If Looks Could Kill

I really didn't expect to enjoy this book, but was quite pleasantly surprised...I loved it! The plot was tight, the characters totally believable and the murderer.....a complete surprise! I love the characters of Bailey Weggins and Cat Jones (confessed 'shoe slut') and look forward to their next adventure. I had to laugh out loud at the mentions of the old "Cosmo", oops, I mean "Gloss" editor who was forced to retire....gee, I wonder who *that* could be referring to?! It was pure-dee delicious reading about the inner workings of a fashion magazine....a nice little plus to the story.

I found this quick-read to be very intriguing. It's the kind of book that gives you the heebie-jeebies enough to look up from the book and all around you to make sure you're not the next victim. I literally couldn't put it down. I thought I knew 'whodunit' several times throughout the book, but was surprised in the last 15 pages to find it was none of my suspects. I reccommend this book to anyone who likes a good murder-mystery or a quick read.

I'd be the first to admit that I truly enjoy reading books along with a group. When Oprah announced the possible end of her six-year book club, it was a sad day for me. The sadness, however, was replaced with joy as other TV shows and newspapers jumped on the bandwagon and started their own book clubs. While Regis jokes that Kelly's book club could be better known as "beach trash reading," this statement couldn't be further from the truth with Ripa's first pick. Prior to this, I had never heard of Kate White and this is one of the reasons I love book groups....you get introduced to authors whose books you might not have picked out on your own. I'm happy to report that White's book is informative, enjoyable and an overall excellent "who done it." I read about fifty books in the mystery/thriller genre each year and I must admit that she had me guessing until the very end.IF LOOKS COULD KILL is set in Manhattan where the main characters work together at "Gloss Magazine." The author gives the reader a great inside look at both the magazine as well as the fashion industry. Her characters navigate different parts of the city from Greenwich Village to Tribeca to Chelsea to Central Park West in search of their stories and photo shoots. I particularly loved her descriptions not only of the locales but of the outfits worn by her characters as well. It was like being in a Sex And The City episode but, instead of following Carrie Bradshaw around, we get to tag along with Bailey Weggins, the crime story journalist for "Gloss. Since she writes about crime, her boss Cat Jones thinks she'll be perfect for trying to solve the mystery of "who killed Cat's nanny" and remove some of Cat's fears that she, herself, was really the intended victim. In order to get to the bottom of this fiasco, Bailey will travel out of Manhattan into beautiful Bucks County, PA, which, coincidentally, is the home of this reviewer. Imagine my surprise as Bailey drove into my hometown on a picture perfect day. Unfortunately, her trip wasn't as enjoyable as it might have been but you'll have to read the book to find out what happens.So, all in all, I give this book a solid 5 stars in comparison to other books in this genre. I understand the author is working on another book with Bailey Weggins as the main character and I look forward to its release. It was nice for a change not to be reading about the male, alcoholic, divorced, bad-tempered, wisecracking private eye that so many authors are relying on nowadays to sell their books. Instead, we are given a female, who is a loser at love, dresses well, has an exciting job and thinks about things that we readers can associate with on a daily basis.Kudos to you Kelly Ripa for a fine first pick and congratulations to Kate White for being the beneficiary of this notoriety....and well deservedly so, I might add.

This book is a terrific mystery, with a totally captivating heroine. Bailey Weggins is smart, sexy, very funny, and the reader gets to solve the murder along with her!

...I bought it and read it...more like devoured it!... Wow! I was excited for the author, ... This book truly was fantastic, and it deserves the recognition it is receiving...I recommend it highly! What a wonderful thing that this debut author has broken into the tough world of fiction! It is no small feat that she has come this far! Hats off to Ms. White!