A Job to Kill for: A Lacy Fields Mystery

Lacy Fields is back in Janice Kaplan's follow-up, A Job to Kill For. Lacy finds herself thrust in the middle of a murder once again when she is with trophy wife Cassie Crawford as she mysteriously dies. When police begin their investigation, Lacy is devastated to learn that her own best friend, Molly Archer, has been cast as the lead suspect. Molly's prints are all over the bottle of tea that contained the poison killing Cassie, and Molly has been recently canoodling with Cassie's uber-rich husband. Lacy knows that Molly couldn't have possibly committed the crime, and sets out to clear her friend's name. But while trying to track down the real killer, Lacy finds herself suddenly being the prime suspect. Now it's not just about clearing Molly's name- but also her own. A Job to Kill For was as excellent as the first Lacy Fields mystery, Looks to Die For. The mystery tied in with the glamorous lives the heroine and her friends lead makes this a fun read for chick lit fans. Kaplan, a veteran in the entertainment industry, enjoys name dropping and showcasing designer brands along the way. Her writing is fast and witty, and each supporting character has a well constructed back story that makes them as memorable as the heroine. Once I hit just over the halfway mark and the mystery started to intensify, I had to keep reading to find out just who committed the crime.

When interior designer Lacy Fields meets with her beautiful young client Cassie Crawford for a final look at the newly decorated Los Angeles penthouse, she hoped for another satisfied client. What she did not expect was to see her client keel over dead before her eyes. Was the decor that bad or could it really have been the tea? Lacy is the tireless mom to three beautiful children, and the loving wife of a much sought-after Beverly Hills plastic surgeon. In her spare time, she is also a highly successful interior designer and increasingly astute sleuth. She is shocked when suspicion centers on her best friend, Hollywood casting agent Molly Archer whose increasingly close friendship with Cassie's billionaire husband not only disturbs Lacy, but also places Molly at the top of the suspect list according to the LAPD. The Lacy Field series has quickly developed into a popular sought-after mystery with plenty of light-hearted adventure. Author Janice Kaplan could also be called the name-dropper to the stars as her heroine rolls through the day with a catty take on Hollywood culture and shopping habits. Designer names roll off Lacy's tongue with ease, and her high-energy lifestyle freely mixes with the high-end LA types. It is obvious Kaplan knows her topic. A Job to Die For has a well-developed plot and the plot twists and turns add to the fun of solving the puzzle. The surprise reveal adds to an over-all highly entertaining novel. Here's hoping for more of our bright and breezy Lacy.

In Los Angeles beautiful wealthy Cassie Crawford hires interior designer Lacy Fields to decorate her new three million dollar penthouse apartment. Lacy jokes that Cassie is a bigger pain than her three kids or her surgeon spouse and says to her best friend Molly Archer she wants to kill her bothersome client. Molly understands as she knows Cassie's spouse. When Lacy completes the job, she shows off her work to her young client; only Cassie drops dead, a murder victim. Instead of the billionaire spouse, the cops suspect Lacy and her best friend Molly as the most likely killer(s). Refusing to sit idly by while the cops try to railroad her or Molly, Lacy investigates the homicide. However as she uncovers clues, the culprit watches to insure the amateur sleuth does not learn the truth. The latest Lacy Fields amateur sleuth (see LOOKS TO DIE FOR) is an entertaining whodunit in which the humorous asides make for a fun read. From the onset when the heroine muses she would not have made a joke about killing Cassie if she knew someone was going to kill Cassie until the final confrontation, readers will enjoy Lacy's antics. A JOB TO KILL FOR is a jocular lighthearted cozy. Harriet Klausner

I was more than pleasantly surprised with this story. I was afraid that I was going to miss out on certain things because I hadn't read the first book. Fear not though for those who haven't either, you won't feel lost at all. I was swept up in the story. I felt like I was reading a modern, younger, hipper edition of Murder She Wrote. The mystery was very well played out and I enjoyed the investigation along with Lacy. It kept you in suspense and whew that last scene nearly made me claustrophobic. I could feel myself in her situation and was gasping for breath. I, myself, loved the pop culture references sprinkled throughout the novel. My favorite was when Lacy was at her son's swim meet and wonders if she was seeing the next Michael Phelps there. It so happened that the day I read that line was the exact day that Phelps won his record 10th gold medal. Very eerie lol. I didn't feel that there was too much references to make this book dated. It is nice for the reader to see real objects they like find themselves in the fictional world. The only thing that really bugged me about the story was Lacy's daughter Ashley. She was extremely rude and bratty to her mother. Other than teen angst, I could see no reason why she would act this way. I wish that Lacy would have been more strict with her. She obviously did well with one kid because Grant and her have a good relationship. It just irked my nerves to read about Ashley talking back to her mother and not getting any punishment for it. What delighted me most about this book was there was no cursing and no sex. I was very happy to read an excellent secular story that didn't feel the need to throw objectionable content just for filler. The writing is sharp and witty. It's perfect for fans of chick lit mysteries. I'm going to have to go back and read the first one now. And I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what Janice Kaplan has in store for us in the future.