Dating Dead Men

Listeners are swept into the wacky world of Los Angeles greeting card artist Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley--Wollie--and her paranoid-schizophrenic brother, P.B., who resides at Rio Pescado, a mental hospital. Deanna Hurst's engaging and sensitive reading embodies Wollie, who manages to deal with a murder, the Mafia, an appealing but mysterious love interest, and a killer in the course of this story. She also tries to date 40 guys in 60 days to earn $5,000 as part of a research project. Hurst keeps the action moving at a fast pace and the quirky characters realistic. Her performance reflects the story's humor as well as its dramatic ebb and flow. Overall, Hurst is well suited to this romantic mystery. S.C.A. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Starred review from December 8, 2003
Even Stephanie Plum's antics will seem sedate after readers make the acquaintance of Los Angeles's own Wollie Shelley, greeting card designer and small business owner. Wollie is dating 40 men in 60 days as part of a research project for a bestselling radio personality; the $5,000 fee could help her struggling store, "Wollie's Welcome! Greetings." In particular, Wollie's worried about inspections from national headquarters, who want to ensure that her franchise is up to standard. Her already full plate gets loaded up further when her paranoid schizophrenic brother, P.B., who resides at a mental hospital called Rio Pescado, phones to tell her he's witnessed a murder. The last thing Wollie wants is to call the police, so she dashes off to Rio Pescado. On the way she finds a dead body. At the hospital she picks up a charismatic stranger, "Doc," who's on the run, and Wollie can't help getting herself mixed up in his troubles as well. Juggling dates, avoiding the bad guys on Doc's trail, trying to keep her store up to snuff and figuring out what to feed the ferret Doc left in her care have Wollie hopping at a pace reminiscent of the best 1930s screwball film comedies. Kozak has struck gold first time out with a wacky, high-octane plot and characters to match. Agent, Amy Schiffman. (Jan. 20)

Forecast:
As an actress whose screen credits include
Parenthood and
When Harry Met Sally, Kozak is in a good position to promote this first novel, especially on the West Coast.