Dead by Any Other Name (A Janets Planet Mystery)

Set in the beautiful, endlessly fascinating (and occasionally very dangerous) Hudson Janet's Planet Mystery Series. 2 primary Dead by Any Other Name.
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Perhaps it's because I wasn't raised in the upper East Coast where eccentricity seems to be a badge of respect and honor, but I didn't understand much of the humor Nov 04, Bunnyhugger rated it liked it Shelves: I heard about this from Porter Square Books where the author was scheduled for a reading. I didn't go but have been in the mood for a mystery so requested it from the library.

I think it's the start of a series Janet's Planet so will keep an eye out for the next installment. Dec 20, Virginia rated it it was ok. This book had 28 characters if you count the narrators pets, and none were fully developed. Author was more concerned with what everyone was wearing and eating than setting a tone.

This was supposed to be a mystery, but there was no tension. It was short and quick. Jan 30, Michael Jones rated it it was amazing. Excellent book, couldn't put it down. The eccentric characters kept you going. Will look for more from this author, and hope that Janet's Planet will become a series. Dec 27, Suzan Poisner rated it it was ok. Felt like plot ran along and then in 5 pages the book abruptly ended. Jan 26, Heather added it.

I live in the same town as this author so it was fun to read the names of places I know. It was a good, quick read. Jan 28, Amy rated it it was ok. This book was super funny in parts. I liked all of the characters, but they needed to be a bit more developed. Hopefully the other Janet's Planet books will have that depth.

Dec 06, Jen rated it liked it. It was ok; good short read. I would try another book by the author, but it wasn't a book that I felt as though I couldn't put down. Mar 19, Debbie rated it liked it. Feb 25, Kristen rated it liked it Shelves: Fun eccentric characters and set in the Hudson Valley which appeals to me but largely forgettable.


  • Abusing Scripture: The Consequences of Misreading the Bible.
  • To the Manor Dead: A Janet’s Planet Mystery.
  • To Preserve Life: Hostage Crisis Management.
  • To the Manor Dead?
  • No Errors in My Bible, Sorry About Yours.

Nov 27, Bridgit rated it it was ok Shelves: Did not like the writing style of this at all and unfortunately the plot wasnt good enough to save it from being a chore to read. Luckily it was short. Kendra Boyle rated it liked it Nov 20, Carolyn Sawicki rated it really liked it Dec 02, Johnna rated it really liked it May 26, Grumpator rated it it was ok Oct 11, Cheri rated it it was amazing Jun 19, Sharon Palmatory rated it did not like it Feb 25, Caren rated it liked it Jun 07, Timisnyder Snyder rated it liked it Jun 13, Tonise Baker rated it liked it Jan 15, KR Garland rated it it was ok Mar 07, Shmily rated it liked it Apr 22, Karen rated it liked it Jul 28, Ashley Meyers rated it it was amazing Sep 19, June Herdzina rated it really liked it Jul 05, There are no discussion topics on this book yet.

I went to a bunch of schools, including two years at a public high school, before finishing up at a ragtag prep school in Connecticut the setting for my novel The Hour Between. It was the late sixties and the classroom had a hard time comp I was born and raised in New York City; my first home was Greenwich Village.

It was the late sixties and the classroom had a hard time competing with my adolescent craving for adventure and the carnival of the times. I stayed in that dreamy town for seven years, leaving behind my heart and quite a few brain cells. I moved back to New York City and tried to be an actor.

I started writing plays, a surefire way not make a living. To bring in the bacon which I was still eating back then I had every job you can imagine: For a while I lived in an atmospheric little aerie on top of a brownstone -- reached by a private staircase, it had skylights, a roof deck, a clawfoot tub, ancient appliances, it was like being back in the s. I made some lifelong pals and we would work together again and again, spending hours in cafes after rehearsals. It was la vie boheme circa s. I also wrote a few screenplays that were optioned, and had some fun experiences out in Hollywood.

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Especially when Madonna was interested in doing one of my plays and arranged a reading at her bungalow on the Warners lot. The mouth on that girl! I moved to delightful, bosky Cambridge and have been here ever since. I spent my first summer there exploring the hidden byways and quirky towns, something I still love to do.

Other books in the series. Janet's Planet Mystery 2 books. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Dead by Any Other Name , please sign up. Be the first to ask a question about Dead by Any Other Name.

Janet's Planet Mystery Series

Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Dec 29, Jan rated it liked it. This turned out to be a great story with interesting characters, but I had some trouble with it at the beginning. For one thing, there were a few times when it seemed obvious to me that the author was man writing a woman's character; however, it did work most of the time. Stuart has a talented ed This turned out to be a great story with interesting characters, but I had some trouble with it at the beginning.

Kings Of Leon - Sex on Fire

Stuart has a talented editor who can fix his apparent belief that anything can be suck in a sentence as long as you have plenty of commas thrown in Stick with it, though - it's a great story! Aug 09, Keith Lytton rated it it was ok. Got this book at a library sale First the mystery is ok First pretty much all of the characters are gay I feel badly for the author if he feels this is the true way of the world I feel sorry for him I try not to judge because I have too many faults of my own I wouldn't have wanted to read all about the bed jumping and the electric touches for them either The book was a murder mystery that seemed to me to be spoiled by the political stance of the writer I won't be looking for the next one.

Feb 23, Allison Armour-Garb rated it it was amazing.

Dead by Any Other Name by Sebastian Stuart

Reminiscent of Carl Hiaasen, but without the gratuitous violence. Jul 06, Marie rated it it was ok. Too many of the characters and events in this book are just not believable. The supposed antique store doesn't even come in to it, except for Janet to impose on her friends to open it for her. The teenage Josie seems more competent and responsible than the adult Janet, cooking meals and supposedly taking a semester off from high school to do inventory for Janet's business. No public high school I ever heard of operates in semesters or lets kids just take one off. Does this alleged business woman Too many of the characters and events in this book are just not believable.

Does this alleged business woman not have someone who could take inventory other than a child? The foster parents supposedly just let Josie go with Janet, no questions asked.


  • The Curtain Torn.
  • Take the Wings of the Morning.
  • Wander Indiana?
  • Further Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat!

They didn't wonder about human trafficking, didn't ask themselves if DCF might give them trouble for handing over a child for whom they are responsible to a total stranger? Sep 04, Edna rated it really liked it Shelves: This book held my interest to my reading it all night without sleeping, it was exciting and I couldn't just put it down and walk away. I would like to meet Janet Planet and check out her gift shop etc.

Talks a lot about the Catskills and one of the bridges, made me remember a swinging bridge that my Grandmother drove over while I huddled on the floor of the car, scared out of my mind when I was I plan on going back and reading the first book, "To the Manor Dead". Hope a new one comes out soon. M This book held my interest to my reading it all night without sleeping, it was exciting and I couldn't just put it down and walk away.

Not bad,quite exciting actually. Took about 2 days to read it. Made me remember of my adventure in the Catskills, a swinging bridge during a Thunderstorm. This adventure starts at a yard sale and ends up buying a bunch of junk jewelry which leads her into a mystery, of course.

Jan 21, Amelia Clark rated it it was ok.

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The writing style in this book is absolutely atrocious. The author appears incapable of using any punctuation except for commas, which creates hideous run on sentences that made me want to barf. Character introductions read like a middle aged guys wet dreams - again, repulsive. However, the character development is actually very good, and the plot itself is solid. So if you can grit your teeth and get through the first bit and all of the early dialogue it might be worth the read.

Dec 24, Susan rated it it was ok Shelves: Retired therapist turned antique store owner Janet Petrocelli meets lovely singer Natasha Wolfson, and is shocked when the woman is found dead. Janet thinks that the "accident" that ended Natasha's life was murder, and she certainly was mixed up with a strange group of people, her family not the least.

The background--the Hudson River valley--is interesting, and Janet has many loyal friends, but I personally find her character unconvincing.

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Feb 25, Kristen rated it liked it Shelves: This is the second in the series and nicely continued some of the story lines from the first. More upstate New York settings her description of Troy made it sound a lot better than any part of Troy I've been to! Quick, fairly mindless read. Aug 21, Elaine rated it really liked it Shelves: I should have looked at the back cover then and I'd have found out that the book was coming out this month Oct.

I would have read it before the other ARCs I got. Anyway, another good entry in this series.