Quick Study

I really enjoy this series the heroine in very likeable so is the long suffering guy who loves her. the plots are on the light side, but the author pulls it off. Anyone how enjoys light mysteries will enjoy this book, read the first in series to start.

"Quick Study" is a light, quick read with a (mostly) likeable heroine, a solid mystery, some quirky humor, and a (mostly) fun romance. Like the other two books in the series, this one finds Alison getting involved in a murder case that affects all those around her, including her devoted boyfriend, Crawford the cop, and her best friend, Max. Also as usual, Alison refuses to heed her boyfriend's pleas and warnings that she stay out of the investigation, resulting in Alison putting herself in harm's way, while also ultimately helping to nab the bad guy. In this installment, I have to admit I found Alison a little irritating. You do have to allow her some "too stupid to live" moments or else the mystery would never move forward and there wouldn't be a plot, but her insistance on getting involved and then seeming to be unafraid even after she's hurt and threatened is a bit much to swallow. Plus, there are two scenes where she's mean and rude to Crawford, and even though she's completely in the wrong, she never apologizes to him and it's Crawford who has to initiate contact after their arguments. The theme of these novels seems to be that Alison considers herself a slubby English professor unaware of her own charm; this time around, though, I wasn't really buying that both Crawford and other men would find her so hard to resist. Crawford remains a great hero--loyal, steadfast, and true without being boring--but in the next one, I wouldn't mind if Alison learned to appreciate him more. And I did like the twist of Max having trouble in her marriage. It gave the character more depth and sets up the next book nicely. Overall, a fun read, but do expect a few eye-rolling moments as Alison gets herself tangled up in the mystery.

Quick Study, the third in the Murder 101 series, is another hit. The characters are compelling, the mystery is full of twists and turns, and the romance is believable and sweet. The dialogue is crisp and the humor is the laugh-out-loud variety. Enjoy!

This new "Murder 101 Mystery", is the third following the career of Alison Bergeron. Alison is a wisecracking English Professor at a small Catholic college in the Bronx, with a view of the Hudson. Her penchant for helping people out with her amateur detective work gets her into all sorts of situations. The books are great fun reads and the current one is no exception. They really are "comedy murder mysteries", as we see things from the perspective of Alison's witty mind. Alison (try to imagine Lucille Ball, Nancy Drew, and Zena the Warrior Princess rolled into one) is in love with, among other things, the NY Rangers, martinis, and an NYPD detective. The murder mystery part involves an illegal immigrant who Alison met while serving a community service sentence (see second book as to how she earned this court-ordered gig) in a soup kitchen. He's found floating in the Hudson, extremely deceased. Alison has great sympathy for the family and decides to involve herself. After all, with two other investigations to her credit, she now has lots of experience. In fact, she no longer faints. So lots of fun, and highly recommended. And if you are looking for a great gift any of the "murder 101 mystery" books will do nicely.

When St. Thomas University English Lit Professor Alison Bergeron is not teaching, dating her NYPD boyfriend Bobby Crawford, or going to Manhattan to visit Rangerland in MSG wearing a Messier sweatshirt, she performs sixty hours of community service. It is at a soup kitchen that she met illegal Ecuadorian immigrant Hernan Escalante and his extended family. She hires Hernan to paint her dining room. Hernan and his nephew Jose Tomasso arrive while Alison still recuperates from two large beers last night watching hockey at the Garden. Soon afterward Hose vanishes only to be found floating in the Hudson, near the Bronx's luxurious Riviera Pointe condominiums. Although she knows better after her last whodunit got her in trouble with State Troopers, Alison, believing the death of an illegal will be swept into the river, investigates the homicide. A second murder occurs at Riviera Pointe while Hernan vanishes. Fearing for her new friend's life though rationally she assumes he ran because of his status or lack thereof, Alison and her friends with the help of former sweetheart Jack McManus, whose other plus is he works for the New York Rangers, continue their inquiry even as her current boyfriend Bobby insists she cease and desist. The hat trick Murder 101 cozy (see EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES and MURDER 101) is an enjoyable whodunit starring a wonderful lead activist who knows she shouldn't but can't help but getting involved. Maggie makes the tale with her amusing asides for example her observation that she is tall but not big yet Bobby must see her as gigantic because he always buys her extra large clothing like the Messier t-shirt. The mystery is fun to follow as amateur sleuthing spins out of control. Except for Boston Bruins fans, readers will enjoy the antics of the number one New York Ranger fan. Harriet Klausner