Sophia Rose Reviews: Die for Love by Elizabeth Peters, narrated by Grace Conlin

 

Die for Love by Elizabeth Peters, narrated by Grace Conlin

#3 Jacqueline Kirby

Historical Mystery

Publisher:  Blackstone Audio

Published:  9.19.08

Time: 9 hours 13 minutes

Rating: 4 stars

Format: Audio

Source:  Purchased

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

Goodreads Synopsis:

The annual Historical Romance Writers of the World convention in New York City is calling to Jacqueline Kirby, a Nebraska librarian who desperately desires some excitement. But all is not love and kisses at this August gathering of starry-eyed eccentrics and sentimental scribes. As far as Jacqueline is concerned, the sudden "natural" death of a gossip columnist seems anything but. And when she's approached by a popular genre star who fears for her own life, the resourceful Ms. Kirby quickly goes back to work...as a sleuth.

There's a sinister scenario being penned at this purple prose congregation. And when jealousy and passion are released from the boundaries of the printed page, the result can be murder.

 

Sophia Rose's Review:

Pink and red tulle, paper hearts, sticky-sweet over-priced cocktails, die-hard fans, agents, and smiling hostilities permeate a NYC historical romance convention where a murder is unsurprising and ghastly bad publicity.  Elizabeth Peters’ enjoyed a big wink at her own industry when she dropped her sardonic middle-aged female amateur detective, Jacqueline Kirby, into the center of the romance hype of the 80’s and I found it hilarious reading in this ‘modern’ historical romantic suspense.

 

Die for Love is the third of the standalone Jacqueline Kirby mysteries.

 

Jacqueline is a distinct and fascinating personality from her always-present monster purses that hold anything and everything she deems necessary from iodine to a guilty pack of cigarettes- she’s trying to quit again- to her caustic tongue that doesn’t suffer fools lightly.  Jacqueline is a clever and professional research librarian whose knowledge of the world is just as developed as her nose for trouble.  People tell her things and wonder why they do.

 

In this installment, a dreary need for a break from the weather and boredom with her life living and working in a small Nebraska college town has her expensing a trip to NYC to a writer’s conference.  The university would rise up and howl if they realized it was a ‘historical romance’ writer’s conference as her latest friends with benefits’ professor friend points out.  He laughingly slipped a couple of the sexy best-sellers in historical romance into her airplane carry-on not realizing what hijinks he was starting.  Jacqueline found the over-the-top bodice-rippers a hoot and in true Jacqueline fashion would both mock and be highly entertained by diving into the deep end of it all- only to find a hostile atmosphere ripe for murder.

 

While Die for Love is meant to be sheer entertainment, there is an element of truth about romance conventions, publishing industry, writers, and fans in this one that Elizabeth Peters hit right on the nose.  Jacqueline was a natural for invading this realm, seeing it all with clear-eyed understanding, and having a jolly-good time anyway.  The murder mystery is a slow-build as the situation, characters, and atmosphere of the romance convention and some darker elements are introduced and flow toward the point of murder later in the book.  Like in previous series books, the zany cast and their antics with Jacqueline at the center was the best part and the mystery came in second.

 

In summary, this was a fun wink at our world of romance books and going over the top into murder.  I continue to enjoy Grace Conlin’s narration work for my relisten of the series.

 

Author’s Bio:

Elizabeth Peters is a pen name of Barbara Mertz. She also wrote as Barbara Michaels as well as her own name. Born and brought up in Illinois, she earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. Mertz was named Grand Master at the inaugural Anthony Awards in 1986 and Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America at the Edgar Awards in 1998. She lived in a historic farmhouse in Frederick, western Maryland until her death.

Sophia’s Bio:

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, piano-playing, and gardening. Road trips and campouts, museums and monuments, restaurants and theaters are her jam. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing. Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators. Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance. Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.

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