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sodiana's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
bookwormbunny's review
5.0
Meet Jessica James. Hopeful grad-student, but life just keeps throwing her lemons and tons of...accidents. She's living in the Philosophy Department at Northwestern University in the Chicago, and let's just say...it's not a great place to be living. If she gets caught, she's in a world of trouble. Well, her night takes a bit of a bad turn. Her friends come by to have some fun, do a little of this and when a security guard comes to check things out...well...things get crazy. In the bathroom, lying in the bathtub is the very person that Jessica was just wishing was dead. Her advisor, Professor Wolfgang “Wolf” Schumtzig. Things just went south for Jessica fast and to add to things...she finds her thesis on his desk and apparently he was planning on sinking her dream of finishing grad school. Then there is Dmitry Durchenko. All he wants is to live a normal life as a janitor but there is just one small problem. These mobsters want some paintings that were stolen and he's the supposed link. They'll do whatever it takes to get them back, and the Professor just might be caught up in all of this. Get ready! Because Jessica and her friends are on the case and it won't be long before it all comes together and the truth is revealed.
Wolf: A Jessica James Mystery by Kelly Oliver is a fun, well-paced mystery novel. Jessica James honestly sounds like she might be cursed with all of the accidents that she has, but honestly, that's not the case. She probably just has a bad streak of bad luck that follows her around. I mean...a high heel slipping out from under her and getting doused with hot coffee AND tea?! She has some fun and interesting friends though. But they are all in on helping her figure out what all is going on and getting in a few laughs in the process.
I truly enjoyed this story and I have few to zero issues with the storyline. I have to admit that I was a bit puzzled about Jessica thinking that the police might consider her a suspect because of the note the Professor writes in her thesis. I honestly chalk it up to a knee-jerk reaction, because the Professor has dated his rejection for several months from the present day.
I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. I enjoy a good mystery novel and this book with the murder of the Professor, the paintings that the mobsters are after, and the antics of the characters come together to give this book a fun feel while giving the reader a mystery to solve. The author does a good job of keeping me guessing as to who did it, too. For me, that is a huge plus because if I can figure it out too quickly I feel cheated. Haha! But this book, in my opinion, is a win.
Wolf: A Jessica James Mystery by Kelly Oliver is a fun, well-paced mystery novel. Jessica James honestly sounds like she might be cursed with all of the accidents that she has, but honestly, that's not the case. She probably just has a bad streak of bad luck that follows her around. I mean...a high heel slipping out from under her and getting doused with hot coffee AND tea?! She has some fun and interesting friends though. But they are all in on helping her figure out what all is going on and getting in a few laughs in the process.
I truly enjoyed this story and I have few to zero issues with the storyline. I have to admit that I was a bit puzzled about Jessica thinking that the police might consider her a suspect because of the note the Professor writes in her thesis. I honestly chalk it up to a knee-jerk reaction, because the Professor has dated his rejection for several months from the present day.
I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. I enjoy a good mystery novel and this book with the murder of the Professor, the paintings that the mobsters are after, and the antics of the characters come together to give this book a fun feel while giving the reader a mystery to solve. The author does a good job of keeping me guessing as to who did it, too. For me, that is a huge plus because if I can figure it out too quickly I feel cheated. Haha! But this book, in my opinion, is a win.
confessions_of_a_bookaholic's review
2.0
This book had a fairly promising start. I was intrigued to find out what had happened to the professor, and found jumping between Jessica's story and Dmitry's story kept me interested and wanting to know more. Unfortunately this didn't continue throughout the book. Fairly quickly the story starts to go off on several seemingly unrelated tangents. There is the college date rape drug sideline, the illicit poker game sideline, some missing paintings, Dmitry's family history and a half hearted romance all thrown in to the mix. Add in a lot of references to Russian literature, artwork and philosophy, and a fair bit of coffee jargon and there's just too much going on. It's almost as if the author couldn't decide what she wanted to include in her novel, so she brought in aspects of all of her interests. I also thought the whole poker game and several of the details about that were far too close to the real life story of Molly's Game for my liking.
Don't get me wrong, there was some good stuff in there. I think the college rape issue is something that needs to be challenged in as many aspects of life as possible, otherwise it will continue to be brushed under the carpet. I think Oliver brought that subject up well, without making the book too dark.
I also liked that most of the strong and leading characters in the book were female. I particularly liked Lolita, as a character who is fiercely independent and won't let anyone mess her around. That said I didn't really feel invested in any of the characters. I would've liked more backstory for Amber, and to learn more about her tech fascination before it became a necessary skill in the storyline. I also found it irritating that Jessica fell over as much as she did. That was totally unnceccesary and didn't add anything to the story.
Overall I started out quite enjoying this, but got more and more disinterested as it went on. By about 80% I kind of just wanted it to be over. 2*, and I won't be reading book 2.
Thanks to NetGalley and KAOS press for a free copy in return for an honest review
Don't get me wrong, there was some good stuff in there. I think the college rape issue is something that needs to be challenged in as many aspects of life as possible, otherwise it will continue to be brushed under the carpet. I think Oliver brought that subject up well, without making the book too dark.
I also liked that most of the strong and leading characters in the book were female. I particularly liked Lolita, as a character who is fiercely independent and won't let anyone mess her around. That said I didn't really feel invested in any of the characters. I would've liked more backstory for Amber, and to learn more about her tech fascination before it became a necessary skill in the storyline. I also found it irritating that Jessica fell over as much as she did. That was totally unnceccesary and didn't add anything to the story.
Overall I started out quite enjoying this, but got more and more disinterested as it went on. By about 80% I kind of just wanted it to be over. 2*, and I won't be reading book 2.
Thanks to NetGalley and KAOS press for a free copy in return for an honest review
singerwriter94's review
4.0
Originally posted on: The Quirky Book Nerd
3.5 stars
Wolf is pitched as being a crime novel that tackles some important issues using a good dose of intelligence, humor, and feminism—and it certainly lives up to these claims. Despite my love of the mystery genre, I was a bit unsure whether or not this particular combination of themes would really be my type of story. However, Kelly Oliver’s clever writing managed to erase all of my hesitations. Though some parts fell a bit flat or lacked believability, it turned out to be a very enjoyable read as a whole. I ended up getting completely swept up in the suspense and wit of this novel.
Throughout the duration of the narrative, we follow the lives of two characters. Jessica James, hailing from Montana, is pursuing her PhD in philosophy at Northwestern University when her advisor, Professor Wolfgang Schumtzig is found murdered in his Philosophy Department office. Dmitry Durchenkov, the university’s janitor, finds that the past he fled his homeland of Russia to escape is finally catching up with him, and at the worst possible time. Existentialism, murder, date-rape drugs supplied by members of the Russian mafia, and even the disappearance of famous works of art tie these two lives together in intriguing and unexpected ways.
Kelly Oliver takes some incredibly difficult topics and tackles them in a mature and respectful way. She carefully injects the humor into the story, giving the darker aspects of the plot the gravity that they deserve. There is never a moment where it seems as if the more serious moments are being taken too lightly. I appreciated how she focused on educating her readers about very relevant issues. On top of this, Oliver also adds quite a deal of philosophy and art history into the story, which I was very interested in. From her intelligent writing, it is easy to tell that she is well informed on all the subjects that she covers.
I’ll admit, I had a little bit of trouble getting into this novel to begin with, as the first fourth or so of the novel is much slower paced for the most part. This is primarily due to the fact that there is a lot of setup and familiarizing the reader with the characters rather than focus on action and the mystery unfolding. This is completely understandable, especially given that it is the first novel in a series, so even though it was slow going for me for a little bit, it did not by any means put me off the story.
I think that this initial sluggishness I experienced was magnified due to the fact that the narrative jumps between the two main characters. The entire novel is told in third person, but it switches back and forth between the storylines of Jessica and Dmitry every chapter or so. It takes some time to make significant progress in each storyline and for them to weave together. This causes the main body of the novel to be quite fast-paced, but sort of puts the brakes on things when it comes to the setup.
Writing a novel using this method can be fantastic for developing a feeling of suspense, but is also tricky to perfect. I found that the constant shifts sometimes caused me to feel that the narrative was becoming a bit jumbled. However, this did not detract from my reading experience too severely, particularly as I got further in. Once you get to know the characters, it is extremely easy to get caught up in their lives, and I tore through most of the novel.
Oliver juxtaposes the humor and awkwardness of Jessica’s life with the pain and fear plaguing Dmitry’s in order to create an ultimately gripping and unified plot. As a whole, she created the desired tension by leaving the reader wanting more at the end of each character’s contribution to the progression of the storyline. When it becomes fully apparent how closely these two lives are connected, the story picks up very quickly. For some reason, I was not expecting this link between them, and was pleasantly surprised with the direction that Oliver took it in.
This book is filled with a diverse and quirky cast of characters, all filled with a great amount of inner strength. I found the characterization to be an exceptionally strong point. Jessica is a great example of how to create a female protagonist. She is funny and delightfully awkward, while also being a very intelligent and independent heroine. Dmitry shows his strength in a different way, fighting to move forward from a troubled past that won’t let him go.
I think Lolita ended up being my favorite character in the novel. I love what a strong woman she is and how much she cares for and supports her friends and family. All of the primary characters are fully formed and multidimensional, each showing some amount of progress throughout the novel. No matter what their personal story holds or what struggles they are facing, each character does their part and is working hard to be the best version of themselves that they can be—someone they are proud of.
There is also a major focus on relationships between friends and the importance of family rather than on romance, which is an aspect of this novel that I found to be quite refreshing. The friendship between Jessica and Lolita—the way they look out for and support each other—is absolutely lovely and shows the strength that can be produced from that sort of companionship. Dmitry’s devotion to his family and the lengths he goes to in order to keep them safe is quite beautiful, adding both more dimension and a greater sense of urgency to his struggle.
The small amount of romance that is present, though I really wanted to like it, fell sort of flat for me. It felt a bit forced and at times confusing, so I do wish that it had either been addressed a bit more or left out completely. But this was the only area of issue in the portrayal of relationships and the theme of love. Overall, the dynamics and interactions between the various characters added more depth and meaning to the story, and was one of the strongest and most captivating aspects.
Wolf is a novel with a lot of heart and a good sense of humor, despite its fairly dark subject matter. With smart and skillful writing, vividly depicted characters, and an addictive plot, it proves to be quite a rousing read. Kelly Oliver has created a unique and memorable mystery that both educates and entertains. I am incredibly eager to continue on with this series, and look forward to seeing the ongoing adventures of Jessica James. I would definitely recommend giving this book a try.
3.5 stars
Wolf is pitched as being a crime novel that tackles some important issues using a good dose of intelligence, humor, and feminism—and it certainly lives up to these claims. Despite my love of the mystery genre, I was a bit unsure whether or not this particular combination of themes would really be my type of story. However, Kelly Oliver’s clever writing managed to erase all of my hesitations. Though some parts fell a bit flat or lacked believability, it turned out to be a very enjoyable read as a whole. I ended up getting completely swept up in the suspense and wit of this novel.
Throughout the duration of the narrative, we follow the lives of two characters. Jessica James, hailing from Montana, is pursuing her PhD in philosophy at Northwestern University when her advisor, Professor Wolfgang Schumtzig is found murdered in his Philosophy Department office. Dmitry Durchenkov, the university’s janitor, finds that the past he fled his homeland of Russia to escape is finally catching up with him, and at the worst possible time. Existentialism, murder, date-rape drugs supplied by members of the Russian mafia, and even the disappearance of famous works of art tie these two lives together in intriguing and unexpected ways.
Kelly Oliver takes some incredibly difficult topics and tackles them in a mature and respectful way. She carefully injects the humor into the story, giving the darker aspects of the plot the gravity that they deserve. There is never a moment where it seems as if the more serious moments are being taken too lightly. I appreciated how she focused on educating her readers about very relevant issues. On top of this, Oliver also adds quite a deal of philosophy and art history into the story, which I was very interested in. From her intelligent writing, it is easy to tell that she is well informed on all the subjects that she covers.
I’ll admit, I had a little bit of trouble getting into this novel to begin with, as the first fourth or so of the novel is much slower paced for the most part. This is primarily due to the fact that there is a lot of setup and familiarizing the reader with the characters rather than focus on action and the mystery unfolding. This is completely understandable, especially given that it is the first novel in a series, so even though it was slow going for me for a little bit, it did not by any means put me off the story.
I think that this initial sluggishness I experienced was magnified due to the fact that the narrative jumps between the two main characters. The entire novel is told in third person, but it switches back and forth between the storylines of Jessica and Dmitry every chapter or so. It takes some time to make significant progress in each storyline and for them to weave together. This causes the main body of the novel to be quite fast-paced, but sort of puts the brakes on things when it comes to the setup.
Writing a novel using this method can be fantastic for developing a feeling of suspense, but is also tricky to perfect. I found that the constant shifts sometimes caused me to feel that the narrative was becoming a bit jumbled. However, this did not detract from my reading experience too severely, particularly as I got further in. Once you get to know the characters, it is extremely easy to get caught up in their lives, and I tore through most of the novel.
Oliver juxtaposes the humor and awkwardness of Jessica’s life with the pain and fear plaguing Dmitry’s in order to create an ultimately gripping and unified plot. As a whole, she created the desired tension by leaving the reader wanting more at the end of each character’s contribution to the progression of the storyline. When it becomes fully apparent how closely these two lives are connected, the story picks up very quickly. For some reason, I was not expecting this link between them, and was pleasantly surprised with the direction that Oliver took it in.
This book is filled with a diverse and quirky cast of characters, all filled with a great amount of inner strength. I found the characterization to be an exceptionally strong point. Jessica is a great example of how to create a female protagonist. She is funny and delightfully awkward, while also being a very intelligent and independent heroine. Dmitry shows his strength in a different way, fighting to move forward from a troubled past that won’t let him go.
I think Lolita ended up being my favorite character in the novel. I love what a strong woman she is and how much she cares for and supports her friends and family. All of the primary characters are fully formed and multidimensional, each showing some amount of progress throughout the novel. No matter what their personal story holds or what struggles they are facing, each character does their part and is working hard to be the best version of themselves that they can be—someone they are proud of.
There is also a major focus on relationships between friends and the importance of family rather than on romance, which is an aspect of this novel that I found to be quite refreshing. The friendship between Jessica and Lolita—the way they look out for and support each other—is absolutely lovely and shows the strength that can be produced from that sort of companionship. Dmitry’s devotion to his family and the lengths he goes to in order to keep them safe is quite beautiful, adding both more dimension and a greater sense of urgency to his struggle.
The small amount of romance that is present, though I really wanted to like it, fell sort of flat for me. It felt a bit forced and at times confusing, so I do wish that it had either been addressed a bit more or left out completely. But this was the only area of issue in the portrayal of relationships and the theme of love. Overall, the dynamics and interactions between the various characters added more depth and meaning to the story, and was one of the strongest and most captivating aspects.
Wolf is a novel with a lot of heart and a good sense of humor, despite its fairly dark subject matter. With smart and skillful writing, vividly depicted characters, and an addictive plot, it proves to be quite a rousing read. Kelly Oliver has created a unique and memorable mystery that both educates and entertains. I am incredibly eager to continue on with this series, and look forward to seeing the ongoing adventures of Jessica James. I would definitely recommend giving this book a try.
cseda's review
3.0
Overall the book is an ok read. While the plot is plausible I just couldn't find a character that I liked. I didn't like the entitled and/or party atmosphere for the setting. It maybe how this author can relate since her profile states she's a prof.
eattanread's review
4.0
Murder Mystery
“Jessica closed her eyes and imagined a fitting demise for the thesis advisor whose Birkenstocks had stomped on her dream of getting an advanced degree: a quick defenestration, a slow acting poison, or a hard bludgeon to his fat ugly head with the blunt side of an axe. Professor Baldrick Wolfgang Schmutzig, “Preeminent Philosopher” (and World-Class Dickhead) had insulted her for the last time.”
Jessica James is a philosopher student at Northwestern University, a long way from her Montana, trailer park home. She is secretly living in the attic of the philosophy department, sleeping on a desk but she is determined to get her doctorate. Professor Wolf is her thesis advisor and she is also his TA. Her and a couple friends decide to break into his office and snoop around while smoking pot but they find more than what they bargained for. Her thesis, looking untouched with a post dated letter pretty much kicking her out of graduate school and Wolf’s dead body in the bathtub.
“She went to Northwestern to study with Wolf Schmutzig, and then she’d put up with his inappropriate comments and oblique advances for months, only to find out he’d sabotaged her in the end anyway. She shook her head and sighed. She still didn’t know why, but she was going to find out.”
In addition to finding why her professor sabotaged her career and who murdered him, someone keeps putting date rape drugs in her drinks. Jessica isn’t the only girl in school that is being drugged. She and her posse are uncovering a whole ring of guys that are drugging girls and they are determined to give them a taste of their own medicine.
Will Jessica and her friends be able to answer all the questions surrounding them? Who killed the professor? What does it have to do with the Russian mob, drugs on campus, and stolen Russian art?
“‘May the best man win,” he said and then glared over at Jessica and added, “or woman.” Clearly, he preferred Jessica serving drinks instead of playing poker. But, she was used to playing with the boys. High stakes poker, like philosophy, was a man’s game; and in both she was determined to give as good as she got, even if it killed her. Being the only woman at the poker table wasn’t so different from being the only woman at a seminar table.”
An enjoyable murder mystery that keeps you on your toes and guessing what is going to happen next. Jessica James is a funny, clumsy, cowgirl and I can see why she has been compared to Stephanie Plum. The sexy Russian, Poker Tsarina, Lolita is a kick ass woman you wish was your best friend. I hope to have more Nick, billionaire art professor, in the next books in the series. I am certainly rooting for a Jessica-Nick romance to blossom and I don’t care how against the rules that is.
I was expecting a Cozy Mystery and was pleasantly surprised to have a more adult mystery instead. I am definitely putting book 2 on my To Be Read list!
“Jesse James rides again. She blew imaginary smoke from the tips of her index fingers on each hand and then racked in the pot.”
“Jessica closed her eyes and imagined a fitting demise for the thesis advisor whose Birkenstocks had stomped on her dream of getting an advanced degree: a quick defenestration, a slow acting poison, or a hard bludgeon to his fat ugly head with the blunt side of an axe. Professor Baldrick Wolfgang Schmutzig, “Preeminent Philosopher” (and World-Class Dickhead) had insulted her for the last time.”
Jessica James is a philosopher student at Northwestern University, a long way from her Montana, trailer park home. She is secretly living in the attic of the philosophy department, sleeping on a desk but she is determined to get her doctorate. Professor Wolf is her thesis advisor and she is also his TA. Her and a couple friends decide to break into his office and snoop around while smoking pot but they find more than what they bargained for. Her thesis, looking untouched with a post dated letter pretty much kicking her out of graduate school and Wolf’s dead body in the bathtub.
“She went to Northwestern to study with Wolf Schmutzig, and then she’d put up with his inappropriate comments and oblique advances for months, only to find out he’d sabotaged her in the end anyway. She shook her head and sighed. She still didn’t know why, but she was going to find out.”
In addition to finding why her professor sabotaged her career and who murdered him, someone keeps putting date rape drugs in her drinks. Jessica isn’t the only girl in school that is being drugged. She and her posse are uncovering a whole ring of guys that are drugging girls and they are determined to give them a taste of their own medicine.
Will Jessica and her friends be able to answer all the questions surrounding them? Who killed the professor? What does it have to do with the Russian mob, drugs on campus, and stolen Russian art?
“‘May the best man win,” he said and then glared over at Jessica and added, “or woman.” Clearly, he preferred Jessica serving drinks instead of playing poker. But, she was used to playing with the boys. High stakes poker, like philosophy, was a man’s game; and in both she was determined to give as good as she got, even if it killed her. Being the only woman at the poker table wasn’t so different from being the only woman at a seminar table.”
An enjoyable murder mystery that keeps you on your toes and guessing what is going to happen next. Jessica James is a funny, clumsy, cowgirl and I can see why she has been compared to Stephanie Plum. The sexy Russian, Poker Tsarina, Lolita is a kick ass woman you wish was your best friend. I hope to have more Nick, billionaire art professor, in the next books in the series. I am certainly rooting for a Jessica-Nick romance to blossom and I don’t care how against the rules that is.
I was expecting a Cozy Mystery and was pleasantly surprised to have a more adult mystery instead. I am definitely putting book 2 on my To Be Read list!
“Jesse James rides again. She blew imaginary smoke from the tips of her index fingers on each hand and then racked in the pot.”
isalaur's review
3.0
2.5 stars...there were some interesting elements to the story though the big reveal at the end was pretty damn obvious at the beginning of the story. And the MC Jesse gives new definition to TSTL. There are some interesting and amusing secondary characters. Several story elements are just thrown out there and never followed up on (no spoilers) and a lot of loose ends are left dangling. From looking at the blurb for book two it doesn’t look like they’ll be addressed there.
There is a lot of excess verbiage that a good editor should have cleaned up. There’s potential here possibly, especially with the secondary characters. I might read the next book but I’m not in any hurry as Jesse is just really too damn stupid. And the write ups referring to her as a “kick ass female protagonist” have me questioning whether these people read the same book I did. She’d have been dead more three times over if it weren’t for her friends.
There is a lot of excess verbiage that a good editor should have cleaned up. There’s potential here possibly, especially with the secondary characters. I might read the next book but I’m not in any hurry as Jesse is just really too damn stupid. And the write ups referring to her as a “kick ass female protagonist” have me questioning whether these people read the same book I did. She’d have been dead more three times over if it weren’t for her friends.
annarella's review
4.0
An entertaining and fun to read mystery. It's not the typical cozy as the cast of characters is very original.
The plot is interesting and the characters are likeable.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
The plot is interesting and the characters are likeable.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.