 |
Book Review Of Fitness Kills By Helen Barer
Author: Simon Barrett  | Posted: 18-11-2007 | Comments: 0 | Views: 13 | Rating: (51)  (?) 
Food writer, or Foodie, as they are known in the trade, Nora Franke is overfed and overwrought over a recent breakup with her long time boyfriend. "We need a break" he tells her, Nora decides that spending some time away from the bustle of New York is just the tonic she needs. Her solution is to take a temporary job as recipe consultant at a ritzy and very exclusive Spa in Baja. Nora is ecstatic, three months in a beautiful location and able to combine her love of food with the ever pressing need to shed the results of too many gourmet adventures in New York.
Life at a Health Spa is much like life on a Cruise Ship, time becomes compressed, most of the guests are only there for a week. Friendships that would normally develop over weeks or months, develop in minutes, alas also do animosities. Nora finds herself more accepted by the guests than the staff, and is quickly drawn into a group of loosely connected friends that come to the Spa every year for a few days of relaxation and reflection. This group of opulent and seemingly wealthy friends readily accepts Nora as if they have known her since kindergarten.
The setting seems idyllic for something bad to happen, and Helen Barer is just the author to do it! Helen herself is no stranger to the world of writing, she has a number of cook books to her credit, but this is her first foray into the murder mystery genre.
The first cracks in the Louis Vuitton luggage occurs the next morning when the body of Alan is found, in what appears to be a climbing accident on a nearby mountain. What Nora notices is the different reactions from the members of the group, from grief, to indifference, to maybe something more sinister. In the 50 years that the exclusive retreat has been in existence this is the first death the ranch has ever experienced, sprained ankles, and a mild heart attack from over exertion held the previous record.
There is a second death, one that can not be explained away as an accident. Now Nora is pulled into the web of deceit, what is going on, and who is responsible for these two deaths?
Nora is on the scent! She has no investigative training, just a dogged thirst to find the truth. Of course this may not be the best 'recipe' for a long life!
I liked this book a lot, I think this is a very fine first time effort, small enough at 200 pages to be a quick read, but long enough to develop the characters well. I suspect that we will be seeing more of Nora Franke in future books by Helen Barer. If you are looking for a fun and fast murder mystery I can recommend that you try Fitness Kills.
Fitness Kills is the first in a series of cozy mysteries by Helen Barer. Helen spent many years as a writer of non-fiction material, ranging from cookbooks to television documentaries. She is presently at work writing her next Nora Franke mystery.
Rate this Article:
Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/writing-articles/book-review-of-fitness-kills-by-helen-barer-262130.html
About the Author:Simon Barrett is an adult educator in Calgary, Alberta. With the 11 months a year of winter, he reads a lot of books! He is also a contributing editor for Blogger News and maintains a personal blog at Simon B
|
Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free! |
|
Related Articles
Internet Authors Live in the Present
By: Mike Scantlebury | 31/08/2007 | Writing
Bad day? If you're already feeling bad, it's hard enough to cope with the 'here and now'. And who knows what disasters tomorrow may bring? Talk to Mike Scantlebury and hear why it's a good idea to 'pick yourself up' and start again, but even better to brush off the dust of defeat as well as keeping your head out of the clouds of what might be coming. (It might not.) Let's talk about 'now'. What can we do - today?
How I Tackled Such A Huge Task
By: Paul Miller | 07/02/2008 | Writing
When I set out to write my book, A Place to Belong, I didn't have the slightest notion as to how I was going to approach this task. I had never written anything in my life that extended beyond a normal letter or reports that I had to submit for...
Seven Things Authors Must Know to Be Successful
By: Jerry D. Simmons | 16/06/2008 | Writing
Publishing is a very competitive business and the choices for getting a manuscript into print are numerous. Everyone who writes has to make a decision on what's best for them and their manuscript or book, but the decision should be based on their personal goals and not what someone else...
Self-Publishing The Hard Way: The Art Of Giving Birth
By: Dodie Cross | 31/10/2007 | Writing
You know? When you publish a book and send it out into the world, it's like giving birth to a baby. Everyone checks out your baby. Is it breath-taking? Does it have ten toes and ten fingers? Is it pink and sweet or does it look like an extra from...
Book Review: Confessions of a Crack Head by Zach Samuels
By: Simon Barrett | 01/08/2008 | Writing
I work with the homeless here in Calgary, addiction is a word that we hear a lot of, drugs, booze, and gambling are the big three. Often addicts are plagued by other mental health issues, depression, bi-polar, and a variety of other medical terms outside of my realm of knowledge.
There...
From Ebook To Print Book: Five Pitfalls
By: Marcia Yudkin | 02/11/2007 | EBooks
Has anyone else noticed a trend of books, both self-published and from commercial publishers, that were originally ebooks and have not completely shaken the unfortunate signs of their origin?
1.Since ebooks can be sold easily at 80-100 pages, but print books cannot, the book version gains length through appendices that take...
5 Tips To Start Selling Your Self-Published Book
By: Jill Exler | 26/12/2007 | Writing
You've spent hours researching, writing and self-publishing your book. Now, you want to reap the benefits of selling it yourself, but where do you begin?
Here are five simple tips to help you get started.
1. Figure out your market.
"Bookstores are lousy places to sell books," says self-publishing guru Dan Poynter in...
Love At A Higher Level
By: Rob Costelloe | 13/10/2007 | Writing
Is it possible to achieve a higher romantic love than the resigned complacency we see all around us? If so, can it be sustained for long? Would many people really want it? Sure, nonfiction literature is replete with books, courses, and seminars on how to achieve romantic or marital bliss....
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
How to write a letter
By: geryslav | 24-11-2007
how to write a good letter
Help in finding a book
By: ori | 18-11-2007
Hi, I am looking for a book of an australian write which researched the link between math and finding the best spouse
A nationally known pathologist has examined the ...
By: jake.brown | 17-11-2007
Former New York City chief medical examiner Dr. Michael Baden examined Kathleen Savio's remains on Friday and determined that she died after a struggle and her body was then placed in the bathtub where she was later found, Savio's family told WFLD-TV."She was beat up and placed in the bathtub as a cover-up for whoever done this," Sue Savio Doman, Savio's sister, told the Fox affiliate.A coroner's jury initially ruled that Savio's 2004 death was an accidental drowning (despite there being no water in the tub). But now, with Drew Peterson's fourth wife missing for more than two weeks, authorities are re-examining the circumstances of Savio's death."There was marks on her hips, her arms, her elbows, on her legs, her feet. ... There was a struggle. She did fight," Savio Doman said.Peterson, 53, who resigned this week as a Bolingbrook police sergeant, has not been named a suspect in Savio's death. But he is a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth and current wife, Stacy, who was last seen Oct. 28, 2008 and whose case authorities have called a possible homicide.What I want to know is how did the police botch the Savio case so badly? How could they have so seriously messed up the investigation as to rule the third wife's death as an accidental drowning when there was no water in the bathtub? Are they that incompetent?Do you think Drew Peterson is responsible for his 4th wife's disappearance? What are your thoughts?
Anyone have suggetions on a good baby naming book to give as a present?
By: relationshipGuru | 14-11-2007
anyone have suggetions on a good baby naming book to give as a present?
What are some good books that you read that came out with great movies?
By: MusicMovieLovers | 14-11-2007
what are some good books that you read that came out with great movies?
Who are the biggest US literary agent for ...
By: ihtya | 13-11-2007
Who are the biggest US literary agentcy for children`s books?
Q&A Powered by: 
Latest Writing Articles
Ebook Writing Using Time Management And Organization
By: Connie Ragen Green | 21/08/2008
If you are writing an eBook, you may be tempted to let your work space begin to get cluttered. Even though we may joke about clutter and productivity, the truth is that you can accomplish much more if you are neat and organized.
9 Increasing Reasons to Write a Book and Explode Your Service Business Profits
By: Earma Brown | 21/08/2008
Have you considered writing a short book to increase your service business? Perhaps you are like most of us before taking the leap of faith, you wonder if it will give you the results you dream of. I can tell you this; monetizing your service business with a short book will pay you back BIG.
Ebook Writing And Marketing With A Global Perspective
By: Connie Ragen Green | 21/08/2008
Although I have eBook writing and marketing students living all over the world, most of the people I work with are located in Northern America, Western Europe, and Australia. After watching the Olympics from Beijing, China, I have begun to think differently about writing and selling eBooks.
Writing An eBook That Falls Into One Of The 6 Most Popular Categories
By: Connie Ragen Green | 21/08/2008
Ebooks come in all types and sizes, but they tend to be based in one of six categories. How-to eBooks tend to do very well, but people are actively searching
for additional information in each of these categories on a regular basis.
How To Write An eBook To Position Yourself As An Expert
By: Connie Ragen Green | 21/08/2008
People write eBooks for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they want to have a product to sell to make passive income online, or want to have something to give to people who join their list. Then there are the people who are looking for a way to gain credibility and visibility online, and to position themselves as an expert.
Blogging For Your Business: Write About Your Passion To Monetize Your Blog
By: Connie Ragen Green | 21/08/2008
Blogging for your business can be tedious, exhausting, and something you dread. It can also be exciting, thrilling, and something you look forward to with anticipation. What makes the difference? The degree of passion you have about your topic.
Syndicate Your Blog And Article Content Using Web 2.0 Applications
By: Connie Ragen Green | 20/08/2008
When you make a post to your blog these days, it is likely to appear in many more places than just on your blog. The same thing can happen with your articles. This is all thanks to the magic of syndication, which basically means that your content can be delivered to different sites in various places, giving you massive exposure all over the internet.
Writing a College Essay 101
By: Daniel Millions | 20/08/2008
Being able to write a college essay is a necessity.
More from Simon Barrett
Book Review: Step Up - How To Win More And Lose Less In Business By Daniel Grissom
By: Simon Barrett | 24/01/2008 | Business
The average bookstore is awash in self help business books, entire sections are dedicated to the subject. They also tend to have a common theme. How make a better 'widget' and more importantly, sell these better and more profitable 'widgets.' Sure they may reorder the chapters, change the occasional graphic,...
An Interview With Michael Mehas, Author, Film Maker, And Lawyer, About Stolen Boy
By: Simon Barrett | 19/01/2008 | Writing
Stolen Boy is a work of fiction, but based on the Jessie James Hollywood case ... what author Michael Mehas says may make the difference between Hollywood's life and death.
Stolen Boy is powerful stuff. How did you get interested in it?
One day in April of 2003, while I was tending...
Book Review: Why Bad Grades Happen To Good Kids
By: Simon Barrett | 15/01/2008 | Education
While short on length, it is long on information. The subtitle is 'What Parents Need To Know, What Parents Need To Do,' many parents go through the anguish of watching their children struggle in our school environment. Kids today are not 'stupid' by any stretch of the imagination, but many...
Book Review: A Broad Abroad In Thailand By Dodie Cross
By: Simon Barrett | 23/12/2007 | Writing
This is to say the least an interesting and entertaining read that covers far more ground than the title implies. Told with a huge amount of humor we follow Dodie on her sojourn to Thailand, where things do not work out as planned. As she ruefully reflects on in the...
Book Review: Stolen Boy By Michael Mehas
By: Simon Barrett | 14/12/2007 | Writing
Stolen Boy is billed as a work of fiction, however it actually explores a real event, and that event is still unfolding in the Southern California court system. Jessie James Hollywood faces the potential of the trip to lethal injection for his actions. So real is Michael Mehas' book that...
Book Review: Marketing Your Small Business For Big Profits By David Mason
By: Simon Barrett | 12/12/2007 | Writing
I have no idea how many books are crammed onto bookshelves all about the subject of marketing, there must be many millions. It is a subject well understood, how do you make someone buy your Widget as opposed to the other guys Widget? Marketing is the answer, but, marketing comes...
An Interview With Author Alan Rolnick About His New Book Landmark Status
By: Simon Barrett | 06/12/2007 | Writing
Landmark Status is a wonderfully funny book. Alan Rolnick uses Miami as the backdrop, and real estate as the weapon, to take the reader on a madcap journey that I can guarantee you will enjoy. When I put the put the book down and wrote the review, I just knew...
Book Review: If I Did It - Confessions Of The Killer By The Goldman Family
By: Simon Barrett | 02/12/2007 | Writing
Yes folks, it's the long awaited OJ Simpson confession book! Except that in OJ's mind it was anything but, he claims it is a fictional account of how we would have done it, if he had done it! I have lots of problems with this book, not least of which...
|
|
Writing 
