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Here's What They're Saying About
ASKING FOR MURDER:
"The pacing is very good and the plotting is wonderful. Many screwy people,
some nice folks, a few funny--and rueful--episodes, and several intertwined
plot threads all work together beautifully, with a crisply woven climax that
really works well, and ending with a sweet coda that ties up all the loose
bits."
I love the characters in this series, particularly that of Rebecca
Butterman. Her character is strong, feisty and believable. I feel like I'm
caught up in her life when I read these books and I always look forward to
seeing what happens next.
There's nothing quite as comforting as an entertaining crime mystery, that
balances novel elements with tried and tested formulae. Asking for Murder
is just such a book, featuring psychotherapist crime solver Rebecca
Butterman.
ASKING FOR MURDER is Rebecca's third foray into the realm of amateur
sleuthing. She's getting good at it, although her personal issues tend to
get in her way sometimes. She continues to work on those issues, trying to
become a better person and a better therapist. While the astute reader may
suspect where the romantic arc of this series is going, given Isleib's
skills as a writer, one hesitates to bet a large sum on that possibility. It
will be interesting and enjoyable to see how Rebecca's life shakes out in
the next book or two.
Asking for Murder is the third in this very engaging series, one I've enjoyed from the start. Rececca is a great
amateur sleuth, who is saved from being too saccharine by exhibiting both an "edge" and a self-deprecating sense of humor.
It's hard not to cheer her on. Roberta Isleib knows how to balance the needs of readers who look for both a strong
mystery element and a glimpse into the life of the main character.
Asking for Murder is good escapist reading, a charming and sometimes gritty mystery with an
appealing protagonist who sleuths, cooks and psychoanalyzes.
It's springtime in Connecticut and psychotherapist Dr. Rebecca Butterman's fancy has turned to hamburgers...and murder, in Asking for Murder, the best entry of this series to date.
An endearing and intelligent heroine. An original plot. A surprising ending. Red herrings galore. (And I fell for every one of them.) All in all, Roberta Iselib has concocted a completely satisfying mystery. It’s delicious, and not only because of the tantalizing recipes included. (I’m still thinking about chicken chili.) ASKING FOR MURDER is maybe the best ever from an author who only gets better.
There's a lot to like about Asking for Murder. I'm a research psychologist, not a clinical psychologist, so listening to the therapist-talk throughout the book was like having access to some secret shrink society. Rebecca has a thing about food (as do I), and as she talked her way through the culinary offerings she was preparing for herself and her friends, I was ready to dig in. I also liked the writing, the evocative descriptions and the sensibility. I even liked the mystery, which I guess was supposed to be the point.
Most of all, though, I loved how the author really got it about friendship and single life.
An admission: I don’t read mysteries. However, if more were like this one, I would be searching them out. “Asking For Murder” does open a door – to a large audience, including those in the psychology field, those not in the field who may want a closer look, to romance readers interested in something different, to readers looking for a light weekend or beach read, and to anyone who enjoys spunky fallible female lead characters.
Roberta Isleib's new novel Asking for Murder is a unique mix of murder
mystery and psychological exploration. The characters are believable,
likeable, and easy to relate to. The prose flows well and the dialogue is
intelligent. I couldn't put this book down.
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