's time to play tourist and go.
Totally fun reads. If you live in San Francisco you can easily imagine where the scenes are happening; if you haven't been here you'll definitely want to come check it out.
I pretty much figured out who done it but it didn't stop the action -- which was well paced.
Totally fun reads. If you live in San Francisco you can easily imagine where the scenes are happening; if you haven't been here you'll definitely want to come check it out.
I pretty much figured out who done it but it didn't stop the action -- which was well paced.
May 23, 2012
Some of my favorite mystery series are set in San Francisco and I have added a new one now. I have this whole series on the Wanton Wantin' Book List. At first it was because of the cool titles, especially the latest one, HOW TO PARTY WITH A KILLER VAMPIRE. I will read the whole series to get to that title. And enjoy the ride with it.
Presley Parker is an event organizer, party planner, what have you...She is really good at what she does and wants to be a force to be reckoned with...if she can get past all of the murders she seems to be accused of.
This is how mysteries are meant to be....
Presley Parker is an event organizer, party planner, what have you...She is really good at what she does and wants to be a force to be reckoned with...if she can get past all of the murders she seems to be accused of.
This is how mysteries are meant to be....
March 21, 2014
Presley Parker's party planning business might finally be entering the big leagues when she is asked to host the mayor's surprise wedding on Alcatraz. But things take a turn for the worse when the bride to be storms off only to turn up dead and the police want to talk to Presley. I found the pacing in the middle a bit uneven, but a great beginning and climax coupled with warm characters make me want to read more.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
January 24, 2011
Better than average mystery with detailed plot and setting...I found the background and descriptions of Treasure Island particularly interesting as I had been there back in 1999 and loved the spectacular views. The only thing that kind of put me off was that two characters were named Delicia and Ikea. I'm sure that the hokiness of this was purely intentional, but it was hard to take either of these characters seriously!
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