A new form of the mystery novel, mystery with a twist of chick lit, seems to be populating the bookshelves lately and My Very Own Murder fits the bill. Anne Johnson is a quirky, fun-loving divorcee who spends her days drinking martinis and enjoying life without commitments. What sets Anne apart from other chick lit protagonists is that Anne is also 50 years old, she has a good relationship with her ex and her grown children, and she is dating a much younger man. Good for her.
One day Anne hears a voice say that a murder will be committed in her swanky apartment building in 30 days and she has the power to stop this. Thus our heroine sets off in pursuit of clues.
Along with her new friend, the larger-than-life cleaning woman Mary, they try to find ways to catch a would-be murderer. First, of course, they decide to plan a party to meet the buildings' residents and see if any of them could be the murderer.
I really liked the relationship that Mary and Anne form in this novel. They are funny and self-assured women.
This is a light and enjoyable read with some very funny dialogue and scenes, but for those of who are die-hard mystery fans this may not be what you are looking for. I think the book tries to bridge two genres but it's still not quite a mystery and not quite a romance. So perphaps we really do have a new sub-genre. I'll be curious to see what Ms. Carr does next.
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