About this item
Halloween is just around the corner, and between cauldrons of candy and a deliciously cute new neighbour, Jaine Austen is struggling to resist her sweet tooth. But this year, her once humdrum neighbourhood seems to be handing out more tricks than treats...When her faithful feline Prozac unwittingly scares to death a parakeet belonging to the neighbourhood's resident curmudgeon, Jaine finds herself knee-deep in toil and trouble. The cantankerous Hollywood has-been once played the part of Cryptessa Muldoon, television's fourth most famous monster mom. Now a bitter, paranoid old dame, Cryptessa spends her days making enemies with everyone on the street, and accidental bird killer Jaine is no exception. So when the ornery D-lister is murdered with her own Do Not Trespass sign on Halloween night, the neighbourhood fills with relief - and possible culprits.
About the Author
Grew up in Brooklyn, New York, back when mastodons (and Edsels) still roamed the earth. Education: Barnard CollegeFirst job: Reporter/photographer at a newspaper so small, we had our photos developed in the local camera shop. Advertising claim to fame: I created Count Chocula and Frankenberry cereals for General Mills. TV gets invented, and I get a job as a sitcom writer, turning out scripts for shows like The Bob Newhart Show, Three's Company, Laverne & Shirley, The Love Boat, The Jeffersons, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Current (and favorite) incarnation: Author of Jaine Austen mysteries. Marital status: Wedded blissfully to business journalist Mark Lacter (aka Mr. Hubby) , whose insightful coverage of the Los Angeles business scene can be checked daily at Favorite authors: COMEDY: Joe Keenan. MYSTERY: Agatha Christie. SERIOUS STUFF: Anne Tyler. Hobbies: Reading, swimming, gardening, and lots of walks (mainly to the refrigerator) .
