I love visiting with Jayne and her friends. The sarcasm and wit this character has keeps me laughing. The mysteries she finds herself mixed up in are as fun as she is. They are not ever predictable. I enjoy the added touch of humor the emails that she gets from her parents provide. A great cozy read!

One of the things I look forward to in a Jaine Austen mystery is the laugh out loud humor. I also know that the mystery will be a good one, full of play fair clues and enough twists, turns and a few red herrings to keep me guessing. In Death of a Gigolo, book #17, I got what I expected - a fun read.
Jaine hasn't had great luck with her love life as she is divorced from the creep she married. Now it looks like Dickie may be making a return appearance in Jaine's life. She should listen to her cat, Prozac who thinks it's a bad idea. On top of that, she has been hired to ghost write a romance for a wealthy 60 something lady named Daisy Kincaid. The book will be titled the 50 Shades of Turquoise. Sounds like a great gig and Jaine dives into her writing while observing all of the goings on in the fancy Bel-Air home. The house is full of the strange and the odd and soon things get really strange when Daisy invites a real sleaze to move in which, rather rapidly, results in the announcement of their engagement. Oh dear. Neither Jaine nor Daisy can see what is in store for them in the romance department. Daisy soon becomes the prime suspect for murdering her boyfriend and Jaine sets out to track down the killer.
This can be read as a stand alone. The humor is on a large scale and is heightened by the missives from Jaine's parents. They are a real hoot.
When I need a change of pace and pure escapist reading, this is the perfect series to read.

Death of a Gigolo by Laura Levine is the 17th book in Jaine Austen Mystery Series, and is another wonderful book. Jaine Austen is a writer who is helping Daisy, an heiress in her sixties,write a book. When Daisy's much younger fiance is found murdered, the mystery begins. Not only is this book really funny, it has a great mystery. There are twists and turns around every corner. I laughed out loud several times. The emails from her parents are also amusing. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you love humorous cozy mysteries, I highly recommend this book.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.

Freelance writer Jaine Austin is at it again. She gets hired to help a romance novelist write her next book, " Fifty Shades of Turquoise," and gets wrapped up in a murder in the process. She also gets into some romance herself, with her ex, whom she previously nicknamed, "The Blob." He seems to have turned over a new leaf and Jaine is crazy about his new attitude and sexy body. Things seem to be looking up, but, as always, things in both her professional and personal life turn out to be to good to be true, as everyone seems to be keeping secrets. Just what those secrets are is left to Jaine to uncover. A highly entertaining read!

This is one of my favorite cozy series. Jaine and her love life are still struggling. Jaine's parents exploits are hysterical.. I enjoyed Jaine's turn as a romance writer. The mystery had plenty of suspects. Jaine once again bungles her way to find the killer. Enjoyable, quick, lighthearted read.




Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to review this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a great cozy mystery! This is book number 17 in the Jaine Austen series. I think that anyone could enjoy this though. I have read some of the series but not all of them. I need to catch up! This particular addition has Jaine working for wealthy Daisy Kincaid writing a steamy romance novel. She soon becomes friends with the other staff of Daisy's. When a much younger than Daisy gentleman claims to be her late friend's nephew, everyone is suspicious, except Daisy. Soon after, the nephew is getting spoiled with gifts and money from Daisy, much to the shock of her staff. After he is found dead, all the staff and Daisy's friends look guilty. I didn't expect the ending and I liked that. Nice surprise. Recommended!

This is a long-running mystery series about a would-be writer who has to scrounge writing jobs to make a living.

In this entry in the series, Jaine has found a writing gig in a genre that is different that what she is used to. In addition to that, Jaine is getting back together with her ex-husband, much to the chagrin of her friends.

The writing gig is to co-write a romance novel with a very rich woman. It turns out that co-writing is a stretch of the term as Jaine seems to be writing it on her own.

In the midst of what has turned into a great job, a gigolo shows up and life turns upside down. The job isn’t so great anymore. When a murder happens, Jaine gets involved in solving it.

There are a few more surprises up this writer’s sleeve and I was surprised by the ending and am looking forward to her next book.

4.5 Stars - Top Pick

Jaine Austen is in love – with her ex-husband Dickie Elliott. Although her best friend Lance and her vocal cat Prozac don’t approve, Jaine couldn’t be happier with her rekindled romance. Jaine is also pleased with a well-paying job she landed ghost-writing a romance novel for wealthy woman living in a Bel-Air mansion. When a smooth-talking younger man arrives and turns the much older woman’s head, the whole household is in turmoil. When Tommy is found murdered, Jaine has a house full of suspects to investigate to find the real killer.

I have read all of the books in this series and have enjoyed every one. Jaine is funny and real, with a weakness for junk food and an aversion to exercise. However, she is a talented writer, a loyal friend, and a clever investigator. The investigation in this installment is interesting and the mansion is full of quirky characters. Jaine’s romance with Dickie is also entertaining as the reader, along with Lance, fear that Jaine is going to get hurt again. New readers could read the book as a standalone and enjoy it but will definitely want to check out earlier books in the series, too. The book is on the short side, but I appreciate that it is a quick, fast-paced read

I was surprised at how the investigation turned out and was pleased with how other things in Jaine’s life turned out. As always, I enjoyed the story-within-a-story of Jaine’s parents’ latest escapades in Florida. Their misadventures are related to Jaine through a series of amusing emails throughout the book. Prozac is always an important character in these books and his antics are for Jaine’s own good this time.

I had several laugh out loud moments during this book from Prozac, Jayne’s parents, and the situations Jaine gets into. When I pick up a new Jaine Austen mystery, I know I will begin and end with a smile on my face with lots of laughs in between. Death of a Gigolo is another well-written, entertaining mystery from Laura Levine.

~ Christine

Death of a Gigolo is the seventeenth book in Jaine Austen Mystery series but can be read as a standalone.

Even though I have started with this series with the ninth book I loved it so much that I went back to the beginning and I am now reading it in order.. Nevertheless I didn't have any problems following the story or getting to know the characters.

What I most like about this series is that it is light, fun and highly entertaining. I can't decide whether Jaine's escapades, her parent's unbelievable e-mails or the way her cat Prozac treats her make me laugh more.
I really like a good dose of humor with my mystery and Ms.Levine's books never disappoint.
Mysteries are always well thought of and well presented and it is easy for the reader to follow the clues and make her or his own deductions.
Characters are vividly portrayed so full of lie that it is easy to imagine them in real life.

In this installment the unthinkable happens-the Blob is back. Blob is Jaine's ex-husband and while her friends are horrified that she is even thinking of him, the love is definitely in the air.
Her career is looking up as well, as she has landed a job as a ghost writer, as an wealthy heiress Daisy KIncaid wants to write steamy romance books.
She soon meets and falls for the charm of much younger opportunists named Tommy. Not long after they announce their engagement. Her friends, family and even her stuff are horrified with this development, so much so that one day Tommy is found stabbed.
Now it is up to Jaine to find out the truth.

As she stumbles through her impromptu investigation we are in for so much fun and enjoyment..
As always Ms.Levin's book are a must for those who enjoy absorbing, incredibly amusing and highly addictive cozies.

Not everyone approves of Jaine getting back together with Dickie, her ex (including her BFF Lance, her cat Prozac, and her parents.). That said, no one MURDERS him the way someone murders Tommy, the younger, possible con man who has swept Daisy, a mature heiress off her feet. Jaime's been ghost writing a romance novel for Daisy, who has in fact been unlucky in love in the past. Tommy is the epitome of an opposite. Of course, Jaine's going to figure this one out. This doesn't plow any new ground with the plot but it's fun. I always enjoy the interaction with Prozac and the emails from Jaine's parents as much as I do the mystery. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It might be 17th (!) in the series but it's fine as a standalone. Jaine fans will be happy with this one.

Jaine Austen is at it again, with her trusty, if vocal, sidekicks Prozac (the cat) and Lance (the best friend) by her side. Jaine has landed a well paying gig as a ghost writer for a rich elderly woman who wants to publish a romance novel. Although Jaine's own love life is nothing to write home about she doesn't want to decline a lucrative job opportunity. Especially when her own love life seems to be making a turn for the better. Jaine is sure she has found true love at last, though Prozac and Lance disagree in their usual blunt manner. Jaine arrives at the Bel-Air mansion to start her ghostwriting career to find a full house, and the addition of a young, sweet talking handsome man threatens to shake things up. When tragedy strikes, Jaine jumps into action, making her way through the long list of residents to suss out the killer.
Laura Levine's newest addition to the long running Jaine Austen series holds all of the outlandish action and comical antics fans of the series have grown to expect and eagerly anticipate. This series has long been a favorite of mine. Comical, just short of over the top antics combined with the sass and snark from Prozac the cat and Lance always result in numerous laugh out loud moments. These fast paced mysteries are always a delight to read and it's always a treat when I can check back in with Jaine and crew for some comical relief.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington books for providing me with an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I just loved Death of a Gigolo by Laura Levine. Jaine Austen is a wonderful character, and her cat Prozac is so much fun for the readers. The story was well built, and there are many characters who have a good reason to commit the murder. It was interesting to see how Jaine investigated, even if there were flaws in the way she proceeded (much to my delight as a reader – it provided many funny moments). The book made me laugh many times, providing stress relief after work. Jaine’s parents seem almost crazy, in a good way. I just loved how each of them had a completely different version of the same events. I was happy with the conclusion, for both the murder and Jaine’s personal life. Laura Levine is a skilled writer. She does not give away too much, and she keeps us guessing until the end. The characters all have a background story, and something to hide or to be ashamed of. I can’t wait to read more of Jaine’s crime solving adventures, they are so entertaining!

OH MY! What a great romp I had through this light mystery in a category I like to call "Fun Books"! Laura Levine has crafted a humorous tale of writer, Jaine Austen, and the adventures she embarks upon as she writes her newest book "Fifty Shades of Turquoise". I loved getting to read about Jaine's appetite for yummy food, her snarky cat, Prozac, and the interesting characters that she gets to know as she works for heiress, Daisy. I chuckled all the way through the book!

This book is a perfect "chick book" for vacation reading - the chapters are short and there is a minimal number of characters. And though the subject matter is light and funny, Levine's story-telling is complex and satisfying. LOVED IT!!

Death of a Tivoli is a funny and entertaining book. This is the first I have read by this author and I will go back and read the other books. Well written and well developed.

Death of a Gigolo is the 17th entry in the Jaine Austen Mystery Series and it well might have been the 3rd, 9th or 12th cause it’s a carbon copy of all the previous books. Although I can understand the “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” philosophy and that it’s not that kind of book, I can’t help but wish it had something more (some character development would be nice). The book itself is a decent mystery so if this is your first Jaine Austen book you might think it funny and charming. The problem is that when you’ve read the previous books, you can’t help but recognize the same structures, plot settings, type of characters, red herrings, jokes and turns of phrase. And while I found all that funny and entertaining for a few books now I simply find it lazy and irritating (epic eye rolls every time the MC “inhales” or “scarfs down” a wide variety of junk food or whenever the emails from her parents came up). So Jaine, I think it’s best if from now on we each go our separate ways. It was fun while it lasted.

Although I find the writing and characters engaging I put off by the lead character’s willingness to become whoever Dickie wanted.
I’m with Prozac—he’s a jerk

May I never get tired of Jaine and her cat Prozac! I can always count on Laura Levine to make me laugh through a book. Jaine is always over the top, and quite frankly, a woman I’d like to meet IRL. If you haven’t read this author then you are in for a treat and should pick up the back log of titles also.

Death of a Gigolo is the seventeenth book in the long running Jaine Austen book series. These are fun lighthearted yet intriguing cozy mysteries. Death of a Gigolo transports us to a Bel-Air mansion while Jaines writing a steamy romance. Pick this one up its a gem :)

This is the first book in this series that I’ve read. After having read a large number of serious literary fiction and nonfiction I needed a light repast, and Death of a Gigolo did the trick. It’s written in a breezy, sometimes funny style featuring a “mystery” that requires no thought to crack. I read the book in a day and will look for another in the series the next time I need a short break.

Things are starting to look up for Jaine in the 17th installment in the Jaine Austen mystery series. Jaine is back with her ex and her best friend and cat Prozac (love that name) are not sure they are ok with. Jaine is working on ghost writing on a romance novel. The author is Daisy, a wealthy heiress and woman in her sixties who wants to become a romance novelist with Jaine’s help and has recently begin dating a much younger and cruder man. They become engaged and it is not a shock to discover he is killed. Jaine of course needs to jump in on this one. This is a funny cozy and will keep readers engaged and rooting for Jaine.