Give thanks that Susan Isaacs is back and for that we should all be thankful. This fast paced novel grabs you from the beginning and holds you until near the end. The only downside is that the plot twist isn't much of a twist- I saw it coming a mile away- but don't let that deter you -it is still a great read.

I haven't read anything by Susan Isaacs in quite a while. This mystery shows she remains extremely skilled at creating a colorful mystery, replete with quirky characters.

The book was infused with humor that made it a joy to read. I only hope Corie and her father appear in another mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. This is my honest review.

An excellent thriller with deeply developed, intriguing characters including the ones found in different areas of New York City. A roller-coaster mystery that entertains and chills.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the opportunity to read this exciting ARC.

How could I possibly resist a book entitled, “ Bad, Bad Seymour Brown” ? I dare you to read this title without singing it to the tune of Jim Croche’s song. Just to sweeten the anticipation of this read is the author, Susan Isaacs, one of my favorite writers who never fails to write with humor, originality and pizzazz. And I love her characters.
This is the second installment in a detective series headlining Corrie Geller, retired government agent suffering from PTSD. Corrie lives on the Gold Coast of Long Island with her formerly widowed judge husband and step daughter. Her father, retired from the NYPD and her mother have moved in to complete the three generation family.
When Corrie’s father finds out that April Brown, orphaned daughter of Bad Bad Seymour Brown and his wife Kim, has been frightened by a driver who seemed intent to run her down, the two private detectives take on April’s cause as a way of having closure on a long ago disturbing unsolved murder case.
This is an interesting, fun, clever read with incredibly good dialog ( a Susan Isaacs trademark,) and many twists and turns. From Long Island to Brooklyn to New Jersey, the action never stops. From Russian housewives to Russian mobsters to a witless accomplice the characters come alive and dance off the pages.
Look for this book to be published on May 2, 2023. I fell in love with the characters, the story and the series. It’s a five star winner. Many thanks to #netgalley and publisher #grove/Atlantic for gifting me a prepublication copy in exchange for an honest review.

Once again Susan Isaacs has created a novel so full of colorful characters, evolving plots, and family connections. Ms Isaacs writing is so very descriptive and engaging that any one who loves reading good fiction doesn’t want the story to end. I have read all of Ms Isaac’s novels to date and feel like her books are entertaining and comfy in their descriptions of family settings. Thank you once again for this gift.

Susan Isaacs is one of my must read authors; ever since I came across a hardcover of Shining Through in the early 00’s, I bought it, and I fell in love with that story and have read each of her books since, with great enjoyment.

Bad, Bad Seymour Brown is an excellent follow-up to Takes One to Know One. It catches us up with Corie Geller, her husband and step-daughter, her parents, the pandemic and its aftermath in a close family, as well as Corie’s PTSD (I really appreciated this nod to mental health and its importance) until the now-adult survivor of an old cold case of Corie’s father’s reaches out to him after a frightening experience, seemingly being the target of an assassination attempt. Dad, who’s never forgotten it and kept in touch with the victim throughout the years is immediately concerned with the safety of the survivor and gets his old files (most of which he borrowed from the station - cold case that no one else was looking at) out of storage, and he and Corie start investigating.

Thoughts -
* The story here is compelling and keeps you turning the page
* I love how the author writes dialogue - her wit continues to get me with each book
* The family dynamics here are conveyed wonderfully
* The descriptive writing allows the reader to see so much of the story
* oooh, twisty


The worst part of reading this was that it put Jim Croce's 1970's song, Bad, Bad Leroy Brown in my head on an almost continuous loop.


Recommended!

Bad, Bad Seymour Brown is an extremely interesting and well-written novel. The story revolves around a retired detective and his daughter, a retired FBI agent, who have decided to work together as private investigators hired by the daughter of Seymour Brown and his wife who were killed 23 years ago. Character development is excellent and the reader is swept along with the investigatory process and the manner in information is obtained from various friends and associates of the deceased.
This is a book that is hard to put down and the ending will come as a complete surprise. My only reservation is as to why it took 23 years for all of the action to occur. I thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.

I saved this book as a special treat for my Christmas vacation. It was even more delicious than I expected. Seymour Brown and his wife died in a spectacular fire, which was a murder probably from his mob connections. Corie Geller and her retired detective father become involved when Seymour’s daughter, who survived the fire, is now threatened by attempts on her life.

Corie and Dan are pulled into the case, but soon realize how much they enjoy detecting together, and soon they become PI partners…voila, the start of a new series for Isaacs!

Every character in this book plays a supporting role, but there are never too many at the same time. As a reader, I like to digest the story and not have it overcrowded with characters. Isaacs perfectly cast these characters and slowly unraveled their roles in Seymour’s death. Of course, lots of twists are involved. Corie has the gift of snappy Isaacs dialogue, which I love.

This book is really PERFECT for fans ofIsaacs earlier books and gives us hope for more in the future. Thank you NETGALLEY for my favorite holiday gift!

I was unsure about this book and although it started out strong I lost interest half way through. I struggled to the end and found it dragged on.

Bad Bad Seymour Brown is Susan Isaacs second Corie Geller mystery. In this installment Corie and her dad, a retiree police detective, get involved in an attempted hit and run on the one survivor of a twenty year old cold case. Fans of this author know she is a master of detailed descriptions that put readers completely into the scene. It’s a wonderful read that will keep one guessing as the newly minted private investigators search for clues…current and past. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

Love Susan's books and every read every last one of them... Great twists and turns and never disappoints.

Susan Isaacs' books are always a must=read for me ever since she wrote Compromising Positions. I was delighted to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of her latest book thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. This is the long-awaited sequel to Takes One to Know One. I was happy to read the continuation of the story of Corie Geller as she and her father start their own private investigations agency. I loved the family dynamics and the use of ancillary characters to help with the investigation of a cold case with a possible connection to current events. I enjoyed the twists and turns in the story, and I look forward to future books in the series. I highly recommend this book.

Told with the quintessential Susan Isaacs wit, BAD BAD SEYMOUR BROWN ( and just try to get the song earwig out of your head when you say it) is a solid book from a beloved author.

Corie Geller survived a horrendous kidnapping and torture a year ago. Now, as she settles into post-pandemic life with her parents, husband and step daughter in a Long Island McMansion, an old coldcase of her retired detective father’s life comes back around. And to solve a present day attempted murder, he’s going to have to solve the past one once and for all. And with his ex-fbi daughter’s help.

There’s a lot of talking in this book –it is after all, a Susan Isaacs book – about the past case, details, and stuff going on at the moment, but the storyline remains solid until the end.

Thanks, Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for a sneak peek. 4 stars from me