Murdering Mr. Monti turned out to be a better book than I thought it would be. For an eavesdropping, murder-plotting, adulteress like Brenda Kovner to be someone the reader actually LIKES is quite an accomplishment for an author. It all starts when Brenda's son announces his engagement to Josephine Monti, the painfully shy youngest daughter of overbearing Joseph Monti. It's bad enough that he is going to lose his daughter, but when she decides to convert to Judaism, Mr. Monti declares war on the Kovner clan. He bankrolls a shady land development deal with Brenda's other son then demands a balloon payment that he cannot possibly repay, he is behind two couples who are suing Brenda's pediatric surgeon husband Jake, and now threats keep coming to the house via crazy singing clowns, maniac van drivers and faxes. What can a mother do but protect her child? And the only way Brenda sees to protect not only her son, but save her whole family, is to murder Mr. Monti before he can destroy their lives.
As you can imagine, chaos ensues.
This was a fast read, a kind of out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire type of book and more than once I found myself chuckling. And I was pulling for Brenda all the way.
3 stars out of 5 ( )

Interesting and witty tale of people who must be in absolute control of the things and people around them, told with irony and humor. My favorite -- the t-shirt that reads "FOR PEACE OF MIND, I HEREBY RESIGN AS GENERAL MANAGER OF THE UNIVERSE." One is left with the feeling, however, that Brenda never really learns her lesson. ( )