Death of the Office Witch (Charlie Greene mystery) by Millhiser, Marlys - 1993-11-01

Otto Penzler Books, 1993-11-01. Hardcover. Like New. 1883402026 From Publishers Weekly This semi-supernatural mystery, an uneven work that doesn't live up to its best moments, marks the return of L.A. literary agent Charlie Green. On a day that begins with highway gridlock, a missed appointment and an argument with her acid-tongued teenage daughter, Libby, Charlie also faces the mysterious disappearance of waspish office secretary Gloria Tuschman. Gloria is discovered sprawled out in nearby bushes--dead. Charlie, who tested her sleuthing skills in Murder at Moot Point , is brought in on the case by Gloria herself, whose voice seems to call from the Great Beyond: "Charlie, I'm in the trash can. Help me." Lt. David Dalrymple of the Beverly Hills PD also hopes for her help while Charlie learns that several co-workers have reason to rejoice in Gloria's death. Then, visiting Montana author Mary Ann Leffler also vanishes, leaving Charlie to hunt for more clues in this world and the next. Millhiser is perhaps too successful at making the work of a Hollywood literary agent seem mundane; as for other realms, those unearthly messages, rather than being portentous, are just transparent plot-expediting gimmicks. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Charlie Greene, the L.A. literary agent who bumbled into a murder investigation in Murder at Moot Point ( LJ 10/1/92), tries once again to outwit police. When fellow workers become suspects in the murder of their universally unloved office receptionist, no one has an ironclad alibi, so Greene balances her own hectic schedule, an unpredictable teenager, and a tenacious homicide detective in order to help them out. Before she discovers the receptionist's "hold" on the murderer, further murder and mayhem occur. Humorous, inviting, and Hollywood hectic, this book is written in crisp, likable prose. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Kirkus Reviews Literary agent Charlie Greene (Murder at Moot Point) arrives at her Beverly Hills office just in time to find receptionist Gloria Tuschman missing and to hear her disembodied voice whispering, ``Charlie, I'm in the trash can. Help me.'' Though Gloria's body is actually discovered in the bushes outside the office building, Charlie wonders whether she can use her newfound psychic powers, honed by a s?ance held by Gloria's real-life witches' coven, to figure out which of Gloria's blackmail victims in the office would kill to safeguard a guilty secret (exposure to AIDS, a prison record, a secret wife)--and what Gloria's death has to do with the disappearance of prickly novelist Mary Ann Leffler. Notable for its large, attractive cast, its shameless use of coincidence--you'll need to be psychic to tell which leads mean anything--and the breathtaking gaps that the final explanation never plugs. Puzzle addicts should leave this one alone. -- Copyright ?1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.