this book is so fucked up. but maybe that's why i d it. it's rare that a babysitters club book actually makes me get angry along with the characters.

so mallory is excited because she is beginning a new short takes class about children's books. as we all know, mallory aspires to one day write & illustrate children's books, so this is right up her alley. her teacher is mr. cobb, a foxy new young dude who just graduated from princeton. i am pretty sure that they just recycled the model who played mr. ellenburg in the cover illustration for stacey's big crush, because these dudes look exactly a.

it is worth noting that mallory does well in school & takes pride in it, but recently, some of her classmates have been teasing her about being a "brain". it's making her a little bit self-conscious.

mallory shows up in her first children's literature class all ready to take notes & write great papers, but mr. cobb instructs the students to put away their notebooks. he says they will each write one paper at the end of the class term, but they will mainly be graded on class participation. he wants them to have discussions about great works of children's literatures, share opinions, & debate ideas. basically, this guy has seen "dead poet's society" one too many times. he is imagining them all leaping on to their desks at the end of the short takes term & reciting hop on pop, i guess.

mallory is befuddled by this. she LIKES to take notes & write papers. that's where she's a viking. she's never had a class that relied so much on participation & discussion, but she decides she's game. she certainly has plenty of opinions about children's literature. she tries to participate in the very first class, raising her hand every time mr. cobb throws a question out to the class, but he doesn't call on her once. mr. cobb is an assistant coach for the boys' baseball team, & some of the players are in mallory's class. mr. cobb is already clearly all buddy-buddy with them, & they feel pretty comfortable just shouting answers out without raising their hands & engaging in lengthy conversations with mr. cobb, while the other students just sit around twiddling their thumbs.

every day, mallory walks into mr. cobb's class with big plans to participate. every day, she raises her hand & waits to be called on. & every day, mr. cobb passes her over in favor of students (almost all boys) who just shout their answers out & make jokes. eventually mallory starts to lose confidence in herself. she wonders if maybe mr. cobb can tell she's going to say something stupid & that's why he doesn't call on her. one day he picks her to read a section of hop on pop out loud (yes, really) & she totally flubs it. the kids in the front row can't hear her, she's reading too fast, & she skips a line. she's totally confused, because she reads out loud to her siblings at home all the time & she's great. she feels a total idiot in mr. cobb's class.

while all this is going on, mallory is also involved in organizing the sixth grade class fundraiser. because she is secretary of the sixth grade. i remember writing the review of kristy for president & saying that we will never again hear anything about mallory being elected secretary of the sixth grade, but i guess i stand corrected. well played, scholastic. well played. last year's sixth graders sold candy for a week, but sales had dropped off precipitously by the end of the week. to avoid that problem, mallory has decided to have a different kind of fundraiser everyday, in order to keep excitement high & keep raising money. they're going to sell candy, but they're also having a dunk-the-teacher booth, they will be selling hearts & flowers for people to send to their crushes, etc etc. now the student council members just need to decide what to spend their funds on.

the student council president, justin (mallory refers to him as "the cutest boy in the sixth grade"; WHAT ABOUT BEN HOBART?), suggests that mallory look in the school records to see what previous classes bought & see if it sparks any fresh ideas. so mallory goes through the old minutes & learns that the sixth graders five years previous raised over $1000 to be spent on building a student lounge in the school library. mallory is confused because there is no student lounge in the library. she brings this to the attention of the other student council members, including sandra, who is vice-president & in mallory's children's literature class. together, they sneak into the financial records in the basement before school one day. sandra's dad is an accountant & she's a whiz at deciphering the records. they discover that that $1000 those sixth graders raised was spent on some roofing & plumbing repairs the following years. mallory is outraged. if those kids had wanted to raise money for the roof, they would have earmarked the money for the roof. sandra calls it "misappropriation of funds," but urges mallory to just forget about it. sandra doesn't to make waves. but mallory tells the other student council members what they found out, & they decide to confront the principal.

the principal is all, "yup, we spent the money on the roof & on some new pipes. what'cha gonna do?" the kids are , "dude, that's fucked up! return the money & build a lounge!" the principal is all, "they money's gone. & even if we did have it, $1000 wouldn't be enough to build a lounge anymore. we'd need twice that." the kids go talk to the school librarian, who confirms that a student lounge would cost about $2000. but he also tells them that the school has a fund for discretionary money, & maybe the school could refund the $1000 in misappropriated funds from that. the kids pitch that idea to the principal, & he basically scoffs at them & says, "i'll tell you what. if your fundraiser makes $1000, we'll match you dollar for dollar & build the lounge." no word on what they'll do with the money if the kids make under $1000. coke & hookers, i assume.

meanwhile, in mr. cobb's class, mallory begins to realize that mr. cobb mainly calls on boys. every now & again he calls on a girl, but if she takes more than two seconds (literally) to formulate an answer, he calls on someone else. meanwhile, he will give recalcitrant boys as much time as they need to come up with answers. he routinely cuts girls off mid-sentence, while letting boys talk as long as they . there are some girls in the class that have NEVER spoken in class, & this is a big problem if they're being graded on participation.

mallory requests a conference with mr. cobb & points all of this out to him. he's all, "really? you think i favor the boys? that's RIDICULOUS. i would NEVER do that. you're just upset because you're not doing well." seriously. as mallory leaves his classroom, she thinks that on a scale of one to ten, her conference rated a two. it got a point for the fact that mr. cobb did not pick her up & physically throw her out of the room.

but during the next class period, mallory sees mr. cobb making more of an effort with the girls. he starts to call on a boy over a girl & then calls on the girl instead. he starts to cut a girl off to listen to a boy who is shouting out an answer, but then he tells the boy to raise his next time & allows the girl to finish. at the end of the period, he tells the kids that this is his first year teaching & he knows he's not perfect, but that he is trying to get better & if any of them ever have any feedback about his teaching style, they should let him know & he'll do his best to listen. he gives mallory a little nod to let her know he's taking her criticisms seriously. she thinks to herself, "mr. cobb is a good guy."

UM, NOT REALLY, MALLORY. he's a sexist dick. he spent four years getting ateaching degree at princeton so that he could introduce students to a participation-based grading system & then blatantly favor boy participation! just because he TRIED not to do that for one 45-minute teaching period one time does not make him a "good guy". especially after he totally shat all over your feedback in the conference. jesus.

anyway, the sixth grade fundraiser happens & it's a huge success. the kids raise over $1300. the principal calls an assembly to announce the final tally, & he actually gets up onstage & says, "we told these kids we didn't think they could do it, but they did!" really? you actually TOLD them, "we don't believe in you"? STONEYBROOK MIDDLE SCHOOL IS THE WORST SCHOOL EVER. they hire sexist teachers, they nakedly undermine kids' self-esteem, they pass kids on to the next grade & then make them repeat a grade in the middle of the year...this school is a fucking mess. anyway, the principal announces that the school will match the sixth graders' contributions dollar for dollar (which means they DID have $1000 just sitting around) & build the student lounge.

mallory writes her final paper for the children's literature course & receives her grade. she has earned a B+ for the entire course. she's a little bit bummed that her straight-A average is blown, but she thinks that's it's okay because, she says, "i did my best." NO, YOU DIDN'T. your "best" was undermined by your sexist teacher who prevented you from participating in a class that grades on participation. if mallory had been allowed to contribute in class from day one, she easily would have earned an A. mallory says something about how mr. cobb was a hard grader & only two students earned As. WELL, I WONDER WHY THAT IS. maybe because the only kids that he allowed to participate were baseball-playing knuckledraggers who don't do well in any class. they scored high on participation & bombed the final paper. the kids who are good students were polite & raised their hands & never got to talk in class, so they were marked down on participation & high on their papers. maybe there were two kids in the class that were confident enough to speak in class & also do well on written assignments. JESUS. FIRE THIS ASSHOLE.

also, mallory has a heart-to-heart with sandra. throughout the book, sandra is mallory's foil. she smiles at everyone all the time & always acts cheerful. she doesn't want to confront the administration about stealing the sixth grade fundraising money five years earlier. in mr. cobb's class, she giggles at the boys' jokes & doesn't volunteer any original ideas. while mallory & sandra are staffing the candy booth together, sandra complains that her feet hurt. mallory asks why she's wearing heels & sandra explains that they make her look more feminine. mallory asks if it's worth "looking more feminine" if she is in pain. the booth has a halloween theme, with papier machie jack o' lanterns with different creatures on them: a vampire, a frankenstein's monster, a black cat. trevor sandbourne asks which creature sandra would be & she chooses the cat. mallory points out later that sandra chose the weakest creature to represent herself. sandra says it was the most feminine choice. mallory asks why sandra thinks "feminine" equals "weak". basically, this is mallory's big fat feminist awakening book, & it is AWESOME, if perhaps a bit ham-fisted. kids-books read-in-201110 s FIND ME ON STORYGRAPH448 99

in this book by the team responsible for some of my least favorite bsc books ever (such as Dawn Saves the Planet and Mallory and the Dream Horse), Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartner, mal is on top of the world: as 6th grade class secretary, she’s planning a week-long FUNraiser to raise money for the class gift. her recent report card shows straight a’s. perhaps most excitingly, her new short takes class (see Stacey and the Mystery at the Mall, Jessi's Horrible Prank, and Claudia and the First Thanksgiving for more on short takes) will be focusing on one of her favorite subjects: children’s literature. unfortunately, though, the short takes teacher seems to only want to call on the more vocal boys in the class, and mal starts to doubt herself and her opinions. it doesn’t help that her classmates make fun of her for getting straight a’s and she’s been spending a lot of time with sandra hart, another 6th grade student government member, who is only concerned with how attractive she seems to boys. when trying to determine what previous 6th grade classes have given as their class gifts, she discovers that a class had raised $1000 for a student lounge in the library, which never ended up happening. mal and the other 6th grade student government members talk to the administration, who say that the school appropriated the funds for fixing the roof, and that they can’t now afford to make the student lounge since inflation would make it cost double what it would have when the class raised the money. they say they’ll contribute $1000 if mal’s class raises the other $1000 (which they do because mal’s FUNraiser is really epic). between this and the support from her bsc friends, mal finally starts to feel confident enough to confront the short takes teacher about how he favors boys. at first he doesn’t respond well and says that if mal doesn’t feel comfortable talking in class she can’t blame it on him, but later in class he notices himself calling on boys and letting them call out without raising their hands, and he actually apologizes to the class for how he’s been behaving. in a totally frustrating subplot, buddy barrett lies to the people organizing a memorial day parade and claims that he’s in a marching band and that they want to march. instead of letting him suffer for his bad decision to lie, the bsc form a marching band of a bunch of bsc kids. then a bunch of parents drop off kids at the parade without having spoken to the bsc members about how they wanted their kids to participate in the first place, and the bsc let them get away with it again, because they’re annoying doormats who let people do whatever to them and then get complain but never do anything about it.

highlights:
-honestly, the whole toxic masculinity plotline. it’s handled well. I appreciate that the authors seem to understand the nuances of these things: sometimes conversations can be a boys’ club, and the boys/men in question don’t notice that they’re the only ones talking, and it’s not because they have bad intentions, they just aren’t always aware of it. I how mr. cobb responds poorly to mal at first, because being reactionary about this stuff is pretty common, but then reflects on it and grows and is transparent about it to his class. nicely done.
-two sms boys, woody and trevor, pick candy out of pumpkins (one of mal’s FUNraising activities) that are carved to look vampires and tarantulas, and this quote happens: "if trevor and I are vampire..." it’s almost the same as I am a vampire and…
-at one point mal has to do homework instead of fun things with the other class officers, and justin calls her a brain. sandra, who has spent most of the book talking about how if you’re too brainy boys won’t you and just generally being the most shallow ever actually stands up for mallory. because personal growth triumphs and Boys Are Stupid, Throw Rocks at Them!

lowlights/nitpicks:
-why does the bsc bail out buddy when he lied about being in a marching band? why don’t they hold him accountable for lying and not help him out? they’re such enablers.
-the sandra hart plotline is overdone and dry. she straight up tells mal that guys don't girls who are brainy. she wears heels because she claims they're feminine, and because "guys don't girls who look jocks". it's just cheesy. nobody is that transparent about their self-hating girlhood.
-how in the world could the administration have gotten away with stealing the money the 6th graders raised a few years ago for the lounge in the library? these are sixth graders, meaning they would have gone to the school for two additional years and would have noticed that construction didn’t start. also they act everything’s forgiven because they will contribute $1000 now, but it doesn’t make it okay that they literally stole money/misappropriated it. this is something you get fired and/or sued and/or arrested for.
-trevor sandbourne says "if trevor and I..." but he was talking about woody. or maybe it was supposed to be woody saying "if trevor and I…"
-parents just drop off kids who hadn't told the bsc they were marching in the parade. it's awful. but the bsc just lets them get away with it and accommodates the extra kids. once again, why don’t the babysitters do anything about this? they are SUCH ENABLERS in this book.
-for her project, mal designs a reading plan for 1-3 grades, including a mix of different cultures and of "boy" books and "girl" books -- but throughout the book there are multiple moments where the boys club in mal’s class says that dinosaurs are for boys, for example, and mal thinks about how her sisters dinosaurs. I d that mal didn’t believe in the book gender binary, but now it looks she does.

outfits
claudia outfits:
-"On that day she was wearing denim overall shorts, a short black T-shirt, red-and-white-pinstriped stockings that came over the tops of her knees, red thick-soled patent leather shoes, and a black felt derby."
-"Claudia wore shorts and a rainbow tie-dyed T-shirt. Her hair was pulled into a thick ponytail held by a matching tie-dyed scrunchie. Since this was to be a work party, she sported her favorite work shoes, red high-top sneakers."
stacey outfit:
-'Stacey was dressed in a "Let's build something" outfit -- jeans with rolled-up cuffs, an oversized blue denim work shirt, and a painter's cap turned backward."

snacks in claudia’s room
-pretzels (n.s.)
-cheez whiz in a shoe box at the back of her closet
-chocolate stars (n.s.)
-reeses pieces (n.s.)
-sugar-free punch (n.s.)2016-bsc-challenge3 s Tiffany981 94

I'd forgotten how inspirational Baby-Sitters Club books can be, or try to be. In this book, Mallory learns how to stick up for herself (to a teacher, a principal, and other students), while at the same time knowing she has the intelligence to lead a major project, and also has to remind herself that being a "brain" isn't a bad thing. At the same time, Kristy's sub-plot (creating a marching band for kids who don't belong to any clubs) is about inclusiveness, creativity, stick-to-it-ness, and teamwork.

I could see how young readers get some good lessons from these books... even though I don't remember every learning or being inspired by them. I always just thought they were fun, light stories.kiddies teens2 s Rory Gilmore4

This was a good babysitters club book. So Mallory gets all exited that her short takes class is going to be children's literature. But her teacher Mr. Cobb favors the boys. Which makes Mallory upset. She is also working on the a fundraiser to build a student lounge.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review M.M. Strawberry Library & Reviews4,250 348

Definitely one of the better BSC book in the way it tackled the issues in this book (mainly hypocritical adults) I mean yeah, the ending was cheesy, but the storyline was more solid and stirred more emotion and outrage than some of the other books.author-ann-m-martin childrens-book1 Jaclyn2,186 5

Nice to see Mallory learn to stand up for herself.

Also a good example of how unconscious bias can play out in the classroom. In this case, a young and enthusiastic teacher inadvertently gives the boys in his class more airspace than girls. Sweet Valley Twins tackled a similar situation, and if I remember correctly, that story involved an all out girls vs boys war and the girls actually rising up and launching a prank war against the teacher ( acting exaggeratedly damsels in distress, or being all grouchy and unresponsive). As fun as I remember that being, I think that as an adult, I actually prefer the BSC's gentler approach. The teacher here isn't as overtly sexist as the one I remember from Sweet Valley Twins. Moreover, he's genuinely good intentioned, and shortly after Mallory points out his behaviour to him, he pays more attention to how he behaves in class, and even issues an apology to the entire class.

I think the whole sexism angle is important to learn, and I'm glad both BSC and SVT tackled it, but part of me also kinda wishes for a book where the teacher pays attention to the louder, more outgoing students, regardless of gender. I think that kind of bias is a bit easier to miss, particularly for an inexperienced teacher, and I can imagine more outspoken girls / shyer boys also fitting into that dynamic. The teacher in this book does do a bit of that, because both he and Mallory recognize that there are a couple of outspoken girls in class who do get to participate, but then the book quickly shifted into how much more he was favouring the boys. And I said, it's an important narrative and one that's certainly based in reality; I just kinda wish I see more of the other kind of story.

I also wish Sandra's character was a bit more nuanced. (I think that's her name?) She's very much a people-pleaser here, or more accurately, a boy-pleaser. She doesn't contradict boys, she wears painful shoes to look more feminine, and she giggles a lot. She does learn and change a bit at the end, but she was so giggly and silly for most of the book that I almost wish she'd been more nuanced even in her boy-pleasing phase. She did turn out to be a financial whiz in the B plot; I was glad to see that and I wish she'd gotten more praise for what she did there.

Overall, a good book. The plot about the school using the funds from the sixth grade fundraiser five years ago for building repairs rather than the lounge the sixth graders decided to spend it on was surprisingly adult (I think it was Abby or Stacey who said it was financial mismanagement and they were right), but also sadly realistic. I that Mallory got the school to agree to match the funds raised by this year's sixth grade class to fund the updated costs of a student lounge, and I actually wish she'd given Sandra a lot more credit for her contribution to that investigation. Leigh974

In this book Mallory takes on sexism and solves a mystery that's far more interesting than the actual mystery books in this series. Mallory is excited because her next short takes course is children's literature which she loves. Her teacher is a baseball coach Mr. Cobb and he's a jerk. He calls only on the boys especially those on the team. Mallory and others raise their hands and are ignored. Since the class is graded by participation this isn't good for her or anyone else in the class. She loses confidence in herself but finally confronts Mr. Cobb and he does try to change. There are both b and c plots here. The b plot involves money being stolen from a 7th grade fundraiser. Mallory and her fellow 6th grade student officers, a plot line that got mentioned again, are thinking of ways to raise money. They decide to have a week long fundraiser with everything from candy sales to photo booths to dunk tanks. When they look up previous fundraisers they discover another class raise $1000 for a student lounge that never happened. The money went to repairs instead of the lounge and the kids are pissed. I've had this happen where money I helped raise with teammates also vanished but we to this day don't know where the money went. It's awful and infuriating and made us decide no more fundraisers. Anyway the school agrees to pay it make if they earn the $1000, they will match it. The c plot involves Buddy Barrett telling a lie and the BSC covering for him. With Memorial Day coming up Buddy says he's in a marching band, so the girls decide to have the kids make their own instruments and march together in the parade. It's sort of cute, Anna helps to get them to sound musicians Kristy and Abby fight over the proper way to march, it's a decent time. The day of the parade every damn kid in Stoneybrook shows up to march and again they give in and let them all join. Oh boy. Anyway this one had good points but was also boring in places so I give it a solid three.2022 audio fictional-series ...more Lianna Kendig752 24

(LL)
This was so disappointing. Mallory as a character has gone downhill since “Mallory Pike, #1 Fan.” I hate her attitude in all of her books now. She acts she knows what being a writer about, but can’t handle discussing literature? (Cobb being this much of a blatant sexist is too much to be realistic.)
Mallory doesn’t even WANT to have a literature class that’s based on discussion and interpreting what the literature means, which is insane because that’s what literature is meant to do: provoke thought and facilitate change. Books are meant to be discussed to hear people’s views on what they got from the book. But Mallory thinks writing essays about books makes her a pro at writing/books. Perhaps she should reconsider becoming a writer as her career. Elise209 1 follower

I really enjoyed this book and came to appreciate Mallory’s character in this book. Even though she was being teased by her classmates and facing anxiety, she really developed a backbone and was an inclusive advocate for the SMS student body as well as for the female students in her children’s literature class, after the teacher was ignoring the girls raising their hands and she spoke to him about it. In a way I felt I was vicariously living through Mallory cause I’ve always wanted to publish a children’s book and enjoyed children’s literature from an early age , but don’t have ideas yet, maybe someday. I think this is a great book to read even as an adult cause of Mallory speaking out as a feminist both in her written work and verbally. SamanthaAuthor 33 books30

This book always made me mad when I was a kid on Mallory's behalf. The shit she went through in class was infuriating, and I just always wanted to stand up for her. This book still makes me mad as an adult, and I just wish that I could reaching inside the pages and strangle Mr. Cobb. He was not only a tool, but he also didn't really learn any sort of actual lesson by the end. Rage!childhood-throwback favorites first-edition ...more Cassandra DoonAuthor 10 books39

When I was 10 I joined a readers club/group where we got a new book every week. I chose The babysitters club.
The books are fantastic! So enjoyable. I loved getting the book every week. They are super quick reads and I was able to read it in one day.
Highly recommend for young teenagers to read or even younger if they are able too read well. Devon974 1 follower

The main storyline and b storyline didn't have much to do with each other in this book, but Mallory's own A and B storylines were tied together well, and made this book a lot more fun than it could have otherwise been. I did miss seeing more of the other sitters (especially Stacey and Jessi) but it was nice seeing Mallory bloom and grow with some of her other classmates. Maeve2,164 23

Mallory is ecstatic when the Short Takes class is Children's Literature...but the excitement quickly wears off when she learns that her teacher Mr. Cobb is favoring the boys. After a successful 6th grade fundraiser and with support from her friends, Mallory finds the courage to confront Mr. Cobb.age-children age-tween fiction ...more Sarah Thornton723 8

Not the worst BSC book by a long shot. Mallory's frustration is palpable, and her maturity in dealing with an unfair teacher is inspirational. Jennifer Baratta1,905

Review on www.audible.com please listen to this book.audio-books read-2019 aem2,506

Really enjoyed this one in the BSC series! Christina488 2 Read

Read my recap at A Year with the BSC via Stoneybrook Forever: https://www.livethemovies.com/bsc-blo...baby-sitters-club Meg GlitteryOtters666

4.5 stars Tonia ChristleAuthor 10 books9

First time reading this one and really enjoyed it. Great plot and depth and characterization. Ashley1,501 31

Mal is such a wiener in this book, but that makes the ending that much more satisfying. But ugh, her lack of self-esteem! I can't!2023 bsc ebook ...more1 April2,625 172

Fantastic books for young girls getting into reading!! Great stories about friendship and life lessons. The characters deal with all sorts of situations and often find responsible solutions to problems.

I loved this series growing up and wanted to start my own babysitting business with friends. Great lessons in entrepreneurship for tweens.

The books may be dated with out references to modern technology but the story stands and lessons are still relevant.

Awesome books that girls will love! And the series grows with them! Terrific Author!amazon-review-posted childrens reviewed Claire536 4

...again, I got really frustrated by, um, everyone. Although I did that the sexist teacher both admitted his faults and started changing his ways. And the sub-plot where Mallory taught her friend that it was better to be herself instead of changing so boys would her was nice. Mostly I think I shouldn't read 90s YA of this ilk while I'm cranky, though. Nicky52

Kudos to Ann M. Martin for tackling sexism in schools, however I think the depiction was oversimplified and resolved a little too easily. It did do a good job of demonstrating that sexist people aren't always aggressive or obvious in their sexism, though. owned Nancy213 19

Don of the Dead is the first book in cute, quirky cozy mystery series. At first I was a bit put off by the overly fluffy tone and how the main character and writer seems to take everything so lightly, but I soon fell into the story and ended up enjoying myself.

After Piper hits her head on a long-dead mobster's gravestone, she can now see and communicate with the ghost. The don wants her to solve his death because he's ready to move on, and there's a mystery in itself on the real reason behind that. As would be expected with the mobster type, he only reveals what he thinks he has to, keeping a lot of secrets close to his chest. Piper goes back and forth between freaking out she can see a ghost, doubting her sanity, and starting to get into the investigating.

The story was a good one - once you get past Piper's obsession with her looks and the fluffy writing style, it was interesting that she had to meet with some former mobster's, surviving children, interview people of a crime long past, and juggle between a suspicious scientist who is following her around and yummy but irritated cop who wonders where she's getting her information from.

I found Gus's character endearing, especially when he's protective over her with the men she dates. He's not a "good guy", but he's an enjoyable character. I've read four books of the series so far, and the first book and ghost remain my favorite of the lot, with the third coming in behind as a close tie.

If you cute cozies, you'll probably enjoy this one as much as I did. Sometimes Piper comes across as borderline airheaded, but throwing in the contrast of her personality being gifted with this unusual talent makes satifsying, humorous clashes. The cemetary tour guide stuff and chipper boss who sees no wrong in her employee also paints a fun touch. The mystery itself is intriguing and the ending is excellent, wrapping it up with a few surprises that I wouldn't have previously guessed. 4-star a-own-book-form first-in-series ...more24 s Bill Riggs534 7

First in a series of cozy mystery, paranormal, chick investigator series. This was quick and entertaining but ultimately it wasn’t anything special to separate itself from a myriad of similar books. Hopefully the series gets better as it definitely sets up future plot lines which could prove interesting. 10 s Emily Kestrel1,128 66

This book was a blend of the cozy mystery, chick lit and paranormal fantasy genres that showed occasional potential, but ultimately did not work for me. I picked it up at the library because the blurb said that Pepper Martin, the heroine, works as a cemetery tour guide and decides to solve a mystery on behalf of a ghost (a mafia don murdered decades earlier), and that sounded a fun plot. I love cemeteries. And ghosts. Mafia dons, not so much.

As it turned out, the ghostly Gus Scarpetti was my favorite part of the story, entertaining and likable. I ended up finishing the book (and giving it a two, rather than one star rating) because I did enjoy that character, and because I had no issues with the actual writing, dialogue and pacing. Don was a smooth, quick read, and could have been rather good if the rest of the plot was a bit better, and--here's my real bone of contention--protagonist Pepper Martin hadn't been such an insufferable idiot.

What to say about Pepper? She is cute, has large breasts (this is mentioned on the very first page and referred to constantly for the rest of the story), and had once aspired to be a rich "country club wife" until her fiance dumped her after her father went to prison. That's about it. No other hobbies, interests, friendships, hang-ups or childhood memories are ever mentioned, so "jilted girl with large breasts" is all I can recall about her. Except that she is also as dumb as a box of rocks. Really annoyingly stupid from start to finish.

Let's just say that 80% of the "investigation" could have been lopped off if Pepper had bothered to do some basic research. Everything she learns is either by lucky coincidence or by one of the other characters spoon-feeding her information that she should have known to ask about from the get-go. She repeatedly puts her life in danger, despite being warned, by being stupid and/or careless, and then has to be rescued by one of the love interests or by a word from Gus every time. This got really, really annoying after a while, especially as all the other characters kept telling her how smart she is! Which would be telling the Shopaholic of Sophie Kinsella's series that she's thrifty and good with money.

The mystery itself was OK, and I was curious about one of the other characters, who seems to have a weird interest in Pepper, although that part was left hanging, doubtless to be picked up again later in the series. While I did see some real potential for something better from this author, I don't feel tempted to continue with the series. chick-lit-and-popular cozy paranormal ...more8 s John400 43

A pleasant, quick read that seemed shorter than it actually is. It's a paranormal cozy mystery told in first person by the series namesake Pepper Martin. As the publisher's blurb, repeated at the top of this page, says, shenever had to work a day in her life--until her surgeon daddy was convicted of fraud, her wealthy fiance took a powder, and the family fortune ran bone dry. Suddenly desperate, the inexperienced ex-rich girl was forced to take the only job she could get: as a tour guide in a cemetery.Pepper takes tourist groups past the burial places of famous individuals in the three hundred acres of Garden View Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio's biggest city. Then one day at the mausoleum of Gus Scarpetti, Cleveland's most powerful gangster until his murder thirty years prior, Pepper trips and hits her head on a marble slab. At the ER they say she's fine. Three days later, Gus Scarpetti joins the tour group and starts a lively conversation with Pepper.

Long story short, it's not an impersonator, because no one else in the group can see him. For much, much longer than you might expect, Pepper tries to convince herself he's a hallucination, from that brain injury that doctors can't find. She even starts a possible romance with Dr. Dan, not a medical doctor but a psychologist with multiple Ph.D.s. (Always be suspicious of those.) Brains are his specialty, and he wants to use Pepper in his study.

But with the clearer part of her brain, which works a good deal of the time, Pepper accepts that this is Gus's ghost and--wait for it--she goes to work for him. He directs her to a stash of cash as her pay for finding out who murdered him so he can move on in peace.

Not a detective much, is Pepper (see blurb above), but she can't talk about ghosts to Quinn the cop, who takes a strong interest in her and is really much more suitable as a romantic lead. So her first strategy is to claim she's trying to learn more about the Scarpetti crime family for her tour talks. Eventually, though, she tangles with surviving members of that "family" and becomes the target for a hit. Oops.

A light-hearted, fairly humorous story becomes more serious toward the end, when Pepper realizes why she can't abandon this quest, and there are some very intense feelings in the final chapters. The solution to the mystery was a surprise to me, and there was something beautiful in the denouement. Overall, three stars meaning "I d it."owned7 s Melliane2,054 349

3.5/5

Mon avis en Français

My English review

Don of the Dead is the first volume of the Pepper Martin series. The basic idea is not necessarily original, thus putting in scene a woman who suddenly has the gift to see the dead. You surely suspect that now they want her to help them pass into the afterlife. Her first client is none other than a former godfather of the Mafia, murdered many years ago.

I loved the idea of solving the murder of a Mafia godfather. As I said the basic story is quite common but this framework allows us to think outside the box. Indeed, our heroine will mingle with colorful characters and her questions will put her in serious danger. It must be said that this environment does not someone who puts her nose in their affairs. Yet Pepper is determined to find out what happened to Gus.

In addition to this investigation for which I confess, it took me the last moments to understand who the culprit was, we also follow the love interest of our young heroine. It must be said that the two men she crosses the path with are really intriguing. First, there is Dan, this shy man who wants Pepper to enter his clinical trial but seems to hide certain things. Quinn is another character we are interested in (Team Quinn!). He is a policeman who will help Pepper several times and I hope to see him again very soon I have to say!

It was a very nice volume to read and I had a good time with the story!7 s Nikoya183 1 follower

I'm not sure why I'm not overly crazy about this book. I think the main character bothers me because she still has that rich girl mentality who wants the best shoes to go along with her SAKS outfit; even though she is no longer rich. I don't know if she is because she is clinging onto any guy that is "hot" so that she can hop in the sack with him or get married. Pepper is written, to seem she's a strong independent woman, but I'm just not feeling it. There is something missing to this story and I really do not have an urge to read any of the others. I might still read them though just to see if Pepper changes into a more interesting character; but I think I'll go to the other books on my list.

For wacky "girly" characters I the Stephanie Plum books a lot more because Stephanie does really try to pretend to be anything but a lousey bounty hunter who is trying to pay her bills. While Pepper is just a boring woman who gets a head injury which makes her able to communicate with the dead...blah. I guess I'm not into the whole Country Club woman who lost everything and now has to work the rest of us.books-read-2008 murder-mysteries urban-fantasy6 s Jennifer934 19

The first Pepper Martin mystery.

Pepper Martin is a tour guide at a cemetery in Cleveland. Shortly after taking the job she fell and hit her head on a tombstone. The doctors assured her everything was all right with her bruised up brain - so she was pretty surprised when during a tour Gus Scarpetti joined the group. Gus was the Al Capone of Cleveland and had been gunned down 30 years ago - in fact - he was on her tour of "Cleveland's Famous Dead". It quickly became clear that nobody else could see or hear Gus - was Pepper cracking up?

Pepper goes back to the doctor to make sure she isn't broken or crazy. The Doctor assures her she is fine - but she runs into yummy Dr. Dan on the way out of the ER who is very interested in her giant...... um...brains. Yeah. Brains.

So Pepper is finally convinced that Gus is a ghost and in true haunting/ghost fashion - Pepper has to settle the question of who murdered the Don before he will leave her in peace and fade into the light. Along the way she does a flirty dance with the hot cop Quinn, tangles with some goodfellows, and is Dan interested in her - or just her brain?

I thought this was a really enjoyable read. Pepper is not a strong woman but you can see some strength peeking out of her naive veneer and I have real hope for her to grow into a stronger character in future books. I d the tension with cop Quinn and the annoyance I had with her being involved with Dan and not seeing his shenanigans flipped for me at the end.

I seriously had a hard time putting this down and I finished it in two sittings. 2009 casey_daniels ghosts ...more5 s Karen128 7

Chick-lit ain’t my bag, baby. Speaking of bags… Pepper Martin s bags. And shoes. And clothes. And make-up. And men (okay, I agree with her on that one.)

As for mysteries, I don’t usually go for cozies. But I do enjoy a good paranormal. Mix in a little Mafia, and I was sold. Don of the Dead is book one in the Pepper Martin series. Pepper Martin is an ex-rich girl who due to a set of unfortunate situations ends up having to *gasp* work. The only job she manages to get is as a tour guide in a cemetery. One day she bonks her head on a headstone and starts seeing ghosts. Rather, she starts seeing one ghost: Mafia Don Gus Scarpetti, gunned down 30 years ago and insistent that Pepper find out who had him whacked.

Pepper is not the swiftest rabbit on the track. I was a little annoyed by her inner ‘am I crazy or not?’ struggle. I don’t know, maybe I’m too accepting of weird occurrences. I would have known right away that I wasn’t crazy and accepted my new “gift” a lot sooner. The good news is, after finishing Don of the Dead, I moved straight on to the second book in the series, The Chick and the Dead; Pepper does develop as a character and is a whole lot less infuriating.

The two love interests are Quinn the cop and doctor Dan the brain man. Gus ensures she gets off with neither one of them and readers are assured the two guys follow Pepper into the sequel. Personally, I didn’t care one way or the other who she ended up with.

As for the mystery, it ended up having more depth than I thought it would given the superficial nature of Pepper and her superficial life. As is usual for me with these types of books, I enjoyed the supporting characters more than the main character. I was satisfied with the mystery and didn’t mind the cliffhanger ending as I did the book enough to read the sequels.
chick-lit mystery paranormal_romance4 s Linda RawlinsAuthor 14 books170

Loved the first book of the Pepper Martin Series. Pepper, who is forced to get a job as a cemetary tour guide, trips and hits her head on the mausoleum of a famous Mafia Don - mobster Don Scarpetti. A short while after that, the deceased mobster begins to appear to Pepper, urging her to solve his murder. A fast paced, interesting cozy mystery. Fully enjoyed the story and can’t wait to read more in the series! 3 s KathyAuthor 1 book231

I have never read a book where the protagonist refers to her own tits as much as this one did, and "she boobed boobily" writing is usually more of a dude author thing, so... yay equality?

I talk about this book in this wrap up video.3 s Jessica Robbins2,591 45

For complete review check out my blog at https://booksaplentybook.blogs...own-print5 s C. (Never PM. , or e-mail if private!)1,429 183

I this author, pen-named 'Casey Daniels'. Amongst an array of series, often similar despite being numerous; this one is original. Even the theme of ghosts is approached in the delightfully bizarre setting of graveyard tourism! Casey created a lead character 'Pepper', who is uneducated about the afterlife. Readers learn as she does. She is a fashion-conscious daughter of a ritzy family, made relatable due to their fall from financial grace. More people see eye to eye with her struggle to support herself. The opening premise is that in her privileged upbringing, she didn't develop career skills with self-sufficiency in mind. Graveyard tourism was 'better than nothing' in her situation.

She suddenly finds herself able to communicate with an old time mobster ghost, who wants his murder figured out. The twists and second-guessing in this novel are fantastic and even when we know who is behind Gus's death; there is an emotional history that reaches several people. Poignancy was rare and the tale should have ended on that note, instead of introducing the next volume.

I find the protagonist's attraction to men exaggerated and shallow. I don't go nuts over accessories and clothes and thus, there are a few areas in which I don't relate to the heroine. I’d love to work in a historic location! However I appreciate enough about the character to care about the outcome of the plots. One often grows more attached after another book, in a setting with increasing familiarity as well. I don't find the paranormal atmosphere scary or enchanting enough, perhaps because it takes Pepper a long time to confirm she was seeing a ghost and isn't insane. I think the novels would be stronger with more mysticism and wonder and I look forward to seeing if Casey Daniels adds such a tone.paranormal-mystery riedel-titles-20123 s Valerie314 19

I really d this book.
Reading over some of the , I had to laugh, only because their take is a bit dramatic? She doesn't hop into bed with anyone..... yet..... she hasn't had feelings for anyone in a long time.... she has great assets, which she has learned to use! Jealous? Uhmmmm, oh, she is a rich snob and the best thing she says about herself is....

All because I never dreamed that someday I might have to take care of myself. I never knew I'd need it, so I'd never developed the self-confidence or the sense of self-worth that would make it possible for me to boldly go where I should haved known I'd have to go all along-- off on my own.

She has always only used her looks, she was filthy rich!! She is learning now otherwise, but, you can't give up some of those things you love!!

The writing flows so well, I was caught up in the beginning and swept away to the end. I think all questions that she needed to know were answered, and her promise was kept.

On to the next one!!!!3 s Yodamom2,041 206

This book really reminded me of the Teagarden Mystery books by Charlaine Harris. Some sexual attraction, some humor, and some great characters. I got involved enought to read the rest of the series, there were enough unfinished things to keep me coming back. A fast read, I finished in one day...3 s BookNerdette606 350

Warning: Language

I received this book from SwapTree.com my favorite book trading website. This is the first in the Pepper Martin Mysterys.

Genre: Fiction |Paranormal | Ghost | Mystery & Detective | Historical | Suspense |

I began this book in the week and nver reassy seemed to have time to sit and read the book. So finally today after all the morning runs I got time to sit and read the book and to really focus on the book.

I am really understanding the women sleuth definition the more I leanr of these different womens mysteryies books. I love them!

This woman character “Pepper” was a bore. I was so tired of her referring to her large breast as the ultimate tool. I put them book down several times with no problem. I finally finished it today only because it finally picked up in pace in the middle. I have high expectations for the second book in the series.

I may wait til I read book 2 before I trade for book 3 – but then again… if you know me well enough you know if I 2 I will have 3 before I’m done with it. lol
Now Pepper didn’t let her familys dark cloud or other negativity hold her back. She didn’t go on welfare or crawl in a box. Nope she went out and got a job to pay her bills.
She didn’t fall in love in the book or become dependant on a guy to save her or come sweep her off her feet.

The beginning was slow for me but once I reached the middle it started going at a good pace. There is some language in this book and more by her than i wanted to read. She refers to her breast alot and you want to pop them so they will go flat. lol

I loved that she run into different aquantices throughout the book and the men she meets makes for interesting reading. But again I was glad she didn’t become attached. Maybe I was silently jealous of her large breats and beautiful long hair and couldn’t handle it if she got the guy too. grrrrr
The mystery in the book is awesome, just a nice “Murder She Wrote” episode. All wraped at the end of the hour. I was onto who it was but was a little slow on why. It was an awesome END.
So I must rate the book a 4star. I rate it 4 because the beginning was slow but the book lead upto the end. There was NOTHING to explain to me and I’m ready for book 2.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full reviewfavorite2 s Sina & Ilona Glimmerfee1,056 120

Für mich geht es sofort weiter ... :)2 s Kat318 1 follower

I'd forgotten I'd found this in the mystery section of the library.
It's a cool mystery, though Pepper is not my usual favorite protagonist, she works hard enough to get by and shines every now and again.

I'll probably read more of this series. . . eventually. Ghost mysteries have a history and perception that looks fun. Plus I'm interested in how things go forward with Dan the Brain Man and Quinn the Cop.found-bookstore genre-supernatural series-the_first1 Debrac20142,067 18

Paranormal cozy mystery! Re-read, I enjoyed it!1 JeniaAuthor 2 books30

I have read this novel multiple times since discovering the series back in 2009. Yet, every single time that I have read it, I remember the reason that this is one of my favorite series. This novel kept my attention from very beginning, to the very end of the novel. There is so much action in this novel, so much adventure. At each page, it kept me wondering what’s going to happen with Pepper next. I loved her attitude, her dedication to case, no matter what. This is type of mystery novel that keeps you guessing till the very end, I love those type of novels.

Don of the Dead is the first book in Pepper Martin Series. Pepper Martin is a tour guide in cemetery in Cleveland, having got a job after her father goes to jail for Medicare fraud, her mom goes to Florida and her fiancée dumps her. While one on one of her tours, Pepper trips and hits her head on tombstone. Not long after her incident while doing another tour does Pepper come across Gus Scarpetti who she knows for fact was shot over 30 years ago. Trying to convince herself that she’s just hallucinating, she goes back to ER and the doctor reassures her that she’s okay. That’s where Pepper meets Dan, another doctor who seems really fascinated with her brain.

When Pepper finally realized that Gus is real, she begins to investigate, in attempt to figure who shot Gus all those years ago so that Gus can rest in peace. It’s during those investigations that she meets a cop; Quinn who tells Pepper to mind her own business, dealing with this is dangerous. However, as always, Pepper doesn’t listen and begin interviewing people who were around the time that Gus was alive. However not everyone is happy with all these questions, putting Pepper in danger

I first came across this novel while volunteering at library in 2009. From the moment that I read the description, I knew that I would this novel. I was right, I loved it. In beginning, I wasn’t sure if I really d Pepper, she had that spoiled rich girl sort of attitude and she was pretty stubborn as well. I grew fond of her as the book progressed and I could tell that by end of the book, Pepper had changed, her attitude. Well maybe not towards the ghosts but in general, she seemed a completely different person. Yet, I knew she was still stubborn, mostly because no matter how many times Quinn warned her, she still kept on going. Pepper seems the sort of girl who won’t let a guy tell her what to do and I that about her. Even though Pepper complained a lot with Gus, I could tell that after time, she actually grew fond of him, even if he was from mob and a ghost.

Gus, now him I had mixed feelings about. I hated and loved him at same time. I hated him in beginning, in way that he treated and talk to Pepper and way he kept popping up at most unexpected times. I loved him, pretty much after he rescued Pepper, even though he didn’t do it for her, I knew that he did, I knew that he cared about her. That was confirmed in middle of book when he got upset, telling her that she wasn’t supposed get hurt, it was then I knew that he cared about her.

Quinn & Dan, I loved them both. Dan surprised more though, especially towards the end, I did not see him coming, I would never imagine him being able to do that. That was another thing that I loved about the book, there were a lot of unexpected twists. I loved the cliffhanger in the book, when I read the first time, it came as surprise because I had no idea it was series when I first read this novel. I couldn’t wait to read the next book. I would recommend this book to anyone who’s into ghosts and mysteries, it keep you guessing till very end. Pepper Martin is worth reading.
adult ghosts own ...more1 aCupcakeBlonde1,333 22

I received this book from my best friend who told me I HAD to read it. Reading the back cover I was not quite sure why she had such an urgency for me to read this novel, it sounded your garden variety chick-lit/murder mystery to me, but I indulged her. Two pages in I realized why she needed me to read it as soon as possible. This book is set in Cleveland, where I lived for almost 8 years. More specifically it is set in the Garden View Cemetary and Little Italy which is right next to where the aprtament my best friend and I lived in together is located. Also, I lived in an apartment on my own directly across the street from the main entrance of the Garden View Cemetary and used to walk through it's silent avenues on nice days, soaking in the history of the outdoor museum of the famous dead of Cleveland. So this book was stepping into a familar story told by a long lost friend.

While the tale itself did not intrigue me in the beginning (and the heroine got on my nerves a little bit as to how she always would use her "wares" to get what she wanted) I do admit I was hooked by the mysetry and wanted to find out the secret by the end. And the added bonus that both males she is interesting in romantically are not what they seem. A good first book in a series I will be sure to read the rest of, due to the fact I can literally picture all the places mentioned in the pages since I lived there myself. Besides, I want to find out if Pepper ends up with hunky cop Quinn or Brain doc Dan...and how she deals with yet another ghost asking for her help.chick-lit fiction mystery-suspense ...more1 Jai622 145

Pepper Martin is a cemetery tour guide who fell and hit herself on the front step of dead mob boss Gus Scarpetti's mausoleum. Soon afterwards she begins to see Scarpetti himself, and he wants her to investigate his murder. Pepper is a rich middle class girl who has found herself without a fortune when her father was conviced of fraud, and has no idea how to solve a 30 year old murder. A fast read with a style that reminds me of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. The writing flowed very well, and there were a lot of interesting side characters, but the mystery wasn't that griping (although it was hard to guess whodunit). I also found it hard to Pepper for the first half of the book, mostly because she was rather ditzy. Still, she seemed to get smarter, and thusly more able towards the end. What really bothered me though was EVERY man Pepper meets (even men 30+ years her senior) leered at her breasts. What is that? I wasn't sure if I should be annoyed about the depiction of Pepper, because Pepper didn't seeme to mind, even puffing them out in certain scenes (even after arguing with Scarpetti about his chauvanism. Is she supposed to be feminist?), or annoyed at the depiction of men (in this century, I think most men know that's rude, or at least know not to be so obvious. At least don't make ALL the men in this book do that).

My review on my book blog (along with The Chick and the Dead) is here - http://janicu.livejournal.com/2469.html1 Geli250 9

The only reason I picked up this book was because it took place in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. I was very excited to read but I ended up feeling just so so about it. Pepper was a bit annoying at times and I just wanted to slap her so she'd focus and just get the mystery solved already. It seriously annoyed me that literally every guy looks at her boobs. Sometimes its a good thing she loves puffing her chest but then 2 pages later she gets annoyed that (sometimes the same guy) is checking out her rack. Alright already, you've got big boobs! Get on with the story!
Dan and Quinn, her almost romance interests, just seemed a waste of time to even bring them into the story-line.
The mystery of Gus's death was what kept me reading. Though I dont know why she just didnt claim to be a psychic when people started asking why she knew certain things, not that it truly matters. But it was fun to find the clues and put them together (though a bit predictable).
Also, there was a slight type-o when Pepper goes for her interview at SAKS. Its Beachwood rather Beechwood.
Anywho....Finishing this I couldnt really there being a series. I suppose we have to find out what is up Dan being so mysterious and stalkery, as well as whether Quinn will finally get to take her out. But honestly after awhile I didnt care all that much about them. I might read another one, cause it can only get better right?ghosts ohio supernatural1 Jeanie Jackson2,257 33

Paranormal, suspense, romance. Excellent writing. Love the characters, can't wait to find out what is going on with one of them. Really came to Pepper. Hope Dan and Quinn are in future books.
Pepper Martin was raised wealthy and a little spoiled until her father got in trouble with the law. Pepper's skills are limited, so she takes the first job she can get as a tour guide in an old cemetery. As the result of a head injury, Pepper has developed a new skill, the ability to see ghosts, or as least one ghost. The Don of a Cleveland crime family has been dead for 30 years, and now he wants help finding out what happened. Gus was an old fashion mob boss; he had no problem having people killed, but he still can't stand to see a woman treated rudely. Despite frustration with Gus and danger from an unknown source, Pepper can't help trying to find the answer to Gus' murder even though it seems to be having a seriously adverse effect on her life, including her barely existent love life.para-fan-uf1 Bebe274 19

I have been reading the Pepper Martin series for a couple of days now. I read the first one with no big pleasure. The premise is good, but the writing came across stale and the story seemed one dimensional. Read the second one- it had sporadic plot development and inconsistent shallow characters. Read the third- I didn't love it either. SO why would I keep reading? Why even give the fourth one a try you my ask? Well, there is a twofold answer. 1) I have a serious problem starting a series and not finishing it and 2) I had already bought all four books. So the
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