Mood Swings to Murder: A Bel Barrett Mystery

Our heroine, Bel, is addicted to M & M's. After all, it's a convenient way of eating chocolate without the mess. She needs a "fix" especially when she's involved in a stressful situation. There's plenty of those in this book and for those of us who could really empathize with the character, there are lots of M & M moments. Ms. Isenberg uses a lot of interesting devices to move the plot along. Most of the chapters start with an e-mail or letter to or from Bel. This lets you in on what's going on without hitting you over the head with it. I like it!Teacher Bel has a lot of stuff going on in her life. I would have liked a little more about her relationship with Sol. It seems to be relegated to the back burner in this book. This is a character-driven book and the author has created some great characters--most of which would be interesting to meet. The mystery part is a little flimsy but, that can be forgiven because it's fun just reading what Bel and her cohorts are going to do next. I read this book on the plane from Vegas to Dallas and I didn't really mind that the flight was about a half-hour late because I was really into the book.

This book is a total kick to read! It's clever and funny, touching on everything from the dubious joys of planning a transcontinental wedding and the politics of community college life to the taste of fresh zeppoles at the Feast of St. Anne and the curiosities of celebrity impersonation--all wrapped in a satisfying murder mystery. And of course Bel Barrett once again shows us the humorous side of menopause, proving that "off the pill" doesn't mean "over the hill".Bel and her sharp-eyed, smart-mouth pals Betty and Illuminada don't miss a trick--or a quip--on their way to finding out who did in the Sinatra wannabe. Even Bel's Mom and her octogenarian buddies get into the act, illuminating other wry and warming aspects of getting older while staying young at heart. This is the third in this delightful series, and author Isenberg grows stronger with each one. Her literate, graceful writing style is a pleasure in itself, but mystery fans will find enough clues, suspects and plot twists to keep them turning pages til the wee hours of the morning. This is just the book to savor while listening to Frank sing "That's Life", "All of Me" or "It Was a Very Good Year". Don't miss "Mood Swings to Murder". It's smooth, sophisticated and sassy--just like Ol' Blue Eyes!

Mystery fans will be delighted by the latest escapdes of Bel Barrett. In this case, the Belle of Hobkoen and her menopausal sidekicks solve the murder of a Frank Sinatra impersonator in Blue Eye's hometown. This is the third in the Bel Barrett mystery series, and Jane Isenberg gets better and better with each new book. All her mysteries have wonderful, masterful plots that keep the reader in suspense to the last chapter. Isenberg's characters are round, full of life and lives that the reader can grasp and enjoy. Isenberg is obviously a talented writer, and her prose bristles with humor and intelligence, and for the student of literature the subtle allusions here and there are an extra bit of fun. I wouldn't be surpised if these novels became the basis for a movie or TV series. They are great reads, and I'd love to see Bel's Hoboken on the silver screen. A big fan.

Don't pick up Moodswings to Murder if you wake up in the middle of the night. I did, and didn't get to sleep until 5 AM - but I don't regret it, because I was having a good read. Bel Barrett, who solved the mystery in the first two books in this series, becomes a friend we enjoy spending time with. She can make us laugh about anything: menopause, midlife worries, danger.The spirit of Frank Sinatra enlivens this book in many ways. In Hoboken, NJ (his birthplace) Frankie, like Elvis, will never die, but the unfortunate victim, a Frank Sinatra impersonator, did. Read the book to find out who killed him and why, and how Bel, in spite of herself, gets involved.

Bel Barrett is not your typical menopausal Jewish resident of Hoboken, New Jersey. Her daughter attends an Oregon college, sends an E-mail informing Bel that she is pregnant and plans to marry her significant other. Bel's son, recently returned from Israel after a failed romance, is a couch potato living on Fruit Loops and needing surgery to remove the TV remote form his hand. Bel's saving grace is her beloved Sol, whose only flaw in her mind is his reluctance for her to investigate homicides.While taking a stroll together, Sol and Bel find the body of a young Frank Sinatra look-alike. The deceased is Louie Palumbo, a Sinatra impersonator, who happened to be dating one of Bel's students. The pupil is a suspect, but Bel believes she is innocent. Bel decides to prove it by searching for the real killer, not yet knowing the danger she places herself in by a person relishing anonymity.MOOD SWINGS TO MURDER demystifies menopause as the charming lead character does everything she did during pre-menopause. Much of Bel's tsuras come from her children (sound familiar) and not her change of life. The mystery is fined tuned by building on incident after incident until Bel is in danger from a killer whose identity she keeps stepping close to uncovering. The secondary characters especially those seen through e-mail only, provide a deft touch to the plot as well as insight into Bel's "mood swings." Fans of ethnic amateur sleuth tales will want Jane Isenberg to provide more stories starring Bel and her brood.Harriet Klausner