The Nanny Murders

I am so glad that I didn't listen to the bad reviews on here. After I looked up this book, I almost didn't read it. I am so glad I did because it was very good. I found it hard to put down. In fact, I am going to go to the library and get the next book in the series "The River Killings". Hope there are more of these books to come.

I won't summarize the story since that's already covered in the editorial reviews, so here's my review: The Nanny Murders is written in first person which is an automatic good thing in my opinion because most books I read are in third person so it's a nice change. It also makes the mystery/thriller aspect of the book more exciting and intruiging; it's harder to deduce things from one person's view and when the main character (Zoe) gets suspicious/nervous/frightened, her emotions are easily carried onto the reader. Aside from emotions associated with most mystery books, this book also has some light humor in it which I was not expecting at all. I never laugh at anything in books intended to be humorous so when I found myself chuckling at some the comments found within the pages it was a nice surprise. In case you're wondering, this does not distract from the story at all. The funny remarks are realistic and go with the storyline so you don't have to worry about something that's unbelievably absurd or nonsensical getting in the way of your reading. There is a love story intertwined between Zoe and her secretive homicide detective, Nick. Following both the passions and questionable motives that Zoe has for and about Nick is a fun, twisting ride. I don't want to give away any spoilers but the circumstances of their relationship is definitely one that draws interest and keeps it. The only thing that might disappoint some people is the lack of a detailed sex scene. If you're looking for that, then this isn't the book for you. Even though it has no actual descriptions of sex,Merry Jones conveys their intensity, attraction, and longing very well so there's no loss of any substance anyways. Regardless of what kind of book you read, this is just a good book, period. Merry Jones writes without either rushing or going on too long. Her characters trigger emotions about them and the story has a considerable amount of twists and turns right up until the last page. As a matter of fact, I think the ending leaves room for an equally engrossing sequel.

Zoe Hayes is a divorcee living in the Queen Villiage section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her adopted daughter, Molly who is five. She loves her neighborhood as she knows most of her neighbors and Molly, an extraordinarily bright child has playmates at her ready access. The story starts off at a climactic point when Molly finds a dismembered finger in the snow. The finger is an intact woman's finger with a manicured and polished fingernail. The local police believe that the finger might have come from one of the nannies who has recently disappeared. One detective, Nick Stiles makes this case his personal challenge. Zoe, an art therapist at a psychiatric institution agrees to lend her artistic perspective to the police efforts as she feels she just might have some further insight as to the identify of that finger. This is an excellent novel replete with appealing characters. Molly, an aspiring gymnast has a body as lithe and agile as her sharp brain. I just loved it when she asked Zoe if the Tooth Fairy was "somebody you just made up" and that "Santa Claus is just a fake. Everybody knows Santa is really the parents." I love that! How lucky Molly was to know this at five and not run the risk of sounding naive by expressing belief in these myths at a much later age. Nick is a delightful character and one that fits in nicely with the story. The ending, albeit predictable, makes for a very sweet story indeed.

"The Nanny Murders" introduces a terrific new voice. Merry Jones has a real feel for the complexity of her characters. She combines a resilient sense of humor with a mastery of the ambiguity of human relations and the result is a thriller of uncommon intelligence that makes for a very exciting read. I already love the main characters and hope a series will grow out of this book. You'll see--this is the real thing.

Zoe Hayes lives in the Queen Village neighborhood of Philadelphia with her five year old adopted daughter Molly. It is an ethnic mixed neighborhood caught between gentrification and stagnation, a place where she knows most of her neighbors and feels secure. That security is destroyed the day Molly plays in the snow and finds a woman chopped off nail polished finger. The police think that the digit belongs to one of the nannies who have recently disappeared from the neighborhood. Detective Nick Stiles is in charge of the case and asks Zoe to look at the profile psychologist Beverly Gardner prepared. She believes that "The Nannynapper" is someone who lives or works in the neighborhood. She agrees to help out because as an art therapist for the mentally disturbed and familiarity with the neighborhood, she might have insights that Beverly missed. Little did she know that her decision would gain her a lover, become involved in a hostage situation, chased by a killer, and kidnapped by someone she thought of as a friend. Merry Jones' debut fiction thriller is absolutely fantastic, a novel with so many unexpected twists and turns that readers will feel like they are on a fast merry-go-round. This is a character driven who-done-it it with plenty of action so THE NANNY MURDERS will appeal to a wide range of readers. The protagonist seems realistic; the neighbor next door one might visit to borrow a cup of sugar (or for the Atkins crowd - a pack of calorie free sweetener) and stay for coffee because she is so friendly. Harriet Klausner