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Sugar Tower Paperback – January 1, 2010

by Jessica Dee Rohm (Author)

4.2 13 ratings

Set in today's Manhattan, Sugar Tower is a sharp and funny tale of a woman forced to reinvent herself as the platforms she built her life upon are dissolving beneath her feet. With uncanny perceptiveness, this novel delves into societal shifts that impact us all - the real estate bubble, the decline of feminism, the obsolescence of print journalism - in the context of a murder mystery that titillates and dazzles from beginning to end.

Print length

312 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Createspace Independent Pub
Publication date

January 1, 2010
Dimensions

6.2 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches
ISBN-10

1453650091
ISBN-13

978-1453650097
See all details

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Createspace Independent Pub (January 1, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 312 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1453650091
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1453650097
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.15 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.2 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #11,792,655 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #109,354 in Women Sleuths (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 13 ratings

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Jessica Dee Rohm

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Jessica Dee Rohm

Author

Make Me an Offer (2003)

Tender Offer (2005)

Sugar Tower (Coming soon!)

A lifelong writer and a serial entrepreneur, Jessica Dee Rohm started her career at the New York Times. Her first solo enterprise, Jessica Dee Communications, a marketing and communications company, grew to be the sixteenth largest in the country when she sold it to the then largest advertising agency in the U.S., Chiat/Day. She served as CEO for an additional two years, leaving in 1989 to found her second venture, Foreign Management Company, a real estate consultancy and brokerage firm catering to investors. Her clients have included governments, banks, funds, real estate developers from Manhattan to Moscow, as well as many corporations, trusts, and colorful “fiction-fodder” individuals.

The New York native graduated from high school as valedictorian of her class, at age 16. Winning a National Merit Scholarship, a Regents Scholarship, and a National Newspaper Scholarship, she attended Barnard College, graduating at age 19 with a B.A. in English literature. She then earned her M.B.A. in management and marketing from Columbia Business School. This year she will be awarded her second master’s degree, an M.F.A. in creative writing, from Manhattanville College.

Jessica Dee Rohm has published numerous feature articles in magazines ranging including regular columns for both Restaurant Hospitality and The Cornell Quarterly. In addition, she has published many newspaper articles in the New York Times, Hartford Courant, Real Estate Weekly, the Hersham Acorn newspaper chain, and others. She has been the subject of several feature stories and profiles in publications ranging from the Fairfield County Business Journal to the New York Times, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Entrepreneur, the Palm Beach Post, and Glamour. She has been featured in two books—The Confidence Factor by Judith Briles and Whiz Kids by Marilyn Machlowitz.

Some of her personal and professional affiliations include: Member of the Board of Directors, Stamford Symphony; Winner of 2000 IBM MLDP Award for Demonstration of Best Leadership Competencies; Member, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC); Member, PR Task Force, American Association of Publishers (2003-2004); Columbia Business School, Executive MBA Program Faculty/Lecturer (2002); The Conference Board, Corporate Image Conference 2002; Speaker, The Global Brand Leadership Council 2001; Speaker, "Young Leader” – Selected by the American Council on Germany to represent the United States at an international conference on leadership issues; selected by American Express for its Small Business Partnership Program; Central Park Conservancy—Women’s Committee Board Member.

Sugar Tower is Ms. Rohm’s recently completed novel. She is represented by Erica Silverman of Trident Media Group, 41 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010. Tel. (212) 981-0647; Fax (212) 262-4849; Email esilverman@tridentmediagroup.com.

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D. E. Mack

Awesome character, well-told story! (minor flaws--meh!)

Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2011

Verified Purchase

I happened to stumble across this book while reading through one of my email lists. The author was seeking reviews. I was more than willing to pay the $2.99 for the Kindle ebook. Ah, the wonders of serendipity!

SUGAR TOWER is about a female reporter named M. Jesus Piazza. (The M is for Marchesa. Not to be confused with the former New York Mets catcher!) Piazza has spent her life in pursuit of a dream career as an investigative journalist for a first-tier newspaper, only to end up on the New York City real estate beat for a paper a bit lower on the journalistic ladder. She's of a, um, certain age, single (aka, married to her career) and second guessing a lot of her choices. She once had a romantic relationship with her editor with whom she remains friends (naturally) and must also deal with her aging father. And I haven't even told you about the mystery yet!

The mystery revolves around the death of Anabel Sugarman, the wife of a big-time real estate mogul named Barry. Piazza originally covered the case (an apparent accidental drowning in the couple's pool) as part of her work as a real estate reporter. However, Piazza (sensing something much bigger afoot) checks with the medical examiner later and learns Anabel had enough toxin in her system to make her death "officially suspicious."

So, years later and after bending her ex-lover/editor's ear, Piazza is teamed up with the NYPD homicide detective Emilio Urquia on the case. Um, what? Since when do reporters and police team up? Well, apparently, a new task force dedicated to solving cold crimes will stop at nothing to accomplish their mission. Including working with reporters. Okay, then.

Piazza and Urquia seem to have little problem digging right into their task. Barry and Anabel lived in one of the penthouses at the Sugar Tower and, basically, the whole building is full of suspects. Anabel wasn't exactly the nicest person ever. And Sugar Tower is populated with residents who have all sorts of secrets.

Even so, that's not even the best part of the story. What makes this story special is spending time with this protagonist. M. Jesus Piazza has a wonderful way of expressing herself (with lots of parenthetical asides -- funny and otherwise). This is true, whether she's extolling her love-hate relationship with the City of New York or describing a thrilling night at the opera. Piazza is also forced, at one point, to deal with a situation involving her father. One involving tough moral choices. Choices -- there's that word again.

This may be one of the most character-driven mysteries I've ever read. Not that plot is short-changed. Jessica Dee Rohm's ability to weave the character's thoughts and feelings seamlessly into the plot is amazing. Her writing style is smooth and rich with descriptions that swept me away. She also clearly knows her subject: the details of real estate and finance are handled in enough detail to inform the reader without getting too technical.

There's also a funny subplot involving a dog walker and Piazza's dog that figures into the mystery in a way I never saw coming. And even though I knew whodunnit way before Piazza, the real fun was in watching her reason it out.

However, a couple of things that made me go "Hmm?" (other than the reporter-police team concept): (Minor spoiler alert--maybe.) Piazza ends up dating Barry. Um, would a journalist do this? Would a journalist investigating the murder of a woman date her widower? Seriously, is this wise? But, he has an alibi. Well, okay -- I'll look the other way and hum past this one.

The last concern, though, is too big to ignore. The detective has Piazza search Barry's beach house and gather evidence, claiming he never had grounds for a warrant. Er, but if Piazza is working cheek-to-jowl with the police on this, she's acting on their behalf. She's even filling out chain-of-evidence forms. Basically, the cops can't use her to maneuver around Fourth Amendment requirements. Sorry, there's no turning and humming past this one.

But did I enjoy the book, anyway? Yes, absolutely. The story ends with indications of a possible sequel. I, for one, would love to spend more time with M. Jesus Piazza. (Great name, by the way!)

Debbi Mack
Least Wanted
Identity Crisis

Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2010

Verified Purchase

I was so looking forward to curling up with this book, especially with all the good Amazon reviews. But I was disappointed at how quickly I guessed the obvious perp of this who-dun-it. I kept hoping I was wrong. But, alas, there was little mystery. Moreover, the heroine seemed disingenuous for a newspaper reporter in her late 30's . Where was her reporter's skepticism? Characters were stereotypes, not real people. I suspect the book reviewers were Jessica's friends, because the book I read isn't the book they described. Maybe her next one will be better.

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L Bed

All the elements of a good read...

Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2011

Verified Purchase

The character development in Jessica Dee Rohm's newest book, "Sugar Tower" is excellent . You have, Marchesa "Mach" Piazza a smart, good looking 40ish reporter contemplating her life and her career when she embarks on solving the mysterious death of the wealthy and gorgeous Annabel Trainor Sugarman. In the process, the reader gets a voyeuristic journey into NYC's most sought after real estate and the lives that inhabit there. Many of these residents and characters that are built into the process of solving a crime are really interesting personalities that possess a unique quirkiness. I couldn't help imagining who would play some of these roles if this ever went to screen.

SugarTower holds it's own as a well-researched mystery with insider view to both the real estate market and publishing industry. It's a win-win for an entertaining and insightful weekend read.

2 people found this helpful

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grumpydan

Sugar Tower

Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2010

Marchesa Jesus Piazza, a real-estate news reporter turned amateur sleuth, as she tries to find out who murdered socialite Anabel Trainor Sugarman, a year ago. Anable was married to real estate developer Barry Sugarman, builder of the Sugar Tower. With the assistance of a New York Police detective, she interviews tenants of the building to find out what really happened. Rohm has developed an enjoyable story filled with quirky characters, a little suspense, a few misdirections that all add up to a masterful mystery!

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J. Alter

Moral dilemmas amidst murder

Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2010

Verified Purchase

Take the decline of newspapers, the New York City real estate crisis, the workings of the medical examiner's office, and one woman reporter, single at 42, hearing her biological clock and wondering if she made the wrong choices in life. Then add the murder of a prominent developer's wife, and you have a whopping good mystery with a lot of depth and character development. Yes, there's an obvious allusion to Donald Trump in Barry Sugarman's empire but Sugarman is better looking. Mach (Marchessa Jesus Piazza, whose newspaper byline reads M. Jesus Piazza) is the self-deprecating amateur sleuth who meets not only mystery but moral dilemmas as she tries to figure out who killed Annabel Trainor Sugarman. You know somebody in this story is smarmy but figuring out who isn't easy, which is as it should be. A good read.

Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2010

Verified Purchase

Sugar Tower is a fast moving exciting tale. I loved reading the book and could not put it down.I am looking forward to reading other books written by Jessica Rohm. I am recommending Sugar Tower to all my friends. The female detective was wonderful and real. The story keeps you guessing and kept me involved until the end.

One person found this helpful

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writeoncindy

"Sugar Tower" - A Delicious Treat!

Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2011

Verified Purchase

In "Sugar Tower," Jessica Dee Rohm puts together a real spicey mix of "Sex and the City" and the posh High-End Real Estate World of New York City! Can't wait to see what she follows "Sugar Tower" up with!

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