Customer Reviews
Murder, Mayhem, Fun & Sex - By: josie82, 21 Oct 2008 
Food columnist, Agnes Crandall is having a bad week. She has the wedding of the century to plan all while someone attempts to sabotage it; she has dog-nappers appearingin her kitchen; the threat of losing her house & a fiancé who is more interestedin making money thanin her. And then Shane, the hitman, appears through her bedroom window & Agnes realises her old problems were nothing compared to what's about to come.
This book is a deliciously chaotic but fun crime caper & really shows off Jennifer Crusie's humour & how well she & Bob Mayer work together.
Agnes, given the moniker of 'Cranky Agnes', is more feisty than cranky & she is funny & despite her issues, someone you want to be like. Although this isn't really a romance, her interactions with Shane (who himself is a gorgeous, complicated, man's man) are great & very sexy.
The body countin the book is high but the crime & murder isn't particularly gruesome (despite the book being full of mobsters & hitmen!) & is more fun & entertaining than anything. There is so much going on that you really are kept guessing & I wasn't sure exactly what was what until the very last chapter.
Overall, this is an entertaining & sexy romp of a read & certainly one that will have you turning the pages. Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer seem to be perfect writing pairing & I look forward to more of their collaborationsin the future. Definitely recommended. 5 stars.
Back on Form! - By: Kitty C, 02 Aug 2008 I've loved Jennifer Crusie's novels since reading Crazy for You & I have been disappointed by the fact that she seems to have stopped writing her own novels.
I didn't enjoy Don't Look Down but Agnes & the Hitman was a real treat. Excellent writing & I could barely tell who wrote what - so it felt like a seamless read.
Totally back on form, this felt more like Welcome to Temptation & Faking It. Great fun & I recommend it unreservedly.
Good, very witty caper - By: LEP, 08 May 2008 Now this is more like it; back to the old Crusie sharp wit, fun, & comic chaos, unlike her first book with Mayer which was plodding & disjointed. This is much more like Welcome to Temptation & Fast Women.
One reviewer of "Agnes..." discribes it as "disjointed", but I think that may be because she listened to it on CD rather than read it. I wouldn't have thought that the book would lend itself to being listened to particularly well & would say that that would also apply to several of Crusie's books, not just this one.
Here we have "Cranky Agnes" a quick tempered, pan wielding food writer, who has just bought her childhood dream home Two Rivers from her best friend's mother Brenda,in conjunction with Agnes's fiance chef, Taylor. Her dream should now have come true, except that Taylor seems somewhat reluctant to movein with her as was the plan. Agnes, who really longs to settle down with the love of her life & cook big family meals, has not had much luck finding the "love of her life", as her past two boyfriends were too keen to sample other womens goods & were hit over the head with Agnes' frying pan for their pains. A reaction which led to Agnes having court appointed anger management counselling.
However, life is much better now; she has Taylor, the home of her dreams & her goddaughter's wedding to cater for the next Saturday, things should go swimmingly. Then add to the mix her friend Joey's mob connections; the fact that Brenda wants her house back & is willing to go to extremes to get it; her best friend & Brenda's daughter LL & mother of the bride, who hates her mother Brenda as she thinks that she killed her, LL's, father who has been missing for 25 years; a bestman with an annoying sense of humour; two young gun-wielding dognappers who are sent to dognap Agnes' bloodhound Rhett, by their swamp-rat, ex-mob grandfather Four wheels; an Irish handyman named Doyle; two lonely, noisy flamingos; a sealed up basement leading to a sealed up nuclear shelter, whichin turn may lead to the corpse of Frankie & a missing five million dollars; a mob Don as wedding guest of honour; the bride & groom both getting cold feet at the last minute & a pink flamingo themed wedding & you have the wedding from hell.
Then last but far from least is Joey's nephew Shane, a government employed 'hit-man', who thanks to secrets kept by Joey, is not who he thinks he is; Carpenter his partner & cleaner-upper & Wilson their controller.
Fast, funny mayhem.
Too Chopped Up For Me - By: Angela M. Sochacki, 17 Mar 2008 
I waited for this book & I will say that I listened to it on Audio. The problem that I had was that whenever a character would speak, you would have to hear it again, as if they were thinking about what they had just said, what they really felt. I found this very confusing going back & forth between what is said & what is thought.
I just couldn't get into this format. I hope this is that last time Ms.Crusie writesin this manner.
SPICY, FUNNY, ROMANTIC TALE - By: Gail Cooke, 01 Sep 2007 She's known as food writer Cranky Agnes. Actually that's really a pretty fair description of heroine Agnes Crandall at & away from her typewriter. "Fair description" may be an inaccuracy because authors Cruise & Mayer can come up with the most outre portraits of the characters they create, all of which makes for fun, fast-paced reading. This is to say nothing of their plots that twist & turn entertaining readers with a spicy, amusing, romantic tale.
Agnes would very much like to have a children, so thinking maybe third times a charm, she's on fiancé no. 3. The pair have just bought a house from a mobster's widow, Brenda Fortunat0 who offers them three months paymentsin return for having a family weddingin the house (and what a group that is!).
Nonetheless while Agnes is planning the wedding, a dognapper appears on the scene trying to snatch Agnes's dog. Why? Because the canine was wearing an eye popping necklacein a newspaper photograph. Agnes, of course, believes the jewels are paste or worse. Then, her bedroom window is put to good use when Shane climbs in. He's there to protect Agnes, & couldn't be happieir about the assignment after he sees her. (The feeling is mutual).
Missing money, a dead body, a conniving Brenda, Fortunato relatives, & hitmen all combine to make Agnes's life not only iffy but a mess.
Voice performer Sandra Burr brings this comedic collection of characters to vibrant life. She's a gifted actress & director who not only grabs listeners but holds them captive until we hear the last line.
- Gail Cooke
