Murder Can Run Your Stockings

by Selma Eichler

Book Overview

Wisecracking New York detective Desiree Shapiro always offers queen-sized entertainment. This time, a client wants her to nab his old aunt's killer. But things get sticky as the suspects keep multiplying-and Dez's tepid relationship with her hot neighbor Nick starts to simmer.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451217810
• ISBN13: 9780451217813
• Release Date: February 2006
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 261 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

As addicting as a pint of Haagen-Dazs!

Plus-size private eye, Desiree Shapiro, is thrilled that wedding season has arrived. Two of her dearest loves have finally tied the knot, and Desiree couldn't be happier to share their joy by attending their weddings. Of course, in the back of her mind, Desiree finds it difficult to ignore the fact that a) her relationship with Nick may be over ever since his spawn-of-Satan son entered the picture, and illustrated just how much he hates her; and b) she hasn't had a case come her way in quite some time, and is beginning to get antsy. But just as she thinks everything in her life has gone to pot, the perfect situation lands right in her lap. Desiree Shapiro is certainly not a fan of flying. For one, the seats are anything but accommodating, and two, the food is nothing to write home about. But Desiree is willing to take her chances in the sky to see her best friend get married in Minneapolis. Luckily, on the flight home, she is seated next to a Minneapolis attorney who happens to be heading for New York to attend his beloved Aunt Bessie's funeral. Ben Berlin is a caring individual who adored his Aunt Bessie, and refuses to believe that she simply took a tumble down the stairs to her death. He's convinced that someone murdered his dear aunt, and wants Desiree to crack the case. Desiree is happy to oblige; after all, solving the murder of a little old lady can't be too difficult. Wrong. Aunt Bessie, while a sweetheart, happens to have a handful of people who would have loved to see her dead, and have both the motive and means to have killed the woman. Desiree finds herself up to her elbows trying to muddle through the sea of suspects, and put this case to rest. But as she works to solve the crime, she's also working on something else...reeling in her hunky neighbor, Nick. Desiree's got a lot of work to do in both departments; but as long as she keeps herself drowning in Haagen-Dazs, she may just be able to find the strength to kill two birds with one stone, and save the day - and her love life! Desiree Shapiro is a character you can't help but love. Her gloriously hennaed hair, her penchant for Macadamia Nut Brittle, and her love of a good meal make her a fine character; while her refusal to let dogs lie makes her the perfect private investigator. Selma Eichler has crafted yet another delightful entry into the Desiree Shapiro saga. From beginning to end, Desiree takes readers on a joyride from Brooklyn to Queens, and the Village to Jersey. Each one of her wild rides is more thrilling than the next, and puts more questions in the minds of readers as they work to solve the crime before Desiree. The simmering relationship between Nick and Desiree does, at times, overshadow the mystery; while the amount of suspects can cause slight confusion in the reader; however, Eichler manages to tie everything up in a simple, delightful way that leaves readers hungry for the next installment. As addicting as a pint of Haagen-Dazs! Erika Sorocco Freelance Reviewer

Hit the spot for me

These books are not to everyone's taste, but they hit the spot with me. This is a mystery/detective series by Selma Eichler. The titles start with "Murder Can........" The protaganist, Desiree Shapiro, is a private detective in Manhattan. She is definitely beyond middle age, but not old. She dyes her hair red and is quite overweight and out of shape, but not actually obese. She and all the other people in the books have interesting and well drawn personalities. Having read one book, I bought the entire series, arranged them in chronological order and read them all. Not one disappointment in the lot. Although having read the entire series at once, I could by the end of the series generally spot the telltale clue, the books never lost their interest because the people seem so real.

clever investigative tale

On the flight back from Minneapolis to La Guardia, private investigator Desiree Shapiro meets attorney Ben Berlin. Desiree was returning from her friend's wedding while Ben was heading to the funeral of his beloved Aunt Bessie Herman. The grieving Ben mentions that she fell down a set of stairs in her home breaking her neck. Over a week later Ben calls Desiree to hire her to investigate the death of his aunt, whom he believes was murdered. He explains that NYPD Sergeant Spence stated that elderly women should not wear high heels; Ben says his aunt no longer wore high heels since breaking an ankle last year. Happy to have a paying client, Desiree questions the victim's younger son Joel, his fiancée Frankie, and his older brother Donnie. She touches base with Spence and treks across the Hudson to Aubrey, New Jersey where realtor Cliff Seymour detested the fact that Bessie refused to sell him some choice land there. Finally she discusses the situation with a long term friend of Bessie. As she digs deeper, Desiree agrees homicide occurred, but the killer hides amidst friends, family, and business cronies of the septuagenarian victim. Readers will agree that chance enabled Desiree and Ben to fly to New York together, but it was his comment that she seemed too soft and feminine to be a PI as opposed to overweight that leads to their discussion on the plane and the case (the fee helped). The investigation is clever as Desiree ponders who might kill to obtain Aunt Bessie's assets even as she understands that as time vanishes, solving the case becomes increasingly problematic. With her personal life having a few spins too, fans will enjoy the latest Manhattan caper of Bloomingdale's finest sleuth. Harriet Klausner