Quotes
FITNESS KILLS is different from other mystery and suspense novels you might have read. Nora is a reluctant sleuth who knows when to go for help but at the same time not a ninny who will stand trembling in the corner to let the men in her life handle the situation. Ms. Barer succeeds in crafting what promises to be one of the most watched series in the mystery genre. Perhaps it is the fact that the ending is not what you would expect and the cut and dried resolution that usually marks books of this genre is missing. Then again it might be the honesty with which the author imbues her character who is not above sharing her emotion – or even having them – and who recognizes her anger and is ok with it. Helen Barer is an author to be watched, and this reader hopes that the next Nora Franke mystery will continue on the trail the first one so successfully blazed. (Read the full review)
—Sylvia Cochran, Round Table Reviews
... I really enjoyed this book. Nora is such a great character. The author has done a fabulous job creating a protagonist that has a valid reason for snooping. And she's such fun, too. The locale really lent itself to this story and enhanced it. I look forward to reading more Nora Franke mysteries. (Read the full review)
—PJN, Mysterical-E
When I received Helen Barer's "Fitness Kills" in the mail one Tuesday, I had my day all planned out. There were things I didn't particularly want to do, but they needed to be done. But every new book is like a Christmas gift to me, so I opened this book in a striking green dust jacket, thinking I'll read a page or two and then get going. Four hours later I got up, absolutely enchanted with the book I've just read – and could not put down.
—Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (09/07)
Where should I begin? I loved the book on so many levels… The heroine, Nora, is somebody I would love to meet in real life. She is brave and spunky and funny – and 30 pounds overweight after her recent "sort-of-a-break-up-and-then-maybe-not." Ms. Barer's portrayal of the New York food writer, turned into a sleuth, is absolutely brilliant and seeing the life in a posh spa in Baja California through Nora's eyes is a candid and colorful experience. We get to see, feel and definitely smell it.
The story line is engaging and Nora's quest for the killer produces a fair share of nail-biting moments. The best part of it is probably Nora's refusal to take herself too seriously and her refreshing lack of cunning as well as the refusal to believe that people are anything but good. Some would probably call her naïve, but I prefer to think of her as good and honest.
Then there are Ms. Barer's wickedly funny descriptions of spa staff and guests, the daily routine of the spa's "torture" (Liquid fast, anybody? How about a hike at dawn?) and Nora's daily struggles to fulfill her role as a menu consultant for the ranch. Some of my absolutely most favorite pages are those where Nora tries to deal with the unsurprisingly temperamental chef or when she cooks or thinks of food. And while I probably won't be tempted to make almond milk – and yes, you should read the book to find out why - I have already made a spicy pumpkin soup.
"Fitness Kills" was a wickedly funny and intelligent read, which I would wholeheartedly recommend to lovers of good mysteries and strong female characters. You will not be sorry that you picked it up and if you are anything like me, your only regret will be that it is not longer. But then the notes on the dust jacket inform the reader that Ms. Barer is already writing the next Nora Franke mystery. I've learned my lesson already – I will know better than to schedule anything else on the day I receive it.
Helen Barer's preliminary installment in her Nora Franke mystery series, Fitness Kills, is a cozy, well-developed who dun-it. Thirty-something Nora's unhealthy curiosity about a guest's death is potentially dangerous, yes, but she doesn't seem to realize just how dangerous it could be. (Must be her newly awakened crusader complex.) Nonetheless, the suspense is well-drawn and "nosey" Nora is a protagonist to delight in, given the novel's first-person perspective. Red herrings, false leads, and a list of the usual suspects (including wanna-be drug lords) will certainly keep a reader guessing, but the novel's abrupt ending is kind of like hitting a brick wall, face first. Wham!
—Cheryl Jeffries/Heartstrings Reviews. (Copyright © 2007 All rights reserved.)
Barer's mystery writing talents are quite evident in this intriguing bedside read, however, and Fitness Kills has a delightful amount of mystery and maliciousness to satisfy a reader's taste for mayhem, so to speak. Amateur sleuth, Nora, is likeable (even if she does have lousy taste in men), and Barer's prose is unpretentious and perfectly suited to tales of subtle, tension-filled suspense, making Fitness Kills a killer mystery, all in all.
I recommend Fitness Kills; it's an entertaining and fun read. It takes mystery, romance and humor and blends them into an irresistible mix. The book is the first in a series of mysteries by Helen Barer.
—The Midwest Book Review
I liked this book a lot, I think this is a very fine first time effort, small enough at 200 pages to be a quick read, but long enough to develop the characters well. I suspect that we will be seeing more of Nora Franke in future books by Helen Barer. If you are looking for a fun and fast murder mystery I can recommend that you try Fitness Kills.
—Simon Barrett (zzsimonb.blogspot.com)
Spending time at a health spa and getting paid to do so might sound like a dream job. However, food writer Nora Franke, who has landed that job as part of an assignment to make over the resort's menu while she writes an article on them, finds it less than dreamy. First, fitness is tough work. Secondly, people are dying and as she starts to probe the murders, she becomes a potential target.
—Amanda Killgore, The Huntress
Nora's strong, honest voice leads readers through the maze of clues to a surprising ending that only the most savvy armchair sleuths will even begin to guess at. The conclusion is one that will haunt you. On a side note, Nora's trouble relationship with Max is also an intriguing aspect to the plot, one that readers will enjoy seeing developed as the series grows, I predict.
FITNESS KILLS is a compelling story with pages that turn quickly, and it's a lovely beach read for a fine summer's day.
—Diana Risso, Romance Reviews Today
A debut that introduces an intriguing sleuth...
—Kirkus Reviews
Helen Barer has written an endearing and charming cozy populated with quirky characters.
—Harriet Klausner
Helen Barer's delicious debut delivers mystery, wit, suspense and Nora Franke—just the kind of best friend you'll love to take with you on a spa vacation.
—Sarah Lovett, author of DANTES' INFERNO and DARK ALCHEMY
A posh his 'n her spa is the unlikely setting for this delightful mystery, and Barer proves that she can count calories as well as suspects.
—Vincent Largo, author of THE HAMPTON AFFAIR and THE McNALLY SERIES
