Product Description
Book 1 in the "Tracy Eaton Mystery Series" -- Meet Tracy Eaton, mystery writer, detective wannabe, and the offspring of reality-challenged Hollywood stars. Trouble always knows how to find Tracy, but she never expects it to pop up at her sister-in-law's wedding - until the bride is kidnapped. When her snooty in-laws would rather meet the bizarre ransom demand than call the police, Tracy knows if justice is to prevail, it will definitely need her help. But the whole Eaton clan begins behaving suspiciously. The groom takes to riding around in a gangster's bulletproof limo...the bride's loveable con man uncle disappears under mysterious circumstances...there are also strange doings at the engaged couple's trendy restaurant, The Gypsy Princess, which the world's richest man is obsessed to own. Even the family legend of the evil Gypsy queen comes under Tracy's scrutiny - is it the childhood fable her sister-in-law claimed it to be, or a dark prediction of things to come?It will take all of Tracy's innate noisiness and wacky crime-fighting approach to get to the truth. But not even she could have predicted the curious path her debut case would take, or that she'd become the keeper of the Eaton family's most closely guarded secret. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Fun & Zany Ride
This book was nominated for the "Big 3" in the mystery field: Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity.The plot twists and turns start when Traci and her up-tight husband Drew fly to NYC for Drew's sister's wedding.Traci is stuck sitting next to a woman who has to compare Traci to her famous mother, movie-actress Martha Collins.Think of Martha as a combination Debbi Reyonlds / Liz Taylor (as if you could get those two in a room together).

So, Traci, not quite the movie star's daughter she is expected to be, ends up spending time with her in-laws in New York City.The bride is kidnapped.And the in-laws are acting strange...stranger than usual.Tracy decides it is up to her to find the bride.

Kris Neri creates a world of crazy characters that play off each other like a dysfunctional pinball machine.Hum, that doesn't really make sense, but my point is: it's a fun and zany ride.

Once you read the first chapter, you're hooked and you'll be a fan of Kris Neri's Tracy Eaton!

Great Title, Good Potential, But Apparently No Editor
I tried, I really tried to like this book.It was just so hard.It had humorous moments, and a couple of memorable characters, but most were fairly stereotypical, or simply not fleshed out enough to be of much interest.The plot hinged on an awful lot of improbablities, piling up coincidences and an awful lot of sheer dumb luck for the herione, Tracy.Tracy jumped from idea to idea without a whole lot of provocation, so the book could be hard to follow.

Basically, I was a little bit lost the whole time -- plot points were sometimes almost glossed over, there were just a few too many characters, and they seemed to often either miss the terribly obvious, or draw wild conclusions from the obscure.Add in a sort of deus ex machina ending, and I was a muddle.This book could have used one more revision under the editors pen -- made slightly tighter it would have been very good. ... Read more

Product Description
Book 2 in the "Tracy Eaton Mysteries" -- When the cops catch mystery writer Tracy Eaton’s mom, Hollywood legend Martha Collins, alone with the bloody remains of celebrity litigant Vince Sperry — holding nothing but a lame excuse — Tracy leaps to her mother’s defense, despite her own publication woes.

Only Martha seems determined to impede Tracy’s attempts to clear her. That just convinces Tracy that her mom has pulled a doozy this time, even if Tracy can’t see how anything Martha does relates to Sperry’s murder.

Not that other suspects don’t abound — but those scare Tracy even more. Was Martha right? Had Tracy’s stuffy lawyer husband, Drew, settled his career-making lawsuit with a bullet? Or did her dad, aging Hollywood heartthrob Alec Grainger, decide to end an old feud once and for all?

All roads lead to the past, to one Hollywood scandal after another. Will Tracy’s digging clear Martha? Or will she unearth something that’s sure to slam the cell door shut on her exasperating, but well-loved, mother?
... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Not My Style
I found the book a little hard to follow.When the murderer was revealed, I didn't really even remember who he/she was and didn't much care.I guess maybe the setting wasn't something I could relate to.The "smart aleck" tone turns me off too.

Another Fun Romp With Tracy
Tracy's life is in an uproar.Her publisher has just called to say that they are dropping her mystery series unless she drastically changes her latest book, the advance for which has already been spent.The contractor shows up two days early to enlarge her closets.Her husband is panicked because he's starting the biggest case in his legal career that morning.And that's all before her mother, movie star Martha Collins, calls to say she's been arrested for murder.What a way to start a Monday.

To Tracy's frustration, Martha doesn't seem interested in proving her innocence, so, despite promises to the contrary, Tracy begins to investigate.With Uncle Philly along to help, she starts finding connections and clues that lead back 30 years.But what do they all mean?And is Martha really innocent?

As you can probably guess, this book is loads of fun with hilarious goings on all over the place.Tracy's sarcastic narration also adds to the humor level.The plot itself twists every which way.I hadn't read it for a couple years and was just as confused as the first time, even if I did remember the ultimate ending.And the characters are well developed and pull you further into the story.

Anyone looking for a fun, lighthearted mystery need look no further then this series.Buy it today for a romp on the wild and fun side of murder.

Highly recommended!
Tracy Eaton was the author of the "Tessa Graham Mystery Series". At that point in time her house was like a pig sty (due to a small redecoration project), her publisher had a lot of changes to be made to the latest book (to be completed within three days), and her husband was stressed out from trying to make partner in the law firm. When Tracy believed it could get NO worse, her mother called!

Martha Collins had been a Hollywood goddess for what seemed like forever. Yet she still looked wonderful and made people notice her. She found Vince Sperry's body, called the police, and became the number one suspect! No matter how hard Tracy tried to clear her mother of the charges, her mother kept blocking her from doing so. Tracy kept wondering just WHAT was a daughter to do in a time like that and just WHY had she not been an orphan?

***** An excellent "who-dunnit" mystery that kept me guessing right up until the end! Tossed with bits of humor that I could not help but enjoy. This is one I definitely did not want to end! Luckily for me, this is a series of mysteries that began with "Revenge Of The Gypsy Queen" and will continue. I find myself eagerly looking forward to the next mystery in Tracy Eaton's bizarre world! Highly recommended for all mystery fans! *****

Give your bones a laugh
What do you do when your mother is found, alone, with the bloody remains of a corpse and won't tell you or any one else what happened?Dem Bones Revenge, Kris Neri's new hilarious look at murder, mayhem, mystery and parents, mystery writer Tracy Eaton, whose mother, Martha is a famous film star accused of murder, must defend her mother.Never mind that her mother doesn't want to be defended and impedes Tracy's efforts at every turn.Add to that trying to meet a publishing deadline, dealing with a double-dealing editor, a father that can't or won't be found, and decades old scandals and you have a story that is will have you laughing out loud, squealing with delight when you solve the murder, only to turn the page and find out you are wrong and feeling very good that Martha isn't your mother. And the more Tracy digs into the past, the more she realizes that she really doesn't want to do this as she finds herself suspecting everyone from her dad to her own husband.A book that will make you very grateful for your mother's idiosyncrasies, because whatever they are, they can't be this bad.

Unique, fresh, highly entertaining.
Kris Neri garnered spectacular success with her first Tracy Eaton mystery, Revenge Of The Gypsy Queen.Nominated for Anthony, Macavity and Agatha awards for Best First Novel, it was apparent that Kris Neri was an up and comer.Kris had published numerous short stories of the mystery genre in magazines and is currently at work on Tracy's next adventure: Revenge For Old Times Sake.

Picture a "Postcards from the Edge" type of relationship between mother and daughter.Mother is a combination of Elizabeth Taylor and Debbie Reynolds.Tracy is more of a combination of Calamity Jane and Princess Leia.Throw in Tracy's husband, who could be a mix of Harrison Ford and Bruce Willis in a suit.But Tracy is a struggling writer about to be cut off by her publisher.She has two days to "fix" her latest novel, and suddenly Mother is the prime suspect in the murder of Vince Sperry. Did Martha Collins commit murder, or did she just stumble into the thick of things?Did she want to save her mother?From the start, Neri sets up a hilarious dialogue between Tracy and Martha:

"Mother sidled close to my ear.`There's a telephone number everyone in Beverly Hills is talking about.You order a servant you can keep forever for little more thana few years' salary.I heard about it from Rico, my hairdresser. As I reeled away from her into a pile of skiwear, I shook my head. `Please tell meI'm adopted.'"

Needless to say, Dem Bones Revenge is a hilarious mystery because it so closely resembles the real deal between mothers and daughters.Tracy's character struggles with her desire to euphemistically murder her mother while trying to save her.Martha Collins is the stereotypical aging actress who can't quite get over her case of the pampered movie star blues.The plot pulls the reader from one near-miss to another as Tracy stubbornly peels away the layers of facade, pulls her husband Drew into the act, and saves Martha from herself.

Neri's characters are unique, fresh, and yet somehow are people we all know and love.She knows her territory, being a Southern Californian, which gives the plot a unique perspective.

Shelley Glodowski, Reviewer ... Read more

Product Description
Book 3 in the "Tracy Eaton Mystery Series" -- Free-spirited Tracy cheers when her stuffy husband, Drew, loosens up enough to rearrange the nose of his secretive boss, Ian Dragger. But Drew's timing couldn't be worse. When Ian is found floating face down in the Eatons' pool, Drew is the prime suspect. Yet Ian made enemies like the mint makes money, and other suspects abound, starting with Ian's wife, who was at odds with her husband's affluent lifestyle, not to mention the rumored affair, and sleazy journalist Nick Wickerson, of "Nick Wick's Sin City" TV fame, whom Ian humiliated in court.Still, Tracy expects to clear Drew in short order. But that's before help arrives - in the form of her own mother, over-the-top movie actress Martha Collins, and her rigid-with-dignity mother-in-law, Charlotte Eaton. And when the mothers get together, the fireworks go off. Obstacles mount higher still when Drew's ex-flame, attorney CeeCee Payne, deals herself into the game. But CeeCee's peculiar behavior raises too many questions. Does she want Drew back? Or is CeeCee after revenge, since her actions threaten to condemn him to a life behind bars. When the bodies in the Eaton pool start stacking up like timber in a logging camp, Tracy knows that nothing less than her wildest antics will do. But as the blows keep coming Drew's way, she fears that even her craziness won't be enough to save him. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A choice pick and very highly recommended read
Vengeance is something that never gets old. "Revenge for Old Times' Sake" tells the story of Tracy, a woman dealing with the fact that her husband Drew seems to be neck deep in accusations of killing his boss. But an easy case to clear seems difficult when exes, mothers, and grudges all show up to murk the once slightly clear waters. "Revenge for Old Times Sake" is a choice pick and very highly recommended read.

The Wackiness Returns
Tracy still considers her husband, attorney Drew, to be a by the rules kind of person.So she is rather shocked when he takes a swing at his boss, Ian, and bloodies his nose.Unfortunately, that punch becomes fodder for the police the next day when Ian is found floating face down in the Eaton's pool.

Tracy is quick to try to clear her husband.Assisting (or hindering as the case may be) are her mother, movie star Martha Collins, and Drew's mother, conservative and orderly Charlotte.The two mothers are constantly at each other's throats, leaving Tracy to play referee.Further complicating matters are suspects and friends who seem to have their own motives for getting involved.Can Tracy's normal off-beat view of the world help clear Drew, or will she need something extra outrageous?

It's been too long since we got to enjoy an adventure with Tracy, and I was thrilled to be back in her presence.Yes, the craziness does get out of hand a time or two, so you'll need to give reality a bit of a pass as you read.

But the result is worth it.The mystery is logically solved in the end.The characters are zany but real for the world created here.And the laughs they provide are plentiful.

It's so nice to see Tracy back in action.If you want some wild antic with you mystery, look no further.I hope the wait for the next entry isn't nearly this long.

Another Great Tracy Eaton story!
I have been waiting with anticipation for a new Tracy Eaton book by Kris Neri and "Revenge For Old Times' Sake" was well worth the wait.Tracy is happy when her lawyer husband Drew finally loosens up enough to give his overbearing boss, Ian Dragger, what he has had coming to him for a long time.Unfortunately, when Ian's body is found in their pool Drew becomes prime suspect and to make matters even worse for Tracy his former girlfriend CeeCee becomes his attorney.

With the help of her eccentric movie star parents, a mother-in-law who doesn't like Tracy, and a cast of other over the top characters, Tracy manages to find the real killer.Along the way, their antics are filled with drama, humor, and excitement--including yet another dead body and their creative way of dealing with it.

While this book has mystery and suspense, the best part is the incredible characters and witty humor.The dialogue, the side stories, and the antics of this cast of characters are wonderful.I look forward with anticipation to Tracy's next adventure and hope it won't be as long of a wait this time.If you are looking for a fun, unique mystery this is for you.
Lorie Ham, author of THE FINAL NOTE, an Alexandra Walters mystery [...]

tremendous amateur sleuth
Opposites attract is proven with free-spirited Tracy Eaton and her straight-laced husband Drew.They are yin and yang balancing each other while fulfilling the needs of one another.That is whyTracy is shocked when she literally sees her husband fighting with his fellow attorney Ian Dragger in the garage of their office building.Drew insists to Tracy they attend the party celebrating their getting Skippy Sullivan off of a variety of charges that the two lawyers worked on together.At the gala, Skippy introduces Tracy and Drew to juror Riley who persuaded the other jurors that he was innocent.

The next day, they find Ian dead floating in the Eaton swimming pool.The picture of the fight is in the tabloids.Obviously Drew is the prime suspect.Drew's mother Charlotte calls his former fiancée attorney CeeCee Payne to defend her son.Through her connections, Tracy learns that a hit is put on Drew.With her mother, mother-in-law Charlotte and others allied with helping her, Tracy busts her Drew out of jail. She begins her own investigation so that the worst case scenario that her spouse is murdered doesn't happen. This leads Tracy and Drew in danger from a killer who is watching their every move.

The third Tracy Eaton revenge mystery (see Dem Bones revenge and Revenge of the Gypsy Queen) is as always a tremendous amateur sleuth mystery as the heroine is a courageous free spirit acting like a bloodhound on the scent of suspects.The scene in which a second corpse is found in the pool is humorous as the Tracy and Her mother and Charlotte struggle with what to do with the body.It is scenes like this that make Kris Neri one of the best whodunit writers as she takes her story line serious, but includes plenty of humor that fits in nicely to the main storyline while entertaining the reader.Fans will enjoy Revenge for Old Times Sakes as we, along with the heroine, wonder if that is CeeCee's agenda with her erratic defense.

Harriet Klausner
... Read more

Product Description
Tales of Murder from Los Angeles.

The new mystery anthology featuring crime fiction from members of Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles. They're seedy or glamorous ... Hollywood or Malibu ... cool, enraged, or totally fed up--meet a collection of fascinating culprits plotting deadly deeds in this anthology of gripping crime fiction from a thrill-minded group of Los Angeles writers.

Includes"Sentence Imposed" by Kris Neri,"Wifely Duties" by Cory Newman, "Push Comes to Shove" by Nathan Walpow, "Fatal Tears" by Ekaterine Nikas, "Miss Parker & the Cutter-Sanborn Tables" by Gay Toltl Kinman, "Driven to Kill" by Jamie Wallace, "Touch of a Vanish'd Hand" by Phil Mann, "Ai Witness" by Kate Thornton, "Over My Shoulder" by Lisa Seidman,by "The Cats and Jammer" Gayle McGary, "Copycat" by Joan Myers, and "Midnight" by Dorothy Rellas.

What these mysteries are about:

To save a life, an athlete must take a treacherous trip through her past and confront her darkest fears in "Sentence Imposed."

A woman takes extra care in preparing the evening meal in "Wifely Duties."

A wrestler has bigger problems than whether to throw a match in "Push Comes to Shove."

Two sisters sip a bitter brew from their fine china tea cups in "Fatal Tears."

Two librarians-in-training use their expertise to solve a baffling murder in "Miss Parker & the Cutter-Sanborn Tables."

An attention-hungry sycophant is ... "Driven to Kill."

A wily East Coast mathematician takes up the challenge of solving the perfect West Coast murder in "Touch of a Vanish'd Hand."

There's another reason besides raw fish to visit a sushi bar in "Ai Witness."

A young girl takes drastic measures to stop a stalker in "Over My Shoulder."

In "The Cats and Jammer," a teenage detective finds a body--and too many suspects--in a Hollywood bungalow court.

In "Copycat," a practical joker turns up dead ... and with no end of suspects.

High stakes and high technology put two old friends at odds ... at "Midnight."Amazon.com Review
Sisters in Crime, an international consortium of women and men whose reason for being is the propagation and betterment of women who write mysteries, is at it again with A Deadly Dozen: Tales of Murder from Los Angeles, its third anthology (following 1997's Desserticide: Desserts to Die For and 1998's Murder by Thirteen) of largely female murder and mayhem. Within its 224 pages you'll find all of the blood, revenge, culprits, and calamities that you'd expect from such a collection, and most of it is fine indeed. The problem, of course, is that it's nearly impossible to limn such ditties; most of them, given their length, rely on surprise endings that dish up the mystery in a matter of paragraphs--without giving away their payload.Suffice it to say, however, that Jamie Wallace's genre-bending "Driven toKill" is a 10-page well-I'll-be-darned;Phil Mann's "Touch of a Vanish'd Hand" deals nicely with the locked-room-mystery wheeze--complete with a rotund and vaguely European mathematics professor with a penchant for detection; and Lisa Seidman's Over My Shoulder will, in16 pages, more thoroughly creep out your inner child than many a novel20 times as long:

He was standing right next to the sofa bed.I could sense hisshadow lying over me. I stayed frozen in place, my eyes glued shut.

He did nothing for a moment; I could tell he was just staring at me.I prayed he'd go back out the door; I prayed Mom would come home now.

But then he reached down, hands tugging at the afghan. I gripped the edgeof the blanket and held on.Would he still believe I was asleep?

"It's just you and me, Susie.I'm not going to hurt you.I love you."

Customer Reviews (10)

A terrific collection of writers who pull no punches!
A Deadly Dozen is a compilation of short stories, naturally involving murders, written by the Sisters in Crime in Los Angeles, California. Featuring a deadly dozen stories from such authors as: Kris Neri, Cynthia Lawrence, Cory Newman, Lisa Seidman, and others, these stories provide a platform for these writers to dip their pens into stories with a twist.This group, which formed in 1986, led by Sara Paretsky, Sisters in Crime is now a respected national organization.The Los Angeles Chapter was formed by Phyllis Miller in 1989.In recent years, male writers have been welcomed into the organization.A Deadly Dozen is the second anthology published by this group.

The problem...and the thrill...of short stories is that the characters have to introduce themselves to the reader early and completely.The reader has to immediately descend into the world that the author has created, and be ready for a real jolt at the end.Kris Neri's chilling "Sentence Imposed" does just that:

"Call it fate, call it chance--either way, it'll change your life. Sometimes you justfind yourself staring into a crowd, your gaze floating aimlessly over a sea of facesyou won't remember the instant you look away--until one person's eyes seem tograb hold of yours and you make a connection.You can't explain it, butsomehow your life and that stranger's become bound together.When I madethat link, it was with a little girl."

Whatever the subject, these writers know how to pull no punches. "Wifely Duties" is a Hitchcockian tale of a wife who plots to kill her husband, and ends up as a victim herself. "Push Comes to Shove" is a wrestler's nightmare. "Fatal Tears" is a classic sibling rivalry piece. A Deadly Dozen exposure is like taking in several episodes of "Night Gallery," withcataloging students catching a murderer in "Miss Parker and the Cutter-Sanborn Tables."

Shelley Glodowski, Reviewer

A DEADLY DOZEN
A DEADLY DOZEN(TALES OF MURDER FROM LOS ANGELES ) is the third anthology following the 1997DESSERTICIDE(DESSERTS TO DIE FOR ) and 1998 MURDER BY THIRTEEN.

The Los Angles chapter of Sisters in Crime has released a book of twelve short stories, based on murder and mayhem. I usually do not like to read short stories, but these stories were fully contained with well-crafted plots and well definedcharacters.My favorites were Wifely Duties, because every woman can identify with Lucy and her discontent with hermarriage, but I would like to think that we would not go to the lengths that she did, and with such a startling conclusion. Cats and Jammer was another favorite, it's about a teen-age detective that finds a body and the suspects are many.

Stories included are: Sentience Imposed by Kris Neri Wifely Duties by Cory Newman Push Comes To Shove by Nathan Walpow Fatal Tears by Ekaterine Nikas Miss Parker and the Cutter Sanborn Tablets by Gay Tolti Kinman Driven To Kill by Jamie Wallace Touch Of A Vanish'd Hand by Phil Mann Ai Witness by Kate Tornton Over My Shoulder by Lisa Seidman The Cats And Jammer, by Gayle McGary Copy Cat by Joan Myers Midnight by Dorothy Rellas

This book is well worth the read.

The Captivating Dozen
I found this collection of short stories to be amazingly gripping and enjoyable.Each of the stories were well written and kept my attention from start to finish.I've not been a fan of locked room mysteries, however, I must admit that Phil Mann's "Touch Of A Vanish'd Hand" not only kept my attention but spurred me to purchase more books in this specific genre.Joan Myers' "Copycat" was another personal favorite.I tip my hat to each of these authors as well as the three editors.Thank you for such a wonderful piece of modern literature.

Excellent anthology
The Los Angeles chapter of Sisters in Crime has released a captivatingshort story collection centering on what else: murder and mayhem.Thetwelve stories are fun to read as they vary in methods, means, and motives,but share a common background: the LA area and a common theme: ofentertaining the reader.Characters run the gamut from the underbelly ofsociety to the elite, but act as culprits dispensing murder.Though thisis the "sisterhood", two of the collaborators are males, but theaudience would not know gender if the stories were contributed anonymouslybecause they are all strong entries.

Fans of murder and mysteryanthologies will fully relish this collection.For the most part, theauthors are just starting to become known, but in some cases, this reviewerhas never previously read a work by a particular contributor.That errorwill be corrected as each writer holds up his or her end of the book,making for a wonderful reading experience.

Harriet Klausner

Avid Mystery Reader from LA
Although I'm a voracious mystery fan, I tend to shy away from short stories as they never seem well developed enough.This anthology, however, has changed my mind. Each story is exceptionally well crafted with welldefined characters, clever plot lines and lots of twists along the way.There is a mystery here to satisfy every taste and type. And there isn'ta red herring in the bunch.Plaudits to the members of SinCLA - keep 'emcoming! ... Read more

Product Description
REVENGE OF THE GYPSY QUEEN is so much fun, it ought to bea crime! Featuring Tracy Eaton -- mystery writer, detective wannabeand the offspring of wackily eccentric Hollywood stars. Tracy isalways out of sync with the *real* world, not to mention with her oh,so conventional husband, Drew. Trouble always knows how to find her,but Tracy never expects it to pop up during her sister-in-law,Marisa's, wedding -- until the bride is kidnapped. When her in-lawswould rather meet the terms of the bizarre ransom demand than informthe police, Tracy knows that finding Marisa will be up to her. But thewhole Eaton family begins behaving suspiciously -- especially herhusband's lovable con-man uncle, who disappears under mysteriouscircumstances.And the groom, who takes to riding in a gangster'sbulletproof limo. Even the family legend of the evil Gypsy queen comesunder Tracy's scrutiny -- is it the childhood fable Marisa claimed itto be, or is it a dark prophecy of things to come? Tracy can't imaginethe curious path justice will take or that she'll be the keeper of theEaton family secret.

REVENGE OF THE GYPSY QUEEN is a Detective Book Club selection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

pleasant enough debut
Kris Neri has crafted a pleasant enough debut with "Revenge of the Gypsy Queen." Tracy Eaton, only daughter of a pair of narcissistic Hollywood screen legends, is a plucky and clever heroine. No silly scruples for her! She's a real find. The other characters -- particularly Uncle Philly -- are handled with just the right measures of wit and sympathy.

Sure, the novel is funny; however, some of her madcap adventures are a bit unrealistic -- even for a farcical mystery novel. And you're certain to figure out the Eatons' secret halfway through the book. Indeed, most will figure out who the villain is before the exciting climax.

Is this novel in the same league as Lindsey Davison's Falco series or Ann Granger's Markby and Mitchell series? Of course not. But it's still a nice novel to read in between the favorite installments of your favorite mystery series. Pleasant is good enough for me.

Humorous and fun
I'm not usually a fan of this type of mystery, but Kris Neri managed to convert me.An engaging and humorous style, and a strong plot kept me turning the pages, and I really enjoyed meeting Amateur-Detective Tracy and her family.Mafia characters and a tough cop are added to the mix which should satisfy the "I only read hard-boiled" types like me.Check it out!

Tracy's debut is great fun
Tracy Eaton's trip to New York was not what she expected.Instead of quality time with her in-laws getting ready for sister-in-law Marisa's wedding, the bride-to-be in kidnapped on Tracy's first full day there.Then, the by-the-book Eatons decide to give in to the strange demands and not call the police.Tracy decides that it's up to her to find Marisa and rescue Marisa's restaurant, which her family is supposed to sell to get her back alive.But what are the Eatons hiding?Everyone has a secret, even the groom.Tracy's going to have to work fast to put all the pieces together before the wedding is ruined.

Tracy Eaton explodes on the mystery scene with a bang in this fun book.The plot never looses its way or the pace, and the ending truly surprised me.I recently reread this book, and I discovered how well plotted it truly was.Scenes that didn't mean anything to me before suddenly took on a whole different meaning when I knew the ending.The characters are very well developed, and the plot flows from character, not the other way around.

Kris Neri has a true winner on her hands with the characters in this fun series.I'm looking forward to reading about Tracy's exploits for years to come.

Yay!Tracy Eaton in novel form!
Revenge of the Gypsy Queen may be Kris's first book, but the lady is no newcomer to the mystery scene.Her extensive short mystery fiction résumé includes two Derringer Awards, one of which was for "L.A. Justice."That is where sleuth wannabe Tracy Eaton debuted, and Tracy's fans were soon clamoring for a full-length novel.Kris Neri was kind enough to oblige.

Tracy Eaton is the daughter of Hollywood celebrities, wife of straight-laced lawyer Drew Eaton, and a mystery writer who yearns for the cloak-and-dagger adventures her fictional sleuth enjoys.Revenge of the Gypsy Queen finds Tracy in New York City for the upcoming wedding of Drew's sister Marisa, and before long Tracy is living out her detective fantasy.The reasons, however, are unfortunate: Marisa has been kidnapped.A wealthy developer and a mobster have both taken an unusual interest in the restaurant Marisa and her fiancé Tony run.Drew's black sheep Uncle Philly is in town, behaving suspiciously, and under investigation by the NYPD's Special Frauds Squad.And Drew and the rest of his family seem to be trying to keep secrets from Tracy.The Eaton family, in fact, seems content to try to meet the kidnapper's bizarre demand-the sale of the restaurant The Gypsy Princess-without any police involvement, so it falls to Tracy to be the "sensible one" for a change and get to the bottom of the mystery.

Of course, Tracy's definition of "sensible" is a bit wide of the mark.All the more fun for the readers who follow her as she crawls beneath cars, tails suspects, dodges various instruments of death and destruction, beards VIPs in their dens, and delves into the family secrets.Neri has created in Tracy a lovable writer-turned-sleuth who takes all the horrible clichés that implies and pummels them into submission with her unique sense of humor.

The story's resolution is also fresh.The grand finale, which requires the talents of a supermodel and a small army of-well, I can't tell you what without spoiling all the fun-is only the beginning of the end.True to the book's title, Neri spins a tale of revenge that leads Tracy into the dilemma of weighing the value of the absolute truth against justice.Fortunately, Tracy has the resilience to grow from the experience without losing her impetuous spirit.And that means I'll be reading Tracy's next adventure, Dem Bones' Revenge, as soon as possible.

(adapted from a "Skullduggery" review)

Hopelessly contrived plot; a waste of time
This book was a huge disappointment.It wasn't particularly funny, and the plot was hopelessly contrived and convoluted. Having grown up loving Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie, I'm not exactly a fanatic about stark realism -- but even I found this unthinkably unbelievable.A complete waste of time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Danger, Mystery, Triathlon
When Zoey Morgan wakes up in the hospital, she doesn't remember the last few days.The doctor tells her she was hit by a car while out running.While she wants to dismiss it as a freak accident, something in the back of her mind makes her think it was more then that.

The accident couldn't have come at a worse time.It's just a couple weeks before a big triathlon in San Diego.Since Zoey is a professional triathelete, she has to shake off the after effects of the accident quickly and get back on her training schedule.

All the while, little accidents keep happening to her.Maybe the accident wasn't really an accident.But is she just being paranoid, or is someone really out to get her?

The book starts with a bang that quickly hooked me.Unfortunately, the pace of the story doesn't quite hold up to that promise.While the story moves along well, the scenes dedicated to the race training tend to slow things down.Still, the book does reach a thrilling and logical solution.

Zoey helps the story along.While she seems aloof at first, I quickly got past that and grew to care for her.When she faces several set backs and surprises, it effected me as well.The other major players are well defined as well.

While the pacing of the story could have been a little stronger, this is a minor complaint.Overall, I enjoyed this thrill ride from start to finish.

A captivating sports mystery
In San Diego triathlete Zoey Morgan is training the Touchstone Classic when a car hits her before speeding off without stopping.The paramedics work to save her life though one believes she is a DRT, dead right there while the other continues to work frantically to save her.Detectives Lou Pena and Dale Terry arrive at the scene and are shocked to recognize the victim who graces the cover of Triathlete magazine.A witness steps forward claiming the driver deliberately tried to kill Zoey and he is someone everyone knows.

As Zoey recovers in the hospital Dale asks what she remembers about the accident, but to her chagrin she recalls nothing at all.Meanwhile Doug Tomaso cannot believe the San Diego Union states his victim lived.Stunned self deprecating Dougie plans to complete the job correctly next time.Zoey ponders who truly wants her dead and why as other incidents occur leading her to trust no one not even the cop who she is attracted to and who saved her life.

Combining the rigors of training for a major iron person competition with a whodunit, Kris Neri, switching from the Tracy Eaton "Revenge" tales, provides her readers with a captivating sports mystery.The fast-paced story line uses small flashbacks that tell somewhat the past of the beleaguered heroine as well as the motive for wanting her dead starting with her reaction to the CD cover of a dead musician.The twists will surprise the audience who swim, bike, and run along side of Zoey as she tries to stay alive.

Harriet Klausner

A Great New Character
I highly recommend New Say Die as an addition to your mystery library.

Zoey Morgan is a strong and fascinating new character from award winning author Kris Neri.This story starts with a bang when Zoey is hit by car and it never lets the reader go!As I read, I found myself trying to dissect Zoey's complex past, adding the nuggets of information to the story line as I turned the pages and neglected household chores and work.

I also enjoyed learning about the world of the triathlete. I never knew there was a profession that allowed a person to eat so much forbidden food

Never Say Die
I just finished reading the first in Kris Neri's new series Never Say Die and recommend it highly.It is a real page-turner and very different from her other series.Unlike her award nominated Revenge series, which I also loved (Revenge of the Gypsy Queen, Dem Bones' Revenge, Revenge for Old Times' Sake), Never Say Die is definitely not a cozy.Zoey Morgan protagonist of Never Say Die is a triathlete who is struck down by a hit and run driver as she trains for an event in San Diego. When she awakens she finds that her memory of the recent past is like Swiss Cheese.Maybe that wouldn't be so bad if the police believed her memory loss and if she didn't suspect someone is trying to kill her.Who and why plague her as does her attacker.Zoey is a multidimensional and interesting character as are the other important people she interacts with.The background of the triathlon world is new to me and a nice change from the usual settings.The book is well-written, has lots of suspense, good use of setting and interesting characters.What more could you want?

Welcome Zoey Morgan!

Never Say Die, the new book by Kris Neri and the first in what promises to be an excellent new series [following her Tracy Eaton mysteries], opens with a bang, almost literally, when its protagonist, Zoey Morgan, is struck by a car and, briefly, declared dead - the operative word being 'briefly.'Zoey then has to discover who wanted to kill her [as, according to a witness, this was no accident], and why.Zoey is a triathlete, in training for her next big race, and has sustained memory loss as a result of her brush with death, leaving her, and the reader, with gaps as to the days preceding the incident as well as various periods of time before that.The author allows tantalizing hints as to Zoey's backstory, leaving the reader curious as to her secrets.

The book is comprised of short, punchy chapters, most no more than a few pages long.Zoey is a strong protagonist, an independent woman loathe to trust anyone around her, a protective instrinct that almost, but not quite, betrays her in this suspense-filled story.Other incidents follow the auto 'accident,' other attempts on Zoey's life, which she finally realizes are quite real.Her lover-cum-sports agent Marty; her friend and co-triathlete, Cindy; Dale, the man who saves Zoey's life more than once, but who seems to be other than what he at first appears to be; Rob, who manages the events competition; various other athletes who Zoey has 'outed' as steroid users; any one or more of these in her circle could be involved.[The theme of Trust is a recurrent one throughout the novel.]And what of Willi Bogs, the singer/songwriter whose sudden disappearance and apparent death have brought instant stardom, but whose likeness causes a violent reaction in Zoey, the cause of which she cannot fathom.

The fascinating insights into the lives of the competitors in this sport, and the sport itself, added to the whodunit and why of the well-written tale, make this a very good read. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of twenty stories of mystery and suspense .....Kris Neri presents a dark tale in which an abused woman uses the legal system to free herself from her abuser. Gary Phillips' story features a home invasion gone awry. Marilyn Meredith shows us that mob mentality (even in church)could be fatal. Additional tales include: a terrorist with a pet dog, killer fog, a stalker becomes the hunted, a serial killer and crimes arising from life on our dangerous streets.These stories illustrate the awful truth--that we are truly Never Safe."Never Safe lives up to its name with dark tales of desire, madness, cruelty and despair.Gritty and gripping."-- Carolyn Hart ... Read more

Product Description
WHO DIED IN HERE? is an outstanding collection of mystery short stories of crimes and bathrooms, ranging from zany to deadly serious.Selected by Pat Dennis, author of Hotdish To Die For, the 25 storytellers' writing credits include prestigious magazines such as Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and Television series such as Nash Bridges and Designing Women.

Contributing authors are: R.T. Lawton, Kris Neri, Thomas Bray, BevVincent, Terry Burlison, Michael Giorgio, Nick Andreychuk, MikeBefeler, Peggy Jaegly, Stephen D. Rogers, Michael Learmond , PatDennis, Kevin Carollo, David Dumitru, R.J. Mills, Beverle Graves Myers,Jeremy Yoder, James C. Wardlaw, Donna Sundblad, Sandra Levy Ceren,Lori G. Armstrong, A.S. Berman, Lance Zarimba, Joan Hall Hovey, DeanJohnson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Mystery, murder and mayhem!
Who Died in Here? is a short-story collection of 25 mystery stories of crimes and bathrooms. These stories are edgy, sometimes gritty, contain lots of humor and some horror! You're gonna love 'em.

Every woman who has ever entered (and been abused) at the hair salon will love Kris Neri's, "Nothing Good Ever Came of a Bad Hair Day." I felt guilty giggling so much. Pat Dennis' "One For The Road" will make you think twice about wanting to buy cars, RVs or other motorized vehicles on a Sunday. Peggy Jaegly's "Wash Away My Sin" will make you wary of visiting old friends. You might want to cast a look around for a hidden camera. And in "Sweet Smell of Success," Beverle Graves Myers gives new meaning to the phrase, "the wrath of a woman scorned."

The creativity of people committing crimes never fails to amaze me. I should think there will be a woman or two 'out there' who might have her 'creative side' kick into gear.

Armchair Interviews says: There's a lot more mystery murder and mayhem served up in Who Died Here? And you'll want to read them all.

Did you do this? "Who Died In Here?"
2004 seems to have been the year of the anthology. Not only do I have several to read and review in my stack, I receive several queries and proposals concerning anthologies to be reviewed a week. However, few if any, have such a unique and laugh out loud premise.

Combining a lament heard in bathrooms and adjoining bedrooms across the country, if not the world, with crime and often murder, the resulting twenty-five stories are well worth the read. Some are downright funny from start to finish while others border on the twisted side of looking at life and death. Some readers might even find them perverse. And while each story selected by editor Pat Dennis, who also contributes one (more on that later), are good, I don't have the space here to go into all of them. So here are several in no special order, other than the order they were presented in the book that really made an extra impression on me.

"Nothing Good Ever Came Of A Bad Hair Day by Kris Neri (page 16) tells of the ultimate revenge plot against a certain hairdresser. Image is everything and for the narrator lawyer, a bad style is unacceptable.

"What David Was Doing When The Lights Went Out" by Ben Vincent (page 67) uses the widespread blackout of last year as the setting for his story. It is a bad thing to try to commit murder and to be interrupted by a power failure. They just don't make hair dryers like they used to.

Payback, a theme used often in the anthology, is the theme for the story "One For The Road" by Pat Dennis (Page 79). "Jenkin's Service Station specialized in fixing unnecessary repairs on RV's driven by seniors." Two can play that game.

Then there is "Port-O-Prince" by R. J. Mills, (page 102) where the ultimate resting place for the recently deceased is a unique place. Sometimes your coworkers know you better than you know yourself.

Also included in this very enjoyable anthology are stories by R. T. Lawton, Thomas Bray, Terry Burlison, Michael Giorgio, Nick Andreychuk, Mike Befeler, Peggy Jaegly, Stephen D. Rogers, Michael Learmond, Kevin Carollo, David Dumitru, Beverle Graves Myers, Jeremy Yoder, James C. Wardlaw, Donna Sundblad, Sandra Levy Ceren, Lori G. Armstrong, A. S. Berman, Lance Zarimba, Joan Hall Hovey, and Dean Johnson. While I did not go into detail about their stories, that should not be construed as a negative reflection on their work. Far from it as there is not a bad story in this 190-page anthology. It is all good.

As noted on the back cover, "Twenty-five mystery stories of crimes and bathroom ranging from zany to deadly serious, by some of today's finest short story writers." That pretty much sums it up and makes this book well worth reading. Whether you read in the bathroom or not, remember, please leave the fan on.

Book Facts:


Who Died In Here?
By Pat Dennis
Penury Press
www.penurypress.com
2004
ISBN # 0-9676344-2-3
Large Trade Paperback
$12.95 US



Kevin R. Tipple © 2004

An eyebrow-raising, tongue in cheek collection
Compiled and edited by Pat Dennis, Who Died In Here? is a bizarre but thoroughly fun anthology of 25 short stories of mystery, murder, and crime by a wide variety of skilled storytellers... and every whodunit is connected somehow to bathrooms. An eyebrow-raising, tongue in cheek collection for mystery lovers who don't mind a little (or a lot) of bodily humor/irony to round out their leisure reading shelf. The tales are brief yet engaging enough that Who Died In Here? is in fact perfect for reading when one is personally parked upon the "porcelain throne" and in need of light entertainment.

A Wonderful Addition To Your "Library"
25 well-written stories, each of which can be read in one -- well ---- sitting.This is a joy to have in any room and a real addition to one room in particular.

An interesting premise entertainingly carried out
You might think you can tell what you are going to get when first you see the cover of WHO DIED IN HERE? - but no, there's not a stinker in the bunch!

What you get in this new anthology are twenty-five stories of crimes and bathrooms written by up-and-coming mystery writers from every corner of the USA (and the UK).The litany of crimes recorded range from the simply hilarious to the seriously horrendous.

Among the most outstanding in the volume are tales by veteran mystery author R.T. Lawton and relative newcomer Lori G. Armstrong.Lawton's story, "Flying Without A Parachute", leads off the book with a drug raid and a man without a towel to throw in.Armstrong's "Praying to the Porcelain God" is an unforgettably grim telling of a relationship gone wrong.

This anthology would be the perfect companion, whether you are curled up in front of a winter fire, or sitting alone in the room where only air fresheners go unafraid.

Copies are streaming out of bookstores everywhere, so you better roll and get yours today.

It would be a crime to miss it... ... Read more

Product Description
THE ROSE IN THE SNOW includes a variety of stories from the breezy froth of "No Star Murder," to the magic of "Showtime on the Winter Solstice," to the over-the-top humor of "Nothing Good Ever Came of a Bad Hair Day." It also includes two of the author's personal favorites, "Sentence Imposed" and "Deadly Obsessions," which feature Zoey Morgan, the edgy triathlete protagonist of her suspense novel, Never Say Die; both stories force Zoey to step up to the plate on behalf of helpless victims, while silencing her own demons in the process.Whether you like cats as protagonists, or movie stars, or a little of the mystical in your mysteries, there's something here for everyone. ... Read more

Product Description
Imagine the surprise of scam psychic, Samantha Brennan, when she encounters the real thing: an honest-to-heavens Celtic goddess, hidden beneath the steely exterior of FBI Special Agent Annabelle Haggerty. Yet Annabelle's magical powers might not be enough when America's sweet and sexy movie star, Molly Claire, is made the centerpiece of a gangland siege that brings the City of Angels to its knees. And if Annabelle and her family of deities are no match for the Demon of Darkness that she believes is masterminding LA's own Armageddon, what chance does a poor little fake like Samantha have? HIGH CRIMES ON THE MAGICAL PLANE takes the urban fantasy-mystery trend into brand new territory - beyond vampires and werewolves - to creatures that are both wacky and wonderful. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

From the little household gnomes to humans who turn out to be the opposite of first glance, her tale is chock full of fun
Kris Neri introduces her new urban fantasy series with HIGH CRIMES ON THE MAGICAL PLANE. Past series by Kris Neri include the Tracy Eaton mysteries, which were nominated for Agatha, Anthony and Macavity Awards. She has also published short mysteries, which have also garnered Derringer Awards and Pushcart Prize nominations.

Samantha Brennan is a semi-established con artist of the New Age persuasion. Not only does she claim to be psychic, but she throws in Celtic goddess for good measure. When Molly Claire is abducted by a weird gangland uprising and made to rob banks Patricia Hearst style, Sam is yanked out of her comfortable universe by an FBI agent, who really is a Celtic goddess. As Samantha and Annabelle join forces, or rather Annabelle compels Sam to witness her own visions, the fun begins. What follows is a serious manhunt for Molly Claire. The only relief Samantha finds in her new exposure is Annabelle's cousin, who is truly a god of love and fun:

"And when he took me in his arms I felt magnificent. For the first time in my life I didn't feel like pudgy Samantha, squeezed-into-last-season's-clothes Samantha. I felt like the most divine woman on Earth. The touch of his lips on mine made me drunk with desire, the movement of his hands as they explored my body made me dizzy. And my body positively ignited when Angus left a trail of kisses, as soft as the breeze, from my neck to my breasts."

Ms. Neri's latest effort is a swirl of fantasy. From the little household gnomes to humans who turn out to be the opposite of first glance, her tale is chock full of fun. She's taken ordinary, mundane things and transformed them into a parallel universe that one would love to revel in forever. Her imagination is without bounds; her characters are weird in a scintillating way; and her plot is one exciting adventure after another. Samantha is the typical Valley Girl with a twist, and Ms. Neri has transformed a tired genre into a new and refreshing experience. Who would have thought that debauchery could become the new ethic? But under Ms. Neri's able hand, her reality turns into a new counter culture.

This reviewer will anxiously await MAGICAL ALIENATION, her next Samantha Brennan and Annabelle Haggerty installment.

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

spellbinding urban fantasy mystery
Samantha Brennan is a con artist from a long line of grifters; at the moment she is doing a psychic medium gig as she dresses the part of a gypsy.Her client is Dodie Drake who lives in the luxurious apartment in the Bonne Chance.As she goes to her client's home, Samantha sees a car filled with clowns whom she assumes are the stalkers of another tenant actress Molly Crane.Being a good neighbor Sam purloins a keycard and enters the actress' penthouse where she finds a dead male and Molly missing.

Sam goes to the FBI and talks to Special Agent Annabelle Haggerty.The two women enter the penthouse together while discussing the clowns probably abducted Molly.A task force is formed with Annabelle demanding Sam be on it.Soon afterward someone tries to kill Sam, but Haggerty saves her life and brings her into her home.Sam soon realizes her protector is a Celtic goddess who has visions that she sends to Sam so she can tell others concerning Molly.This way Annabelle can hide her alterego.Sam falls in love with a god and realizes brownies, gnomes and elves exist.Something dark and evil is coming to Los Angeles causing riots and gang warfare in its malevolent wake.Sam knows Haggerty is in trouble when this malevolence arrives; so she refuses to leave her friend alone.

Sam and Annabelle are the oddest couple with the former wanting to be what the latter is and the latter wanting to be what the former is.Confusing not at all as each envies the life of the other.Annabelle just wants to be an FBI agent as her goddess duties at times is overwhelming while Sam the shyster ponders what she could get away with if she had the goddess powers.This pairing make for a wonderful combination of a lighthearted yet also deep spellbinding urban fantasy mystery.

Harriet Klausner
... Read more

Product Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of Kris Neri, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 1437 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Product Description
This book contains three complete (unabridged) mystery) often by well know authors) novels in one volume ... Read more