Some Like It Lethal

With two cases under her belt, fallen socialite Eleanor "Nora" Blackbird wants nothing more than to do three things: 1) Get back to attending extravagant parties and get-togethers as part of her job as a society columnist for the Intelligencer; 2) Celebrate the holidays with the ones she loves; and 3) Find a way to keep the crumbling Blackbird manor from being signed over to someone who can actually pay the taxes on it. And, of course, if she can find an extra minute or two, she'd love to spend a little time with bad boy Michael Abruzzo. But before she has even put pen to paper, another dead body has sprung up and Nora finds herself on the case. Nora Blackbird believes that the hunt breakfast will be an opportunity for her to, once more, immerse herself in Philadelphia society. Hobnobbing with the rich, and catching up with some of her old friends. But her plans abruptly come to a halt when Rush Strawcutter, the husband of ugly duckling, and Philadelphia dog food heiress, Augusta "Gussie" Strawcutter, is found in a horse stall - bludgeoned to death. Ordinarily, Nora wouldn't necessarily get involved in such a crime, and would allow the police to piece together the case on their own, but things are different this time; for right next to Rush's dead body lies Emma, Nora's sister. With Emma badly bruised and unconscious, Nora knows that something is amiss; and that it's up to her to find out exactly what it is. But with Emma the prime suspect in Rush's murder, things aren't looking too good. When Nora, with her maniac of a dog, Spike, in tow, begin to dig for clues, they uncover a blackmail scheme that would throw even the most composed individual for a loop. Now, with the help of a few close friends - and even a few foes - Nora has embarked on a rendezvous that takes her through the scandalous world of some of the Philadelphia Main Line's most notorious players, and digs up quite a bit of dirt that could implicate them in a variety of wrongdoings - perhaps even murder. It has been quite some time since I've visited Philadelphia's high society alongside Nora Blackbird, and, I must admit, I've missed it quite a bit. Nora is a character whom you can't help but love. Her bright outlook on life - no matter how many problems are thrown her way - is catching; while her fabulous wardrobe makes you envy the willowy society columnist. Michael Abruzzo is his typical self - muscle-bound and full of secrets; while the introduction of the flamboyant Hadley Pinkham is a thrill a minute - at least at first - who leaves you laughing out loud in practically every scene he appears in. While four-legged and super tiny, Nora's newly acquired pooch, Spike, is quite a character himself, dominating every scene with his snarls and penchant for lashing out at just about anyone who steps too close to him. Nancy Martin has penned a third novel that is brimming with a winning cast of characters whom you can't help but hate to love and love to hate. Sophisticated, witty, styl

Some Like it Lethal is the third Blackbird Sisters mystery. It is as enjoyable as the first two of the series (How to Murder a Millionaire and Dead Girls Don't Wear Diamonds). I read the entire book in an evening, as it reads very fast and is difficult to put down. Nora Blackbird, the middle sister and narrator of the story, is an engaging amateur sleuth. A former socialite fallen on hard times, she now works as a society page reporter for a Philadelphia newspaper. In Some Like it Lethal, the holiday season is just starting with the Hunt Breakfast, which Nora attends in order to cover it for the paper. While there, the body of Rush Strawcutter is found bludgeoned to death in one of the horse stalls along with Emma Blackbird, Nora's younger sister, who has been beaten and is nearly dead from alcohol poisoning. The police finger Emma as the murderer, and that leaves Nora to find out the truth. A subplot of a blackmailing scam comes to the surface, which Nora also needs to deal with. Nancy Martin writes great dialog for her characters and the plot moves along well. I was able to figure out who the blackmailer was early on, but how everything intertwined and came together in the end, I was not able to discover in advance. Nora is a delight to spend time with and it is easy to see why Michael Abruzzo is back in this third story to woo and court her. Nora is a young widow whose first marriage ended in tragedy when her doctor husband became a cocaine addict and was shot to death. Therefore, Nora is wary about the whole dating scene, and Michael's family's association with organized crime (he claims he has nothing to do with them) adds to her concern. On the other hand, Michael is very considerate of Nora and she finds him very sexy. Some Like it Lethal continues their story with some surprises. The addition of Spike, a very small dog of extremely murky heritage, provides for some great fun and dialog, as does Libby Blackbird, the eldest sister, who is embracing her inner goddess after the recent birth of her fifth child. If you are new to the Blackbird Sister mysteries, Some Like it Lethal, can be read on its own. Martin gives enough background for everything to make sense; however, for full enjoyment of all the characters and situations, I recommend reading the first two books of the series. They are all worth the read.

"Some Like It Lethal" is Nancy Martin's best 'Blackbird Sisters Mystery' to date! Martin continues her hilarious journey of the siblings, and the mysterious adventures they encounter. The plots just keep getting fresher and more innovative and the dialogue keeps getting wittier. (If that is possible!)In this novel, Nora Blackbird continues her first real job as assistant to the Society Editor of the local newspaper. She attends various society functions, many of which she was routinely invited to previously in her "former life" - before she had to go to work. The only difference now is that she has to write a review and email it to the editor. When she is not working, Nora is usually either saving the world from "killer dog" Spike (love him!) or taking care of her sister's family. Libby is recovering from recent childbirth and is busy embracing the goddess within. (The goddess, by the way, is Placida - deity of tranquility, adventure, and weight loss!)While Nora is covering the annual "fox hunt" breakfast event for the newspaper, Rush Strawcutter, the husband of a dog food heiress, is found murdered in a horse stall. Nora's job of rescuing her siblings only escalates when she discovers that her sister, Emma, is drunk and unconscious in the stall as well.Fortunately for Nora and her siblings, Michael is nearby to help lend a "streets smart" hand as Nora deals with blackmail, mystery, and romance.An excellent and fun novel! Nancy Martin is quickly turning into one of my favorite writers.

Nora Blackbird is at another society party. This time it is a hunt club breakfast. Rush Strawcutter, husband of a wealthy dog food heiress, is found bludgeoned to death in a horse stall. Nora's sister Emma is found unconscious and bruised nearby. The evidence begins to point to Emma as the main suspect. Nora knows Emma couldn't have done it, so she begins to investigate.Nora's little sister Libby has just had another baby. Her husband has died - all the Blackbird women are widows, it appears to be a curse. Nora is staying with Libby to help out with the children. Michael, Nora's boyfriend who is the son of a mob boss, is out of the country on a fishing trip. The police are looking into possible money laundering and keep asking her about it. To complicate matters, she has a small, ugly puppy Spike who she takes almost everywhere with her in her purse. Nora is from high society but since her parents left the country to avoid a $2 million tax bill, she has had to take a job as a society writer for a Philadelphia newspaper to keep her head above water and hold onto the family farm. As Nora begins to investigate, her friend Hadley Pinkham comes to her aide many times. They know a lot of the same people and end up following one of them into a park. It appears he is paying the blackmailer. Nora knows if she can get to the bottom of the blackmailing, she'll probably get to the bottom of the murder as well. Somehow they are tied together.This is a terrific series and this is a great addition to it. I like all the characters and all the parties she attends. Yet she seems to be a normal person most of the time. Her boyfriend Michael and Detective Bloom both add a lot of color to the story as well.I always look forward to reading the next book in the series. I find it hard to put it down once I start! I highly recommend this one!

She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and grew up to be one of the most sought after woman in main line Philadelphia society. Her parents squandered the family fortune, raided their daughters' trust funds and moved to a South American country to live the high life because Argentina doesn't have an extradition treaty with the United States. Nora Blackbird wants to preserve the family homestead so she takes the job as the assistant to the society editor covering social events of the rich and famous.When Nora attends the hunt club breakfast, her sister Emma is nowhere to be found even though she was supposed to be riding. After covering the story she looks for Emma but other guests find her in a barn stall, unconscious from too much drink and the murdered body of Rush Strawcutter next to her. Her whip is covered in blood and the police believe she is the perpetrator but Nora knows better and once again goes into sleuth mode to flush the guilty party out of hiding.SOME LIKE IT LETHAL is a fabulous amateur sleuth mystery. The heroine is fearful about becoming involved with Michael because he was born and raised in a Mafia family and she is afraid to trust that he is totally innocent of any crimes, allowing her to seem vulnerable to readers beneath her tough exterior. Nancy Martin has written a real puzzler because the victim was so laid back and gentle that nobody, including Nora, believes he had an enemy in the world. Take a walk on the wild side with this rowdy and witty who-done-it.Harriet Klausner