Murder Can Upset Your Mother

Eichler scores again with her new offering featuring New York PI Desiree Shapiro (Murder Can Spoil Your Appetite, etc.). An irreverent little old lady who loves food and loathes physical activity, Shapiro defies all private investigator stereotypes. Her present case entails finding the murderer of Miriam Weiden, a wealthy philanthropist who had begged for help via Shapiro's answering machine just hours before her death. As she questions Weiden's secretary, housekeeper, chauffeur and relatives, Shapiro learns that the public do-gooder had many enemies. Erna Harris, Weiden's secretary, reveals that her employer would become enraged when she failed to garner sufficient press coverage for her appearances. In addition, Weiden apparently claimed that she had adopted a biracial baby girl in Switzerland when the baby was really her own out-of-wedlock child. Other rumors suggest that Weiden may have driven her husband to suicide and that she later sought solace in the arms of a married man. Eichler's all-too-human, wacky private investigator will keep readers turning the pages, but her dedicated fans may find that the novel lacks the thrilling finish of her previous installments. Still, this delicious cozy offers an abundance of refreshing, witty repartee and zany characters. (Mar. 6)