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Killer Blonde (A Jaine Austen Mystery) Mass Market Paperback – May 3, 2005

by Laura Levine (Author)

4.5 260 ratings

Book 3 of 20: A Jaine Austen Mystery

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"Jaine Austen's amused take on life, love, sex and LA will delight readers." --Carolyn Hart

A gal with a serious Ben & Jerry's habit can't afford to be too picky about employment opportunities. So when Beverly Hills socialite SueEllen Kingsley offers freelance writer Jaine Austen megabucks to ghostwrite a book of hostess tips, it's time to sharpen the #2s.

But everything short circuits when Jaine finds SueEllen floating face down in her tub, fried by her own blow dryer. The primary suspect: Heidi, SueEllen's stepdaughter, whose account of a mysterious blonde fleeing the scene is greeted with skepticism by Beverly Hills' finest. Peroxided suspects abound, including a very private masseuse, a jealous nurse, a former game show hostess. . .even a closet blonde with a surprising secret. One of them is hiding a murderous heart behind pricey highlights, and Jaine's out to expose the killer's dark roots. Because blondes have enough fun without getting away with murder. . .

"Levine's series gets stronger with each book. Her dialogue is realistic yet hilarious, and her vivid characters jump off the page." -Romantic Times

"The identity of the real killer comes as [a] smart surprise." --Publishers Weekly

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Laura Levine is a comedy writer whose television credits include The Bob Newhart Show, Laverne & Shirley, The Love Boat, The Jeffersons, Three's Company, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Her work has been published in The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times. She lives in Los Angeles, and is currently working on the next Jaine Austen mystery. Readers can reach her at Jaineausten@aol.com, or her website: www.JaineAustenMysteries.com.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington (May 3, 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 075823547X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0758235473
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.17 x 0.76 x 6.85 inches

Customer Reviews:
4.5 260 ratings

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Laura Levine

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Laura Levine is a former sitcom writer (The Bob Newhart Show, Laverne & Shirley, The Love Boat, Three’s Company, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman). As an advertising copywriter, she created Count Chocula and Frankenberry cereals for General Mills. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.

Readers are welcome to contact her at Jaineausten@aol.com or on her website at www.lauralevinemysteries.com

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4.5 out of 5

260 global ratings

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Southpaw

Hilarious series

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2013

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I can't tell you how many times I've read this hilarious series. When I say hilarious, I mean do NOT drink any beverages while reading because it'll come out through your nose by laughing so hard. I'm a mystery lover and a cozy reader, and until this day, I haven't read any book which made me crack up like the Jaine Austen mystery series. Laura Levine has outdone herself and with each upcoming book, she gets better and better.

Killer Blonde is one of my favorite books by her. Jaine is a thirty-something freelance writer who is trying to make ends meet. Then she ends up working for a woman (SueEllen) who's so cruel, icicles dangle from her earlobes. When SueEllen ends up being murdered, Jaine tries to find out who did the deed.

This is a quick read, with fun and snappy dialogue and laughter abound. There's practically at least a one-liner on every single page! Jaine is so witty, I sometimes end up quoting her! Jaine is one of the most likeable heroines I've ever encountered. She is down-to-earth, loyal, and unpretentious. You'll end up wishing you had a friend like Jaine. (How could you not like a heroine who named her cat Prozac?)

In between some of the chapters, you'll find emails sent to Jaine from her parents. The emails are the cherry on top of the sundae because they're a hoot! Jaine's dad is endearing yet absolutely nuts! After reading about Jaine's parents and their family dysfunction, you'll begin to realize that your family ain't so bad, after all.

Overall, I absolutely recommend this book (and entire series)! If you're looking for a fun (not serious) read, this book is for you! Read it whenever you feel blue and I assure you that it'll cheer you up in no time. You don't have to read them in order; each installment stands as a stand-alone. However, here's the list in case you do wanna read it in its chronological order:

1. This Pen for Hire
2. Last Writes
3 Killer Blonde
4. Shoes to die for
5 The PMS Murder
6. Death by Pantyhose
7. Killing Bridezilla
8. Killer Cruise
9. Death of a Trophy Wife
10. Pampered to Death
11. Death of a Neighborhood Witch
12 Killing Cupid (released by the end of the year)

Happy reading!

4 people found this helpful

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Ann Sherry

Levine is Likeable

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2006

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"Killer Blonde" is delightful, and full of the wit and comedy of Laura Levine. Levine fans will not be disappointed. Main character, Jaine, takes a job as a ghostwriter for a rich woman who works out of her bathtub. When the would-be authoress dies, Jaine's heart goes out to the step-daughter, and she tries to clear her as a suspect and find the real murderer. I guessed who the murderer was before the book ended, which tells me that part of the plot was somewhat weak, since I usually don't know whodunit until the end of most books. Entertaining nevertheless, an excellent feature in the Jaine Austen series is that you don't have to read them in order. Buy if you are a Levine fan. But if you are looking for a great mystery, you may want to skip this one.

3 people found this helpful

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Suzanne

Good book

Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2024

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Good story. I enjoyed it

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J.E. Stephens

A Not So Blonde Moment

Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2008

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This Jaine Austen installment was very enjoyable. Ms. Levine is such a clever writer. She writes a great mystery with lots and lots of humor entwined.

A blonde socialite hires Jaine to be her ghostwriter. Jaine soon learns that she is working for a wicked stepmother. After a few days on the job, Jaine shows up for work to find her employer murdered. Jaine has made friends with the stepdaughter and doesn't believe she was the killer even though the police think that very thing.

After many days of sleuthing, Jaine is sure the mystery is solved and that all loose ends are tied up. However, a surprise ending makes this book riveting until the last page.

The writer has many red herrings throughout and just when you think you know you find yourself surprised.

18 people found this helpful

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Jwb52z

Wonderful, but still too short

Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2016

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This book was just as good as the previous ones. I love the characters. There was one formatting error that was something that someone should have caught before publishing it, but it wasn't extremely bad. The only things I will say about the plot are that the way it almost ended would have been better in my opinion than the way it really did end and that I wish the portrayal of crossdressing hadn't been negative, even as mildly negative as it was in this book. I won't bore you with a plot summary as I know other reviewers are fond of doing that. I appreciate that this book has chapter demarcations. Chapter demarcations make it so much easier to see how close you are to the end of a chapter or to find a stopping place when you need to do so. If you liked the previous books in the series, I say you should give this one a shot. Have at it because I don't think you'll be disappointed.

One person found this helpful

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Martyso

Fin and funny

Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2013

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These books by Laura Levine are some of my favorite books to read. The main character is Jaine Austen, a writer, who uncovers a dead socialite. To me the murder plot is almost secondary to all the funny episodes with her mother and father. She also has interesting dates and a great cat named Prozac. Overall I enjoyed this book immensely.

One person found this helpful

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Barbara

Another Fun Read by Laura Levine

Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2013

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Laura Levine's Jane Austen series is SO entertaining-each one is funny, clever, and satisfying. They are like M&Ms, you can't taste just one! I love to root for the big-hearted, clever, good pal that is Jane, the crime-solving freelance writer who can't pass on the carbs or the margaritas!

The victim is the evil step-mother/gold-digging villain here, and Jane MUST solve the case, or her poor plus-size step-daughter could take the rap! Enjoy the twists and turns, and have some laughs along the way-Enjoy!

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