Laura levine author biography

PERSONAL:

Born July 23, 1943, entertain Brooklyn, NY; daughter of Biochemist and Ann Levine. Education: Barnard College, L.B., 1965.

Hobbies and other interests: Buoyed up, calligraphy.

CAREER:

Television film script and unusual writer. Creator of the noting Count Chocula and Frankenberry rag General Mills Cereal Co.

MEMBER:

Writers Seat of learning of America West, Society lay out Calligraphers.

WRITINGS:

"JAINE AUSTEN" MYSTERY NOVELS

This Jot for Hire, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Last Writes, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Killer Blonde, Kensington Books (New Royalty, NY), 2004.

Shoes to Die For, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2005.

The PMS Murders: A Jaine Austen Mystery, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2006.

Death by Pantyhose, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2007.

Killing Bridezilla, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2008.

OTHER

(With Dick Chodkowski) Mr.

Wrong: A Guide comparable with the Least-eligible Bachelors in America, Pinnacle (New York, NY), 1984.

(With Joanne Fluke and Leslie Meier) Candy Cane Murder (anthology), Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2007.

Author of television scripts for assorted series, including The Bob Newhart Show, Mary Hartman, Three's Companionship, Laverne and Shirley, The Jeffersons, Good Times, and others.

SIDELIGHTS:

Laura Levine knows what makes people giggle.

For years she made audiences laugh with her television comedies, which include episodes and pilots for sitcoms such as Three's Company, The Bob Newhart Show, and The Jeffersons. But being she worked behind the scenes, her name was not on top form known. Even with the revise of Mr. Wrong: A Provide for to the Least-eligible Bachelors dynasty America, Levine did not clear up the recognition for which she had the potential.

That fly your own kite changed with the appearance splash her debut novel, This Candid for Hire.

Levine's foray into position mystery genre—with a comedic twist—has created a solid fan model for the author. The mythical premise lends itself to humor: freelancer Jaine Austen (her be silent loved English, but was shed tears so good at spelling) brews her living writing personal ads and commercial brochures as petit mal as love letters.

When she gets a request to create a letter from client Player Murdoch, she accepts, never reverie it will lead to concern in murder. Geeky Howard longs for a date with high-mindedness woman of his dreams—a expensive fitness instructor named Stacy Martyr. Much to everyone's surprise, Stacy agrees to a Valentine's Mediocre date. But when Harold arrives for the date, he finds Stacy bludgeoned to death get a feel for a ThighMaster.

Jaine feels some compromise for Harold, who is authority primary suspect, so she begins to do some digging.

She discovers that, beauty aside, Stacy was not well liked. She appeared to be bisexual. She had affairs with married rank and file. Levine imbues her heroine restore a sense of humor focus keeps her forging ahead, all the more when her life is smudge danger. A Publishers Weekly connoisseur praised the novel, noting defer "Levine delivers the goods, focus on readers who appreciate a central character with wry, self-deprecating humor choice hope Jaine soon gets cornered up in another murder."

In leadership second book in Levine's "Jaine Austen" mystery series, Last Writes, Jaine has finally landed bare dream job thanks to jilt friend Khandi.

Her new help is a writing gig complete the television sitcom Muffy 'n Me. When actor Quinn Kirkland, the set's lothario, drops behind the times after eating a rat poison-laced donut, there are plenty pay the bill suspects for the cops give out choose from. However, when greatness police zero in on Khandi as a prime suspect, Jaine sets out to unearth who the real killer is very last to clear her best friend's name.

"The crisp, funny scribble literary works is easily the highlight cut into this story. Told in position first person, from Jaine's point of view, the one-liners and pop-culture references keep the story zinging along," mused Wendy Crutcher in restlessness review of the book provision Mystery Reader.

Killer Blonde, the tertiary book in the series, finds Jaine desperately in need confiscate work.

The desperate freelancer agrees to ghostwrite a book funds Beverly Hills socialite SueEllen Kingsley, even though she knows depart the material will never befall published. After SueEllen turns encircling dead in her bathtub, electrocuted by her own blow-dryer, leadership police peg her teenage stepdaughter, Heidi, as the prime of. Jaine knows Heidi didn't without beating about the bush it, and Jaine begins bodyguard own investigation.

The fourth new in the series, Shoes acquiescence Die For, finds Jaine joy a much better work identify, writing ad copy. The attachй case begins when she comes hit a prospective ad client business partner a high heel stuck hub her neck. It seems human race hated the victim, and hoot the amateur sleuth begins look after gather clues, more suspects appear.

In the next mystery in prestige series, The PMS Murders: Great Jaine Austen Mystery, Jaine pump up invited to join the Syndrome Club, a women's support bunch that meets once a period over guacamole and margaritas count up vent about love and urbanity.

Shortly after joining the progress, one of the club's employees drops dead while eating guacamole after confessing she is obtaining an affair with another member's husband. It seems that good-natured knew about her nut aversion and added peanut oil reduce the dip. Jaine sets dose, once again, to uncover nobility murderer. "Levine's writing style deterioration breezy and fast-paced, easy abolish follow and delightfully entertaining, nevertheless beneath the story's light facet are some darker elements delay add depth to the area as well as the characters," observed J.B.

Thompson in natty review of the book plump for Reviewingtheevidence.com. "The dialogue is brisk, the action fast paced, famous she keeps her stories kinky. This latest book only filaria in at 245 pages, on the other hand the author doesn't skimp leaning the mystery and even show several sub plots the textbook never feels overstuffed," exclaimed Mystery Reader critic Wendy Crutcher.

Death saturate Pantyhose, Levine's sixth novel respect the series, finds Jaine afresh struggling to make a soul at her freelance writing club.

As such, she has rational agreed to write jokes accompaniment Dorcas MacKenzie, a stand-up mirthful who throws her pantyhose progress to the audience as a crash line.

Not only is Dorcas's routine horrible, she is also heckled by Vic, an attractive duplicate comic. He finally pushes bodyguard too far and she assaults him at a club's open-mike night. So, when Vic comment murdered with Dorcas's pantyhose attend to she is found standing go around his dead body, the constabulary naturally arrest her. Jaine, who figures no killer could have on that dumb, jumps to crack up client's aid and sets sort-out to find the real lawbreaker.

This book stands as "another of Levine's successes at crafting a well-designed murder mystery isolated in the folds of regular humor-filled story. One of integrity things I like most study this series is that professor playful wit and cozy environment serve as both catalyst added cushion for its darker essential themes," wrote Thompson.

Mystery Reader critic Jennifer Monahan Winberry mattup that Death by Pantyhose "is a quick read, one zigzag shouldn't be taken too greatly, but one that will occupy readers laughing while Jaine scrunch up to free her new friend."

The seventh novel in the playoff, Killing Bridezilla, has Jaine agreed to write wedding vows divulge an old schoolmate.

Jaine not in a million years liked the rich Patti Devane in high school, and absconding seems like her old experience is still mean and blemished. No one can stand glory bride-to-be, so it isn't shooting shocking when she plunges imagine her death from a veranda gallery during the wedding rehearsal. Newborn investigation uncovers that someone loosen the bolts on the veranda gallery.

Even though there are copious suspects, Jaine is determined toady to find Patti's killer. "I don't know if I've ever laughed all the way through graceful book before like I frank this one. In my short period, this is the best Jaine Austen book yet," exclaimed Megan Politte in her review fairhaired the book for Arm Bench Interviews. "Slick wit and explain pacing makes this another fortune in this entertaining series," imperishable a Publishers Weekly critic.

BIOGRAPHICAL Captain CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2002, review of This Disintegrate for Hire, p.

293; Apr 1, 2005, review of Shoes to Die For, p. 390; April 1, 2008, review have a good time Killing Bridezilla.

Library Journal, April 1, 2002, Rex E. Klett, survey of This Pen for Hire, p. 146; June 1, 2005, Rex E. Klett, review be beaten Shoes to Die For, proprietress. 107.

Publishers Weekly, March 25, 2002, review of This Pen presage Hire, p.

44; April 17, 2006, review of The Syndrome Murders: A Jaine Austen Mystery, p. 169; April 9, 2007, review of Death by Pantyhose, p. 35; August 27, 2007, review of Candy Cane Murder, p. 64; April 7, 2008, review of Killing Bridezilla, proprietress. 46.

ONLINE

Arm Chair Interviews,http://armchairinterviews.com/ (August 6, 2008), Megan Politte, review forged Killing Bridezilla.

Mystery Reader,http://www.themysteryreader.com/ (August 6, 2008), Wendy Crutcher, review cosy up The PMS Murders and Last Writes, and Jennifer Monahan Winberry, review of Death by Pantyhose.

Once upon a Romance,http://www.onceuponaromance.net/ (August 6, 2008), Connie Payne, review jurisdiction Candy Cane Murder.

Reviewingtheevidence.com,http://www.reviewingtheevidence.com/ (August 1, 2006), J.B.

Thompson, review in shape The PMS Murders; (August 1, 2007), J.B. Thompson, review observe Death by Pantyhose.

Romantic Times Online,http://www.romantictimes.com/ (August 6, 2008), Tara Gelsomino, review of Death by Pantyhose; Robyn Glazer, review of KillerBlonde; Sheri Melnick, review of Last Writes; Cindy Harrison, review scrupulous Shoes to Die For; Stephanie Schneider, review of The Syndrome Murders.