Better Off Dead: A Casey Jones Mystery

A serial rapist/murder is preying on Duke University coeds and PI Casey Jones is called upon to flush out the sadistic brute responsible for the dastardly deeds. Armed with an illegal handgun (she has an unfortunate felony in her background), an outlandish disguise, a strong sense of purpose, a fat hound dog, and a houseful (literally) of offbeat and delightful characters, Casey places herself in harm's way before finally bringing the cowardly perpetrator to justice. This book is an appealing example of what Ms. Munger calls Tart Noir and a delightful romp of a mystery story. Just when you think you have safely climbed down from the edge of your chair at the climax of the story, Ms. Munger tantalizes you with just one more tidbit of a mystery.If you like quirky characters, some fast paced action, a few sudden plot twists or turns, a nicely plotted story, and good tongue in cheek humor, I think you will like this book.

I expect a great book when I see Katy Munger is the author, but I'm always surprised at just how good the books are. The Casey Jones series is a first-day-rush-to-the-book-store and grab the next book in the series for an evening's entertainment, and you might as well block off the entire evening, because you won't be able to put this puppy down. :) I thought Legwork was fantastic, but each book in this series is better than the last. Better Off Dead is a carefully plotted, thrilling mystery populated by colorful characters, and the star, Casey Jones, is my idol. The only bad thing about Better Off Dead was I finished it so quickly; however, I do plan on making up for that by reading it again soon.If you enjoy great writing, a suspenseful plot and several good laughs per book, then this book is for you.

........and hold it until the last page. Casey Jones may seem a little more rawboned then other female heroines, but she has the humor of a Stephanie Plum (albeit a little dryer) and men seem to see through her tough as nails aura and lust after the sexy persona that seeps through her "don't mess with me" attitude. She moves into the home of Helen Pugh, the victim of a horrible rape that has been so traumatized she can't make herself leave the home she has shares with an eccentric mother. Casey vows that the man who ruined Helen's life will not get off scott free for the second time. Thus opens up a chilling flood of incidents that are brought to fore of women that have met with the same horrific crime as Helen, but did not survive the attacks. Casey sets herself up in a gutsy charade in hopes of bringing an end to the monster that has robbed her client of living a normal life. In the process, Casey's sleuthing almost brings an end to her own life. This intense, suspense filled book was impossible to put down and was even more impossible (for me) to guess the outcome. Some mysteries tend to get thin and become anti-climatic near the end. This one was was a 'kicker' until the very last page. Thought I had it figured out. I was wrong. I didn't realize when I bought this book that it was part of a series. Thankfully it didn't harm the plot of the story or give less of a clue into the troop of characters by not reading the first in the series. What a great find this book was!

Tough and able to keep her head during a crisis, Durham, North Carolina private detective Casey Jones does not own an official sleuthing license because she did time. Minor problem to Casey as she still handles inquiries for clients. Helen Pugh was raped, tortured, and left to die, bur somehow she survived. Already suffering from an extreme case of agoraphobia, her attacker begins calling her saying he plans to finish the job.Helen thinks Duke University Professor David Brookhouse attacked her, but his high priced attorney persuaded the jury otherwise when the case went to trial. Casey goes undercover as a student in one of Brookhouse's classes to see what dirt she find on him, not yet realizing how her actions places herself and her loved ones in danger from a clever sociopath.BETTER OFF DEAD is an exciting thriller starring an intrepid heroine and a host of eccentric characters, which eases some of the tension from the non-stop action. Katy Munger is a bright star who keeps her readers' attention until the climax, an ending that is not as tidy as most genre books. Fans should read this marvelous novel.Harriet Klausner

The Casey Jones books are a gem that I savor -- while reading as fast as I can! Casey is a no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners PI in North Carolina. Her boss can't stop eating Little Debbie cakes, and her boyfriend can't stop Casey from doing what she wants to do. In this book, a string of rapes on a college campus results in Casey having to go undercover as a college student. Meanwhile, her whole group of crazy friends moves into a victim's house and sets up an adult frat-house. At times, Casey is the sanest of the lot. Katy Munger has the wit of a Janet Evanovich or a Harlan Coben -- with the hard-boiledness of a Robert Crais or an SJ Rozan. But Casey Jones is her own woman, and she gets better and better with every book (as does Katy Munger). Pretty amazing, for an author who was excellent to start with!