THE CHANEL CAPER: Chick Lit For Chicks Who Weren’t Born Yesterday is a wonderful story. It’s light and funny with an edge of danger. Blake and Ralph had some problems early on in their marriage now that they’re “poised between hip and a hip replacement” (page 12, love that line!). They’re looking for that little extra spice. Blake is looking for it in knock-off bags, while Ralph is maybe looking for spice outside of the marriage. Harris gives us quotable quotes one after another making this reader laugh out loud over and over again. One that I loved and may use over and over again is “Men…They think admitting any kind of vulnerability will make their dick fall off.” (Page 143).

Blake is a great character. She’s a not so young, never say die, quick wit that runs her life thinking on her feet. She was a fashion editor, so has the knowledge, but is confident enough to do her own thing. When she goes looking for her knock-off bag to spice up her day she and I bond because that’s what I would do. When she thought the Gucci perfume smelled like Lemon Pledge that was exactly my thought on smelling that perfume as well. She is a woman of the city without pretense and I love her. When Ralph refers to her as “Miss Marple” nothing could be more apt because even if Ralph didn’t need her help in solving the murder, she would not have been able to hold herself back from finding out as much as she could to bring the baddie to justice.

THE CHANEL CAPER: Chick Lit For Chicks Who Weren’t Born Yesterday would have been hard pressed to take place anywhere but New York City. The action-packed, fast-paced run to the end fits with familiar image of The Big Apple. The ending was deliciously done like a scene out of the best rom-coms. The players may surprise the reader, but the promise of more is irresistible to this reader.

Does it sound odd to call a murder mystery light and delightful? Harris gets the job done in THE CHANEL CAPER: Chick Lit For Chicks Who Weren’t Born Yesterday. I truly have nothing negative to say about this novel. Reading this novel was an exercise in self-indulgence best done with your favorite glass of something rare or much loved snack infrequently eaten (I did both). If you like light and funny cozy mysteries with wonderful heart, pick this one up today. ( )

"Narcissists & the Women Who Love & Suffer Them" would also be a good title for Husbands & Lovers.

When a book begins with a main character toting a gun & on a collision course with a spouse & their lover & their lover's lover, all one can do is find out how all this came to be. This was a fast paced & sometimes fun, sometimes infuriating read. Ruth Harris writes characters that feel so true you can't help but go along on their emotional rollercoaster ride lives. Carlys, Kirk, Jade & George are a palette of greys, with none being wholly a hero or villain. I enjoyed that because it made them believable & also went a long way making the story flow well to a satisfying conclusion. The men were just as infuriating as the women & for anything the women endured (Winn & Barry, I'm looking @ you!), I couldn't help yelling "Make better choices! You don't have to take that!" As a woman who didn't experience this period in history (the 70s & early 80s), I find it's fascinating to read & take in all the points of view the characters are caught up in shaded by the times & trying to figure out the next step. They seem to be running away from things just as much as they're running toward other things. I think I can see why my mother had all the authors books on her bookshelf. They're quite engaging. Like watching Mad Men set a bit later. The rules were technically different but people were still people & don't just change attitudes or the way they were brought up, overnight. I'd recommend this if you're looking for something to read over a weekend. It's soapy & still gives you moments to ponder. ( )