The latest Jaine Austen comic caper mystery juggles its many plot threads with aplomb to make for a fast-paced, wholly entertaining read.

As the book begins, Jaine is considering how to give her cat a healthy dose of the great outdoors without incurring the wrath of her more persnickety neighbors. It’s one of her friendlier neighbors, however, who comes knocking with a work opportunity for our perpetually freelance writer. Lance has just started dating the hunky Aidan, an actor who’s landed a part in a passion-project play. The producers are looking for a professional to help them polish the script, and Lance isn’t above fibbing about Jaine’s credentials a bit in order to help his friend land the gig. After all, a job’s a job, even if it does carry some inadvertent baggage:

QUOTE
“Anyway, you’ll never guess what play they’re doing. Remember the old sitcom <i>I Married A Zombie</i>?”

Of course I remembered. The actress who played the lead in that sitcom had lived up the street from us–a major league grouchpot, aggravating everybody with her nonstop complaints–until the night she got murdered. A murder in which, I’m sad to say, I was one of the cops’ leading suspects. But that’s a whole other story, one you can read all about in <i>Death of a Neighborhood Witch</i>, available wherever fine books (and mine too) are sold.
END QUOTE

Not even Jaine’s wryly self-deprecating, fourth-wall-breaking humor can hide how thrilled she is to meet the producers, David and Becca, and the generous paycheck they’re happy to give her – though admittedly her excitement has more to do with the paycheck than the producers. David is a former tech drone who quit his job after winning the lottery. With the help of his girlfriend Becca, he’s ready to stage, direct and star in what he’s hoping will be a camp classic reboot of his favorite TV show.

An initial overview of the situation leads Jaine to believe that this shouldn’t be too difficult a job, at least until she has the misfortune of watching David fall head over heels for the wholly unsuitable young actress who lands the lead role. Misty has never acted before and for good reason: she’s terrible at it. She is, however, extremely attractive and unafraid to use all her feminine wiles on a completely enamored David, much to Becca’s chagrin. What should have been a quick script doctoring on Jaine’s part turns into a string of constant rewrites, as Misty’s distinct lack of stage talent keeps forcing Jaine to dumb the script down to her leading lady’s none-too-impressive level of skill.

Luckily, Jaine also has other, less stressful revenue streams in mind. She really wants to make a good impression while on a Zoom interview for a position writing marketing material for the Pasadena Historical Society:

QUOTE
“So tell me,” Susie asked, “why you’re interested in working for us.”

<i>To fulfill my lifelong dream of a steady paycheck</i> was what first popped into my head, but I wisely kept that thought to myself. Instead, I told her about my fascination with old houses, how I loved to tour them and picture myself living in them back when they were first built.

And it’s the truth. I really do get off on that stuff.

I guess Susie could hear the fervor in my voice.

“You’re exactly the kind of candidate we’re looking for,” she beamed.

Yes! She liked me!
END QUOTE

With all this, her parents’ hilarious emails regarding their own shenanigans over in Tampa, and her best friend’s insistence she participate in a bachelor auction, Jaine’s figurative plate is more than full… and that’s even before Misty drops dead at rehearsal one day. After it turns out that someone poisoned Misty’s daily smoothie, the finger of blame points squarely at Aidan. Misty had been a pain to everyone on set, but Aidan’s fingerprints are the only ones that were all over both her drink and the rat poison in the theater pantry. He swears he didn’t kill her, and Lance won’t let Jaine rest until she and her penchant for solving murders manage to successfully clear Aidan’s name.

I always look forward to inhaling every one of Laura Levine’s hilarious Jaine Austen books, especially when I need a break from heavier reading or stressful real life circumstances. While the murders are deadly serious and Jaine often finds herself in grave peril, her buoyant personality and eye for the comedic, even in the grimmest of times, are balm for the cozy-lover’s soul. It’s always so much fun to follow along as she catches a killer while juggling very relatable everyday problems of family, friendships and finances. This is one of those can’t-miss series that I always turn to when I want some zingy humor and a thoroughly appealing heroine to go with the exercising of my little grey cells.

I loved this book. Honestly this series is hilarious and this book was no different. I absolutely love seeing what Jaine and Prozac get up to! They never fail to make me laugh out loud. The mysteries are also always great. I especially love the emails from her mom and dad. This particular book had me laughing so much! What a great read! I also didn’t guess the killer!

I love a good cozy mystery! One that incorporates all of my favorite topics (i.e. bookstores, libraries, cooking, painting, inn keeping, animals, etc.), throwing in some action-suspense, a who-done-it, interesting characters, and a plot that keeps me guessing, then you’ve got me hooked. I will say, I am one of those people who like to read a series from the beginning, but I often find you don’t have to… either way I highly recommend Death by Smoothie by Laura Levine.

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.*

I am generally a fan of the Jaine Austin series, but I did not love this one, but I did not love Death of a Neighborhood Witch either, so I’m not entirely surprised, Cryptessa should have not risen from the ashes.
I did, as always, enjoy the emails from Janie’s parents, I always look forward to her father’s crazy antics. Someone get her mother some fudge!

I will continue with the series, but this one was not a favorite, Cryptessa needs to go back to the crypt and stay there.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc which I voluntarily reviewed.

This is a fun and laugh-out-loud funny series. I have read a few from this series long back and all I remember is being so whacky and silly.

Jaine is hired to write a play, but when she meets the actress, she realizes that there is not a single acting bone in her. But when Misty dies tragically, Jaine throws herself in the whodunnit.

This book was really enjoyable and it was lovely to meet the characters in this series.

Freelance writer Jaine Austen is always on the lookout for the perfect assignment, a great boyfriend, a way to keep her cat out of trouble, and a delicious snack. For a while, Jaine thinks she may have hit the jackpot in all of these, starting with an assignment helping a playwright modify his script for a zombie play based on a short-lived sitcom. When the beautiful, demanding, but talentless lead actress dies after someone poisons her smoothie, Jaine decides to investigate to find out which of Misty’s enemies wanted her dead.

This book is the nineteenth in this series, but each book works well as a standalone. The books follow somewhat of a formula, with Jaine getting a new writing job and getting her hopes up for her career and love life, with something usually happening to cause a disaster in either one or both. On hand to create even more trouble for Jaine is her mischievous cat Prozac. However, there are always enough differences in the details of the stories to keep each book fresh for even longtime readers. Jaine isn’t perfect and doesn’t always have the greatest luck, but she is good at investigating crimes. I love the way she remains determined to find out who killed Misty despite the obstacles she encounters. The investigation goes much smoother than the play which is full of problems and conflicts.

This is such a fun series, and each book has several laugh-out-loud moments. The added drama from the chapters during the play rehearsals gives the book some extra fun. I enjoyed this entertaining book, and even though things don’t turn out the way Jaine had hoped in her latest writing assignment, she still proves she is a great investigator even when luck isn’t always on her side in other areas of her life. I was entertained by Jaine and Prozac and enjoyed this fast-paced, humorous mystery.

~ Christine

Death by Smoothie is book #19 in the Jaine Austen Mystery series by Laura Levine.

Jaine Austen is a freelance writer who has a cat, Prozac, who is either snarky or sweet depending on who is around. Jaine is a script doctor for a new play and encounters the diva who is playing the lead.

This is the first book I’ve read in the series. I don’t usually start this late in a series, but it looked interesting and I wasn’t disappointed. The victim had a lot of enemies so there was no shortage of people who wanted her dead which made it fun trying to figure out who the guilty party was. I love Prozac. I have a cat like that so I can relate. I plan to go back to the beginning of the series because I enjoy seeing how relationships develop.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Another enjoyable entry in the Jaime Austen series. The ending was a little rushed and lackluster, but fans of the series will still enjoy it

Laura Levine's Jaine Austen books are an absolute hoot. Jaine, a 30-something writer in Los Angeles, with her snooty kitty Prozac, her gay friend and neighbor Lance, her poor put-upon mother in Florida, her whacko father (who does the putting-upon) and their dueling emails, and the inevitable murder are pure escapist fun and bound to make you laugh on your worst days. Levine is on my list of authors to whose yearly books I look forward.

In "Death By Smoothie '' Jaine is hired to fix a script, and although I hate spoilers, you can imagine what happens. Actually you can't, it's funnier than that. Jaine's father's misadventures are usually over-the-top, but in this book he puts the pedal to the metal and it is hilarious. Her poor mother.

I am so glad Laura Levine wrote "Death By Smoothie" and that I read it. It was worth waiting for. The only problem is I now have to wait a year for a new one!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Jaine Austin and the gang are back! Laura Levine's 19th installment in this series finds Jaine working on a new play based on the cult TV sitcom I Married a Zombie, a Bewitched knockoff. Needless to say, things become complicated when the untalented leading lady, Misty, playing Cryptessa, fatally collapses halfway through drinking her mid-afternoon smoothie, which is later discovered to have been laced with rat poison.

There are plenty of suspects since Misty was not a likeable individual. Jaine has her hands full, solving the murder, teaching Prozac (her snarky cat) to walk on a leash and of course, following her parents' latest shenanigans at their retirement community in Florida, via emails. Oh and has Lance finally found "the one" with new boyfriend, Aiden?

The series has been enjoyable but, as others have remarked, it is becoming stale.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. The review is my own.

Prozac, Jaine Auster and her quirky parents are amongst my favorite characters in the cozy world and I know I'm for a treat and a lot of fun when i start a new book.
This one was very funny, with the right level of craziness and the right dose of Prozac. The solid mystery kept me guessing and the humour made me laugh.
Another winner i loved.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. As with previous books in this series, I laughed on numerous occasions while reading Death by Smoothie. The Jainw's internal comments and Prozac's "dialogue" never fail to make me laugh. Prozac is definitely a nightmare for Jaine, but a delight for readers. Death by Smoothie is a good book to read when needing a break from problems or to feel a little better. The writing is smooth and the mystery is interesting. Also, there are no spoilers for previous books and it can easily be read as a standalone. For readers looking for a good, funny cozy mystery, Death by Smoothie is an excellent choice. Thank you Ms. Levine for writing books that brighten my day when I feel a little gloomy, or that make me feel even better if I'm already in a bright disposition!

Jaine Austen is a struggling writer living in LA. She’s been employed to rewrite a play which is a remake of an older, cult tv show. When one of the actors is killed by her smoothie, Jaine is left to sort out the murder. This was a new to me series. It was enjoyable.

This is the 19th in this laugh out loud funny cozy series starring Jaine Austen, her family and her cat, Prozac. I have never been disappointed. Not only is Jaine a hoot but the asides from her parents are hysterical. I won't give any spoilers.
This time Jaine is offered $5K to do re-writes on a play, I Married a Zombie. This play is so bad it would be so off, off Broadway that it would be in the next state. Jaine needs the money so she accepts. They should have paid her triple considering what what was to come. Not only is the script a stinker and needs a complete rework, the lead actress has less acting ability than a snail (sorry to insult the poor snail). Jaine is at a loss as to what processed the director to choose her over another actress, one who would have been the perfect choice. No surprise who becomes the corpse.
The list of suspects is not short and the mystery is twisty enough that it will keep the reader guessing. When I came to the last page I wished that the next, #20, was already at hand. This series is a great stress reliever.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A delightful addition to an amusing series. Light-hearted cozy mystery. The location is familiar and the insights to the area are spot on.

Jaine Austen is hired as script doctor for a play based on the sitcom I Married a Zombie. It pays well, but the script is a total nightmare and then the obnoxious actress hired to play the zombie is poisoned by one of her awful green smoothies. Everyone had access to her drink and almost everyone seems to have had a motive for her murder. There's also a delightful subplot involving Jaine's father's plans to tap dance in a talent show with an iguana on his head.

I've only read a handful of the titles in this series and I'm sure my enjoyment of this book would've been increased if I'd read an earlier title where Jaine was involved in the murder of Cryptessa Muldoon, the star of the original sitcom. But I still thoroughly enjoyed it and I'll be tracking down Death of a Neighborhood Witch just as soon as I get the chance.

I received this advance reader copy via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. This is the nineteenth book in this series. It is the first one that I’ve read, and the series has the clever premise of a freelance writer taking different jobs that land her in good or (usually) bad situations. This time, she’s trying to write a play about zombies, based on a short-lived tv series, with the play’s co-directors and cast providing lots of drama on and off the stage. She has a cat with attitude, whom she’s trying to train to walk outside in a harness and leash. Perhaps because I’d not read any of the preceding books, Jaine didn’t really engage me and I found her cat annoying so the storyline premise was good but I just didn’t care very much about her.

Freelance writer Jaine Austen is always on the lookout for the perfect assignment, a great boyfriend, a way to keep her cat out of trouble, and a delicious snack. For a while, Jaine thinks she may have hit the jackpot in all of these, starting with an assignment helping a playwright modify his script for a zombie play based on a short-lived sitcom. When the beautiful, demanding, but talentless lead actress dies after someone poisons her smoothie, Jaine decides to investigate to find out which of Misty’s enemies wanted her dead.

This book is the nineteenth in this series, but each book works well as a standalone. The books follow somewhat of a formula with Jaine getting a new writing job and getting her hopes up for her career and her love life with something usually happening to cause a disaster in either one or both. On hand to create even more trouble for Jaine is her mischievous cat Prozac. However, there are always enough differences in the details of the stories to keep each book fresh, for even longtime readers. Jaine isn’t perfect and doesn’t always have the greatest luck, but she is good at investigating crimes. I love the way she remains determined to find out who killed Misty in spite of the obstacles she encounters. The investigation goes much smoother than the play which is full of problems and conflicts.

This is such a fun series and each book has several laugh-out-loud moments. The added drama from the chapters taking place during the play rehearsals gives the book some extra fun. I enjoyed this entertaining book and even though things don't turn out the way Jaine had hoped in her latest writing assignment, she still proves she is a great investigator even when luck isn't always on her side in other areas of her life. I was entertained by Jaine and Prozac and enjoyed this fast-paced, humorous mystery.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Kensington Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

When I pick up a Jaine Austen novel, I know I will be entertained by Jaine's cat, Prozac, and her many failed attempts at dating, not to mention her wardrobe dilemmas. This book was no different. I laughed so much reading about her bachelor auction date and her walks with Prozac. The mystery was well written and I thought I had it all figured out but was proved wrong (again). Looking forward to what she gets up to next.

I recieved an eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

I have ahandful of series that I preorder as soon as they're announced, Laura Levine's Jaine Austen series is one of those books. Because they are consistently good, relatable, and fun.

Death by Smoothie sees Jaine taking a turn at doctoring a script for a musical, based on the cult TV show, "I married a zombie". referenced a few books ago. As is typical for Jaine's misadventures, every big break is more hole than donut-a poor script, horrible leading lady, and vegan food are just some of the nightmares Jaine faces. Add bad dates, tap dancing iguanas, retired parents, and the ever cantankerous cat Prozac, and...well, we have a typical day in the life of Jaine Austen.

This is an enjoyable, fun book that will appeal to Cozy mystery fans. There is nothing inappropriate in it for younger readers, but they may relate less to Jaine's difficulties.

Well done!