Dem Bones Revenge

by Kris Neri

Book Overview

When the cops catch mystery writer Tracy Eaton's mom, Hollywood legend Martha Collins, alone with the bloody remains of celebrity litigant Vince Sperry -- holding nothing but a lame excuse -- Tracy leaps to her mother's defense, despite her own publication woes.Only Martha seems determined to impede Tracy's attempts to clear her. That just convinces Tracy her mom has pulled a doozy this time, even if Tracy can't see how anything Martha does relates...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1568250819
• ISBN13: 9781568250816
• Release Date: August 2000
• Publisher: Rainbow Books
• Length: 294 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Highly recommended!

Tracy Eaton was the author of the "Tessa Graham Mystery Series". At that point in time her house was like a pig sty (due to a small redecoration project), her publisher had a lot of changes to be made to the latest book (to be completed within three days), and her husband was stressed out from trying to make partner in the law firm. When Tracy believed it could get NO worse, her mother called! Martha Collins had been a Hollywood goddess for what seemed like forever. Yet she still looked wonderful and made people notice her. She found Vince Sperry's body, called the police, and became the number one suspect! No matter how hard Tracy tried to clear her mother of the charges, her mother kept blocking her from doing so. Tracy kept wondering just WHAT was a daughter to do in a time like that and just WHY had she not been an orphan? ***** An excellent "who-dunnit" mystery that kept me guessing right up until the end! Tossed with bits of humor that I could not help but enjoy. This is one I definitely did not want to end! Luckily for me, this is a series of mysteries that began with "Revenge Of The Gypsy Queen" and will continue. I find myself eagerly looking forward to the next mystery in Tracy Eaton's bizarre world! Highly recommended for all mystery fans! *****

Give your bones a laugh

What do you do when your mother is found, alone, with the bloody remains of a corpse and won't tell you or any one else what happened? Dem Bones Revenge, Kris Neri's new hilarious look at murder, mayhem, mystery and parents, mystery writer Tracy Eaton, whose mother, Martha is a famous film star accused of murder, must defend her mother. Never mind that her mother doesn't want to be defended and impedes Tracy's efforts at every turn. Add to that trying to meet a publishing deadline, dealing with a double-dealing editor, a father that can't or won't be found, and decades old scandals and you have a story that is will have you laughing out loud, squealing with delight when you solve the murder, only to turn the page and find out you are wrong and feeling very good that Martha isn't your mother. And the more Tracy digs into the past, the more she realizes that she really doesn't want to do this as she finds herself suspecting everyone from her dad to her own husband. A book that will make you very grateful for your mother's idiosyncrasies, because whatever they are, they can't be this bad.

Unique, fresh, highly entertaining.

Kris Neri garnered spectacular success with her first Tracy Eaton mystery, Revenge Of The Gypsy Queen. Nominated for Anthony, Macavity and Agatha awards for Best First Novel, it was apparent that Kris Neri was an up and comer. Kris had published numerous short stories of the mystery genre in magazines and is currently at work on Tracy's next adventure: Revenge For Old Times Sake.Picture a "Postcards from the Edge" type of relationship between mother and daughter. Mother is a combination of Elizabeth Taylor and Debbie Reynolds. Tracy is more of a combination of Calamity Jane and Princess Leia. Throw in Tracy's husband, who could be a mix of Harrison Ford and Bruce Willis in a suit. But Tracy is a struggling writer about to be cut off by her publisher. She has two days to "fix" her latest novel, and suddenly Mother is the prime suspect in the murder of Vince Sperry. Did Martha Collins commit murder, or did she just stumble into the thick of things? Did she want to save her mother? From the start, Neri sets up a hilarious dialogue between Tracy and Martha: "Mother sidled close to my ear. `There's a telephone number everyone in Beverly Hills is talking about. You order a servant you can keep forever for little more than a few years' salary. I heard about it from Rico, my hairdresser. As I reeled away from her into a pile of skiwear, I shook my head. `Please tell me I'm adopted.'"Needless to say, Dem Bones Revenge is a hilarious mystery because it so closely resembles the real deal between mothers and daughters. Tracy's character struggles with her desire to euphemistically murder her mother while trying to save her. Martha Collins is the stereotypical aging actress who can't quite get over her case of the pampered movie star blues. The plot pulls the reader from one near-miss to another as Tracy stubbornly peels away the layers of facade, pulls her husband Drew into the act, and saves Martha from herself.Neri's characters are unique, fresh, and yet somehow are people we all know and love. She knows her territory, being a Southern Californian, which gives the plot a unique perspective.Shelley Glodowski, Reviewer

A Delightful, Hilarious Mystery

This book is so much fun. Previous reviews have discussed the plot pretty well, so I'll focus on why I liked this mystery so much. First, it is extremely witty. Our sleuth, mystery writer Tracy Eaton has a wickedly wonderful worldview and way with words (a lot of w's, I know, but every one is well-deserved ).Tracy's self-absorbed movie star mother is not a morning person; here's how Tracy tells us this: "I remembered how well she handled toddling out the door before the sun came up; that's how I learned so many swear words." This bit of clever eloquence is not out of place in DEM BONES' REVENGE; the book is filled with writing that uses wit to shed light on the characters and their predicaments.And what characters they are! As much as I like Tracy, I also really enjoyed reading about her eccentric mother tormenting her. Martha Collins, who never forgets she's a Star, entertained me as much as she infuriated Tracy. Uncle Philly is another favorite character and his relationship with Tracy is charming. I even liked Tracy's husband Drew. I loved REVENGE OF THE GYPSY QUEEN, the first Tracy Eaton mystery, but found Drew too much of a stick in the mud. Living with free spirit Tracy has finally loosened him up. The story is lively, made all the more unputdownable by the fun chapter openings. I couldn't stop reading at the end of a chapter, because I had to see how the next one started. And then, I had to see what happened next.DEM BONES' REVENGE is a fun, entertaining, adventurous, and very funny mystery. I highly recommend it.

A really well written and exciting mystery

Perkins and Pimm editor Carolyn simply informs writer Tracy Eaton that she has three days to fix her latest Tessa Graham mystery, "Deadly Shadows" or kill the series. Tracy is stunned because she felt the novel was great. She expects no sympathy from her spouse Drew the lawyer who has a case that will end his chances of obtaining a partnership. Although Tracy is tight for time, she finds her clock squeezed even tighter. The police believe her mother, legendary actress Martha Collins, killed screenwriter Vince Sperry, who coincidentally was the plaintiff being sued by Drew's client for plagiarism. As Tracy makes inquiries, no one including her mother seems willing to cooperate. Martha strongly feels that Drew killed Vince. Other evidence points towards Tracy's dad, Hollywood legend Alec Grainger. Tracy realizes that her mother could spend her life in prison while the truth lies in a past scandal. The first Eaton novel (see THE REVENGE OF THE GYPSY QUEEN) received numerous nominations for its wit and intelligent story line. The second tale, DEM BONES' REVENGE is as good if not better mystery. The plot is entertaining with its tour of the fantasy side of LA as seen through the humorous antics of the "natives". The characters are fully drawn so that the audience understands motives including that of Tracy's parents need to keep the scandal quiet more than keeping her mother out of jail. Kris Neri provides a wacky look at a Hollywood who-done-it that will send readers seeking the previous book and desiring the next installment in the life and times of Tracy Eaton, daughter to the stars.Harriet Klausner