Gonna Take a Homicidal Journey (Lauren Laurano Mysteries)

Surprisingly after my review of this one, I received e-mail from Scoppettone who said she's moving on to new characters, probably under a new pen name. Good news is she'll still do crime. And if you've read any of her earlier (non Lauranos) you'll recognize the common wit and style. It will be fun to guess when her next ones come out.

I have read all of the Lauren Laurano stories and enjoyed the new avenues that this book followed. Moving (part-time) out to Long Island, partnering with Cecchi, beginning to work out long-standing problems with Kip -- all of this gives Lauren more options for future exploration. Also, I liked the new plot device of revealing each of the "interviewees'" reactions to Lauren's questions about the case; it more clearly linked each of these characters to the murders that had been committed. Sandra Scoppettone has proved for over 20 years that she is an innovative and creative author and this novel is another example of her refusal to keep following a tried-and-true formula, book after book. Now, I just hope it won't be two years before the next one!

Once again one of my favorite writer had written a very good mystery! Scoppettone didn't disappoint! Even though I loved the mystery being set in a small town. I perfer Lauren & Co. in N.Y. City! I read this book with great pleasure! Now I'm going to have to wait another whole year for the next Lauren Laurano mystery. I had order Gonna Take A Homicidal Journey and received an autographed copy! :-o)!!

In the previous novel, her spouse caught New York City private detective Lauren Laurano in the arms of another woman. Months later, the Laurano relationship remains troubled, but Lauren and Kip are trying to save their marriage. Towards that end, they leave the Big Apple to help some friends renovate a house recently purchased in Seaview, Long Island. However, before they can recapture the magic that they seem to have lost, Lauren stumbles over a suspicious death.

To Kip's displeasure, the victim's mistress, who does not believe her lover committed suicide as the police have declared, hires Lauren to uncover the truth. Lauren soon learns that the seemingly tranquil town is actually a hot bed of violent crime that includes nine allegedly accidental deaths over the past five years. At the same time, she does not believe a sociopathic serial killer is systematically bumping off people. Instead, the answers are out there and it is a much uglier conspiracy than even Lauren expects to find.

Sandra Scoppettone is renowned for her intriguing Lauren Laurano mysteries and her newest entry, GONNA TAKE A HOMICIDAL JOURNEY, proves that very few writers compare to her. The use of flashbacks connects this novel to the previous one and aids the new reader in understanding the characters without alienating the old reader. Ms. Scoppettone's ability to provide her characters with human emotions, strengths, and especially weaknesses is awe-inspiring and is only one of the reasons they are fan favorites. This is must reading because it is more than an interesting mystery; the novel is good literature.

Harriet Klausner

In this fourth outing, Lauren Laurano, NYC private investigation, agrees to spend some time with friends at their new Long Island home helping to fix it up. Not exactly her idea of good time, but she's trying to mend fences with her lover Kip. When the opportunity arises for to accept an investigation into a murder ruled a suicide, she doesn't hesitate. Perhaps she should have. As Laurano investigates and discovers each new layer, things get uglier and uglier and even include an attempt on her life. She calls on Cecchi, a former NYPD detective with whom she is going to go into partnership, to help solve the murder. Kip, in the meantime, is still punishing her for an affair she had in the previous book. This has it all - good writing, a multi-layered plot, and good characterizations. Scoppettone is back in form! She has, unfortunately, also said that this is the last Lauren Laurano book - "I've said all I can about Lauren, Kip, and especially New York City." That's too bad. I'll miss Lauren, Kip, Cecchi, their friends, and Scoppettone's take on the Village and the City.