Etiquette for Lovers and Killers by Anna Fitzgerald HealyMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
If you enjoy books written in a style reminiscent of Truman Capote, then I think you will love this book. The sarcasm was as thick as peanut butter, and the bantering was like watching a badminton match. This book was written as if it were the 1940s instead of the 1960s. I did enjoy the etiquette sessions, and the definitions were sometimes cute, but most of the time, annoying.
My favorite characters were Billie's (Willhemina) Grandparents!
The main characters were a little hard to define - now we have Billie, the female lead, and the quintessential naif from Down East Maine, and Avery, Mr. Ultra-Rich from the big wide world. Bilie was a bit over the top as far as some of her naivety, but it all comes together as the book progresses.
Avery invites Billie to a cookout at his parents' mansion, and naturally, a murder occurs. Billie being the nosy person she is starts poking around. Oy, there were so many suspects...then another murder and yet another. I was getting confused as to who-maybe-dunnit! I have to tell you that I never did figure it out until the last chapters.
This was a fun read, but I had a few issues with it, mainly the fact that the author tries too hard to emulate Truman Capote and the portrayal of Mainers from that era as imbeciles.
*ARC was supplied by the publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons, the author, and NetGalley.
My favorite characters were Billie's (Willhemina) Grandparents!
The main characters were a little hard to define - now we have Billie, the female lead, and the quintessential naif from Down East Maine, and Avery, Mr. Ultra-Rich from the big wide world. Bilie was a bit over the top as far as some of her naivety, but it all comes together as the book progresses.
Avery invites Billie to a cookout at his parents' mansion, and naturally, a murder occurs. Billie being the nosy person she is starts poking around. Oy, there were so many suspects...then another murder and yet another. I was getting confused as to who-maybe-dunnit! I have to tell you that I never did figure it out until the last chapters.
This was a fun read, but I had a few issues with it, mainly the fact that the author tries too hard to emulate Truman Capote and the portrayal of Mainers from that era as imbeciles.
*ARC was supplied by the publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons, the author, and NetGalley.
DESCRIPTION:"It's 1964 in the tiny town of Eastport, Maine, and Billie McCadie is bored to death. She's surrounded by dull people with more manners than sense, and no sign of the intrigue or romance that fills her beloved novels.
Then everything changes. An engagement ring and cryptic love letter addressed to 'Gertrude' turn up. Billie meets yacht-club handsome Avery Webster. Unsettling phone calls and visits from a man in a fedora begin. She ends up being one of the last people to see Gertrude alive—and the first to see her dead.
What follows is an intoxicating cocktail of stalking, blackmail, Jell-O salads, and champagne secrets, all served along the rocky Maine coastline. Everyone is a suspect. Everyone has a secret. And (strangely) everyone has a boat. But who is willing to kiss and tell? As the body count rises and the danger nears, why does Billie feel like she's more than just a side character
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