Book Review: The Good Girl's Guide to Murder

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Good Girl's Guide to Murder     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Susan McBride
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Woman Main Character   Amateur Sleuth
Series: Debutante Dropout Mystery # 2
Avon, Feb 2005, $6.99, 368 pp.

In Dallas, Martha Stewart clone Marilee Mabry, about to be launched on an unsuspecting American public, reflects how she now knows how her idol felt when she rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Andrea Kendricks knows she has one more reason to strangle her elitist mother, Cissy, who insisted her daughter attend her friend Marilee’s celebratory party. Andrea wants no part of her mother’s scene and would prefer to avoid this bow to the domestic queen event; she would prefer rush-hour on the LBJ

At the gala at the Sweet Life’s Studio, a fire breaks out. During the chaos, Andy finds a seemingly comatose Kendall, Marilee’s daughter, lying on the floor. When the studio cools down, a body is found. Other incidents follow. While Mother has no room on her social calendar for Marilee’s troubles, Andy investigates into who wants to destroy their family friend.

THE GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER is a terrific satirical investigative tale that readers will fully enjoy due to the relationship between Mother and Debutante Dropout daughter as Andy is anything but a chip off the old block. Andy is a wonderful protagonist still struggling to cope with a perfectionist mother, who feels her only child is a let down as women should not be sleuthing when they need to insure their nails, hair, and pumps are correct. Marilee is a trip as her pompous attitude comes across that her coronation should have happened already. Though the culprit and the motive seem obvious, fans will still not be sure who the perpetrator is un til the very end. What makes this novel and its predecessor so good is the BLUE BLOOD detective Andy.

Harriet Klausner

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