In this installment of the Sam Jones mysteries, Sam takes an oddly front page and back seat role in her own series. In the ominous prologue, Sam wakes up chained in a dungeon. She's held captive for unknown reasons and in a bad state. As we wind our way through the novel, we find a plot filled featuring her actor-boyfriend, a BBC Mini-Series filming, a starlet with an unpopular view on fur, animal rights activists making threats and an obvious case of mistaken identity...

In past stories, Sam took a far more active role in tracking down her mystery. In this story, being a victim in need of hospitalization and tracking down a mystery don't go together. Much to Lauren Henderson's credit, she avoids turning Sam into some tart-noir super-sleuth. Don't get me wrong, it still fits the bill for a light summer read, it's just the weakest so far in the series. (

)

stephmo | Jul 1, 2009 |

Apparently Ms Henderson is a leading light of something called Tart Noir. Well noir it is not. Laddette Crime is probably a better description. Lots of mostly off stage sex and violence. mixed with plenty of onstage soft drugs and alchol. it bounces along the cynicism of Noir replaced with the flippancy of a Heroine who knows she is invunerable. I was not even emotionally involved during an attempted rape scene...
Not objectionable just too damned lightwight. (

)

SimonW11 | Oct 1, 2006 |

date ▼ | votes

Showing 2 of 2

▾Published reviews

no reviews | add a review

view history

▾Common Knowledge

You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.

For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.

Series (with order)

Sam Jones Mystery (Book 6)

Canonical Title

Chained

Original publication date

People/Characters

Important places

Important events

Related movies

Awards and honors

Epigraph

Dedication

First words

Someone had been using my head for staple gun practice. (Prologue)

"Kick the shit out of him! Nah, not like that! For fuck's sake, Chaz, put some sodding effort into it, why don't you?"

Quotations

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

None

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

▾Book descriptions

Amazon.com Book Description (ISBN 0609808656, Paperback)

When art chick–cum–sleuth Sam Jones groggily awakens to find her wrists chained to a ceiling plank in a cockroach-infested basement, she knows that her blackout, pounding headache, and body restraints are not the results of a drunken encounter with some S&M freak. No, she’s been kidnapped in a case of mistaken identity, plucked right off a TV production set where she’s been working as a stunt double on a hot new miniseries with her boyfriend, Hugo. And when a chum’s boyfriend turns up dead, it’s clear that the kidnappers have more than pranks on their minds. If she doesn’t watch her back, she’ll end up topping the endangered species list. Will Sam crack the case before the body count rises?

Lauren Henderson fans will delight in this new adventure for the brassy, lovable, kick-ass detective in stilettos. And mystery lovers who crave an irreverent, murderously funny heroine will find themselves Sam Jones converts before they reach the thrilling conclusion of this uproarious romp through “tart noir” territory.

Other Sam Jones novels available from Three Rivers Press:
Black Rubber Dress, Freeze My Margarita, Strawberry Tattoo

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:54 -0400)

(see all 2 descriptions)

▾Open Shelves Classification

The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details.