Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer

Book: Agnes and the Hitman

Author: Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer

Bookshelves: 2011, fiction, Georgia, mob, romance,

Begun: October 15, 2011

Finished: October 19, 2011

Media Type: Book on CD (downloaded to and listened to on iPod Touch)

Setting: Two Rivers Mansion in Keys, Georgia (about an hour outside of Savannah, Georgia)

Characters: Agnes Crandall, Rhett (the bloodhound), Taylor Beaufort, Brenda Fortunato Dupre, Joey Torcelli, Shane Smith, Lisa Livia Fortunado, Maria Fortunado, Carpenter

Plot: Agnes Crandall's life just got infinitely more complicated. On the hectic week before her bestfriend (Lisa Livia Fortunado)'s daughter's wedding to the Keys family heir (of KEYS, Georgia - where they live), a man (a boy really) shows up at Agnes's door looking to steal her lazy bloodhound, Rhett. Defending herself with a frying pan, Agnes hits the kidnapper (dognapper?) and he falls against teh wall and then ... disappears. Falling to his death, the boy fell through a boarded up door to a basement that Agnes didn't know existed.

In all the hubub of the police showing up and discovering the body and an entire entertainment room (resplendent with a pool table and a Venus Demilo (sans arms of course)), Joey (an old friend of Agnes's and owner of a local dinner) calls his nephew to come and help Agnes with her little ... security problem. Shane, the hitman, shows up and tries to help Agnes ... not die!

Protecting Agnes from those out to kill her for unknown reasons, Shane helps her plan for the big Fortunado/Keys wedding while Brenda Fortunado (the grandmother of the bride) does everything in her power to destroy the wedding and get her mansion back. (A provision in the sale of the wedding to Agnes was that they HAD to have the wedding of Maria Fortunado at Two Rivers).

Will Agnes survive her week with the mob family, the nutty Fortunados, and Shane, the hitman?

Another great Crusie novel!

Manhunting by Jennifer Crusie

Book: Manhunting

Author: Jennifer Crusie

Bookshelves: 2011, fiction, golf, Kentucky, romance

Begun: October 10, 2011

Finished: October 12, 2011

Media Type: Book on CD (downloaded to iPod touch) (library copy)

Setting: Kentucky, USA

Characters: Kate Svenson, Jake Templeton, Will Templeton

Review: Kate Svenson is a modern woman. She’s a powerful player in the financial world, having joined her father’s company after leaving a low paying job (which she loved and found fulfilling) bring businesses from just adequate to money making juggernauts. At her friend’s prompting, Kate decides to go to a resort in Kentucky, where she can find a new fiancée who meets all of her boring requirements.

After dumping three fiancées in three years, Kate needs love. Real love, she is hesitant but thinks it might be a good idea to at least star looking again. Because with her list of “must haves in a fiancée, Kate knows just what she wants.

Jake and Will Templeton run the resort in Kentucky. A former tax attorney, Jake knows success. Jake left that life behind to run the resort as a silent partner and as the head of grounds and maintenance on the golf course. Jake’s become the king of guy who watches the sunrise, fishes without a hook, and enjoys a good game of pool.

Trying to escape the pushy social director, Kate ends up taking an early morning boat ride out on the secluded lake with Jake. First, she sees him as a brother that she never had and, then, overtime, he becomes a very good friend and confidant.

All the while, Kate has been going on dates with successful and respected men that she meets at the resort. Each guy seems to be perfect and all of them fit the requirements on Kate’s list but none of them have the spark to keep Kate’s attention. And, fate seem to be thrown in her opinion too, causing Kate to injure all of them!!!

Slowly, her opinion of Jake changes but will she scare away Jake too or just maim him?

Jennifer Crusie’s first book is a great novel. A quick and entertaining read, Crusie’s writing is definitely not as polished as her later books but you can see all that raw Crusie talent in there!

Awards: none

Recommended by: no one

Recommend to: Crusie fans, Nora Roberts fans, romance novel fans