Book Review: Name Dropping

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Name Dropping     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Jane Heller
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Humorous   Romantic Suspense
St. Martin’s, June 2000, $24.95, 320 pp.

Nancy Stern is a pre-school teacher at the prestigious Small Blessings Nursery School. She lives in Manhattan in the swinging seventies, but has no man in her life. On the whole, Nancy is contented until the “other” Nancy Stern moves into the penthouse of the same building. The second Nancy is a free lance writer, who hobnobs with the rich and famous, and attends embassy parties and special movie screenings. Nursery Nancy knows all this because she seems to always receive Penthouse Nancy’s mail and phone calls.

When Bill Harris calls to ask Nancy for a blind date, he gets the teacher, who accepts the offer, pretending to be the more famous Nancy. Sparks fly between Nancy and Bill that lead to the teacher feeling guilty for her masquerade. She ends their relationship by their third date because she cannot cope with her deception any longer. Bill learns the truth and walks out on her, but she concocts a plan to bring him back into her life even after she discovers his secret.

Jane Heller writes a delightfully funny drama filled with suspense, action, romance, and a touch of mystery. The heroine learns the hard way that to “thine own self be true” is the only way to live as trying to pretend to be someone else is stupid and perhaps dangerous. The story line is filled with rich imagery and deep characters. NAME DROPPING is a first class reading experience.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner