When Mae Sullivan’s uncle dies under suspicious circumstances, she enlists the help of Mitch Peatwick to get to the bottom of it all. The story of a murder, an unlikely romance, and all the craziness that happens along the way, What the Lady Wants is a fun ride from start to finish.

The narration is interesting. While the main characters are all in their early to mid-30s, the narration is done by a woman clearly older than that. Most of the time, her voice is spot-on, particularly with the female characters, flawlessly switching from emotions in a variety of accents. However, the male characters proved to be much more of a challenge, sometimes missing the mark, verging on becoming over the top and cartoonish. Normally, something like this would detract from the story, however, the whole plot is almost madcap, so the less-than-perfect narration fits in with the lighthearted flow of the story.

The story itself is a good combination of murder, action, drama, and spiciness and you’re dropped into the action from the very first minute. Each character is well-thought out and given a solid background that keeps you guessing throughout the entire novel. Things aren’t always what they seem, giving What the Lady Wants a fresh feeling.

Jennifer Crusie occasionally gets a little repetitive with certain plot points, and drags some conversations out well past their point of being done, but overall, the action is constantly moving forward. There’s a good deal of suspense, as well as enough romance, driving the plot forward, as Crusie has a real talent for both genres, making this book appealing to a wider audience. Lesley Grossman