Well Bred and Dead: A High Society Mystery (High Society Mystery Series, 1)

"Well Bred and Dead" by Catherine O'Connell is a very well written book. I couldn't put it down (another mystery book that I just had to have the answers to)! I read it in a day! The story is about Pauline Cook. She lost her husband about 10 years ago and never remarried. She lives in a penthouse with windows on all 4 sides and a magnificent view of Chicago. Pauline is used to living a "rich" life, but lately her money has been drying up. And when Pauline finds her best friend Ethan dead, the cost of his funeral and solving the mystery behind his death causes her to end up broke. While attempting to solve the mystery of her best friend's death (and life!), she meets Terrance. Could he be the new love of her life? If so, she'll have to give up her young stud, Sean. Terrance helps Pauline find the answers surrounding Ethan, travelling to places such as London, England. Uh-oh ... Did Ethan kill someone? There are twists at every intersection, taking the story in a new, presumably predictable direction. But wait! There's another twist you weren't even looking for!! I VERY highly recommend this book! This story is very well told and very entertaining! - 1smileycat :-)

Maybe the grammar wasn't exactly edited, but the story was wonderful. I found it delightfully different and refreshing. It made me want to look up more books by Catherine O'Connell. Pauline reminded me of another character by M.C.Beaton who is always looking for love in the wrong places. Very entertaining!

Ever since I read Well Bred and Dead I have asked myself: what would Pauline do? Pauline is a high society widow whose deceased husband could have done a better job of providing for her future. The Chicago socialite will need a new credit card if she is to have the latest Paris fashions and maintain her standard of living. Pauline manages life's disappointments with the support of her closest friends, including Ethan, an author who writes about the city's past doyennes. We never really know who our friends are, do we? When Ethan misses lunch, Pauline tracks him down and finds him dead. As the police investigate, they learn that Ethan may have assumed someone else's identity. In a society in which pretenses are common, false pretenses ought not come as a surprise, but author Catherine O'Connell devises numerous surprises for Pauline. It turns out that a well bred lady with no head for enterprise can be an enterprising detective. I enjoyed Pauline's preoccupation with herself, her misconceptions about people and her determination to discover what happened to her friend. I'm hoping there's a sequel. I'd be interested to know what Pauline will do next.

This book reminds me of Dominick Dunne's take on NY's 'Fifth Avenue Society' but with a sense of humor that's triple sec. O'Connell really captures the Gold Coast of Chicago, and her wry sense of humor and unique observations are a delight to read. She's created a really unique kind of narrator - this wealthy socialite, who pays as much attention to the kind of linen she's bound and gagged on, as to what the murder weapon might be. Very clever, very funny, a truly different voice. I highly recommend this book, and I totally agree with Frank McCourt's assessment on the book cover; "O'Connell is a hell of a storyteller, and a tart observer." Can't wait to read her next tart.

I loved this book; it was like a breath of fresh air in the cozy world. Hey, even Frank McCourt endorsed this book :) I really hope there is a sequel. The plot was convoluted, but one could still follow along pretty easily. I loved Pauline. She was shallow yet likeable, and the book contained some great moments where she learned that the poor and rich have more in common than she once thought. The book was humorous in its take on the wealthy, but I think, at times, there was too much observation and not enough action. It's a hard line to toe from mystery to social critique, but the book did a great job overall.