Carpool

by Mary Cahill

"Entertaining...Jenny Jeade, the housewife heroine...careens through suburbia, one step ahead of a nervous breakdown."
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Today she's a hassled suburban Mom, but a few years ago, Jenny Meade worked as a pilot in a private delivery service she ran with her father. She's been grounded on account of the dangers above, but the dangers below threaten her life when she discovers a dead body hanging from a tree in a park. Suicide seems to explain everything, but Jenny and part-time detective Tom Black Cloud are not convinced. And as she struggles to forget the fantasies of flying, Jenny accelerates headling toward domestic drama and an international incident with echoes from her past and a warning for her future....


From the Paperback edition.

Genres: Mystery, Humor, Fiction

Hardcover

First published August 27, 1991

Reviews

[Ruth · Rating 1 out of 5]

hopefully implausible plot with murder, adultery in middle America subdivision. Failed to appreciate the humor the author was attempting to express

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable mystery thriller with an interesting main character - a mother whose day is filled with the problems of getting her children and herself from one place to another. When she discovers a body and suspects murder (rather than suicide), her boring life becomes much more exciting. For the Maryland reader, this book also provides the pleasure of figuring out which locations in the book correspond to which real-world locations - the book takes place in a fictionalized version of Maryland's Howard county, complete with thinly disguised versions of Columbia, Savage, and the Applied Physics Laboratory. I also enjoyed the main character's background as a former small-plane pilot, which prompted her to contrast her various car trips with the pleasures of flight. The only flaw worth noting is that the two encounters that main character has had with major crimes turn out to be completely unrelated, except for their impact on the main character's life.

[Suki Korp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book a number of years ago. It came to me in a hard cover from a book club I belonged to at the time. I re-read it last year, and enjoyed it just as much then as I did the first time. While I have never lived in Maryland, the author wrote about the location so well that I could easily imagine being there. While this book appears to be a “simple little book,” I found that I was engrossed in reading it. The plot was serious; the main character’s desires about flying were understandable. All-in-all, it was a very good read. Thus, I gave it five stars. It’s too bad that Mary Cahill didn’t write more.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing tale of a suburban housewife who stumbles upon local and international intrigue. Jenny is a fairly normal “soccer mom” who wants to return to flying. In her crazy carpool schedule she accidentally sees a couple things she wasn’t supposed to. She tries to make sense of it all while driving around with her loyal companion Bacall.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I pulled this off the stacks because there weren't very many intriguing books on the new shelf. I am pretty sure I haven't read any by this author. It was written in 1991 and I liked the premise - I too spent a lot of time in the car driving people here and there in 1991. In fact, we nicknamed it the chauffeur stage of parenthood. I think I will try another one!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also a book on tape. I liked this because I think I read it when I commuted to Delaware. It takes place North of Baltimore and I new the area. I "read" it in autumn and it had a seasonal flair. Pretty much chick lit though.

[Lisa]

I love it when I can pick up a book with an interesting title, and find it to be just as interesting! The complete title of this book is "Carpool - A novel of suburban frustration"

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

an easy read

[Joni · Rating 4 out of 5]

8

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book. It's an easy read and very entertaining. Great for a rainy weekend.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

K.C. and Adele Recommended.