Book Review: Murder Can Upset Your Mother

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Murder Can Upset Your Mother     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Selma Eichler
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Cozy   Private Investigator   Woman Main Character   Humorous
Series: Desiree Shapiro # 8
Signet, Mar 2001, $5.99, 272 pp.

Desiree Shapiro just arrived home and goes into her routine of first listening to the messages on her answering machine. The first entry comes from her neighbor, very excited and pleading with Desiree to hurry over. Desiree shuts down the tape and runs off to see what her neighbor needed so urgently, which turns out to be a party. Desiree, known for her appetite, enjoys the food.

A week later a friend chastises Desiree for not returning her call. Desiree, thinking what happened, realizes she never listened to the messages the day of the party. One of the calls comes from philanthropist Miriam Weldon asking Desiree for help as someone is trying to kill her. Desiree calls back only to learn from Miriam's mother that the woman was murdered. Feeling guilty and heeding the request of the mother, Desiree begins to search for Miriam's murderer. Very quickly, Desiree learns that the statue on the pedestal crumbled as she finds out the truth behind the do-gooder image of the victim who almost everyone wanted dead.

What makes Desiree Shapiro unique from the typical female sleuth is the fourth slice of pizza. Still that overindulgence in eating sometimes turns irritating perhaps because it hits home for many of us readers who are not Buffied. Her latest tale, MURDER CAN UPSET YOUR MOTHER, is an entertaining Manhattan who-done-it that will entertain fans as it is a cleverly designed mystery with a moral message stating that even heroes have flaws. Readers will relish (with two hot dogs and mustard on rolls) Selma Eichler's tasty novel.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner