It was kind of fun to read a murder mystery where the investigator is a pregnant mom. Especially after all those books where the glamorous detective is out staking vampires until 2 am and then is awakened at 5 am by a werewolf trying to attack her and then stays up all day running around town investigating her client's mysterious disappearance and... Reading those books makes me so tired these days. I'm like "EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP! YOU NEED THEM!" So this was refreshing: "I stayed up a little too late investigating X on the computer and then I had a big bowl of ice cream and went to bed." Yeah, that's my kind of P.I.At the same time, it was like "So... you and your glamorous writer husband just kinda hang around all day hanging out with your daughter and each other? Oh excuse me... he stays up late writing and then sleeps till 11, and THEN you just hang around all day. And then you go on tours for ridiculously expensive preschools. And then you call your Hollywood movie star friend." So, okay, this is a very privileged mommyhood. That said, I liked that Juliet explored her ambivalence about staying at home vs. working outside the home, and expressed feelings on both sides of the fence.Re: the plot/ story, I just don't have much to say, because I just didn't really care that much who murdered who. The secondary characters (including victim and suspects) were just not that three-dimensional. And Ayelet Waldman's wry, goofy humor (which I like) does kind of take away from the tension which murder mysteries are supposed to have. If you expect a pulse-pounding Agatha Christie/ Hitchcock, this is not it.P.S. Juliet did a few really stupid dangerous things of the type which amateur investigators in mystery novels always do, but which, as a public defender, Juliet should have known better than to do. Like asking the nanny whether the dad hits the wife and kids... and then leaving her card with the nanny. That was really dumb. Or going to confront the killer when she realizes who it is. That was also really dumb.P.P.S. What's with the gratuitous disrespect to polyamory? Give it a rest, Ayelet. Kinda sounds like you had a bad experience with it or something. (view spoiler)[Really, no alt.polyamory people would ever suggest that the best way to get your partner involved in polyamory is to cheat on them, then let your partner find you in bed with the cheatee! OMG no! I'm not saying some weirdo would never come up with this idea, but a whole bulletin board full of poly people would NEVER express approval of it. Apparently Ayelet thinks poly people are dumb enough to be blamed for an idea this stupid. Nice. (hide spoiler)]
Nursery Crimes by Ayelet Waldman (Mommy Track Series #1)Juliet Applebaum is a stay-at-home mom who used to be a public defender. Being a stay-at-home mom isn't always her cup of tea, but she's trying to make it work. With a new baby on the way and her daughter almost 3 years old, Juliet and her husband attempt to enroll their precocious daughter in a prestigious Hollywood preschool. While it's no real shock that rambunctious Ruby doesn't get in, it is a shock when the preschool's director is run down that evening and killed. Juliet can't help but wonder who did it. Was it an angry parent? Her cheating husband? You can take the mom out of work, but you can't take the investigative work out of the mom.This is a fun book for a couple of reasons. The storyline and mystery are pretty well-written. That said these books are extremely easy reads. I only have about 4% brain power after my daughter goes to bed at night and I still managed to grasp everything in the book and follow along with the investigations twists and turns. I also enjoy the character of Juliet because she is the kind of stay-at-home mom I can relate to. She loves her kids and wants to be there with them and for them, but she longs for a career and life that is just her own. She hasn't found a way to have both successfully, and in many ways resents that. It's honestly refreshing. Juliet and her husband also work well together as a parenting team, which is a nice element. Nursery Crimes is the first book in a series of seven books all with the same protagonist. Book #2 is The Big Nap. That one is next on my list.
Do You like book Nursery Crimes (2001)?
This is not really a cozy, but more like a chick lit book with a mystery plot. Juliet’s skill-set seems rather contrived and the concept of a heavily pregnant, ex-public defender tracking down criminals because she’s bored with the “mommy track” seems unlikely to connect with the public. The supporting characters (so important in a series, whether it’s books or television) lack the quirk factor and none of them are particularly interesting. The insider stuff relating to Peter’s career as a screenwriter won’t interest people who don’t actually work “in the industry.”
—Katherine Tomlinson
This book is a decent murder mystery with likeable characters, but my favorite aspect is the protagonist's ambivalence about motherhood. While she loves her child, she often gets frustrated and misses her childless existence. I've read few books that are so honest about the heavy price that mothers pay for having children, so I truly appreciate Waldman's willingness to reveal that being a mother is NOT constant joy and fulfillment. Anyone could enjoy this series, but I think mothers who have been plagued by secret frustrations will especially enjoy it.
—Rebecca
By Ayelet Waldman, wife of Michael Chabon, and author in her own right. Discovered this series while tracking down book-group questions for Kavalier & Clay. An entertaining quick read! Not too heady, not too involved, but kept me interested and up late. Quick summary: Juliet, former attorney now home with a two year old and 8 months pregnant, decides to investigate a murder. I admit I figured out who did it about 1/2 way through the book... but it was still amusing to finish the book. Another series!! Yippee!
—Shana
