Pack your bags for Texas and prepare to meet the strangest family since that little Chainsaw Massacre incident. Psychologist Jessica LeFave will be your guide, but be forewarned, Dr. LeFave isn't your average shrink, and though her wisecracking lawyer buddy, will try to keep Jessica out of trouble, he might not be able to save you, or himself. Your journey opens when Jessi
Pack your bags for Texas and prepare to meet the strangest family since that little Chainsaw Massacre incident. Psychologist Jessica LeFave will be your guide, but be forewarned, Dr. LeFave isn't your average shrink, and though her wisecracking lawyer buddy, will try to keep Jessica out of trouble, he might not be able to save you, or himself. Your journey opens when Jessica is summoned to profile the killer who drove a spike through the heart of the notorious Bernice Jackson. Jessica is more than a little excited. Not because Bernice Jackson is dead, but because Bernicewho'd soared to fame and wealth by shamelessly re-writing treasured historical events into wildly successful soft-porn novels and movieswas a psychiatry patient of her husband's at the time of his death. You see, Jessica is convinced her husband was murdered to bury a secret revealed in therapy. Since watching him dragged from the bottom of Lake Austina Hilton receipt and another woman's wedding rings in hi
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Paperback
,
372 pages
Published
September 1st 2009
by Echelon Press Publishing
TOO RICH AND TOO THIN is a roller coaster of a read. I say that while holding my enthusiasm at bay because frankly I found myself a little queasy as I read the novel. No blood and guts or gory details here that make things churn within. It’s more the fact that the author had me running in circles with her writing, her characters, and her details in general. But I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the ride. There were times I was very into the story but those times I think the author paid
2.5/5 stars...
TOO RICH AND TOO THIN is a roller coaster of a read. I say that while holding my enthusiasm at bay because frankly I found myself a little queasy as I read the novel. No blood and guts or gory details here that make things churn within. It’s more the fact that the author had me running in circles with her writing, her characters, and her details in general. But I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the ride. There were times I was very into the story but those times I think the author paid greater attention to her details. I found the writing all over the place at times like the author’s thoughts themselves were scattered. The story was odd, quirky, but entertaining for the most part. I don’t regret reading it by any means but I think I’m going to be somewhat hesitant about picking up another Jessica LeFave mystery.
But let me go into some of the story and characters briefly. There’s much to like about Jessica. She’s definitely determined, I’ll give her that…relentless even! She is 110% sure that her husband’s death was no accident. To Jessica, her beloved, fellow psychologist, hubby was murdered! Not only murdered but his reputation has been tarnished with all the evidence pointing to an affair, alcohol, and a voluntary (or accidental) drive off a cliff. Despite evidence and non-believing law enforcement, Jessica sets out to find who is responsible. And she may just have a huge lead in her newest murder investigation. She is out to profile the killer of Bernice Jackson and her husband. Bernice, who happens to be late Dr. LeFave’s patient, is notorious for her history re-writing skills in the soft porn industry. Jessica has no idea the pickle she’s about to get herself into and just how twisted things are about to get in her life.
Even with Jessica’s tenacity she’s an easily likable character. But there are just times when she turned me off for one reason or another. Speaking of turn offs – the several remaining characters in the novel definitely had their “what the hell?” moments. Let me explain… There are numerous characters in Jessica’s journey. The entire Jackson family is quite frankly the weirdest characters I’ve come into contact with in quite some time. Even as I say that I find I’m not totally upset with that fact. They were entertaining despite their extremely odd and sometimes scary behavior and personalities. To put it nicely the family is just plain crazy. Do they make for a good read? Eh, depends on the reader’s mood I think. I found myself scatter-brained through many passages and thoroughly engaged in others. I think it’s definitely a love/hate relationship with this book and its characters.
The story in itself was kind of…well weird. I gotta admit I enjoyed the ending, but the entire journey as a whole left an unpleasant taste in my mouth. Kind of like eating something that tastes okay at first then has this yucky aftertaste. *sigh* I don’t want to be harsh with this book because honestly I enjoyed several parts of it. I even liked the underlying message that the author was putting out there…obsession with youth and weight can definitely drive some people to do horrible and crazy things. But the bigger picture is I didn’t love the book. Yes, it can be humorous at times but just a slig Like I said earlier, I wouldn’t automatically say no to another Jessica LeFave mystery…in fact I’ve read up a little on the author’s next installment. I just think I’m gonna be somewhat hesitant if in fact I decide to read another of the author’s books. But don’t let me deter you from reading it. Not really my cup o’tea, I can still see the novel hitting a homerun with some readers. You may be one of them!
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Not an Autobiography, is the sub title for this novel. Barbara DeShong has written an interesting character in Jessica LeFave. She is a psychologist, mourning the death of her husband, which has been ruled an accident, but she is sure it was murder. As she struggles to find out answers, she is drawn into another murder investigation, the Jacksons, Bernice and her husband are brutally murdered, and Jessica is asked to look into the psychological aspects of the crime.
The Jackson children are a mes
Not an Autobiography, is the sub title for this novel. Barbara DeShong has written an interesting character in Jessica LeFave. She is a psychologist, mourning the death of her husband, which has been ruled an accident, but she is sure it was murder. As she struggles to find out answers, she is drawn into another murder investigation, the Jacksons, Bernice and her husband are brutally murdered, and Jessica is asked to look into the psychological aspects of the crime.
The Jackson children are a mess, the son and daughter, both adults are a mess, suffering from mental issues that could make them suspect. Bernice has so many enemies, that the list of suspects is long, indeed.
Meth, books, movie making, bikers,a mystic Native American, a giant fat man, and a crazy cast of characters, makes for quite the story.
Bernice (always striving to be richer and thinner than she really is) has written books of the soft core porn variety, using history and molding it to her needs. Making them into movies turns out to be murder!
This book was at times humorous, and always engaging, as Jessica searches for the truth in both cases.
I received this book from Kate at Phenix and Phenix Publicity. Thank you!
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Psychologist Jessica LeFave is still mourning the death of her husband, David, a few months earlier and frustrated that the police refuse to believe he was murdered. A chance to prove the truth comes unexpectedly when one of David’s patients, (David was a psychiatrist) is murdered along with her husband, Harrell. Jessica thinks the murders are linked to David’s death, but finding the truth isn’t easy. Jackson offspring, Ruthie and Hank, are terribly messed up adults surrounded by people who may
Psychologist Jessica LeFave is still mourning the death of her husband, David, a few months earlier and frustrated that the police refuse to believe he was murdered. A chance to prove the truth comes unexpectedly when one of David’s patients, (David was a psychiatrist) is murdered along with her husband, Harrell. Jessica thinks the murders are linked to David’s death, but finding the truth isn’t easy. Jackson offspring, Ruthie and Hank, are terribly messed up adults surrounded by people who may or may not have their best interests at heart. Jessica, however, is desperate and obsessed.
Too Rich & Too Thin takes the reader on a humorous adventure filled with mishaps as Jessica tries to investigate without much support from the police. On a deeper level, author Barbara DeShong explores the pain and anguish of family dysfunction, and the lengths some people will go to gain love, respect, and a positive self-image.
The novel was filled with entertaining, eccentric characters and this whodunit kept me guessing the killer’s identity to the end. In hindsight, there were enough carefully plotted clues to have figured it out, but I’m just not much good at this. I loved Jessica and her best friend George, and hope to read about many more of her adventures in the future.
Meet Dr Jessica LaFave, Texas psychologist, police profiler and recent widow. Dr LaFave is excited: the murder of one of her husband’s eccentric patients gives her an opportunity to search for her husband’s killer. While everyone else believes that the death of psychiatrist Dr David LaFave was an accident, Jessica believes that it was murder and that it is linked to one of her husband’s patients. ‘David’s practice was loaded with high-profile Texans packing black
‘I just did not get this family.’
Meet Dr Jessica LaFave, Texas psychologist, police profiler and recent widow. Dr LaFave is excited: the murder of one of her husband’s eccentric patients gives her an opportunity to search for her husband’s killer. While everyone else believes that the death of psychiatrist Dr David LaFave was an accident, Jessica believes that it was murder and that it is linked to one of her husband’s patients. ‘David’s practice was loaded with high-profile Texans packing blackmail-worthy secrets.’ So, when Bernice Jackson, rich and famous as a consequence of re-writing historical events into popular novels and movies, and her husband are found dead with their chests carved open. Jessica is sure that somewhere there is a connection between Bernice Jackson’s murder and her husband’s death.
The dysfunctional Jackson family has its own secrets, and the search for the truth takes Jessica LaFave on a bizarre and action-packed journey. At times the story seems a little too complicated and convoluted and while much of the detail is humorous and relevant in its own way, it can be overwhelming. I mostly enjoyed the over the top humour in this novel: there’s no shortage of dysfunctional people with issues and there are plenty of improbable twists and turns in the story. If you can see humour in the ridiculous, then this mystery may be for you. It’s fun. Seriously.