Wednesday, September 14, 2011

The Sixes

by Kate White

Oh, did this look promising on the new shelf at my local public library! Unfortunately, it is another cheesy/flimsy effort from the editor-in-chief of Cosmo. But I fell for it, based on the dust jacket's blurb.

Phoebe Hall is taking a break from her fabulous life as a celebrity biographer. She's fled Manhattan for Lyle College in Pennsylvania. By teaching at Lyle, she's exorcising her demons (she had some nightmarish experiences in school) and trying to forget that icky plagiarism scandal (present day) that just won't die. Plus, she's teaching at a college that is headed by her best friend, Glenda.

Things heat up at Lyle shortly after the semester begins. A student, Lily Mack, is murdered, and all of a sudden, Phoebe is thrust into the murder investigation. While doing some sleuthing for Glenda, she discovers the existence of a secret society at Lyle, The Sixes. And then her whole sordid boarding school history comes rushing back to her.

Who are The Sixes? What have they been doing? And what is the connection, if any, to Lily Mack's death?

Throw in a few more idiotic subplots, and you've got this muddled, yet breezy mystery.

While I didn't spend a lot of time reading this, I still felt cheated when I finished reading it. Why? Because The Sixes figured far less prominently in the sotry than I had expected. After all, the title of the novel seemed to promise a more prominent role for the secret society.

Not recommended. Do not be seduced by the dust jacket!

8/28/11

No comments: