Book ~ "Last Writes" - Laura Levine (2004)

From Chapters.ca ~ Wisecracking pen-for-hire, Jaine Austen. is back and she''s about to discover that working on the set of a Hollywood sitcom is no laughing matter. Jaine still hasn''t found a good man or a way to keep all those sugary snacks from going straight to her hips. But with a little help from her best friend Kandi, she''s finally landed a gig as a sitcom writer! True, Muffy 'n Me isn''t going to win any Emmys. And her office at Miracle Studios needs a little sprucing up and a few dozen rat traps. But it sure beats writing boring brochures and bad resumes, so Jaine''s not complaining. Until the plot thickens, with murder. Jaine figures the trouble all started when Muffy 'n Me's hottest star, gorgeous Quinn Kirkland, seduced the head writer, whose husband also works on the show. But when Quinn's caught in bed with the barely-legal actress who plays his niece, things really heat up, and his many jealous girlfriends start to figure things out. So when the no-good heartthrob drops dead after nibbling a poisoned doughnut, Jaine isn't terribly surprised. But who could have done it? A competitive co-star and a couple of scorned lovers top Jaine's list of suspects but the police have zeroed in on her man-crazy pal, Kandi. She fell hard for Quinn and nearly fell apart when she learned of all his other women. Now Jaine has to figure out who finally stopped Quinn's cheatin'' heart before her best friend ends up behind bars.

Another quick funny read. Not too deep but enjoyable.

Book ~ "This Pen For Hire" - Laura Levine (2003)

From Amazon.com ~ Humor is the key ingredient in this slick debut by television comedy writer, Levine. Freelancer Jaine Austen (her mother loved the classics but couldn't spell) makes a living writing love letters, personal ads and industrial brochures, but she never expected her work to involve her in murder. When geeky Howard Murdoch hires her to pen a letter proclaiming his love for gorgeous fitness instructor, Stacy Lawrence, no one is more surprised than Jaine when Stacy agrees to go out with Howard on Valentine's Day. But Harold arrives for their date only to find that someone has bludgeoned Stacy to death with a ThighMaster. Feeling some responsibility for the hapless Howard, now the police's only suspect, Jaine starts digging. Stacy might have been beautiful, but most people disliked her. Elaine Zimmer wanted the corner apartment Stacy had just moved into and the building superintendent seemed besotted with her. Then there's the volatile, married producer, not to mention the girlfriend Stacy stole him from. Handsome neighbor, Cameron Bannick, a straight antiques dealer, piques Jaine's interest (she hasn't had a good date in a long time) and becomes a dashing Watson to Jaine's Sherlock. Though her life is in danger, Jaine never loses her sense of humor as the story zips along to an action-filled and surprising climax. Levine delivers the goods and readers who appreciate a heroine with wry, self-deprecating humor will hope Jaine soon gets caught up in another murder.

I enjoyed Levine's Killer Blonde a couple weeks ago so looked for more with this character. It was just as amusing and sarcastic and the ending was a surprise.

Book ~ "Killer Blonde" - Laura Levine (2005)

From Mystery Lovers Corner ~ Jaine Austen is hired as a ghostwriter by SueEllen Kingsley. Jaine doesn’t really want to work for her, but she can’t turn down the three thousand dollars a week she is paying. Jaine befriends Heidi, SueEllen’s teenage stepdaughter.

SueEllen does most of her work while soaking in the tub. Jaine finds sitting on the toilet a terrible place to work. After Heidi’s birthday party where SueEllen is very mean to Heidi, Jaine decides to quit.

Unfortunately when Jaine arrives for work to tell SueEllen she's quitting, Jaine finds SueEllen has been electrocuted in the tub by her hairdryer. The police believe Heidi killed her.

Jaine sets out to try to find out who killed SueEllen to keep Heidi from going to jail. Since SueEllen was mean to everyone, there are plenty of suspects in Jaine’s mind. Jaine is a fun character and has plenty of one-liners to keep you laughing. There’s always lots of laughs with the various guys Jaine dates as well.

I enjoy mysteries. I enjoy comedies. This was a fun combination of the two. I'm definitely going to look for other books by this author.