But I Wouldn't Want To Die There

Jenny Cain #8

by Nancy Pickard

Jenny Cain is back to take a bite out of the Big Apple. When Jenny’s friend Carol is killed while jogging in New York, the police write it off as another Manhattan mugging. But Jenny soon discovers that the story of Carol’s life and death is full of dark and unexpected twists.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Crime, Mystery Thriller

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Nancy Pickard is an American crime novelist. She received a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri and began writing at age 35.

She has won five Macavity Awards, four Agatha Awards, an Anthony Award, and a Shamus Award. She is the only author to win all four awards. Her novel The Virgin of Small Plains, published in 2007, won an Agatha Award. She also served on the board of directors of the Mystery Writers of America.

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

In comparison to Book 7, this was a whole lot better as a part of the Jenny Cain series. I read this in just two nights, it was only 240 pages. The ending was very rushed and I was left feeling underwhelmed. Carol was killed by her landlords after she told them she knew about their illegal operation in running a nuthouse and killing off tenants so they could bring in new tenants. Not totally sure how that actually works -wouldn't they get paid either way? There were a lot of descriptions of the city - it was weird to have Jenny see the World Trade Towers for example - but it's to show that Jenny starts out by loving NYC and then becomes disillusioned the longer she's there (which is only a few days in the book). The dialogue between her and Geof is always weird to me, sometimes I have to read it back to make sure I had it correct. They can be very rude to each other!

I really liked the scene between Jenny and Carol's parents in Brooklyn. They are talking about how two people can see the same building but get different views because they are each getting a unique picture or window. "I guess nobody else...would look at you from the same window that Carol did. That's gone now, that view of you, of us, of the world, that nobody else had. But maybe you ...can tell us what she looked like to you, let us stand at your window with you, so we can see her from another angle."

[Nell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very very good. Reminds me of what a great mystery writer Nancy Pickard is. This mystery is set in NYC in the early 90's. When Jenny, the main character, arrives there are a couple of references to the World Trade Center as an orientation point or along with the Statue of Liberty as an part of the NYC skyline. The picture of the skyline on the cover shows the twin towers - it's eerie.

The mystery is excellent. Jenny loves NYC but she's a fish out of water. The author conveys the diversity and complexity of NYC, its culture, people and bouroughs. There are plenty of suspects and possible motives for her friend's murder and then a twist at the end. Like the main character - I wouldn't want to live there either.

[Clara · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5
An okay read, but the twist at the end really did not do anything for me.

[Quennie May · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not thrilled with this one. i got bored reading a very long description of someone. this book is nice but many long description about the characters.

[Nate Mayers · Rating 2 out of 5]

In any story, the characters can make or break it. This happens to be the case in But I Wouldn’t Want to Die There by Nancy Pickard. This is a mystery novel based in New York that focuses on the life of Jenny Cain, a woman whose close friend was murdered in the city. Throughout the story, the characters as well as their character development is heavily relied on in order to progress the story. However, Nancy Pickard fails to execute on this. This novel left much to be desired as the characters lacked redeemable qualities as well as relatability to the audience.
But I Wouldn’t Want to Die There has an interesting plot, but it’s wasted by mediocre characters. Jenny’s circumstances puts a unique spin on the classic New York murder, but the stereotypical description and general blandness of Jenny and the characters surrounding her bring the final product down greatly. A case of this is Jenny’s view on New York, which is a reoccurring idea throughout the story. Jenny believes that New York is a beautiful yet dangerous city filled with rude, odd, and terrible people. And while this is often true, the constant reaffirmation of this as well as the author’s attempt to try and make it seem like a character trait as well as a plot point gets old quickly and takes away from the more important aspects of the story. In addition, the remaining traits of the majority of the characters either lack substance or don’t positively contribute to the character. This is shown as the audience is supposed to form a bond with Jenny throughout the story, but her prevalent character traits such as often negatively judging people as well as being overly dramatic contributes to a disagreeable personality. Consequently, the audience is prevented from empathizing with her much at all and can easily grow to dislike her. The lack of depth in the leading characters holds the audience back from making progress within the story as a whole.
No matter the plot, entertaining and likable characters can make any book enjoyable. However, the lack of these characters in But I Wouldn’t Want to Die There shows in the final product. The novel has an intriguing plot to begin with, but the lazy, simple characters contribute next to nothing to successfully developing it. As a result, a reader can struggle to enjoy this book throughout. Though not a difficult read, I wouldn’t recommend this book.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an unexpected great find at the Library book sale! It sat in a pile for some times, but grabbed it a few weeks ago and had been slowly reading it - then last night - I couldn't put it down. The ending wasn't one of those - 'let's hurry up and wrap it all up' things -- written so well, I was on the edge of my seat wondering if there was going to be unexpected twist right up to the last page.
It kind of made me nervous; I never thought of NYC as being so dangerous...must have just been familiar enough to feel relaxed all the times I have visited. Interesting and sometimes uncomfortable characters, highs & lows, big emotions, with some romanticism thrown in! All good - I'll seek out another book by this author!

[Susan Oleksiw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny Cain finds a message on her answering machine from a good friend in NYC, and the next day Carol is dead. Jenny travels to the City to learn more about what happened, steps into Carol's job temporarily to untangle her friend's message, and immediately is embroiled in the city she both loves and now fears just a bit. The story travels well, since it's set in the early 1990s and life is lived without cell phones and social media. But the high pitch of every interaction can be wearing, and Jenny isn't as thoughtful and perceptive as she can be in other circumstances. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this outing by the terrific Nancy Pickard.

[Devon Galena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was interested to see how Jenny Cain would investigate a murder with her unique skills as a nonprofit director, but it seemed that she never really did much in that area. The "clues" had no connection to the larger events of the book, which made me feel like I wasted my time hearing about them. The ending was rushed and unsatisfying. What I liked most was Jenny and reading about the things she did and people she met in her work. If the book had been solely that, instead of a weak mystery, I would have liked it more.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stepping in for a friend that is killed, Jenny goes to NYC, much to her husband's concern. There, Jenny interacts with some nutty characters that she seems to think are only to be found in New York before figuring out who killed her friend.

[William Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I didn't see that ending coming. That's a good thing, and a sign of a good author. I was mentally taking notes of who she talked to and reasons for a motive. A book that in many ways is relatable to many of us today.

[SmarterLilac · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent mystery, but bogged down a little by some very dated language and plot happenings. (In this novel, before the Starbucks take over, getting espresso drinks is an 'event.')

[Rachel Vivio · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's fun to read books that are old enough to have noticeable differences from today's society but not so old that they aren't totally unfamiliar.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite book. I didn't care for the characters but the story was interesting!

[Terry Tschann Skelton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little mystery. Will try a couple more of these.

[Hugh Heinsohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast paced. Interesting scenario, but the characters could have been better drawn and too many of the characters were really unpleasant to spend time with. Good plot.

[LJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO DIE THERE - G
Pickard, Nancy - 8th in series

Ordinarily, Massachusetts native Jenny Cain would be thrilled to spend time in New York City. But her good friend Carol Margolis has just been brutally murdered—a mugging gone wrong, say the police—and Jenny's been tapped to step into Carol's shoes as temporary director of the Hart Foundation.

In New York, Jenny soon finds that almost everyone Carol knew had, if not a motive to kill, at least a grudge—from sharp-tongued Patricia Vinitsky, president of the Hart board, to Carol's estranged husband, Steve, a blues musician. And everywhere she goes, Jenny cannot escape the city's almost palpable aura of violence. Somewhere in the vast, vital metropolis, Carol's murderer is lurking, waiting for Jenny to make the wrong move. New York is a great place to visit, but...

Light but enjoyable

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been meaning to add this book to this list for some time. Jenny Cain goes to New York City to find out why her friend Carol was brutally murdered. She ends up living in Carol's apartment (in a building full of aging eccentrics) and taking over her job at the Hart Foundation (lots of complicated problems to sort out). Carol's family is too ready to blame the murder on Carol's separated husband, Steve, who has asked Jenny to prove his innocence. There are lots of reason I liked this book - the suspense, her sense of humor, her candidness, but also the strong imagery. There are a lot of books I read quickly and then forget about but this was not one of them. (1998)

[Luz C. Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, we are taken away from “Poor Fred” and comfortably well set in the Big Apple. Jenny suddenly finds herself with a new “temporary” job offer, a dead friend, and perhaps a probable divorce due to relocation. Geof hates NY. And of course a murderer on the loose –What else? One of my fantasy jobs has always been to become a PI, so when my first suspicion turned out to be correct, it reassured my fantasy beyond belief. I have lots of fun reading Nancy Pickard’s Jennifer Cain’s mystery series.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

#8 in the Jenny Cain mystery series. Jenny is the former CEO of a charitable foundation in the fictional small town of Port Frederick, Mass. A New York City friend of Jenny's who heads a foundation there is killed and the foundation asks Jenny to help get things in order there. She accepts and encounters a number of situations that she has to deal with along with trying to learn who and why relating to her friend's murder.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Put this one in my $5 box because I had a teacher in high school named "Nancy Pickard".

Silly premise - someone dies and their dear friend must come take over their job and home to solve the mystery. But overall a pretty decent book.

[April Hochstrasser · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Jenny Cain series is always entertaining. It's great for a weekend read where you know you won't learn anything, but just want to sit and read. The mystery of "who done it?" was an interesting twist at the end that the author had been building toward, but never enough to give it away.

[K. East · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of the Jenny Cain mystery series. I've not read any of the others, but I will look for them. This was an easy read, not gruesome like many newer murder mysteries. The solution was there but not obvious. Easy two day read.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

B+

[Shirley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book concentrated on describing New York and the characters, but didn't have much plot.

[Cws]

M Pic

[Julie H. Ernstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Jenny's friend Carole is killed, she heads to New York City to close the case.

[Lpage1479 page · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book from one of my favorite mystery writers. This one takes place in New York City.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good mystery, good characters, and a lot of fun too as Jennie Cain visits New York City

[Margaret]

Read this over the weekend - not bad.
I guessed the murderer pretty early in this one so it was a bit anti-climatic for me at the end.

[Dogsandbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

DPL. Jenny Cain moves to NYC to take up a foundation job for a murdered friend. Some gore, but mostly sleuthing--or looking at people one at a time. No compelling story.