1. 

   A. Reid
   March 8th, 2010 - 09:09

   The biggest complaint I have about this book is that I’m finished. I decided to pick up one of Harley Jane Kozak’s romantic comedy mysteries on the high recommendation of Entertainment Weekly. From their review, I expected that the book would be competently written. I didn’t expect it to make me laugh out loud or to make me care for her characters quite so much.

   In that, I can see, I differ from some of Amazon’s other reviewers.

   This book is definitely a hybrid, which may make it a challenge to fans of the traditional mystery. It has many qualities of the romantic comedy. In that guise, Kozak reads most to me like MaryJanice Davidson (without the vampires). Of the other mystery writers I read, Kozak reminds me most of Joan Hess, particularly with Hess’ Claire Malloy mysteries. But we’re not dealing with the slow meticulous gathering of clues common to the mystery genre–and which for many of us is the primary pleasure of the reading of that type. From the start, this novel is a joyride, with some interesting scenery along the way. Less Ellery Queen. More Inspector Clouseau. But without all the bumbling…and with a lot more focus on dating and shoes.

   Our heroine, Wollie Shelley, is warm and believable–larger than life, but–in my opinion–true to it. Her relationship with her mentally ill brother (which propels the story) feels genuine, not exploitative. Some of his symptoms may be cliche, but he is not–he is highly sympathetic. Wollie’s career goals and dreams feel integral, not window-dressing tossed in to simulate character depth. As with many comic characters, she is often impulsive, but her impulsiveness doesn’t seem contrived simply to move the plot along. Her behavior seems of a piece with her personality.

   I plan to pick up the second Wollie Shelley mystery immediately. If it’s even half as much fun as this one, Kozak will have earned herself a loyal fan.
   Rating: 5 / 5
2. 

   Andrew J. Platt
   March 8th, 2010 - 10:08

   I was introduced to this book when a review compared it to Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels. Like those novels, Dating Dead Men is humorous, has a naive and struggling heroine and has an intelligent mystery. The Plum novels are set in the down-to-earth Trenton, NJ. Ms. Kozak puts her heroine (the unlikely named Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley – “Wollie”) in the ritz and glamor of LA.

   Well, almost in the ritz and glamor – she’s more on the outskirts, struggling as manager of a Welcome! Greetings card store. Alarmed by a phonecall from her brother, a resident at a local mental hospital she hurries to him, only to discover a dead body in the hospital’s driveway. She quickly becomes entangled with an unlikely “doctor” Gomez Gomez and his ferret.

   Before long Wollie is swept into a mystery involing the mafia, strange Swedes, the three ‘C’s and much more besides. In the midst of all this she’s trying to date 40 guys in little more than 40 days for “research” and has to impress the unimpressible Mr. Bundt who has the power to upgrade her store to Willkommen status. Needless to say, things become adequately complicated!

   Harley’s biggest strength is in her colorful characters (sometimes a little too colorful – nobody would really have a name like Wollie!). They ooze life onto every page with a rich coating of LA character on top. Many people make an appearance in this book. At some points it becomes difficult to keep track of all the relationships between the mafiosi. This isn’t a fault with the writing – our heroine is having trouble herself and often provides some useful summaries.

   Harley says in her afterword that this book took a long time to get written. Let’s hope the next one doesn’t take as long but is just as good. This is highly recommended.
   Rating: 4 / 5
3. 

   Bonny Kirby
   March 8th, 2010 - 12:01

   Wollie Shelley is a mess. Her life is overflowing with one thing after another. She is a greeting card artist, is working on owning her own Greeting Card store, is dealing with a group of off kilter frinds (very, loyal friends), a brother in a mental hospital and an uncle who maybe should be. Throw into this that she is part of a dating project in which she has to date 40 men in 60 days. She has plenty to do.

   While on a late night visit to the mental hospital to take her brother aluminum foil (read the book to find out why ), she first sees a dead body on the way to the hospital lying in the road. Since she fears that her brother has knowledge of it, or may have something to do with it, she takes no immediate action. While at the hospital, she is taken somewhat hostage by a man pretending to be a doctor who is actually running from the mob, and has some knowledge of why the guy is dead in the road.

   What follows is a completely amusing and engrossing tale of how this all works out in a really fresh new way of doing so. I found certain elements just a little far fetched (can’t tell you what they are without giving something important away), I still found it a very good read and am currently reading the second in the series.

   I found Wollie to be a fun herione with a lot of very real elements about her. You can’t help but like her and look forward to what she might do next.

   I highly recommend this book. I did recognize that the author was an actress and do know who she is. I don’t see why some have made that an issue. I think her work as an author and as an actress stand alone and speak for themselves. I recommend her both as an author and an actress.
   Rating: 4 / 5
4. 

   Mark Baker
   March 8th, 2010 - 15:01

   Wollie Shelley’s life is already packed full. She’s undergoing evaluation to turn her Welcome! greeting card store into a Willkommen! store so she can buy it. And she’s agreed to take part in a dating study, meaning she must go on 40 dates in 60 days after they’ve been screen by her friends. The last thing she needs is that call from her brother.

   P.B. is paranoid schizophrenic and living at a psychiatric hospital. When he calls saying he’s witnessed a murder, Wollie doesn’t take it too seriously. Still, she decides to head out after her date that night to investigate…and almost runs over the dead body in the driveway. Going inside to make sure he’s ok, she is kidnapped by a handsome “Doc.” Her attraction getting the better of her, she tries to help out Doc, and winds up with various criminals hot on her trail. Will this effect her store getting its upgrade? And can she keep to the dating schedule her friends have set up for her? Will she even be alive to finish the study?

   I initially thought the mystery would surround the dating project and was mildly disappointed when I realized it wouldn’t. That didn’t last for long, however, as I was soon swept up in the plot. It’s a bit overwhelming at first with lots of characters and sub-plots to keep straight, but I soon got everything together and just hung on for the ride.

   Wollie is a great character, as are her friends. While I have a bit of a problem believing how she handled things at first, that might just be because there’s no way I’d handle things that way. By the second half of the book, I really didn’t care about that any more and just settled in for the fun. And the plot was great. The dates took on an almost surreal aspect to them as she was trying to stay one step ahead of the bad guys while on them. And the story kept me guessing until the end.

   This first book is a winner. The only downside is I don’t see how Ms. Kozak can possibly top it. Still, I look forward to seeing her try.
   Rating: 5 / 5
5. 

   Anonymous
   March 8th, 2010 - 15:25

   This is a great read! And a grand-slam outta the park for first-timer Kozak!

   With abundant wit, humor, and brains, Wollie Shelley takes on L.A., her franchiser, her best friend, serial-dating, her take-no-prisoners assistant, nutso brother, and a sexy kidnapping stranger in this wonderful mystery romp.

   Yay! for Wollie. Yay! for Kozak. Can’t wait for the next one.
   Rating: 5 / 5

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