What do you think?
Rate this book
Tips for Living
On the day Nora discovered that her husband, Hugh, had gotten another woman pregnant, she made a vow: I will come back to life no matter how long it takes�
It’s taken Nora three years. With the help of her best friend, she fled New York City for a small resort town, snagged a job as the advice columnist for the local paper, and is cautiously letting a new man into her life. But when Hugh and his perfect new family move into a summer house nearby, Nora backslides. Coping with jealousy, humiliation, and resentment again is as hard as she feared. It’s harder still when Hugh and his wife are shot to death in their home.
If only Nora could account for the night of the murders. Unfortunately, her memories have gone as dark as her fantasies of revenge. But Nora’s not the only one with a reason to kill—and as prime suspect in the crime, she’d better be able to prove it.
It’s taken Nora three years. With the help of her best friend, she fled New York City for a small resort town, snagged a job as the advice columnist for the local paper, and is cautiously letting a new man into her life. But when Hugh and his perfect new family move into a summer house nearby, Nora backslides. Coping with jealousy, humiliation, and resentment again is as hard as she feared. It’s harder still when Hugh and his wife are shot to death in their home.
If only Nora could account for the night of the murders. Unfortunately, her memories have gone as dark as her fantasies of revenge. But Nora’s not the only one with a reason to kill—and as prime suspect in the crime, she’d better be able to prove it.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2018
4,710 people are currently reading
11.2k people want to read
About the author
Renee Shafransky
1book140followersRenée Shafransky is a writer and psychotherapist with a background in theater and film. Tips for Living, to be published by Lake Union in 2018, is her first novel. She has directed theatrical works by Spalding Gray and Jon Robin Baitz, among others. She produced the award-winning film, Swimming to Cambodia, directed by Jonathan Demme, as well as Variety, by Bette Gordon, which was selected for preservation in the film archive of the Museum of Modern Art. Penning screenplays for major studios as well as teleplays for HBO and PBS, she counts Harold Ramis and Mike Newell among the directors she has worked with. Starting as a journalist in the 1980s, her articles have been published in The Village Voice and Condé Nast Traveler (optioned for the screen) and most recently, the literary magazine, The Southampton Review. In 2001, she began a private psychotherapy practice in New York City and Sag Harbor, New York, where she makes her home. Current Disturbances will be her next book.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,108 reviews
January 21, 2018
Here we have a plucky heroine whose lying, cheating ex-hubby is found dead. She quickly becomes a person of interest prime suspect in his murder. But don't worry too much - her newfound love interest, and determined best friend will help her prove her innocence, though it will be up to the heroine, and NOT the police to solve the crime. Oh, and of course, there's a cute, full-of-wisdom, elderly relative on hand to lend advice and comfort. Need I even mention that the villain will explain everything to neatly tie up loose ends, AND allow the heroine to escape?
And . . . yeah.
I've read this all before, and unless you're brand new to the world of reading books, you've probably read it, too. The cover proclaims that this is "a novel of suspense", but don't let that fool you - this is a cozy mystery, and I should know as I used to read them by the bushelful before giving them up as too formulaic.
On the other hand, if you're looking for a cozy mystery, you could do far worse than this one. Shafransky can write some decent dialogue, so I'm giving this one three stars instead of two. Here's hoping her next go-round will offer something new, and not just this book's heroine deciding to solve crimes inCabot Cove whatever the heck the name of the town was.
And . . . yeah.
I've read this all before, and unless you're brand new to the world of reading books, you've probably read it, too. The cover proclaims that this is "a novel of suspense", but don't let that fool you - this is a cozy mystery, and I should know as I used to read them by the bushelful before giving them up as too formulaic.
On the other hand, if you're looking for a cozy mystery, you could do far worse than this one. Shafransky can write some decent dialogue, so I'm giving this one three stars instead of two. Here's hoping her next go-round will offer something new, and not just this book's heroine deciding to solve crimes in
March 29, 2018
3.5 Nora and Hugh, an up and coming artist, have been together for twelve years though married for only one. Nora finds out that no only had Hugh cheated on her but he is going to have a child with that woman, something Nora had badly wanted for herself. She moves away, works at a small town new paper writing a column called Tips for Living. A big tourist town, the population swells in the summer, she is gutted when Hugh, his new wife and young daughter a!so move to this town that she calls home. When husband and wife are brutally murdered, Nora becomes the prime suspect.
There is a friendly, familiar tone to this mystery. It is inviting, easy to read. One can't help but like and feel for Nora. There is also that small town flavor, everyone knowing each others business, reminded me a little of the town in which I live. It is not edge of your seat suspenseful, no big flashy scenes, just a slow unraveling of the secrets some are keeping, including Nora herself. I enjoyed this, it was refreshingly simple and different.
ARC from Netgalley.
There is a friendly, familiar tone to this mystery. It is inviting, easy to read. One can't help but like and feel for Nora. There is also that small town flavor, everyone knowing each others business, reminded me a little of the town in which I live. It is not edge of your seat suspenseful, no big flashy scenes, just a slow unraveling of the secrets some are keeping, including Nora herself. I enjoyed this, it was refreshingly simple and different.
ARC from Netgalley.
January 4, 2018
Despite glowing reviews from other “good readers� I gave this 3 stars. While the first 100 pages hooked me in I found the middle quite slow and the thoughts of the main character very repetitive.
There were many red herrings but it was all eventually revealed in a somewhat convoluted ending .
For me it was an OK holiday read .
There were many red herrings but it was all eventually revealed in a somewhat convoluted ending .
For me it was an OK holiday read .
July 9, 2019
Amnesia
Nora is a small town journalist and one night the town experiences a double murder of a husband and wife (Hugh and Helene). Nora finds herself the murder suspect. Hugh is her ex-husband and Helene became pregnant with Hugh’s child while Nora and Hugh were still married. To add to the suspicion Nora has a sleepwalking condition and finds she cannot remember the night of the murders and wakes up the following morning with mud on her clothes and her hair mixed with leaves and twigs. Even Nora can’t be sure she didn’t commit the murders.
The story had potential and there were a number of characters introduced to help with multiple suspicions and motives in this whodunit. The problem was that the characters were very one dimensional and the storyline had very unrealistic twists. The friends of Nora never had any doubt whatsoever that Nora was innocent and she even strikes up a relationship with someone in the middle of the investigation and he also has no doubt that she’s innocent because they’re so deeply in love. Yeah Right. The romantic relationship just felt shoehorned in to provide the love interest.
The plot holes were numerous and clearly didn't make any sense, and for someone under suspicion, she does some really stupid things. The writing wasn’t great and the development of the story had far too many conveniences. It all just felt very basic. I couldn't recommend this book.
Nora is a small town journalist and one night the town experiences a double murder of a husband and wife (Hugh and Helene). Nora finds herself the murder suspect. Hugh is her ex-husband and Helene became pregnant with Hugh’s child while Nora and Hugh were still married. To add to the suspicion Nora has a sleepwalking condition and finds she cannot remember the night of the murders and wakes up the following morning with mud on her clothes and her hair mixed with leaves and twigs. Even Nora can’t be sure she didn’t commit the murders.
The story had potential and there were a number of characters introduced to help with multiple suspicions and motives in this whodunit. The problem was that the characters were very one dimensional and the storyline had very unrealistic twists. The friends of Nora never had any doubt whatsoever that Nora was innocent and she even strikes up a relationship with someone in the middle of the investigation and he also has no doubt that she’s innocent because they’re so deeply in love. Yeah Right. The romantic relationship just felt shoehorned in to provide the love interest.
The plot holes were numerous and clearly didn't make any sense, and for someone under suspicion, she does some really stupid things. The writing wasn’t great and the development of the story had far too many conveniences. It all just felt very basic. I couldn't recommend this book.
January 16, 2018
Disappointingly Predictable
I was able to read to the end even after feeling it was too obvious who the killer was... This was forgivable. However, the abrupt and lazy descriptions of people, such as "Latina woman" "African-American owner," "Asian man," "Jamaican attendant," and "Indian Doctor" descriptions pulled me out of the story. And the Irish lady drinks and tends bar...There were no depth to the characters the author chose to call out for their ethnicity or origin. It read very "Hey look at me! I'm putting in people of other backgrounds!" Major eye-rolls ensued. And then Tobias' character felt trite and tired. A man posing as Christian who was really a big scam. How did politics and the idea of Christian religious political agendas fit into this story? Maybe because she was press? How would our heroine know that Lizzie was wearing a boiled wool hat from Afghanistan from looking at her from across a street? I didn't feel like I was getting to know the heroine, but more like I was being preached at about political correctness which wasn't so politically correct and felt highly stereotyped. Yanked me right out of the story every time. I was reading for pleasure and "suspense," but came away feeling like I watched the women from The View talking over one another and telling a story where I guessed the ending halfway through.
Signed,
Mad As Hell (wink wink).
I was able to read to the end even after feeling it was too obvious who the killer was... This was forgivable. However, the abrupt and lazy descriptions of people, such as "Latina woman" "African-American owner," "Asian man," "Jamaican attendant," and "Indian Doctor" descriptions pulled me out of the story. And the Irish lady drinks and tends bar...There were no depth to the characters the author chose to call out for their ethnicity or origin. It read very "Hey look at me! I'm putting in people of other backgrounds!" Major eye-rolls ensued. And then Tobias' character felt trite and tired. A man posing as Christian who was really a big scam. How did politics and the idea of Christian religious political agendas fit into this story? Maybe because she was press? How would our heroine know that Lizzie was wearing a boiled wool hat from Afghanistan from looking at her from across a street? I didn't feel like I was getting to know the heroine, but more like I was being preached at about political correctness which wasn't so politically correct and felt highly stereotyped. Yanked me right out of the story every time. I was reading for pleasure and "suspense," but came away feeling like I watched the women from The View talking over one another and telling a story where I guessed the ending halfway through.
Signed,
Mad As Hell (wink wink).
January 29, 2018
Honestly completely baffled by the 3.94 rating this book currently has - it was a pretty immediate DNF for me, but I forced myself to get through at least a third of it to be sure. Unfortunately, I really should've just quit while I was ahead.
The writing is clunky and awkward. The author lays out every single detail - does she think we have no reading comprehension skills whatsoever? For example: "He waved the wand over my jeans and black cardigan, and it dawned on me that for weeks I’d been wearing nothing but black: black jeans, black Pilates pants, black T-shirts and black sweaters. Yet another symptom of my dark emotional state."
The writing is clunky and awkward. The author lays out every single detail - does she think we have no reading comprehension skills whatsoever? For example: "He waved the wand over my jeans and black cardigan, and it dawned on me that for weeks I’d been wearing nothing but black: black jeans, black Pilates pants, black T-shirts and black sweaters. Yet another symptom of my dark emotional state."
January 29, 2018
*3-3.5 stars.
From the title, you might think this is a self-help book with advice for living a good life, right? But no, it's a cozy mystery set in Pequod, New York. Forty-one-year-old Nora Walker works for the Pequod Courier and writes a snarky, humorous column for the paper that is entitled Tips for Living (in a seaside town where rich people spend their summers and drive the prices and property taxes up for the local townspeople.) Nora's father once said to her: "Here's a tip, kiddo. A tip for living. This world is rough, and it's going to keep throwing things at you. Don't let them break your heart."
In the heart-breaking category, Nora had been in a long-term relationship with the famous artist, Hugh Walker; he called her his muse. They were married for just thirteen months when Nora learned he'd found another 'muse' and the woman was pregnant with his child.
After a nasty divorce, Nora moved out to Pequod to be near her college friend Grace and started to build a new life for herself, working for the local paper. But just three years later, she was shocked to learn that Hugh had bought a mansion on Pequod Point and was moving in with his wife and daughter. How could they be so heartless?
Nora had fainting episodes as a child, along with some sleepwalking, but she thought she'd outgrown it all...until the morning she wakes up with twigs in her hair and a cut on her face, then learns that Hugh and Helene have been murdered in their king-sized bed, with a nude painting of the couple slashed. Could she have??? Would she have??? Even Nora is not completely sure.
This is well-written with a trail of clues that lead the reader astray until the final act. I found myself wishing the author had kept a bit more of the snarky humor throughout the story, even with the law breathing down poor Nora's neck, but she does throw in some titillating romance into the mix. Fun read that kept me guessing.
*Kindle-First-Reads-January, 2018.
From the title, you might think this is a self-help book with advice for living a good life, right? But no, it's a cozy mystery set in Pequod, New York. Forty-one-year-old Nora Walker works for the Pequod Courier and writes a snarky, humorous column for the paper that is entitled Tips for Living (in a seaside town where rich people spend their summers and drive the prices and property taxes up for the local townspeople.) Nora's father once said to her: "Here's a tip, kiddo. A tip for living. This world is rough, and it's going to keep throwing things at you. Don't let them break your heart."
In the heart-breaking category, Nora had been in a long-term relationship with the famous artist, Hugh Walker; he called her his muse. They were married for just thirteen months when Nora learned he'd found another 'muse' and the woman was pregnant with his child.
After a nasty divorce, Nora moved out to Pequod to be near her college friend Grace and started to build a new life for herself, working for the local paper. But just three years later, she was shocked to learn that Hugh had bought a mansion on Pequod Point and was moving in with his wife and daughter. How could they be so heartless?
Nora had fainting episodes as a child, along with some sleepwalking, but she thought she'd outgrown it all...until the morning she wakes up with twigs in her hair and a cut on her face, then learns that Hugh and Helene have been murdered in their king-sized bed, with a nude painting of the couple slashed. Could she have??? Would she have??? Even Nora is not completely sure.
This is well-written with a trail of clues that lead the reader astray until the final act. I found myself wishing the author had kept a bit more of the snarky humor throughout the story, even with the law breathing down poor Nora's neck, but she does throw in some titillating romance into the mix. Fun read that kept me guessing.
*Kindle-First-Reads-January, 2018.
February 1, 2018
3.5 Stars.
This book started out with a bang and took off at a frenetic pace, which I loved. Nora lives in Pequod, New York, a tourist town, as a newspaper columnist trying to get her life back on track after her husband left her for another woman who got pregnant with his child. She’s trying to piece her life back together when her ex and his new wife are found brutally murdered in their bed. This beginning had me flipping pages quickly.
I felt the middle slowed down as Nora is trying to determine who is responsible while also trying to stay out of the spotlight herself. There are a lot of characters and it does get a tad repetitive but the pacing is good. Not a lot of huge surprises and an ending I felt was a tad predictable.
Overall, a solid first effort by Renee Shafransky and is definitely read more by her in the future.
My thanks to the publisher and her street team for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book started out with a bang and took off at a frenetic pace, which I loved. Nora lives in Pequod, New York, a tourist town, as a newspaper columnist trying to get her life back on track after her husband left her for another woman who got pregnant with his child. She’s trying to piece her life back together when her ex and his new wife are found brutally murdered in their bed. This beginning had me flipping pages quickly.
I felt the middle slowed down as Nora is trying to determine who is responsible while also trying to stay out of the spotlight herself. There are a lot of characters and it does get a tad repetitive but the pacing is good. Not a lot of huge surprises and an ending I felt was a tad predictable.
Overall, a solid first effort by Renee Shafransky and is definitely read more by her in the future.
My thanks to the publisher and her street team for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2017
Lindas Book Obsession Review of “Tips For Living� by Renee Shafransky
By Linda Zagon
Kudos to debut author Renee Shafransky for a suspenseful, captivating, and intriguing novel “Tips For Living� :A Novel Of Suspense.(Lake Union Publishing: February 1,2018).
The genres for “Tips For Living� are Mystery and Suspense, Thriller,and Fiction. The timeline of the story is in the present, and told only in the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The
Story takes place in Pequod,a small town that attracts many summer tourists that live in expensive summer homes.
The author describes her characters as complex and complicated. Nora Glasser is a resident and writes a news column in the Pequod Paper, for “Tips on Living�. Nora has been betrayed by her famous ex- husband who is a renowned artist, when he not only had an affair, but got his mistress pregnant. Hoping to leave her humiliation, anger, hurt, and resentment behind, she has moved from New York City to Pequod. She becomes angered when she finds that her ex-husband and wife have bought an expensive home in Pequod, where she lives.
In the past when Nora gets stressed, she has been known to sleepwalk. Nora also has the responsibility and expense of taking care of her beloved elder aunt.
Trouble starts when both Nora’s ex-husband High Walker and his present wife are found dead in their house. Who would be angry enough to kill them?
There is a colorful cast of characters and there are some that could be suspect. Unfortunately, the police are looking at Nora as the prime suspect. As a writer for a newspaper, Nora usually has the gut instincts in certain matters. What is troubling, is Nora doesn’t remember where she was at the time of the murders. Has Nora started sleep-walking? Why is Nora all scratched up? What can Nora do to protect herself, if she doubts her memories?
There are twists and turns and highs and lows in this novel. I was so engrossed I finished this novel in one sitting. I didn’t want to stop reading. Several major characters seem to have dark secrets and motivations to be the killer. What about Nora? I found this book to be entertaining, full of mystery, thrilling, full of suspense, intense and mesmerizing. I would highly recommend this novel for those readers that appreciate a suspenseful, and thrilling mystery. I would like to thank Lake Union Publishing and Author Renee Shafransky for an Advanced Reading Copy for my honest review. I really have to say I was surprised who the killer is. Happy Reading!
By Linda Zagon
Kudos to debut author Renee Shafransky for a suspenseful, captivating, and intriguing novel “Tips For Living� :A Novel Of Suspense.(Lake Union Publishing: February 1,2018).
The genres for “Tips For Living� are Mystery and Suspense, Thriller,and Fiction. The timeline of the story is in the present, and told only in the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The
Story takes place in Pequod,a small town that attracts many summer tourists that live in expensive summer homes.
The author describes her characters as complex and complicated. Nora Glasser is a resident and writes a news column in the Pequod Paper, for “Tips on Living�. Nora has been betrayed by her famous ex- husband who is a renowned artist, when he not only had an affair, but got his mistress pregnant. Hoping to leave her humiliation, anger, hurt, and resentment behind, she has moved from New York City to Pequod. She becomes angered when she finds that her ex-husband and wife have bought an expensive home in Pequod, where she lives.
In the past when Nora gets stressed, she has been known to sleepwalk. Nora also has the responsibility and expense of taking care of her beloved elder aunt.
Trouble starts when both Nora’s ex-husband High Walker and his present wife are found dead in their house. Who would be angry enough to kill them?
There is a colorful cast of characters and there are some that could be suspect. Unfortunately, the police are looking at Nora as the prime suspect. As a writer for a newspaper, Nora usually has the gut instincts in certain matters. What is troubling, is Nora doesn’t remember where she was at the time of the murders. Has Nora started sleep-walking? Why is Nora all scratched up? What can Nora do to protect herself, if she doubts her memories?
There are twists and turns and highs and lows in this novel. I was so engrossed I finished this novel in one sitting. I didn’t want to stop reading. Several major characters seem to have dark secrets and motivations to be the killer. What about Nora? I found this book to be entertaining, full of mystery, thrilling, full of suspense, intense and mesmerizing. I would highly recommend this novel for those readers that appreciate a suspenseful, and thrilling mystery. I would like to thank Lake Union Publishing and Author Renee Shafransky for an Advanced Reading Copy for my honest review. I really have to say I was surprised who the killer is. Happy Reading!
March 30, 2018
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel.
When Nora discovers her husband, Hugh, has gotten another woman pregnant she vows to start her life again and not be dragged down by the pain in her past. Three years later she is working as a newspaper columnist in a small town, trying to start over. When her husband and her his now wife move into the same town Nora resides, Nora’s pain and anger return to her all over again. When her ex-husband and his new wife are found dead in their home, set up to make Nora look like the killer, Nora begins to question her sanity and her character. Nora begins sleepwalking again, a behaviour she hasn’t exhibited since childhood, and she desperately tries to keep it a secret knowing that it will spark too many questions. Questions even Nora can’t answer.
“Tips for Living� by Renee Shafransky caught me off guard, in a good way. This unexpected novel is full of suspense, intrigue, murder and romance, and it had me hooked from the very first page. Nora is a character we can all relate to, someone with hurt in her heart that is trying to start anew in spite of the odds she is facing. Her anger for her ex-husband and new wife is completely understandable, and these characters are in fact, so despicable, that I did not experience any love lost when they were murdered.
This novel has many supporting characters so it is difficult to try and figure out who the murderer is until it is actually revealed (I didn’t figure it out myself until only a few pages before Shafranksy herself revealed it!), which contributes to the story’s addictive plot. When the murderer is revealed, the story continues to grab and hold your full attention, until a final, just ending is delivered.
The small town, supporting characters are plentiful, and they are hard to keep track of (Al, Mac, Sinead, Kelly, etc.). This is likely done to add more choice to the “whodunit� cast of characters but it can get overwhelming and confusing at times. The many players involved in Hugh’s art world gum up the mix as well, but for those of us who are not particularly well versed in the art world (myself included), I appreciated Shafranksy’s excluding of the pretentious, haughty language of the art world and instead choosing a more laymen vernacular.
“Living� delivers a surprising punch, with twists and turns on every page. Shafransky’s debut novel is both creative and entertaining, with strong character development and a page-turning, addictive plot. I truly hope Shafransky continues to deliver more novels like this in the future.
When Nora discovers her husband, Hugh, has gotten another woman pregnant she vows to start her life again and not be dragged down by the pain in her past. Three years later she is working as a newspaper columnist in a small town, trying to start over. When her husband and her his now wife move into the same town Nora resides, Nora’s pain and anger return to her all over again. When her ex-husband and his new wife are found dead in their home, set up to make Nora look like the killer, Nora begins to question her sanity and her character. Nora begins sleepwalking again, a behaviour she hasn’t exhibited since childhood, and she desperately tries to keep it a secret knowing that it will spark too many questions. Questions even Nora can’t answer.
“Tips for Living� by Renee Shafransky caught me off guard, in a good way. This unexpected novel is full of suspense, intrigue, murder and romance, and it had me hooked from the very first page. Nora is a character we can all relate to, someone with hurt in her heart that is trying to start anew in spite of the odds she is facing. Her anger for her ex-husband and new wife is completely understandable, and these characters are in fact, so despicable, that I did not experience any love lost when they were murdered.
This novel has many supporting characters so it is difficult to try and figure out who the murderer is until it is actually revealed (I didn’t figure it out myself until only a few pages before Shafranksy herself revealed it!), which contributes to the story’s addictive plot. When the murderer is revealed, the story continues to grab and hold your full attention, until a final, just ending is delivered.
The small town, supporting characters are plentiful, and they are hard to keep track of (Al, Mac, Sinead, Kelly, etc.). This is likely done to add more choice to the “whodunit� cast of characters but it can get overwhelming and confusing at times. The many players involved in Hugh’s art world gum up the mix as well, but for those of us who are not particularly well versed in the art world (myself included), I appreciated Shafranksy’s excluding of the pretentious, haughty language of the art world and instead choosing a more laymen vernacular.
“Living� delivers a surprising punch, with twists and turns on every page. Shafransky’s debut novel is both creative and entertaining, with strong character development and a page-turning, addictive plot. I truly hope Shafransky continues to deliver more novels like this in the future.
December 10, 2017
I loved this captivating suspenseful book, Tips for Living! Renee Shafransky writes with depth of character and has plenty of surprise plot twists that hooked me from the start and kept me guessing who killed Hugh Walker. You think you know who but I was very surprised. Imagine the shock for Nora his his ex wife, when she learns her rich famous artist husband impregnated another women while they were still newlyweds. Add to that the new pregnant wife Helene, shows up next to her at her Pilates class taking over Nora's mat space. Nora is shaken, angry,and harbors revengeful thoughts that frighten her and make her wonder about her own past behaviors. Nora writes a column for the local newspaper that causes distention and suspicions for her and others as she hopes to solve the mystery. Will she be able to trust Ben, a man who is her boss, or her friend Lizzie who also works for the newspaper? There is humorous and witty dialogue, as Nora struggles with her own reflections that add to this suspense, she is intelligent and strong willed. A fast paced down right enjoyable read, I was very pleased to receive a complimentary copy of this debut novel from Lake Union Publishing.
November 3, 2017
No matter how bad a day you're having, Nora's is worse. Forty-something with literary talent to spare, she's living (hiding?) in a tiny Long Island village away from the big city life she used to live with her artist ex-husband and his fancy new wife. Then, her old life turns up in pilates class. And then it turns up dead. Who would YOU suspect?
"Tips for Living" will have you guessing till the end, but that's not the only reason to read it. Shafransky's way with words is extraordinary: through her perfect turns of phrase, you will know this town as if you'd lived there, you'll have known these people forever.
"Tips for Living" will have you guessing till the end, but that's not the only reason to read it. Shafransky's way with words is extraordinary: through her perfect turns of phrase, you will know this town as if you'd lived there, you'll have known these people forever.
February 4, 2018
I’d have to agree with fellow reviewer Melki; this is definitely a “cozy mystery� and not a suspenseful novel. One is never at the edge of one’s seat while reading, the story does not feel like it is urgent or time sensitive, but there is a sense of mystery that spurs the reader forward. This book doesn’t offer much in terms of originality, but the writing is solid.
Of course, an antagonist revealing his or her identity while pointing a gun at the protagonist followed by a chase scene that results in a deus ex machina resolution to the story is likely something you’ve encountered if you’re a big reader, but this book is fast and fun and worth the ride.
Of course, an antagonist revealing his or her identity while pointing a gun at the protagonist followed by a chase scene that results in a deus ex machina resolution to the story is likely something you’ve encountered if you’re a big reader, but this book is fast and fun and worth the ride.
January 10, 2018
Here and then there and then everywhere... this book just didn't seem to flow. Ben was supposed to be enduring?! He was pathetic. I've never read a book where I dislike all the characters, until now.
April 9, 2018
After a decade of partnership, Hugh and Nora decide to take the plunge into marriage and family. Unfortunately, where Nora expected a happily-ever-after ending, Hugh took up an affair less than a year into their marriage, getting his mistress pregnant and divorcing Nora. It took her the better part of three years but she considered herself close to healed (at least, in comparison to how she felt at the beginning of it all). She felt that way right up until Hugh and his new family move into her small town. Weeks later, Hugh and his wife end up dead and Nora is considered to be the prime suspect.
While the book started out with a bang and kept me engrossed, it started to fade out toward the middle. I couldn't stay invested in it. The end also felt like quite a reach, especially when it was disclosed how the characters tried to catch the murderer. It didn't sound viable.
While the book started out with a bang and kept me engrossed, it started to fade out toward the middle. I couldn't stay invested in it. The end also felt like quite a reach, especially when it was disclosed how the characters tried to catch the murderer. It didn't sound viable.
February 16, 2018
Thanks to the publisher and author for the copy in exchange for my honest review!
When diving into TIPS FOR LIVING by Renee Shafransky, I was entirely sure what to expect. A lot of times I think it's best to go into books blind so that you have no preconceived notions or expectations. In this case, I was very pleasantly surprised. I wasn't expecting it to be as suspenseful as it was - I figured it would be more on the lighter side of the genre. There's murder, red herrings, some romance, and it has a good pacing throughout.
Nora discovers that her husband, Hugh, has gotten another woman pregnant. After a few years and with the help of her friend, she is able to put her life back together in a new town with a new job. Things are finally getting back into a state of normal for her when Hugh and his new family move into a house nearby. Will Nora be able to cope with this?
Things get even more complicated when Hugh and his wife are found shot to death. Nora becomes the prime suspect in their murders. She faces one big hurdle: she can't account for the night of the murders. She knows that there are others that also had motive, but she needs to prove it to save her own life.
TIPS FOR LIVING had a large cast of supporting characters, and this can kind of confuse things in a few spots for some readers. Despite the great pacing and twists and turns to keep us guessing, there was a spot or two in the middle where it kind of slowed down, but that didn't last long. This is a solid suspense debut and I'm very excited to see what else Shafransky comes out with in the future.
If you're looking for a good suspense story with red herrings, a multitude of different characters, and a somewhat unreliable narrator, then I'd highly recommend picking this one up!
I give this one 4/5 stars!
When diving into TIPS FOR LIVING by Renee Shafransky, I was entirely sure what to expect. A lot of times I think it's best to go into books blind so that you have no preconceived notions or expectations. In this case, I was very pleasantly surprised. I wasn't expecting it to be as suspenseful as it was - I figured it would be more on the lighter side of the genre. There's murder, red herrings, some romance, and it has a good pacing throughout.
Nora discovers that her husband, Hugh, has gotten another woman pregnant. After a few years and with the help of her friend, she is able to put her life back together in a new town with a new job. Things are finally getting back into a state of normal for her when Hugh and his new family move into a house nearby. Will Nora be able to cope with this?
Things get even more complicated when Hugh and his wife are found shot to death. Nora becomes the prime suspect in their murders. She faces one big hurdle: she can't account for the night of the murders. She knows that there are others that also had motive, but she needs to prove it to save her own life.
TIPS FOR LIVING had a large cast of supporting characters, and this can kind of confuse things in a few spots for some readers. Despite the great pacing and twists and turns to keep us guessing, there was a spot or two in the middle where it kind of slowed down, but that didn't last long. This is a solid suspense debut and I'm very excited to see what else Shafransky comes out with in the future.
If you're looking for a good suspense story with red herrings, a multitude of different characters, and a somewhat unreliable narrator, then I'd highly recommend picking this one up!
I give this one 4/5 stars!
December 8, 2017
This book grabbed me from the very beginning. I did not want to put it down.
Nora had every right to hate her ex-husband Hugh and his current wife Helene - the woman he got pregnant while he was married to Nora. But, she vowed not to become an angry, bitter woman and began to rebuild her life. She'd moved away from the city, gotten a job with a small town paper, and was well on her way, and then the ex-husband and his new family move to the same small town, and the new wife joins Nora's Pilates class.
So when Hugh and Helene are violently murdered in their beds one night, is it any wonder that the police start looking in Nora's direction? Even Nora isn't completely certain that she didn't do it, which means we, as the readers, don't know either. We're just along for the ride as Nora and her best friend Grace try to stay one step ahead of the police and figure out who else could have possibly committed the murders.
I wanted to know who the murderer was as badly as Nora, and this book kept me guessing until the end.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for the ARC. I enjoyed it very much!
Nora had every right to hate her ex-husband Hugh and his current wife Helene - the woman he got pregnant while he was married to Nora. But, she vowed not to become an angry, bitter woman and began to rebuild her life. She'd moved away from the city, gotten a job with a small town paper, and was well on her way, and then the ex-husband and his new family move to the same small town, and the new wife joins Nora's Pilates class.
So when Hugh and Helene are violently murdered in their beds one night, is it any wonder that the police start looking in Nora's direction? Even Nora isn't completely certain that she didn't do it, which means we, as the readers, don't know either. We're just along for the ride as Nora and her best friend Grace try to stay one step ahead of the police and figure out who else could have possibly committed the murders.
I wanted to know who the murderer was as badly as Nora, and this book kept me guessing until the end.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for the ARC. I enjoyed it very much!
June 4, 2018
The one word I would use to describe this book would be "average." I was not as impressed as I hoped I would be. When I was reading about the author after I finished the book, I discovered she wrote several screenplays and was not surprised because as I read this, it came across like somewhat of a screen play. It lacked details that a great suspense novel has, but those details would've been conveyed through good acting on screen. That being said, I definitely think this would have gone better as a show. I felt that it was predictable, and very, well, average. There was nothing I found life changing or special about it. I thought the writing was okay, but compared to other suspense novels was definitely lacking. Overall, it wasn't great, it wasn't terrible, it was just average.
October 20, 2018
Sadly, this intriguing book ended up being only mediocre, perhaps because the intrigue was stretched out far beyond the point where it was interesting. I couldn't wait to finish and move on to my next read, which isn't a good sign and doesn't bode well for my checking out any successive efforts from this author.
December 27, 2017
This book was a can't put down until you finish book! Poor Nora her marriage ends because her husband cheats on her. She moves away and starts her life again then next thing you know her husband moves near her! When her ex-husband and his new wife are murdered the police look at Nora. Did Nora get the ultimate revenge? I really enjoyed this book and it kept me guessing until the very end. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.
December 4, 2022
This book is truly a mash up of contemporary fiction, mystery, and romance. I would not categorize this book as a thriller. And while it is a mystery, it's not a cozy mystery. I thought that Shafransky negotiated the genres of contemporary fiction, mystery, and romance well.
Nora, our main character, had to deal with starting over after her life was in shambles. She wasn't a pitiable character but was admirable for not giving up on her life.
I had two critiques of the book. First, although Nora was largely trustworthy, she had a health issue that made her an unreliable character, even though it was 97% of the time she was reliable. Unreliable female characters in the thriller/mystery genres is a pet peeve of mine and a lazy writing technique, in my opinion. My second critique is that Nora's ex-husband is such a rotten spouse that he became a sort of caricature.
I'm sad I put this book off for so long because it ended up surprising me and I enjoyed it much more than anticipated. I would gladly check out more of Shafransky's work.
Nora, our main character, had to deal with starting over after her life was in shambles. She wasn't a pitiable character but was admirable for not giving up on her life.
I had two critiques of the book. First, although Nora was largely trustworthy, she had a health issue that made her an unreliable character, even though it was 97% of the time she was reliable. Unreliable female characters in the thriller/mystery genres is a pet peeve of mine and a lazy writing technique, in my opinion. My second critique is that Nora's ex-husband is such a rotten spouse that he became a sort of caricature.
I'm sad I put this book off for so long because it ended up surprising me and I enjoyed it much more than anticipated. I would gladly check out more of Shafransky's work.
December 17, 2017
Tips for Living will undoubtedly be a must read for all suspense readers in 2018. The story kept me captivated and rooting for the MC however it also had me worried for her. Absolutely captivating characters in an idyllic setting, emotional pain and of course murder, what more do we want in a weekend read? Renee Shafransky's writing style will draw in many loyal fans. Five stars.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me an advanced copy for my unbiased review.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me an advanced copy for my unbiased review.
January 22, 2018
2.5 I would not call this a thriller at all. It was a chick lit with a murder.
November 19, 2018
Simpatična priča o Nori koja se preselila iz Njujorka u malo turističko mjesto nakon bračnog brodoloma. Problem nastaje kada se i njen bivši muž s novom porodicom preseli u isto mjesto. Još veći problem: bivši muž i njegova supruga su ubijeni, a Nora postane glavna osumnjičena.
Najgore od svega je to što Nora ni sama nije sigurna u svoju nevinost, zbog epizoda s mjesečarenjem koje joj se javljaju. Počinje i sama istraživati, kako bi otkrila istinu i skinula sumnju sa sebe.
Najgore od svega je to što Nora ni sama nije sigurna u svoju nevinost, zbog epizoda s mjesečarenjem koje joj se javljaju. Počinje i sama istraživati, kako bi otkrila istinu i skinula sumnju sa sebe.
January 4, 2019
Usually, with books like these I can guess the outcome pretty quickly. Tips For Living was pretty different in that sense. They give you so many options and I thoroughly enjoyed being in the dark about who the true villain was until the climax of the book. I really enjoyed it.
Shelved as 'dnf-for-good'
April 12, 201920% DNF. Boring. Lost interest
January 4, 2018
Not what I expected...
The title sounds more like that of a self help book, in the end though I guess it really was. Nora helped herself! Another quick read that I couldn’t put down until I found out who the murderer was.
The title sounds more like that of a self help book, in the end though I guess it really was. Nora helped herself! Another quick read that I couldn’t put down until I found out who the murderer was.
May 6, 2018
All I ever want to read are woman protagonist did-she-murder-her-husband thrillers so I figured this would be a go, but even with my fairly low standards this was a complete dud. It was a poor knock off of Girl on the train, every character and plot point was thin and contrived and the book was not good with race. If a character was not white she went out of her way to describe their race in a way that felt like she was trying to be like “see I’m not racist, I’m putting people of color into my novel as side characters, shouldn’t I be applauded?� But it really didn’t need to be said in the first place since she never described the white people and it didn’t have anything to do with anything- just that it felt like someone told her to put it in there. It pulled me out of the book every time until I eventually quit reading it.
On the plus side, it made me feel like I could write a book no sweat. Doesn’t seem that hard.
On the plus side, it made me feel like I could write a book no sweat. Doesn’t seem that hard.
November 4, 2017
I loved reading this delightfully suspenseful and soulful book. Along with the kinds of down to earth characters that you really do meet in your Pilates class, the story comes to life with a sense of what it’s like to live in a small town. The mystery kept me guessing, yet it’s far from a simplistic “who done it� thriller. Through the observations and insights of a strong and yet vulnerable main character named Nora, the author reveals how a person can move through loss that at first seems unbearable. Taking one step at a time, Nora explores the shadows with self-reflective humor, which endeared her to me. She gets to the other side and provides Tips for Living along the way. Author Renee Shafransky works her magic on many levels!
January 3, 2018
Disappointed
After reading glowing reviews, I was expecting a real treat. I whole thing seemed pretty ordinary. You can even guess who really did it, a lot of running around until it was finally revealed.
After reading glowing reviews, I was expecting a real treat. I whole thing seemed pretty ordinary. You can even guess who really did it, a lot of running around until it was finally revealed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,108 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.